View source for Mac OS 9 Software Update

Scattered notes on reverse engineering how the '''Mac OS 9 Software Update''' system works.

== URL? ==

In the Software Update Engine extension, resource {{Resource|ulsu|128}} has this URL:

* http://si.info.apple.com/updates/scanningpoints1_2.xml

Unfortunately, no samples of this XML file seem to be archived anywhere.

== XML templates ==
[[Image:Software Update Engine 30090.png|thumb|right|Pieces of a possible request or response format]]
Hints at the data structures used for requests, responses, and logging.

=== Log format ===

From {{Resource|STR#|20000}}, then prettyprinted. Caret-prefixed numbers are template placeholders.

<syntaxhighlight lang="xml">
<DOCUMENT>
    <VERSION>0</VERSION>
    <LOG>
        <DATE>^0</DATE>
        <NAME>^1</NAME>
        <VERSION>^2</VERSION>
        <STATUS>^3</STATUS>
    </LOG>
    <!-- additional log entries... -->
</DOCUMENT>
</syntaxhighlight>

== Network traffic? ==

I have not done any disassembly yet, so these notes come from poking around in ResEdit.

* Files may have used binhex, StuffIt, and self-extracting archives.<ref>Software Update Extension, resource {{Resource|STR#|-20905|Status Strings}}, string 14: "Debinhexing..."</ref><ref>Software Update Extension, resource {{Resource|STR#|2110}}</ref>
* Though the baked-in URL is <code>http://</code>, the following are likely also supported: <code>ftp://</code>, <code>https://</code>, <code>urlproxy:</code> (?), and <code>file:///</code>.<ref>Software Update Extension, resource {{Resource|STR#|-20902|Subwoofer Schemes}}</ref>
* User-Agent is "URL_Access/2.1 (Macintosh; PPC)"<ref>Software Update Extension, resource {{Resource|STR |-20902|User Agent String}}</ref>

== References ==

<references />

[[Category:Classic Mac OS]]