7 ms·

I'm still on Mojave to use 32-bit apps. Any way to use 32-bit in Catalina or later?

by aarchi 6y ago

Rebelgecko 6y ago
For my 32 bit binaries, the easiest way to use them is to run the Windows version, because that OS has better backwards compatability. It's possible to get a Mojave VM up and running but it was nontrivial when I gave it a shot
- tanelpoder 6y ago
  I’m using a Mojave VM with VMWare Fusion on my laptop (that runs Catalina) on the rare occasion of needing to run 32bit apps. Install & setup was easy, without any problems. VMWare Fusion is a paid app, but VirtualBox should be able to do the same for free.
  - inapis 6y ago
    The latest Vmware Fusion has a free license for personal use.
- kitsunesoba 6y ago
  If I'm not mistaken, WINE is now capable of running 32-bit Windows binaries on 64-bit-only macOS as well, so that may also be an option particularly for more simple apps.
  - tempodox 6y ago
    Even the 64-bit WINE can't run 32-bit apps on Catalina. Their website specifically says they support up to macOS-10.14. Apparently 64-bit WINE can run 64-bit Windos apps on Catalina, though.
  - lucian1900 6y ago
    I don't think Wine can, but Crossover definitely can.
    - my123 6y ago
      The CrossOver fork of Wine can.
Wowfunhappy 6y ago
No, and there never will be. It's not the execution of 32bit code that's the problem (you can trivially re-enable that with a kernel flag, if you want), but rather the removal of every 32bit library from the OS. Without those libraries, apps won't run. You can sometimes get away with copying a handful of individual frameworks from older versions of macOS to newer ones, (I recently got Mountain Lion's QuickTime to work on Mavericks this way), but for so many libraries, many of which operate at a low level, it's just not going to happen! Mojave is still a perfectly fine OS for a while longer. And you can of course use virtual machines, although personally I'd probably opt for dual booting if it really came to that.
- saagarjha 6y ago
  You may find https://twitter.com/pvtmert/status/1339329302857457666 https://twitter.com/pvtmert/status/1339329302857457666 interesting
  - Wowfunhappy 6y ago
    Yes, that is interesting! I wonder if there was anything extra they did, or what apps they actually ran. I did try this, when Catalina first came out. But maybe I gave up too quickly (It was a "there is no way this will actually work" type of thing), or maybe I tried the wrong app...
webmobdev 6y ago
Why do you want to upgrade though? What's Mojave lacking that Catalina has?
- brainbag 6y ago
  The latest XCode that supports deploying to iOS 14 devices, unfortunately.
  - webmobdev 6y ago
    Ah ok. Yeah, that makes sense.

I'm still on Mojave to use 32-bit apps. Any way to use 32-bit in Catalina or later?

by aarchi 6y ago

I'm still on Mojave to use 32-bit apps. Any way to use 32-bit in Catalina or later?

For my 32 bit binaries, the easiest way to use them is to run the Windows version, because that OS has better backwards compatability. It's possible to get a Mojave VM up and running but it was nontrivial when I gave it a shot

tanelpoder 6y ago
I’m using a Mojave VM with VMWare Fusion on my laptop (that runs Catalina) on the rare occasion of needing to run 32bit apps. Install & setup was easy, without any problems. VMWare Fusion is a paid app, but VirtualBox should be able to do the same for free.
- inapis 6y ago
  The latest Vmware Fusion has a free license for personal use.
kitsunesoba 6y ago
If I'm not mistaken, WINE is now capable of running 32-bit Windows binaries on 64-bit-only macOS as well, so that may also be an option particularly for more simple apps.
- tempodox 6y ago
  Even the 64-bit WINE can't run 32-bit apps on Catalina. Their website specifically says they support up to macOS-10.14. Apparently 64-bit WINE can run 64-bit Windos apps on Catalina, though.
- lucian1900 6y ago
  I don't think Wine can, but Crossover definitely can.
  - my123 6y ago
    The CrossOver fork of Wine can.

Wowfunhappy 6y ago

No, and there never will be. It's not the execution of 32bit code that's the problem (you can trivially re-enable that with a kernel flag, if you want), but rather the removal of every 32bit library from the OS. Without those libraries, apps won't run. You can sometimes get away with copying a handful of individual frameworks from older versions of macOS to newer ones, (I recently got Mountain Lion's QuickTime to work on Mavericks this way), but for so many libraries, many of which operate at a low level, it's just not going to happen! Mojave is still a perfectly fine OS for a while longer. And you can of course use virtual machines, although personally I'd probably opt for dual booting if it really came to that.

saagarjha 6y ago
You may find https://twitter.com/pvtmert/status/1339329302857457666 https://twitter.com/pvtmert/status/1339329302857457666 interesting
- Wowfunhappy 6y ago
  Yes, that is interesting! I wonder if there was anything extra they did, or what apps they actually ran. I did try this, when Catalina first came out. But maybe I gave up too quickly (It was a "there is no way this will actually work" type of thing), or maybe I tried the wrong app...

webmobdev 6y ago

Why do you want to upgrade though? What's Mojave lacking that Catalina has?

brainbag 6y ago
The latest XCode that supports deploying to iOS 14 devices, unfortunately.
- webmobdev 6y ago
  Ah ok. Yeah, that makes sense.