macOS Software Update Command Line Tool

The macOS softwareupdate command is a powerful tool that allows you to interact with the system software update mechanism directly from the terminal. The main functions include listing available updates, downloading specific updates, and installing updates.

Table of Contents

1. Requirements
2. How to use
3. Commands
4. Examples
5. Troubleshooting

Requirements

• macOS operating system.
• Administrator privileges for certain operations. Please note that most operations will require you to use sudo, however for demonstration purposes, the examples given here will not include it.

How to use

To use the softwareupdate tool, open Terminal on your macOS and enter the softwareupdate command followed by the desired command-line options.

Example: softwareupdate --list

This command will list all available updates for your system.

Commands

softwareupdate --list

List all available updates.

softwareupdate --install [args]

Download and install specified updates. Args can be:

• --recommended: All updates that are recommended for your system.
• --os-only: Only macOS updates.
• --safari-only: Only Safari updates.
• --all: All updates that are applicable to your system, including non-recommended ones.
• item...: One or more specified updates.

softwareupdate --list-full-installers

List the available macOS installers.

softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer [--full-installer-version]

Install the latest recommended macOS installer. Specify version with --full-installer-version.

softwareupdate --install-rosetta

Install Rosetta. Only applies to Apple silicon Macs.

softwareupdate --download [args]

Download but not install specified updates.

softwareupdate --schedule

Returns the per-machine automatic (background) check preference.

softwareupdate --help

Print command usage.

Examples

List available updates

softwareupdate --list

Install a specific update

softwareupdate --install ProAppsQTCodecs-1.0

Install all recommended updates

softwareupdate --install --recommended

Install all applicable updates

softwareupdate --install --all

Install only macOS updates

softwareupdate --install --os-only

Download, but do not install, a specific update

softwareupdate --download ProAppsQTCodecs-1.0

Check automatic update preference

softwareupdate --schedule

List full macOS installers

softwareupdate --list-full-installers

Fetch and install the latest macOS installer

softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer

Fetch and install a specific version of macOS installer

softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 10.15

Install Rosetta on Apple Silicon Mac

softwareupdate --install-rosetta

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues while using the softwareupdate command, ensure you have entered the command correctly. The command names and arguments are case-sensitive. Also, some operations require administrator privileges so ensure you are using sudo where necessary.

Additionally, ensure your system is connected to the internet as the tool requires a connection to check and fetch updates from Apple's servers. If you are still experiencing issues, consider checking Apple's official documentation or community support forums for more information.