1.4.325 only runs on Mac OS X Sierra

[cytan299]

Hi,
I just downloaded the latest alpha 1.4.325 (12-11-2016 version) and when I try to run it, I get the message that

Code: Select all

You can’t use this version of the application “StarTools” with this version of OS X.
You have OS X 10.11.6. The application requires OS X 10.12 or later.

I am still using El Capitan because my workplace hasn't ok'd he update from El Capitan to Sierra yet. I like to keep in sync with work.

Is it possible to recompile the alpha version so that it is El Capitan compatible?

Thanks!

cytan

[ecuador]

Huh, 1.4.325 seems to work fine on OS X 10.9.5. On Sierra I had to do the xattr thing first.
Apple is getting worse and worse, if they hadn't screwed up KDE and Gnome I wouldn't be using OS X for my main desktop...

[cytan299]

Huh, 1.4.325 seems to work fine on OS X 10.9.5. On Sierra I had to do the xattr thing first.
Apple is getting worse and worse, if they hadn't screwed up KDE and Gnome I wouldn't be using OS X for my main desktop...

I wouldn't blame Apple yet. There could be a switch in the compilation process that needs to be thrown so that the version checking code is disabled. It's interesting that 1.4.325 works on OS X 10.9.5. This means that it should work on OS X 10.11.6. Anyhow, like I said, might be a compile option.

cytan

[admin]

Hi,

Thanks for reporting this. Could you guys give 1.4.326 (just uploaded) a go?

There is indeed a compiler flag that can be set to force a minimum version (now applied), though I've never observed this problem before.

Hoping it's helped for pre-Sierra users...

[ecuador]

I wouldn't blame Apple yet.

I know very well why I blame Apple and it's not just about this specific issue (they are making it harder and harder to run non-appstore software), rather many many others...

1.4.326 still loads fine on 10.9.5, but the about screen says "1.4.325" (the executable has today's date though).

[cytan299]

Hi,

Thanks for reporting this. Could you guys give 1.4.326 (just uploaded) a go?

There is indeed a compiler flag that can be set to force a minimum version (now applied), though I've never observed this problem before.

Hoping it's helped for pre-Sierra users...

Yes, it works now. Although the version reported under "About" is still 1.4.325.

cytan

[cytan299]

I wouldn't blame Apple yet.

I know very well why I blame Apple and it's not just about this specific issue (they are making it harder and harder to run non-appstore software), rather many many others...

1.4.326 still loads fine on 10.9.5, but the about screen says "1.4.325" (the executable has today's date though).

Hi Ecuador,
Since I'm not a developer, I can't really support or diss Apple. However, I see from your signature that you are the author of Polar Scope Align for IOS. Just to let you know, great job on that app. I use it to align my ZEQ25, which really helps a lot rather than to use the hand controller display.

cytan

[ecuador]

Hi Ecuador,
Since I'm not a developer, I can't really support or diss Apple. However, I see from your signature that you are the author of Polar Scope Align for IOS. Just to let you know, great job on that app. I use it to align my ZEQ25, which really helps a lot rather than to use the hand controller display.

cytan

Glad you like it.
As for Apple, they have "burned" me as a user multiple times as well, it is not just my dev side speaking
And that ZEQ25, what an amazing little mount!

[admin]

Indeed, unfortunately Apple is getting more and more aggressive with forcing developers through its store.

It's making multi-platform development and distribution a lot harder, onerous and costly. This is done partly under the banner of security, but I suspect it mostly has to do with building a walled garden to try and get a cut from sales like on iOS (there is a reason why an Android version of StarTools exists, but not an iOS version - by comparison it's infinitely easier and cost-effective to get ST working on Android 1.6 than on macOS Sierra!). It is already a prerequisite to purchase reasonably up-to-date Apple hardware to be able to use its development tools, while cross-compiling is no longer possible (it used to be).

I have never been a Steve-Jobs-Second-Coming Apple fan (I adore the Apple II though, of which I own a couple ) for this reason, but lately this feeling has been getting stronger and stronger.

I'm seeing anecdotal evidence that some people are starting to vote with their feet, though these are mostly professionals (my SO being a good example of a graphic designer Apple fan girl who got fed up with instabilities, incompatibilities and platform pushing). However, being more consumer focused than ever, I don't think Apple will care and will continue on its path to a locked up, curated walled garden experience.

I hope it won't come to this, but there may come a time when small development outfits will be forced to drop macOS.

On topic: sorry, yes I messed up the versioning ; a direct result of having to have a separate procedure for compiling macOS binaries, on a separate machine...

[cytan299]

Hi developers,

I'm really sorry to hear that it is getting so difficult to develop on Mac OS. I have used Windows, Linux (Ubuntu) and Mac OS. (I started, from the usual DOS universe, to BSD and AIX. I programmed in C++ which was still a twinkle in Bjarne Stroustrup's eye with Cfront) IMO, Windows is the *worst* OS ever made and I cannot use it without attempting to smash the computer. So, I hope that things get better on the Mac. I assume that the Apple developers have complained. If not, please do! I hope that ST will continue on the Mac, it'll be really annoying to move to Linux to run ST.

cytan