So, you’ve decided to download an older version of Mac OS X. There are many reasons that could point you to this radical decision. To begin with, some of your apps may not be working properly (or simply crash) on newer operating systems. Also, you may have noticed your Mac’s performance went down right after the last update. Finally, if you want to run a parallel copy of Mac OS X on a virtual machine, you too will need a working installation file of an older Mac OS X. Further down we’ll explain where to get one and what problems you may face down the road.
Fight your way through a whales digestive system! By Stuffed Wombat. Add to collection. How does the timer work. Started by jakeyouh. Does this work on MAC yet? Started by markwhite. Small bug report. Started by highASAkite.
- Gutwhale community Replied to bobbyjack in Mac Bug: Gutwhale Quit Unexpectedly maxybaer123 291 days ago A better fix is to do chmod +x and drag the file you find when you hit open package and navigate to inside the MacOS folder it should have a sheet of paper as its icon but even then its broken on mac as it instantly crashes.
- Apple Mac OS X Snow Leopard TeamViewer. Establish instantly comprehensive, permanent, real-time remote access, control, and support through secure global network.
- For earlier versions of Mac OS X, including Mac OS X Mavericks 10.9, Mac OS X Mountain Lion 10.8, Mac OS X Lion 10.7, Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6, Mac OS X Leopard 10.5, Mac OS X Tiger 10.4, and before, the process to obtain those installers differs a bit. Downloading Mac OS X.
A list of all Mac OS X versions
We’ll be repeatedly referring to these Apple OS versions below, so it’s good to know the basic macOS timeline.
| Cheetah 10.0 | Puma 10.1 | Jaguar 10.2 |
| Panther 10.3 | Tiger 10.4 | Leopard 10.5 |
| Snow Leopard 10.6 | Lion 10.7 | Mountain Lion 10.8 |
| Mavericks 10.9 | Yosemite 10.10 | El Capitan 10.11 |
| Sierra 10.12 | High Sierra 10.13 | Mojave 10.14 |
| Catalina 10.15 |
STEP 1. Prepare your Mac for installation
Given your Mac isn’t new and is filled with data, you will probably need enough free space on your Mac. This includes not just space for the OS itself but also space for other applications and your user data. One more argument is that the free space on your disk translates into virtual memory so your apps have “fuel” to operate on. The chart below tells you how much free space is needed.
Note, that it is recommended that you install OS on a clean drive. Next, you will need enough disk space available, for example, to create Recovery Partition. Here are some ideas to free up space on your drive:
- Uninstall large unused apps
- Empty Trash Bin and Downloads
- Locate the biggest files on your computer:
Go to Finder > All My Files > Arrange by size
Then you can move your space hoggers onto an external drive or a cloud storage.
If you aren’t comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some nice automatic “room cleaners”. Our favorite is CleanMyMac as it’s most simple to use of all. It deletes system junk, old broken apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.4 - 10.8 (free version)
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.9 (free version)
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.10 - 10.14 (free version)
STEP 2. Get a copy of Mac OS X download
Normally, it is assumed that updating OS is a one-way road. That’s why going back to a past Apple OS version is problematic. The main challenge is to download the OS installation file itself, because your Mac may already be running a newer version. If you succeed in downloading the OS installation, your next step is to create a bootable USB or DVD and then reinstall the OS on your computer.
How to download older Mac OS X versions via the App Store
If you once had purchased an old version of Mac OS X from the App Store, open it and go to the Purchased tab. There you’ll find all the installers you can download. However, it doesn’t always work that way. The purchased section lists only those operating systems that you had downloaded in the past. But here is the path to check it:
- Click the App Store icon.
- Click Purchases in the top menu.
- Scroll down to find the preferred OS X version.
- Click Download.
This method allows you to download Mavericks and Yosemite by logging with your Apple ID — only if you previously downloaded them from the Mac App Store.
Without App Store: Download Mac OS version as Apple Developer
If you are signed with an Apple Developer account, you can get access to products that are no longer listed on the App Store. If you desperately need a lower OS X version build, consider creating a new Developer account among other options. The membership cost is $99/year and provides a bunch of perks unavailable to ordinary users.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that if you visit developer.apple.com/downloads, you can only find 10.3-10.6 OS X operating systems there. Newer versions are not available because starting Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.7, the App Store has become the only source of updating Apple OS versions.
