macosnotificationspreferencessoftware-update
How do I get notification that there is an update for the MacOS system? I can find some questions on how to turn it off, but my problem is that it doesn’t appear to notify me at all.
The last update is one I read about. After that, I went to
System Preferences | Software Update
After that I checked manually. On then did I see any notification.
My selected Advanced settings are:
MacOS 10.14.3
Edited to add
Based on the comments on this answer, it appears that Xcode updates via the system Software Update were delayed, appearing quite a bit after they became available for manual download from the developer portal.
It may even be that Apple fits them into times when their network usage was low, which could delay an update even if you clear out your old copy and reinstall the not-quite-up-to-date version. Perhaps the update would appear if you waited several days.
Previous answer
Xcode has never, ever updated for me through Software Update, and it's never updated for the dozen or so developers I work with. The Apple employees that I follow on Twitter -- guys like Jake Behrens, Michael Jurewitz (the dev tools evangelist), Chris Hanson, and Bill Bumgarner -- along with former Apple employees who are devs and other high-profile devs I follow, all tweet something along the lines of, "hey devs, time to visit the developer portal to download the new version of Xcode" when an update comes out.
Are you absolutely certain Xcode updates are arriving automatically for your coworkers? Have you seen it happen? Are you sure they're not pulling your leg? I've certainly never heard of it and consistently hear the opposite, so it sure seems unlikely to me.
The only automatic Xcode updating I'm aware of for Xcode 4, and only then if it was purchased through the Mac App Store and not downloaded from the portal, and only then if you launch the App Store and click on the update, which really isn't very automatic.
I have just disabled checking for updates automatically from System Preferences:
I install updates manually from App Store or with sudo softwareupdate -ia.
I tried adding this command to the root's crontab (and not restarting after updates):
0 14 * * * /usr/sbin/softwareupdate -ia
I didn't have any issues at first, but after the 10.8.3 update, Safari started crashing on launch until I restarted. After that I changed -ia to -da so the command just downloads updates. softwareupdate does not include updates for App Store applications though.
Best Answer
On my iMac I have AppStore app in the dock. Whenever I have a software update, a number appears on the AppStore icon indicating how many updates I have. This applies to System Updates as well. I think that is the only way I'm notified.