Background
Traditionally, we’ve adopted a cautious approach to macOS upgrades, tending to leave whatever version of the Operating System that came with a computer in-place until it is replaced as part of our traditional four-year cycle. However, in light of an increasingly active cyber-threat environment, as well as the relative lack of significant, “under-the-hood” architectural changes in Ventura that would impair the ability to use important applications, we’re encouraging the campus to be proactive in switching to this new Operating System to improve the security of our campus.
Before You Upgrade
Hard Drive Space
Before you upgrade, we want to make sure you have plenty of space available on your hard drive. Fortunately, that’s something we check for you - you’ll receive a pop-up message warning you about insufficient free space if you don’t have enough.
Backup
Next, it’s worth making sure your backups are in order. If you manually back up or store things in Google Drive, you’re all set. If you rely on our campus backup software, Crashplan, we have instructions on how to check the status of your backup here:
https://bucknell.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/40/LIT/KB/ArticleDet?ID=169
Upgrade Process
Finally, understand that the upgrade process can take anywhere from 30-60 minutes to complete, and you should make sure your computer is plugged into a wall outlet if you’re using a laptop.
Important Changes in Ventura
Printing
Due to some changes we made in early August, printing to departmental Canon printers has changed. Instead of printing directly to the printer as before, your computer now tells a server about your print job, and the server delivers the print job to the printer. This communication with the server requires authentication - you may have noticed that when you print, you are prompted for your Bucknell username and password, like so:
If you selected, “Remember this password in my keychain” you will no longer see this pop up; your computer will instead simply supply the print server with your credentials.
The big change in Ventura is that the window above will not automatically pop-up. Instead, you’ll see something like the following:
The window will appear to be “stuck” with a “Hold for Authentication” message. Notice the two grey buttons to the right; the leftmost button, a stop-sign shaped button with an X, will cancel the print job. The button to the right of it, the round button with a clockwise arrow, will pop up the window asking for your username and password. As in earlier versions, if you enter your credentials and check “Remember this password in my keychain,” your computer will automatically use those credentials and not stop at the “Hold for Authentication” step.
System Settings vs System Preferences
Ventura has renamed the System Preferences panel to System Settings; it can still be found in the Apple menu at the same location as it was before. It now looks like this:
This looks very different from the old System Preferences, but should look very similar to the Settings section that one would find on an iPad or iPhone. The different layout may make it harder to find what you’re looking for, but fortunately, there is a search bar at the top left; typing what you’re looking for there will take you right to the setting you wish to modify.