TextWrangler is the powerful general purpose text editor, and Unix and server administrator’s tool. At its most basic, a text editor is a tool for simply editing text. You can use a text editor for a wide variety of tasks from cleaning up data, to editing configuration files on your Mac or server, to writing HTML or coding. MacOS Catalina (version 10.15) is the sixteenth and, as of June 2020, current major release of macOS, Apple Inc.' S desktop operating system for Macintosh computers. It is the successor to macOS Mojave and precedes macOS Big Sur, which is planned to be released in the second half of 2020.
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In case you’re not yet aware, there are going to be a whole lot of Mac apps that will stop working if you upgrade to macOS Catalina later this year. Now it appears that Apple has actually included a specific list of a whole bunch of them in the betas for its new operating system.
As reported on his blog, The Tape Drive, iOS developer Steve Moser recently discovered a hidden file in the latest macOS Catalina beta called IncompatibleAppsList.bundle that explicitly lists 235 apps that are incompatible with Catalina, along with text describing why they’re incompatible and in some cases offering recommendations.
As Moser notes, the list is designed to be used by the Catalina installation process so that apps with known incompatibilities can be flagged during an upgrade from a previous version of macOS. Many of the apps are actually just older versions that have long since been updated — and in some cases really old versions. For example, 1Password 2.12.2 is on the list, which is a far cry from the currently shipping version, 1Password 7.3.1.
The bundle also includes strings that are intended to advise users of the incompatibility, likely being presented during the upgrade process if any of the offending apps are detected on a user’s system. Many simply say something like ”this version of (app) is not compatible with this version of macOS” while others direct users to a different app. For example, if TextWrangler is detected, macOS will tell the user that it has been “end of lifed” and recommend they update to the company’s replacement app, BBEdit.
Why Is This Happening?
Apple has been working for several years on transitioning entirely to 64-bit apps, since these are not only more efficient for modern Macs, but by eliminating support for 32-bit apps, Apple can also clean up and simplify a lot of the code under the hood in macOS.
The writing has been on the wall for most developers for at least a couple of years, especially after Apple made the first such move with iOS when it dropped support for 32-bit apps in iOS 11 back in 2017. Of course, since it wouldn’t be as obvious to end users, with the release of macOS Mojave last year, Apple began notifying users that their apps would be incompatible with “future versions of macOS” and encouraging them to update their apps or seek replacements.
What Should I Do About It?
We provided some instructions and advice last month for how to find out if your apps will still work in macOS Catalina, which offers a way to ferret out every app that’s already on your system that won’t be compatible with the new operating system.
In addition, Moser has also helpfully shared the IncompatibleAppsList file on GIST, and while it’s in its original PLIST format, you can still open it in a text editor and scan or search through it to see if any of your favourite apps are on the list.
In either case, if you discover an app that’s not going to be compatible with macOS Catalina, you’ll basically have three options:
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When Apple launched macOS Mojave in 2018, it announced that it would be the last version of macOS that would support 32-bit applications. From Catalina onwards, you will no longer be able to run 2-bit apps and will have to upgrade to 64-bit versions or find alternatives.
What are 32-bit apps?
These applications date back to the days when computers ran on 32-bit processors and had 32-bit operating systems. While often described in terms of speed and power, the real difference between 32-bit and 64-bit whether it’s applications operating systems, or CPUs, is the amount of memory they can address. 32-bit apps can only address 4GB of RAM, so that is the maximum amount of RAM they can use.
Why has Apple stopped supporting 32-bit apps
Apple has been using 64-bit processors in Macs for well over a decade and macOS has been 64-bit since Snow Leopard, so it was only a matter of time before the Mac became 64-bit only. That time is now. Apple believes that the apps most people use most of the time are 64-bit and those that haven’t made the leap have good 64-bit alternatives.
It has also provided plenty of warning. When you open a 32-bit app in Mojave or High Sierra for the first time, you are warned that it is 32-bit and that you should update it. That warning then appears again every month or so.
By dropping support for 32-bit apps, Apple can fully optimize macOS Catalina for 64-bit apps and focus its resources on supporting those.
Is my app 32-bit or 64-bit?
When you upgrade to Catalina, you’ll be shown a list of any 32-bit apps you have installed and that will no longer work. If you want to check before then, you have two options: one very easy and the other a little more complicated. We’ll start with the manual, more complicated method.
There is an easier way to check, and it’s the one I recommend because it will allow you to upgrade 32-bit apps to their 64-bit versions at the press of a button. It uses the Updater utility in CleanMyMac X — a cool program by MacPaw — and it’s so simple to use. Here’s how:
Now, press the “32-bit” tag in the sidebar on the left
You will see the list of your apps that will not be supported on Catalina. Some of them may already have the 64-bit versions available. So instead of updating each app separately and wasting time browsing, just put the cursor on the tab below called “Updater”
Check the box next to each of the apps and press Update. The most recent versions of all the apps displayed will by installed, including 64-bit versions where they’re available.
How can I keep running 32-bit apps on macOS Catalina?
If you have 32-bit apps that you depend on and absolutely can’t use another app, and there is no 64-bit version available, you have three options.
What else is affected by dropping support for 32-bit?Textwrangler For Mac Os Catalina
Some media file formats won’t make the transition to 64-bit. Most of these were created using formats or codecs that rely on QuickTime 7, according to Apple. The QuickTime 7 framework is included in Mojave and its predecessors, but won’t be there in Catalina, so formats created with it won’t work. Apple has a full list of affected formats here.
That means some Final Cut Pro and Motion projects won’t be compatible. However, if you open a project with a 32-bit format, you will see a warning and will be able to convert the library to a 64-bit compatible format at the click of a button. You will also be able to convert Final Cut libraries at any time from the File menu by choosing Check Media for Compatibility. And you can convert files in Compressor.
Dropping support for 32-bit apps in macOS Catalina is part of a long transition from 32-bit to 64-bit that started with hardware and then with the OS in Snow Leopard. Apple has been supporting both for many years, but has decided the time is now right to become a 64-bit only operating system. Fortunately, most apps have already migrated to 64-bit and you can update any apps you need to using CleanMyMac X’s Updater. For apps that don’t have a 64-bit version, you need to decide whether to find an alternative or not upgrade to Catalina. Textwrangler Mac
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December 2020
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