Installing Snow Leopard (and Rosetta) into Parallels on modern Intel Macs

[Mick-Mac]

Thanks - I was (eventually) able to get your instructions to work (I had downgraded to version 9 and back time version 10 again). You may want to edit your instructions to remove the single quotes from the command:

touch /ServerVersion.plist

Anyway, I'm still seeing an issue that was present before everything went south i.e. from within SL all the files in my host home directory are badged with a red minus sign. I even added the Shared user directory and even though they aren't badged I can't copy into them. From within the host I did a
sudo chmod -R 777 *
and that didn't fix anything. I reinstalled Parallels Tools several times and still no luck. Any ideas?

Oh, and I gave up and bought snow leopard server from Apple, paid my $20, but the dvd is on back order and I should have it in 4 weeks. Someone up there hates me...

 

[warnergt]

Snow Leopard VM stuck at 1024x768

I am still unable to resize my display in System Preferences. I'm only offered 1024x768. Any ideas how I can get Snow Leopard to offer me other resolutions?

I have this problem, too.
OS X 10.9.5
Parallels 9.0.24251
Guest OS OS X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard)

My guest OS only runs at 1024x768 resolution.
I can make it "full screen" but it is still 1024x768.

 

[MichaelLAX]

Thanks - I was (eventually) able to get your instructions to work (I had downgraded to version 9 and back time version 10 again). You may want to edit your instructions to remove the single quotes from the command:

touch /ServerVersion.plist

Remind me where are you seeing this command?

Also, of course, keep ALL of your important data outside of the Virtual Snow Leopard and just access it in there, so that it is constantly backed up by your backup scheme.

Anyway, I'm still seeing an issue that was present before everything went south i.e. from within SL all the files in my host home directory are badged with a red minus sign. I even added the Shared user directory and even though they aren't badged I can't copy into them. From within the host I did a
sudo chmod -R 777 *
and that didn't fix anything. I reinstalled Parallels Tools several times and still no luck. Any ideas?

Oh, and I gave up and bought snow leopard server from Apple, paid my $20, but the dvd is on back order and I should have it in 4 weeks. Someone up there hates me...

Is this within Snow Leopard client (presumably since you just ordered SLS). Let me know if it continues after you setup SLS. Screenshots are also helpful...

Apple always claims a backorder on SLS and most report it shows up 2 or 3 days after the order was placed... Let us know!

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I have this problem, too.
OS X 10.9.5
Parallels 9.0.24251
Guest OS OS X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard)

My guest OS only runs at 1024x768 resolution.
I can make it "full screen" but it is still 1024x768.

Are you using Snow Leopard client or Server? Please specify why you need to change resolutions in more detail?

This is a Parallels Mac OS X Guest problem in general, so also check with Parallels Support and/or their Mac OS X Guest forum and be sure to report back any successes!

 

[Mick-Mac]

I'm seeing that command in:
https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/15113950/

The issue I'm having is indeed within snow leopard client, modified by following your instructions.

Finally, Apple actually called me back at 10:30pm EST to say that meet SLS DVD will be shipping tomorrow! That's better than 4 weeks .

 

[MichaelLAX]

I'm seeing that command in:
https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/15113950/

Well, I do not use the Touch command all that often, but why would all of the other earlier uses require the single quote marks but not this instance?

The issue I'm having is indeed within snow leopard client, modified by following your instructions.

Now that SLS is discounted 95%! by Apple no reason not to move right over to it and avoid problems like you had with no backup.

Finally, Apple actually called me back at 10:30pm EST to say that meet SLS DVD will be shipping tomorrow! That's better than 4 weeks .

I am surprised they called you! Usually they just immediately ship it according to reports on this thread and my last experience.

 

[Mick-Mac]

Don't worry about that touch command with the single quotes around the argument - looks like that works just fine (I didn't know it could behave that way).

 

[warnergt]

Are you using Snow Leopard client or Server? Please specify why you need to change resolutions in more detail?

This is a Parallels Mac OS X Guest problem in general, so also check with Parallels Support and/or their Mac OS X Guest forum and be sure to report back any successes!

I'm using Snow Leopard Server. The resolution is stuck at 1024x768.
I want to be able to use tools including an editor that only work with Rosetta. I really need more display for editing.

