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User profile for user: mrandmrsjohnqsmith
mrandmrsjohnqsmith Author
User level: Level 1
9 points

Yes, I DO want to open this Unix executable file on my Mac; please help.

I created the file myself; it is a mere text document I created on my Mac G3 running OS 8.6 using the simple text editing software included with that Mac when it was fresh off the shelf in 1994. I just want to print the document. It's just text; no tables, no fancy formatting, just characters forming words typed onto a page. I have saved the file to a thumb drive, and when I plug the thumb drive into my MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 13" running OS Sierra 10.12.6), the file appears in the finder window as a Unix executable file. There has got to be a way to open and print this document, am I right?

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.12

Posted on Aug 15, 2023 9:38 PM

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User profile for user: ekassos
ekassos
User level: Level 4
1,340 points

Posted on Aug 15, 2023 10:03 PM

You can always right click on the file, select Open With > Other... and look for the TextEdit app. This should allow you to open and print the file you have. You should also be able to change the file extension by adding the desired extension (e.g. ".txt") at the end of the file name.

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User profile for user: mrandmrsjohnqsmith
mrandmrsjohnqsmith Author
User level: Level 1
9 points

Aug 15, 2023 10:23 PM in response to mrandmrsjohnqsmith

Aha! SOLUTION:


TextEdit opened it just fine.

TextEdit just wasn't on the short list when I right–clicked the file and selected "open with." Options such as "Terminal" and "Numbers" appeared instead. I'm guessing my 2012 Mac didn't recognize the old SimpleText document and incorrectly identified it as an exec file. I just had to select "other" > TextEdit. TextEdit opened my supposed "exec" file just fine, and my computer did not blow up.


The most recent discussion on this topic I could find was from 2022, and it was one of those dead–end reads where all the replies were just unhelpful variations on "Why would you want to do that???"

Because I'm crazy, man. I wanted to. I did. I lived to tell the tale.

"Here's to the crazy ones," right?


So for future reference, everyone, TextEdit will open your old SimpleText files, even if your Mac calls them exec files and everybody warns you not to do it.

<3

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Yes, I DO want to open this Unix executable file on my Mac; please help.

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