Purchase an older version of Mac operating system
You can purchase a boxed or email version of past Mac OS X directly from Apple. Both will cost you around $20. For the reason of being rather antiquated, Snow Leopard and earlier Apple versions can only be installed from DVD.
Buy a boxed edition of Snow Leopard 10.6
Get an email copy of Lion 10.7
Get an email copy of Mountain Lion 10.8
The email edition comes with a special download code you can use for the Mac App Store. Note, that to install the Lion or Mountain Lion, your Mac needs to be running Snow Leopard so you can install the newer OS on top of it.
How to get macOS El Capitan download
If you are wondering if you can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice as it’s possible too. But before your Mac can run El Capitan it has to be updated to OS X 10.6.8. So, here are main steps you should take:
1. Install Snow Leopard from install DVD.
2. Update to 10.6.8 using Software Update.
3. Download El Capitan here.
“I can’t download an old version of Mac OS X”
If you have a newer Mac, there is no physical option to install Mac OS versions older than your current Mac model. For instance, if your MacBook was released in 2014, don’t expect it to run any OS released prior of that time, because older Apple OS versions simply do not include hardware drivers for your Mac.
But as it often happens, workarounds are possible. There is still a chance to download the installation file if you have an access to a Mac (or virtual machine) running that operating system. For example, to get an installer for Lion, you may ask a friend who has Lion-operated Mac or, once again, set up a virtual machine running Lion. Then you will need to prepare an external drive to download the installation file using OS X Utilities.
After you’ve completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, but you can click Cancel and copy the file you need. Below is the detailed instruction how to do it.
STEP 3. Install older OS X onto an external drive
The following method allows you to download Mac OS X Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks.
- Start your Mac holding down Command + R.
- Prepare a clean external drive (at least 10 GB of storage).
- Within OS X Utilities, choose Reinstall OS X.
- Select external drive as a source.
- Enter your Apple ID.
Now the OS should start downloading automatically onto the external drive. After the download is complete, your Mac will prompt you to do a restart, but at this point, you should completely shut it down. Now that the installation file is “captured” onto your external drive, you can reinstall the OS, this time running the file on your Mac.
- Boot your Mac from your standard drive.
- Connect the external drive.
- Go to external drive > OS X Install Data.
Locate InstallESD.dmg disk image file — this is the file you need to reinstall Lion OS X. The same steps are valid for Mountain Lion and Mavericks.
How to downgrade a Mac running later macOS versions
If your Mac runs macOS Sierra 10.12 or macOS High Sierra 10.13, it is possible to revert it to the previous system if you are not satisfied with the experience. You can do it either with Time Machine or by creating a bootable USB or external drive.
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Sierra
Instruction to downgrade from macOS High Sierra
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Mojave
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Catalina
Before you do it, the best advice is to back your Mac up so your most important files stay intact. In addition to that, it makes sense to clean up your Mac from old system junk files and application leftovers. The easiest way to do it is to run CleanMyMac X on your machine (download it for free here).
Visit your local Apple Store to download older OS X version
If none of the options to get older OS X worked, pay a visit to nearest local Apple Store. They should have image installations going back to OS Leopard and earlier. You can also ask their assistance to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. So here you are. We hope this article has helped you to download an old version of Mac OS X. Below are a few more links you may find interesting.