OS X 10.9.5
Parallels 9.0.24251
Guest OS OS X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard)

 

[warnergt]

Here is one more piece of information possibly related to my 1024x768 problem.
When I attempt to configure the video hardware for may Snow Leopard Server guest OS, the settings are not available. Is this normal for SLS running under Parallels?

 

[MichaelLAX]

Which editorial program are you using?

 

[MichaelLAX]

I just took a look at my setup; did you install Parallels Tools?

[click on image to enlarge]

 

[warnergt]

I just took a look at my setup; did you install Parallels Tools?

[click on image to enlarge]

Sweet! You nailed it. That was my problem. I knew Parallels tools had to be installed for Windows. I didn't realize they were needed for Mac OS installations.

I installed the tools and all is well.

Thank you very much.

Which editorial program are you using?

I am using the CodeWarrior editor. It has a combination of powerful features that I can't find in any other code editor. Specifically:
1) It supports Regular Expressions across multiple lines. Most editors will only go to the end of a line. Even the Windows version of CodeWarrior does not support this. This is a mega-powerful tool for the type of software that I work on.
2) It supports super-long lines of text. I use some other software tools that output super-long lines of simulation data. I need to be able to work with these data. Again, even the Windows version of CodeWarrior does not support this.
3) Along with the CodeWarrior C compiler, I can quickly navigate C code using definitions and across header files. This feature is pretty common to C editors but can't be found with the other two features.

So, to make a long story short, I still *need* Metrowerks CodeWarrior which will only run with Rosetta (or on a PowerPC Mac).

And there are other applications that I would like to be able to continue to use but they are not critical:
Freehand
QuarkXPress
Resourcerer

Again, thanks for your help.

 

[MichaelLAX]

Thank goodness that a morning cup of coffee still clears the cobwebs away!

 

[Mick-Mac]

Has anybody been able to virtualize the official Mac OS X Server from scratch in Parallels 10 running under Yosemite. I received the dvd in the mail today, and I've followed the instructions of post 564 and every single time after I select the language and agree to the license it goes for a short while and then I get the error message "An error occurred during the installation" (or something equivalent).

 

[Mick-Mac]

Just answering my own question - the botched installation was either something to do with Parallels 10 and/or Yosemite. I was able to successfully install SLS on my wife's computer which was running Mavericks and Parallels 8. I then transferred the pvs file to my Yosemite machine running Parallels 9 (I had downgraded from version 10) and it worked. I then upgraded back to Parallels 10 and it still seemed to work fine. Just took me a long time...

 

[MichaelLAX]

Sorry to hear your experience was so long with Yosemite and Parallels 10; but I am glad to hear you now have success!

At this point I have neither Yosemite or Parallels 10.

I was considering downloading the trial version of Parallels 10 and following my instructions to install SLS and see how it worked.

But since I continue to operate in Lion, my test will not correctly answer your situation.

I will wait to see if others continue to have similar problems with the release of Yosemite and Parallels 10.

 

[blesscheese]

Silly question, I have just installed Snow Leopard Server and I'm running it in Mavericks...out of the box, it isn't connecting to the internet (unlike my Win7 VM)...I monkeyed around with the settings, and nothing worked, so could somebody let me know either a) what works, or b) what are the plain vanilla default settings, so I can start over again? TIA...

 

[DominikHoffmann]

Thanks so much for these instructions. This worked without problems, once I realized that I had glossed over the detail of needing to generate the image file from the disk, as opposed to its partition.

Do you have an explanation of what’s behind the step involving the com.rectalogic.vmware.plist file?

 

[MichaelLAX]

Now using Parallels 10 with my Snow Leopard environments!

 

[joecool99]

i looked at Parallels 10 - seems OS X 10.6 client is not supported, only server version?

have 2013 27" iMac with OS X 10.10 - need to run 10.6 as secondary system with rosetta support to run special old software.

can you post modified client 10.6 that will work for my install?

 

[MichaelLAX]

We are conversing on the other thread...

 

[arkmannj]

i looked at Parallels 10 - seems OS X 10.6 client is not supported, only server version?

have 2013 27" iMac with OS X 10.10 - need to run 10.6 as secondary system with rosetta support to run special old software.

can you post modified client 10.6 that will work for my install?

