Mac OS X Snow Leopard Discussion

[Phantom Helix]

Just installed it. My god it's horrendous. Lagging on the keyboard, constant beachballing, generally everything taking ages to load... urgh.

inplace upgrade or clean install? and what system exactly?

just found this, might clear up what macs get what benefits of SL

http://blog.fosketts.net/2009/08/24/mac-os...ands-august-28/

Edited August 29, 2009 by Phantom Helix

[what]

inplace upgrade or clean install? and what system exactly?

Whatever happens when you whack the disc in and click install. I thought SL did an Archive and Install by default rather than an inplace upgrade.

Anyway I rebooted and waited for Spotlight to finish doing it's thing and it seems to be better now. We'll see how it goes for the rest of the day...

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

...

1. Is there any downside/negative aspect to going full 64 bit? I'm on the latest Macbook Pro 17" so I'm 'capable'. How do you know if software doesn't work in x64... it just doesn't launch?

...

Software that uses kernel extensions or communicates in certain ways with the kernel won't work (Virtualization software would be one such type)

You don't gain much (if anything) from running the kernel in 64bit mode, it might be slightly faster at some tasks but most of the time spent on the computer isn't spent inside the kernel anyway (Most of the time is spent in frameworks and userland apps, having those 64bit would provide a better opportunity for performance increases than the kernel)

[TruckWEB]

64-bit Kernel and Extensions: No

:(

Same here on my Macbook. My CPU is 64bit, my EFI is, in 64bit kernel boot mode but I'm still stuck with 32bit kernel.

This is a REAL artificial limitation that Apple gave us. Kudos to Windows on that one, as I'm running Win7 x64 in bootcamp without any problems.

[careless_monkey]

How do I make my Safari 32-bit?

[Elliott]

Same here on my Macbook. My CPU is 64bit, my EFI is, in 64bit kernel boot mode but I'm still stuck with 32bit kernel.

This is a REAL artificial limitation that Apple gave us. Kudos to Windows on that one, as I'm running Win7 x64 in bootcamp without any problems.

It's not artificial. It's for compatibility reasons. Rather than going all 64-bit or all 32-bit, Apple is giving users the ability to get a very, very large majority of the performance enhancements from 64-bit by letting apps run as 64-bit but still keeping compatibility with virtualization software and other 32-bit kernel extension users by keeping the kernel as 32-bit.

[Phantom Helix]

How do I make my Safari 32-bit?

open your applications folder command-click or right click on Safari and select get info, check the open in 32-bit mode check box, close and restart Safari

and here is a better SL feature to Mac hardware compatibility chart

http://blog.fosketts.net/2009/08/24/mac-os...ands-august-28/

[careless_monkey]

open your applications folder command-click or right click on Safari and select get info, check the open in 32-bit mode check box, close and restart Safari

and here is a better SL feature to Mac hardware compatibility chart

http://blog.fosketts.net/2009/08/24/mac-os...ands-august-28/

Thanku!!

[mattnotley2004]

Anybody had the issue where the sound/volume level keeps resetting upon every restart?

Originally, my sound would stay on the same level I last used, with Leopard.

But with Snow Leopard, it keeps resetting to Level 4 (25%).

I did an upgrade on my MacBook, and my iMac.

This issue only happens on my MacBook.

[Astra.Xtreme]

click the about this mac to bring up your version window then click the more info button

that brings up the system profiler, click "Software" from the menu on the left, now near the bottom of the right it should say 64bit kernel and extensions YES

Nope, it still says "No". I have the newest 2009 Mini btw.

[Miuku.]

Can someone with a store GM / Upgrade do file /mach_kernel and post the results here, I'm wondering if my ADC version has a slight oddity regarding the kernel.

[AltecXP]

It's not artificial. It's for compatibility reasons. Rather than going all 64-bit or all 32-bit, Apple is giving users the ability to get a very, very large majority of the performance enhancements from 64-bit by letting apps run as 64-bit but still keeping compatibility with virtualization software and other 32-bit kernel extension users by keeping the kernel as 32-bit.

He mean that Apple locked MacBooks out of using 64bit, for really no reason.

open your applications folder command-click or right click on Safari and select get info, check the open in 32-bit mode check box, close and restart Safari

and here is a better SL feature to Mac hardware compatibility chart

http://blog.fosketts.net/2009/08/24/mac-os...ands-august-28/

According to that chart 64-bit works on my macbook, but it doesnt.

[what]

Much better now. Kind of disappointing how Apple welcomes you to a new version of OS X that promises performance boosts with a Spotlight re-index that slows everything down.

[Phantom Helix]

He mean that Apple locked MacBooks out of using 64bit, for really no reason.

According to that chart 64-bit works on my macbook, but it doesnt.

hmm, ok the version didn't change from ADC seed to retail disc as in 10a432, is there however anything they could have done to the retail disc that would lockout some machines that ADC seed does not have?

