Is it still possible to install Rosetta on Macos Snow Leopard ( 10.6.8)

Due to a disk failure , I reinstalled Snow Leopard on Mac Pro 2010, in order to support a custom appliaction for a CNC machine, I need to have Rosetta installed.

I no longer have the original PPc machine this used to run on.


To avoid unnessary suggestionst here is absolutely no prospect of having the custom application rewritten or ported to a newer system.

Mac Pro

Posted on Aug 23, 2023 4:16 PM

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Posted on Aug 25, 2023 7:09 AM

AFAIR it is selected by default.

Not quite. In Leopard, Rosetta was installed by default for both the client and server version.


In Snow Leopard, it's only installed by default with the server version. For the client version, you have to remember to turn on the check box of options during the OS install.


Or install it afterwards from the Extras folder. Or, run any PPC app and you'll be prompted to install Rosetta. I don't know if the latter method works anymore. Probably not.

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Aug 25, 2023 7:09 AM in response to Matti Haveri

AFAIR it is selected by default.

Not quite. In Leopard, Rosetta was installed by default for both the client and server version.


In Snow Leopard, it's only installed by default with the server version. For the client version, you have to remember to turn on the check box of options during the OS install.


Or install it afterwards from the Extras folder. Or, run any PPC app and you'll be prompted to install Rosetta. I don't know if the latter method works anymore. Probably not.

Aug 25, 2023 9:04 AM in response to Kurt Lang

> run any PPC app and you'll be prompted to install Rosetta. I don't know if the latter method works anymore


It did work today and downloaded Rosetta although I has deliberately unchecked it in the Server version. Also all Mac OS X 10.6.3-10.6.8 updates downloaded (very fast) and installed (to the server version). My archived installers' certificates were expired so they would need clock adjustments.


BTW VMware Fusion 13.0.2 does not automatically select the correct darwin.iso to install VMware Tools for 64-bit Mac OS X 10.6.3-10.6.8 Server although it is correctly set in VMware initial setup. A workaround is to copy the correct VMware Fusion 13.0.2.app > Contents > Library > isoimages > x86_x64 > darwinPre15.iso and set it to open in VM's CD/DVD prefs and also set the VM clock to 2020 (the certificate had expired March 30 2022).

Aug 25, 2023 12:11 AM in response to Hagar45

As Kurt Lang said, Rosetta can be installed from the Mac OS X 10.6.3 installer extras, and AFAIR it is selected by default.


It can also still be downloaded if "Open using Rosetta" is ticked in the app's Finder Get Info (MT NewsWatcher is an "Universal" app so it runs also without Rosetta):



If you want to virtualize Mac OS X 10.6 remember to get the Server version because the Retail version is not allowed in a VM:


Mac OS X Server v10.6.3 rev 1 Snow Leopard Unlimited Clients MC588Z/A

Aug 23, 2023 8:50 PM in response to Hagar45

Not sure if you can get your hands on an actual PPC machine for cheap, appropriate hardware is the best option. But if that is not an option for, and you need to run PPC code under Rosetta emulation, then try running an emulated PPC machine on your Intel Mac Pro using a Virtual Box.


You might be able to use VirtualBox and install Snow Leopard with Rosetta, just not sure if that will support your custom CNC software also. For some background ideas see this 2019 forum post:

https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/373967/run-rosetta-on-macos-sierra

"You can try installing Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6.8) in VirtualBox. I was

able to do this using an iMac (21.5 inch, Mid 2011) with High Sierra

installed. I was able to install and use Adobe Create Suite 2 in a Snow

Leopard (OS X 10.6.8) virtual machine. Adobe Create Suite 2 requires

the installation and use of Rosetta."


I have no personal experience with that, but was thinking of other emulation options that might be helpful.


Pacifist is a mac OS X software tool that lets you install portions of the OS from a DVD media, I am not sure if you can find the Rosetta packages and perform an equivalent optional installation from the original media onto an Intel computer.

https://www.charlessoft.com/



Aug 23, 2023 8:48 PM in response to Hagar45

Hagar45 Said:

"Is it still possible to install Rosetta on Macos Snow Leopard ( 10.6.8): Due to a disk failure , I reinstalled Snow Leopard on Mac Pro 2010, in order to support a custom appliaction for a CNC machine, I need to have Rosetta installed. I no longer have the original PPc machine this used to run on. To avoid unnessary suggestionst here is absolutely no prospect of having the custom application rewritten or ported to a newer system."

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Upgrading to Rosetta from macOS Snow Leopard:

Rosetta is still in beta. Put this post in the Apple Developer Forums. Seems you may get a better answer there, being others have come across this within Apple developer info.

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Is it still possible to install Rosetta on Macos Snow Leopard ( 10.6.8)

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