Official Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard Thread & FAQ

**fryke** · #1 August 14th, 2009, 04:16 PM

Mac OS X 10.6 Installation FAQ

Please read the FAQ carefully. If you have supplemental questions or have answers to other questions, add them in the thread and ask me to include them. (No PMs necessary!)

Does my Mac support Snow Leopard?
This one is really simple to answer. Any intel Mac with at least 1 GB of RAM supports Snow Leopard. There are no workarounds and no exceptions.

Which version do I need?
It depends on what you have now. If you're running Tiger, you'll require the Mac Box Set (169 USD), if you're running Leopard, the Retail version of Snow Leopard (29 USD) will do. You can simply upgrade, or (via Disk Utility from the menubar within the installer) clean install. (There are also more expensive family packs for up to 5 computers in the same household.)

Will my Mac run the full 64-bit experience?
You shouldn't care. You really shouldn't. Anything but an Xserve will boot into the 32-bit kernel (and extensions) per default, and switching to the 64-bit kernel (and extensions) has no real user benefits, which is the reason that Apple didn't choose it as the default on supported machines. There are lists on the internet about which machines theoretically can boot into the 64-bit kernel, but best simply ignore those. Even with 32-bit kernel and extensions, a 64-bit processor (any intel Mac that's not a Core Solo or Core Duo, i.e. the Xeons and the Core2Duo processors) in Leopard and Snow Leopard can still run 64-bit software in its full glory.

Will XY (PowerPC application) still work?
Rosetta (Apple's PowerPC-to-intel translation engine) is included with Snow Leopard, but not installed per default. Should an application require it, a message appears telling you about it. The Mac will then get Rosetta through Software Update, install it and the application should run fine.

Will YZ (any application) still work?
There's a list on the internet that is continually expanded, showing you whether a specific app or tool is running okay on Snow Leopard. If the application in question is not on that list, best look up the developer of the software. There might be a newer version that works on Snow Leopard, or there might be information about whether (or when) an update will become available for compatibility with Snow Leopard.

Is 10A432 really the Golden Master? It's buggy!
It is the Golden Master, i.e. the final version, i.e. the very same thing as will be on the Snow Leopard discs. And it's not buggy at all. Some people consider the missing 64-bit kernel as the default a bug, but it's not. Some say Quicktime X is missing preferences, but since there's nothing to be set, there are no settings needed. So that isn't buggy either. As with all "final" software, there are always some bugs still to be found, and Apple will probably fix them with 10.6.1 in about a month, or with 10.6.2 a couple of weeks (or months) later. And Apple will continue to fix bugs until they take Snow Leopard off the shelves. And then they'll still release security updates through Software Update.

I have a Quicktime 7 Pro license. What happens to it when I upgrade to 10.6?
Nothing. You'll have both Quicktime X and Quicktime 7 Pro in Snow Leopard. Quicktime X is a nice free player which also allows you to trim and export. You'll still be able to use all the pro features of Quicktime 7 Pro for which you've paid for. However, there won't be anymore "Pro" version enhancements in the future, as it seems. Those days are gone...

Should I wait for 10.6.1 before installing?
Some people will say yes (or even wait for 10.6.2 or 10.6.3 or whatever is going to be the next version that will be released on DVD), some will say no. I haven't met a single real bug (only a translation glitch or two, but I've already forgotten about them again). But then again: Take _any_ user comment with a grain of salt. I haven't tested upgrading _your_ machine and software to Snow Leopard. I can only tell you about _my_ experience with the new operating system. If your current setup works just fine, it probably won't hurt to wait and see what other people say.

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(The following is my original first post in this thread, I've added the FAQ later.)

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There's a lot of information flying around about the latest seeded developer build 10A432. Many, many people are calling it the "GM build", which would mean it's the build that's going to be released on DVD.

Additionally, rumours pinpoint a release date around 2009-08-28 now, which would be _ahead_ of the anticipated September release. This part makes sense if 10A432 is indeed the GM build, because it contains iTunes 8.2.1, and iTunes 9 is expected to be released in early September. (Wouldn't make much sense to release Snow Leopard with iTunes 8 if it was released _after_ iTunes 9, now, would it...)

I'm currently using the build on my MacBook Air and am about to plunge into it on my iMac as well. The few seeds before this one felt as final as I needed them to get, but then I'm not the haxie-installing, oldest-software using guy out there, so my chances of getting burned by the new system are a tad more limited.

There seems to be much confusion about which machines will get full 64-bit support and which machines won't. Just so you know: None of my machines has full 64-bit support in Snow Leopard, i.e. they're running a 32-bit kernel and 32-bit extensions. They can still run 64-bit applications, though.

15" and 17" MacBook Pros are apparently running 64-bit two generations back, but even the newest 13" MacBook Pros have to make do with the 32-bit kernel. According to all my information, that's not _really_ something the general user should concern him-/herself with, but still, it sounds like there'll be a few "foul" cries and quite probably a massive-multiplayer-lawsuit from owners of the first generation Mac Pro, dubbed "64-bit workstation" by Apple, that won't run the 64-bit kernel and extensions.

Any more news, rumours, ideas, questions?

**fryke** · #2 August 14th, 2009, 06:05 PM

I just installed BootCamp 3.0 on my Windows 7 partition, and have tested the HFS+ support for the first time. Reading some Quicktime files from both my system volume (Mac OS X) and an external HFS+ drive worked just fine. I'm still hesitating to _write_ stuff to Mac OS X drives in Windows, but I guess I'll try it sometime... On a memory stick or something, so I don't lose important files.

**Captain Code** · #3 August 14th, 2009, 08:07 PM

That seems odd that a 64 bit Core 2 Duo laptop won't run the 64 bit kernel. I wonder what the reason for that is.

macbri · #4 August 14th, 2009, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fryke

Just so you know: None of my machines has full 64-bit support in Snow Leopard, i.e. they're running a 32-bit kernel and 32-bit extensions. They can still run 64-bit applications, though.

Hey Fryke - Can you comment on what version of Python is included, and whether it is 64-bit?

**fryke** · #5 August 15th, 2009, 03:27 AM

Python 2.6.1, intel (64-Bit)

**chevy** · #6 August 15th, 2009, 03:42 AM

I see that your MacBook nano is not yet running 10.6.

**fryke** · #7 August 15th, 2009, 03:54 AM

Yes, and it won't be for a little while. I've gone back to using my MacBook Air for most of my writing purposes as of now. But I'm sure I'll get around to updating it nicely (or re-installing).

Btw.: I used "upgrade" as the method for all of my Macs. I always test this first, until serious problems arise, but none have so far. Interesting, I find. Performance, overall, is up, I think.

**chevy** · #8 August 15th, 2009, 03:57 AM

Upgrade is reliable. Good news. I just ordered the upgrade DVD. We'll see when I receive it.

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