maxybaer123
Recent community posts
your not typing the command right then is the most likely problem there needs to be a space after x and nothing before the command also a space after chmod
One of the other devs I contacted added a .app.tar download and after testing it I can confirm switching to .TAR compression for mac does fix the issue in at least one case. I also found this as a probable way to fix the zip version If you dont have a Mac. (if you have a mac then instead of using the zip command you need to use the ditto command iirc) https://stackoverflow.com/questions/434641/how-do-i-set-permissions-attributes-on-a-file-in-a-zip-file-using-pythons-zip
Hi, I actually came across this issue several times and decided to look into it. The problem seems to be with the .Zip compression format stripping metadata on unix systems. Tar was built as a complete archive with unix support in mind so it has better support for MacOS. I sent another dev this and after they bundled it as a .APP.TAR their game was fixed so I can confirm it works at least one case. If that does not work I also found this on unity bundling in particular. https://answers.unity.com/questions/28677/how-to-call-chmod-x-from-a-unity-mac-applications.html
If you want them all bundled as a zip this should be the fix if you can only access windows OS (although it might be easier with linux) https://stackoverflow.com/questions/434641/how-do-i-set-permissions-attributes-on-a-file-in-a-zip-file-using-pythons-zip
What I sent to the other dev {
This issue in particular is one I have seen only some people have a problem with. I downloaded several games from Itch io that didn't have this issue which made me suspect there was a workaround. I spent some time researching and it seems this is actually an issue with .zip compression. Im not a developer so I cant help too much but here is what I found. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/107903/how-to-create-a-zip-file-in-the-same-format-as-the-finders-compress-menu-item
the other solution I heard is to use .TAR https://github.com/golang/go/issues/24057
the comments on this thread are quite informative
Gutwhale Mac Os Download
It seems that macs default zip compression does not properly store metadata so you need to use the [ditto] command
I also found this although you probably already read it https://itch.io/docs/itch/integrating/compatibility-policy.html
I hope that helped some :)}
Just tested it and can confirm it is fixed. Thank you!
Note to the Dev on a possible fix for mac Upvote so dev can see
Mac users seem to be getting an issue when launching the app where a file is improperly marked as a text file instead of an executable. This issue in particular is one I have seen only some people have a problem with. I downloaded several games from Itch io that didn't have this issue which made me suspect there was a workaround. I spent some time researching and it seems this is actually an issue with .zip compression. Im not a developer so I cant help too much but here is what I found. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/107903/how-to-create-a-zip-file-in-the-same-format-as-the-finders-compress-menu-item
the other solution I heard is to use .TAR instead of .ZIP https://github.com/golang/go/issues/24057
the comments on this thread are quite informative
It seems that macs default zip compression does not properly store metadata so you need to use the [ditto] command
I also found this from itch.io although you probably already read it https://itch.io/docs/itch/integrating/compatibility-policy.html
I hope that helped some :)
I actualy think I just came across why this is and how to fix it https://github.com/golang/go/issues/24057 this issue gives some information on the distinction between TAR and ZIP but to summarise it seems that ZIP support for symlinks is weak and TAR handles them by default I recommend you just switch over to storing the app in TAR and seeing if it helps
this might also help but you likely already read it https://itch.io/docs/itch/integrating/compatibility-policy.html
Best of luck :)
I understand this is frustrating so I decided to try and help(not sure if this is helpful but I hope its a start). This issue in particular is one I have seen only some people have a problem with. I downloaded several games from Itch io that didn't have this issue which made me suspect there was a workaround. I spent some time researching and it seems this is actually an issue with .zip compression. Im not a developer so I cant help too much but here is what I found. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/107903/how-to-create-a-zip-file-in-the-same-format-as-the-finders-compress-menu-item
the other solution I heard is to use .TAR https://github.com/golang/go/issues/24057
the comments on this thread are quite informative
It seems that macs default zip compression does not properly store metadata so you need to use the [ditto] command
I also found this although you probably already read it https://itch.io/docs/itch/integrating/compatibility-policy.html
I hope that helped some :)
Thats kind of what I was expecting I don't know much about DRM but I expect that would make it much easier to pirate. If the game never gets a working Mac version that is fine just know those of us with mac would appreciate it. Fortunately thats why I dual boot.
