Having installed Catalina OSX 10.15.3, some of my software is now incompatible and I need to update it. When I try install the new version I am told that I can only do this if logged in as a Root User. This is scary, and Apple tell me I should be very cafeful as I may wreck the OS. What can I do?
iMac 27", macOS 10.15
First of all, what software? GUI or command-line?
Very few GUI apps should need to be installed as root, however, many may need to be installed via an administrator account, which is not quite the same thing.
If it's a cross-platform UNIX/command-line based app, then many installers assume the standard root/everyone else authentication model, which isn't perfectly mapped to Mac OS X's multi-layered model. Therefore it may say 'root' because that's the norm, but an administrator account may be sufficient. Again, it depend on the specifics of the app.
Thanks for your comment Kappy. Probably GUI then, specifically it is PrintShopMac graphics design and clipart.
Seems crazy to me to make it so difficult. Apple say it's not their wish to enforce this, and PrintShop say it is not a restriction on their program. So who is it?
I have downloaded the dmg files and when I come to install them my Mac says 'No'.
If you create a Root user and then log in as that you have a new clean program without the downloaded files, so you cannot access them.
Hope you can suggest some way round this so that I don't throw it through the window.
Have you checked to find out if this software is compatible with Catalina? See App Compatibility Table - RoaringApps. I checked the system requirements for 5.0, and the version is not compatible with Catalina. It is shown as compatible up to 10.10.x which would explain why you cannot install it.
There are several discussions on this forum concerning the fact that this app will not work with Catalina. And the provider has apparently been unresponsive as to whether it might be in the future. They continue to support Windows versions, but not for the Mac. I think you are going to have to find another program to use. Sorry.
That may sadly be true. A lot of vendors are heavily Windows centric and only grudgingly support Macs.
As I was tallying what I needed to update/upgrade to be fully compatible with Catalina, I found there was no 64 bit version of Seiko's Smart Label Creator for my older model 420 label printer. They've had 64 bit Windows software for that model for at least two years, but wouldn't update the Mac software. The only way to get 64 bit software was to buy a completely new label printer.
That ticked me off enough that I first thought I wouldn't buy another Seiko device, but after reading worse reviews on virtually any other label printer for Macs (many have no Mac software at all), I bought the model 650 printer. Turned out to be a good thing as it prints labels at least 30 times faster than the 420.
The worst part of this is all vendors knew, or should have known, for at least the past two years that they would have to have 64 bit versions ready fairly soon. That they still don't shows how little they care about their Mac customers.
Sorry, My comment above was in response to a problem concerning a different program. I placed it here by mistake.
In the past, I've had similar problems with Dymo's LabelWriter software. They did finally update their app, though.
I have spoken to the suppliers of the App, and asked them to confirm that it will work with Catalina. No reply received yet....BUT in the meantime I have discovered how to install it using the Root User login, and it WORKS.
What no one seems to tell you is that you download the program onto your Mac and start the install process until you have the .dng file in your download folder. Then transfer that to the Desktop. Enable Root User and log in as that.
Now the .dng file is on the new desktop for that user. Install it, and then you can log in as the original user and disable the Root User. PROBLEM SOLVED The program is in your Applicatons file, ready to use.
Just sad that the Suppliers and Apple as usual just blame each other, leaving the user in the dark.
If you set a password for the root (Admin) account, which you should always do for security reasons, then you can always use the Terminal app and CLI to use sudo to give temporary root access while running a command.
As I recall there was another topic here about The Print Shop and the bottom line was that it is not compatible with Catalina and the developer's claim a compatible version is due soon.
You need to log in as the Admin user, not the "root user." Is your normal login account an Admin or a Standard account? If the former, then you should be able to install software.
Thanks for that again. I will go back to them direct and ask for confirmation.
Why do I have to log in as Root User to install software
