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Quality Assurance Tips

Quality Assurance is the process of comparing what is required of a product and what is actually being provided to the users of that product. Apple encourages you to invest time planning a systematic approach to your testing. This will help ensure greater customer satisfaction with your products.

In this document, you will find tips, tools and steps to take during the QA process.

This Note is directed at quality assurance engineers who are looking for tips and tools for compatibility testing with Apple technologies.

Note: Compatibility testing is your responsibility. This Note contains general testing highlights and is not meant to be complete testing guidelines.

Identifying a Target Test Environment (Hardware & Software)

Before you begin testing your software or hardware with Mac OS X, it is important to determine what your minimum requirements are.

Ask yourself:
  • What is the minimum operating system requirement?
  • What is the minimum hardware requirement?

You will certainly want to test a wide spectrum of Apple hardware, as well as with different versions of the Mac OS. Different versions of an Apple technology may or may not work as expected with your product. The only way to find out how compatible your product is with different versions of an Apple technology is to test with these different versions. Determining what your minimum requirements are will tell you how far back you need to test.

Keep in mind that if your product has dependencies on an Apple technology or a 3rd Party product, your product will share the same dependencies as those technologies.

To find the system requirements for an Apple technology, consider searching the Apple Support web pages. To find specifications for Apple hardware, consider searching the Apple Spec Database.

Properly Preparing your Hardware for Testing

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Updating Firmware

Your computer's firmware should always be updated to the latest version available for your computer. Search the Apple Support Software Downloads web pages for updates specific to your computer.

Mac OS X Install


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Partitioning your Hard Disk

Partitioning allows you to create multiple volumes on the same hard disk. If you are interested in doing compatibility testing with both Mac OS X and the Classic Mac OS on the same hard disk, you will want to create partitions for each.

To partition your hard disk:
  1. Launch Apple's "Drive Setup" or any other disk formatting and partitioning utility.
  2. Divide your disk up into at least 2 HFS+ partitions.

    3. - For a thin install of Mac OS X, you will need about 600-700MB.
    - For a full install, you will need 1.2 GB.
  3. Name your partitions clearly.

    4. - Usually, the first partition is reserved for Mac OS 9.x.
    - The second is reserved for Mac OS X.

CD Install

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  1. After putting the Mac OS X Install CD in your drive, restart with the "C" key down, so that you boot from the CD.
  2. Launch the installer and follow the on screen directions.
  3. Select the destination disk or partition for Mac OS X.

    4. - The destination disk or partition will be erased in the process.
    - If you wish to deselect packages, use the "Customize" button in the lower left corner of the installer window.
    - If you wish to add languages other than English, use the "Languages" button and check the desired languages.
  4. Click "Continue" and then click "Restart".

    5. - After the base system has been copied, your machine will restart again.
    - After the machine restarts, Installer.app will launch and begin copying your preselected packages.
    - Your machine will restart again, and the Setup Assistant will appear.

Resetting PRAM

Your computer stores certain preferences in an area of memory called Parameter RAM (PRAM pronounced "p-ram"). Resetting PRAM replaces the preferences stored there with the default (original) settings.

Note: When you reset PRAM, preferences for Open Firmware, serial ports, video, and sound are lost. This affects the settings in some of your control panels, including the following:
  • Memory (RAM disk and other settings are lost)
  • Monitors
  • Sound
  • Keyboard
  • Mouse (or Trackpad)
  • AppleTalk
  • Power Manager
  • Map

Some third-party software programs also store information in PRAM.

To reset PRAM:
  1. Restart your computer and immediately hold down simultaneously:
    Command + Option + p + r

    2. Note: Make sure the Caps Lock key is not engaged.
  2. Hold the keys down until you hear the startup sound a second time, then release the keys.
  3. If you had special settings in any control panels, open those control panels to restore the settings you want.