Apple have released the latest installment to Leopard with Mac OS X 10.5.6. This update includes mostly bug fixes but has an important change for OSx86 users however. Highlights as follows:

• Improves the reliability of AirPort connections, including improvements when roaming in large wireless networks with an Intel-based Mac.
• Improves reliability of Address Book syncing with iPhone and other devices and applications.
• Includes general improvements to gaming performance.
• Includes fixes for possible graphics distortion issues with certain ATI graphics cards.
• Contacts, calendars, and bookmarks on a Mac automatically sync within a minute of the change being made on the computer, another device, or the web at me.com.
• Improves Apple File Service performance, especially when using a home directory hosted on an AFP server.
• Improves reliability and performance for AT&T 3G cards.
• Improves printing for USB-based Brother and Canon printers.
• Fixes issues that could cause Time Machine to state the backup volume could not be found.
• Improves Time Machine reliability with Time Capsule.
• Adds a Trackpad System Preference pane for portable Macs.
• Improves the reliability and performance of Chess.

OSx86 users need to make an important step prior to updating. Firstly the bootloader needs to be updated to one that supports DSDT patching (part of the ACPI system specific to your computer). Secondly a patched DSDT file needs to be generated.

Compatible bootloaders include Netkas’ PC_EFI v9 and mackerintel’s patched Chameleon bootloader. To update simply replace the ‘boot’ file of your previous boot-132 bootloader with the updated one or follow the relevant instructions to do a fresh install. To patch your DSDT use fassl’s DSDT patcher and dump the file in the root of your partition. Netkas’s instructions here.

Update: Contrary to the requirements of 10.5.6 betas, the final update does not require a DSDT patch. Feel free to update as normal. Some problems can still be solved with a DSDT patch however.

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