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The Mac OS X 10.3.6 update is now available. Information about the update is in this KBase document.

As with all operating system updates, take care when installing it because it can make drastic changes to your system and if anything goes wrong it can jeopardize your data.

It is advisable to wait a few days after the initial release of an OS update in order to see how it affects other users and to give people a chance to isolate and document potential incompatibilities with third-party software. MacInTouch has a reader report page for this purpose.

If you can do so, make a backup of your startup drive before installing new software like this. Carbon Copy Cloner and Apple's own Disk Utility both make reliable backups.

Another good idea is to run the Disk Utility to Repair permissions both before and after a system update. Permissions-errors are the most common reason why an update fails.

Apple offers several different ways to install a software update. In the past, people have run into fewer difficulties after an install when they used the large (92 MB) "combo" updater instead of running Software Update or using the svelte (34MB) "delta" version.

I'm not suggesting that running an Apple update invites catastrophe -- this is about Macs, not Windows machines. Apple makes every effort to ensure that their updates go smoothly. The odds favor you having an easy time with the installation and enjoying the benefits that 10.3.6 will offer. Even so, it never hurts to take a few precautions.