As so many people are buying the game (in the bundle) if you could put the HTML file in the downloads it would be great although I understand if theres some issue with doing that
A better fix is to do chmod +x and drag the file you find when you hit open package and navigate to inside the MacOS folder it should have a sheet of paper as its icon but even then its broken on mac as it instantly crashes
The only issue is that the launch file isnt marked as executable. Im not sure if apple prevents you from changing this but all you should need to do is manualy mark the file 'Kind' as 'Unix executable'. If you cant do this then I Highly suggest linking to a guide so people can easily fix the game themselves all you need is to drag the launch file after the command chmod +x
A better reccomendation is to right click on the app click show package contents and then open the MacOS folder in that and drag the file to a terminal with the line chmod +x (with a space after x) already typed in this will automaticaly do what you need without having to cd
The mac version of this game has its launch file (in folder /wildwoods/Contents/MacOS) that file is marked as a text file instead of a executable so mac gives an error that the game cannot be opened. This can be fixed by the command [chmod +x]. If you can find out why this is the case I would love to know as I have seen it in three other games on itchio so far.
close everything open ingame you have a window covering the buttons
Are you a dev? if so Im curious do you know what is causing the issue where the launch file is not labeled as an executable. Its a super easy fix. I have seen three other games with this problem and am wondering if its an Itch io bug or something with how mac is handeling these downlaods or you all just forgot or it was something else? Now that I think about it its possible its a Unity issue
Gutwhale Mac Os Catalina
So this appears to be the yet another game to fall victim to an issue on itch.io for Mac where an important file is mislabeled as a text file and prevents the game from launching.
For everyone wanting mac here is a relatively simple fix
credit to @jeremychu for this as this is just a streamlined version of what he says to do without so much terminal use
Note: The chmod +x command modifies the file and tells your mac that it is supposed to be executed like an app instead of read like a text file. The file we are modifying is the one the app uses to launch but the dev forgot to mark the file as executable so thats all we are doing here.
step 1: find the app in finder
Step 2: Right click or ctrl click on app and click show package contents
step 3: the last step should bring up a folder labeled 'Contents' within that open the 'MacOS' folder you should see a file labeled OSX (there are alot of files in here but this one should have a sheet of paper as its icon.
Step 4 open terminal and type 'chmod +x '(note the space after x) drag the file we just found into the terminal window and then hit enter it should look something like this [chmod +x stuff/stuff/stuff/stuff/OSX]
Step 5 Its fixed navigate back to where you started on step 1 open the file like a normal itch io game and enjoy
If you dont know how to open it or its not working after this the next steps are for you otherwise your done.
Step 6 right click on app and click open it will give you a popup that this is downloaded from the internet hit 'ok'
Step 7 right click again and click open it will give you another popup. click 'open' on the popup.
I found a red screen the first time i opened it I then went pack to the OSX file and double clicked that and gave it permission to access downloads that worked for me. The other thing you could do is try closing it and reopening if you get a red screen
So this appears to be the yet another game to fall victim to an issue on itch.io for Mac where an important file is mislabeled as a text file and prevents the game from launching.
For everyone wanting mac here is a relatively simple fix
credit to @jeremychu for this as this is just a streamlined version of what he says to do without so much terminal use
Note: The chmod +x command modifies the file and tells your mac that it is supposed to be executed like an app instead of read like a text file. The file we are modifying is the one the app uses to launch but the dev forgot to mark the file as executable so thats all we are doing here.
step 1: find the app in finder
Step 2: Right click or ctrl click on app and click show package contents
step 3: the last step should bring up a folder labeled 'Contents' within that open the 'MacOS' folder you should see a file labeled OSX (there are alot of files in here but this one should have a sheet of paper as its icon.
Step 4 open terminal and type 'chmod +x '(note the space after x) drag the file we just found into the terminal window and then hit enter it should look something like this [chmod +x stuff/stuff/stuff/stuff/OSX]
Step 5 Its fixed navigate back to where you started on step 1 open the file like a normal itch io game and enjoy
If you dont know how to open it or its not working after this the next steps are for you otherwise your done.
Step 6 right click on app and click open it will give you a popup that this is downloaded from the internet hit 'ok'
Step 7 right click again and click open it will give you another popup. click 'open' on the popup.
