Yes we should remove and disable rosetta to prevent potential interference with PowerPC binaries.
Further reasons for Removing Rosetta in Snow Leopard for PowerPC
1. Not Needed on PowerPC
• Rosetta was designed only for PowerPC-to-Intel translation, allowing Intel Macs to run PowerPC apps.
• Since our project focuses on running Snow Leopard natively on PowerPC, Rosetta serves no purpose.
2. Code Bloat & Complexity
• Rosetta adds unnecessary binary translation infrastructure, increasing kernel complexity.
• Removing it streamlines the OS, reducing unnecessary overhead.
3. Intel-Specific Dependencies
• Rosetta relies on Intel-specific instructions and kernel hooks that have no equivalent on PowerPC.
• Keeping it would require rewriting or disabling large parts of the translation layer.
4. Memory & Performance Overhead
• Even if left dormant, Rosetta reserves memory and system resources.
• Removing it frees up RAM and simplifies system calls.
5. Focus on PowerPC Optimisation
• Instead of maintaining a useless compatibility layer, effort is better spent improving native PowerPC performance, drivers, and optimizations.
In summary
Since Rosetta only translates PowerPC apps to Intel, it is completely irrelevant in a PowerPC-native system. Removing it reduces complexity, saves resources, and improves system efficiency.
To disable without kernel modifications:
Code:
sudo launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.oahd.plist
sudo mv /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.oahd.plist /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.oahd.plist.disabled
sudo chmod 000 /usr/libexec/oahd
sudo chflags schg /usr/libexec/oahd