EDIT:

nevermind i just went back and tried some earlier seeds on my plastic macbook 4,1 it has 64EFI and core 2 duo 64bit and those seeds won't boot 64bit kernel either

Edited August 29, 2009 by Phantom Helix

[the evn show]

Can someone with a store GM / Upgrade do file /mach_kernel and post the results here, I'm wondering if my ADC version has a slight oddity regarding the kernel.

Lucy:~ me$ file /mach_kernel
/mach_kernel: Mach-O universal binary with 3 architectures
/mach_kernel (for architecture x86_64):	Mach-O 64-bit executable x86_64
/mach_kernel (for architecture i386):	Mach-O executable i386
/mach_kernel (for architecture ppc):	Mach-O executable ppc
Lucy:~ me$ md5 /mach_kernel 
MD5 ("/mach_kernel") = 0617c436d6b4960172066982e05401d4

[omni]

You guys are completely insane.

64-Bit kernel extensions are disabled by default for compatibility -- if you have a 64bit EFI you can run 64 bit with 64 bit kernel extensions you just need to enable them.

Hold 6 and 4 during boot-up ( 3 and 2 for 32 bit )

OR

Edit /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.boot.plist and change

<key>Kernel Flags</key>

<string></string>

</dict>

to

<key>Kernel Flags</key>

<string>arch=x86_64</string>

</dict>

Granted I severely doubt any of you need or understand it given the complete inability to google "64 bit snow leopard kernel extensions". Just stay away from it, you don't even need it. Or the ADC build, what a waste.

[Miuku.]

Granted I severely doubt any of you need or understand it given the complete inability to google "64 bit snow leopard kernel extensions".

You realise that this does not work on a variety of machines that actually do support 64 bit and do have a 64-bit EFI. That's the problem here.

[omni]

You realise that this does not work on a variety of machines that actually do support 64 bit and do have a 64-bit EFI. That's the problem here.

There was a list of revisions with some issues during the ADC and I'll see if I can track it down I guess. The majority of people here don't fall in to that category though.

[AltecXP]

You guys are completely insane.

64-Bit kernel extensions are disabled by default for compatibility -- if you have a 64bit EFI you can run 64 bit with 64 bit kernel extensions you just need to enable them.

Hold 6 and 4 during boot-up ( 3 and 2 for 32 bit )

OR

Edit /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.boot.plist and change

<key>Kernel Flags</key>

<string></string>

</dict>

to

<key>Kernel Flags</key>

<string>arch=x86_64</string>

</dict>

Granted I severely doubt any of you need or understand it given the complete inability to google "64 bit snow leopard kernel extensions". Just stay away from it, you don't even need it. Or the ADC build, what a waste.

Done that.. it doesn't work on my Unibody MacBook

hmm, ok the version didn't change from ADC seed to retail disc as in 10a432, is there however anything they could have done to the retail disc that would lockout some machines that ADC seed does not have?

EDIT:

nevermind i just went back and tried some earlier seeds on my plastic macbook 4,1 it has 64EFI and core 2 duo 64bit and those seeds won't boot 64bit kernel either

I'm a MacBook5,1 and can't do it v.v

[Phantom Helix]

Ive been doing some more reading on the web and i think i may have a valid reason some macs won't in 64-bit regardless of a 64-bit processor and EFI64,

it is possible that the specific EFI firmware version for those computers hasn't recieved a proper update to allow it and may possibly get one in the future and apple decided to not delay the release until said updates were ready, considering it won't really hinder 64-bit apps.

a secondary possibility is that 64-bit system hardware drivers for those machines was also not ready and could be available in the near future, and again apple did not see any benefit in delaying release based on that.

take it with a grain of salt, thats my opinion and i am not going to worry about it any longer, i went through all that with Windows 64-bit and it took 3 64-bit OS versions to get where i wanted to be lol

the fact that SL gives me the option and power to switch on the fly is a huge relief.

[AltecXP]

I'm more inclined to believe #1 as the unibody has the same hardware as the 13in pro. and the 13in pro works.

[Corris Veteran]

Clean installed earlier, works perfectly so far. :D

Though one thing, I can't replace my adress book icon anymore. O.o

[Phantom Helix]

Clean installed earlier, works perfectly so far. :D

Though one thing, I can't replace my adress book icon anymore. O.o

what is your installed size? on a plastic macbook the installer said mine was going to take 8.05gb with quicktime 7, no printer/languages/fonts/rosetta but finder says 5.57gb on disk

are the system files compressed that far?

Edited August 29, 2009 by Phantom Helix

[Corris Veteran]

what is your installed size? on a plastic macbook the installer said mine was going to take 8.05gb with quicktime 7, no printer/languages/fonts/rosetta but finder says 5.57gb on disk

are the system files compressed that far?

I've installed a bunch of my stuff and put my 40gb of music on now, bit late now, sorry, lol.

Though from memroy with my options it was aorund 8gb, and I think it took about that too.

[Miuku.]

Here is an apt question; what Adobe flash version did you get when you installed SL GM store final?

I have a bad feeling that they didn't upgrade the version from the .23 to .32.18 for the final. I hope I'm wrong.