I found a red screen the first time i opened it I then went pack to the OSX file and double clicked that and gave it permission to access downloads that worked for me. The other thing you could do is try closing it and reopening if you get a red screen
PSA: The current version works but unfortunately there is a bug (i think with Itch io) where a spesific file needed to make applications work is set as a text file instead of an executable I found this in some other games here is a short guide I made for anyone who wants it
credit to @jeremychu for this as this is just a streamlined version of what he says to do without so much terminal use
Note: The chmod +x command modifies the file and tells your mac that it is supposed to be executed like an app instead of read like a text file. The file we are modifying is the one the app uses to launch but it is not properly marked as executable so thats all we are doing here.
step 1: find the app in finder
Step 2: Right click or ctrl click on app and click show package contents
step 3: the last step should bring up a folder labeled 'Contents' within that open the 'MacOS' folder you should see a file labeled something like Orion Trail the icon should look like a white peace of paper
Step 4 open terminal and type 'chmod +x '(note the space after x) drag the file we just found into the terminal window and then hit enter it should look something like this [chmod +x stuff/stuff/stuff/stuff/Orion Trail]
Step 5 The file should turn black and have the terminal icon this means its fixed navigate back to where you started on step 1 open the file like a normal itch io game and enjoy
If you dont know how to open it or its not working after this the next steps are for you otherwise your done.
Step 6 right click on app and click open it will give you a popup that this is downloaded from the internet hit 'ok'
Step 7 right click again and click open it will give you another popup. click 'open' on the popup.
Thank you for the help!
I somewhat simplified your instructions only the chmod +x line of terminal is needed.
For everyone wanting mac here is a relatively simple fix
credit to @jeremychu for this as this is just a streamlined version of what he says to do without so much terminal use
Note: The chmod +x command modifies the file and tells your mac that it is supposed to be executed like an app instead of read like a text file. The file we are modifying is the one the app uses to launch but the dev forgot to mark the file as executable so thats all we are doing here.
step 1: find the app in finder
Step 2: Right click or ctrl click on app and click show package contents
step 3: the last step should bring up a folder labeled 'Contents' within that open the 'MacOS' folder you should see a file labeled something like Art School 2k19.
Step 4 open terminal and type 'chmod +x '(note the space after x) drag the file we just found into the terminal window and then hit enter it should look something like this [chmod +x stuff/stuff/stuff/stuff/Art School 2k19]
Gutwhale Mac Os Downloads
Step 5 Its fixed navigate back to where you started on step 1 open the file like a normal itch io game and enjoy
If you dont know how to open it or its not working after this the next steps are for you otherwise your done.
Step 6 right click on app and click open it will give you a popup that this is downloaded from the internet hit 'ok'
Step 7 right click again and click open it will give you another popup. click 'open' on the popup.
Gutwhale Mac Os X
For everyone wanting mac here is a relatively simple fix
credit to @jeremychu for this as this is just a streamlined version of what he says to do without so much terminal use
Note: The chmod +x command modifies the file and tells your mac that it is supposed to be executed like an app instead of read like a text file. The file we are modifying is the one the app uses to launch but the dev forgot to mark the file as executable so thats all we are doing here.
step 1: find the app in finder
Step 2: Right click or ctrl click on app and click show package contents
step 3: the last step should bring up a folder labeled 'Contents' within that open the 'MacOS' folder you should see a file labeled something like Art School 2k19.
Step 4 open terminal and type 'chmod +x '(note the space after x) drag the file we just found into the terminal window and then hit enter it should look something like this [chmod +x stuff/stuff/stuff/stuff/Art School 2k19]
Step 5 Its fixed navigate back to where you started on step 1 open the file like a normal itch io game and enjoy
If you dont know how to open it or its not working after this the next steps are for you otherwise your done.
Step 6 right click on app and click open it will give you a popup that this is downloaded from the internet hit 'ok'
Step 7 right click again and click open it will give you another popup. click 'open' on the popup.
Since there is IIRC a version of this game in webcode is there a possibility you could put that webcode version behind a paywall with all premium features unlocked so those of us who are on MacOS and got the game in the bundle(and anyone in future) can enjoy
is there a mac version of the steam release planned? been following since before the rename and would be happy to pick the game up right now if i know it will be ported to mac at some point.
I can't seem to run the game i keep getting the error 'get extension of null'
This is a great game would love to see a mac version is there any chance of that?