The Server version is basically the same as the client, just dusable all the server services you don't want and you should be good to go I think.

 

[joecool99]

ok. considering it. can i run Rosetta on server ?

 

[arkmannj]

ok. considering it. can i run Rosetta on server ?

yep, Rosetta is still apart of Snow Leopard Server. The server version is basically the same as the workstation version. Apple essentially just threw in some additional preinstalled services & GUI tools in ye server version. But basically it's the same OS with the core features being shared between both the workstation version & the server version (like Rosetta)

 

[MichaelLAX]

ok. considering it. can i run Rosetta on server ?

Rosetta will automatically be installed when you install Snow Leopard Server into Parallels.

 

[MichaelLAX]

Installing Snow Leopard Server into Parallels 8

[This procedure still works for Parallels 9 with slight differences in installing Parallel Tools; For Parallels 10, go to this link]

BE SURE TO UPGRADE PARALLELS 8 TO ITS MOST CURRENT VERSION

Which as of the date of this revision of this post is: Build 8.0.18483 (Revision 860857; March 30, 2013).

Step 1: Launch Parallels 8, go to File... New... Enter your system password if requested.

Step 2: On the next screen (Parallels Wizard), click on "Install Windows or another OS from DVD or image file" [see image at bottom of this post] and then click on Continue.

Step 3: Insert a new, freshly acquired from Apple, Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server Install DVD into your optical drive and be sure that "Install from" has your optical drive's name selected. Then click Continue.

Step 4: Give the "Name" something more specific. I like "Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server" and click Continue.

Step 5: Parallels should now commence the process of installing Snow Leopard Server into a file that will be named Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server.pvm and will be located at ~/Documents/Parallels/. This process will take up to five or ten minutes.

Step 6: You will then be presented with the normal "Mac OS X Server" installation screens, such as:

A. "Use English for the main language" -- Click on blue Right Arrow.

B. "To set up the installation of Snow Leopard Server, click Continue" -- Click on Continue.

C. Click Agree on the Software License Agreement for Mac OS X Server.

D. Select the Macintosh HD as the disk where you want to install Mac OS X Server. You do NOT have to click on Customize, as Rosetta is selected to install by default in SLS, unless you want to also install Quicktime 7. Then click Install. This Installing process will take 30 - 60 minutes, so go enjoy a cup of coffee!

E. At the completion of the install, either the System will restart itself or click Restart. You will be taken to the Welcome screen

F. Select your country and Click Continue. Select your keyboard and Click Continue.

G. Enter your Product Serial Number from the insert contained in your fresh, newly purchased from Apple Snow Leopard Server box, Enter your name (and optionally your Organization) and Click Continue.

H. Click Set up a new server and Click Continue. Enter your Registration information and Click Continue. Answer the Few More Questions and Click Continue. Enter your Time Zone and Click Continue.

I. Give your Administrator Account a Name: I like to use "Snow Leopard Server" and the short name will automatically be "snowleopardserver". I like to use an easy to remember password of "password" with the Hint: "It is what it is!" but feel free to use your own password that YOU WILL REMEMBER! ... and Click Continue.

J. The Network settings should be picked up automatically from your Host Mac; Click on Continue.

K. Network Names: Give it a Primary DNS Name and Computer Name such as sls.private and Click on Continue.

L. Users and Groups - Click on Create Users and Groups and Click Continue.

M. Services - either keep checked ALL of these options or deselect those not needed. I just kept File Sharing checked to keep overhead lowest. ...and Click Continue.

N. In Client Backup, I deselected Allow Users to Backup to this Server; and Click Continue.

O. In the Review screen, Click Set Up (or Go Back if you want to change any options before you Set Up). It will take a few minutes while your Server is Setting Up and then Click Go! The system should reboot and take you to your Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server Desktop!

P. You have now successfully installed and configured Snow Leopard Server and should now proceed to complete the Parallels installation.

Step 7: Eject the Snow Leopard Server Install icon from your Desktop, so that the DVD ejects from your optical drive. In Finder, in the Finder Menu, go to Preferences and check the boxes for Hard Disks and Connected Servers: your Macintosh HD should now appear.

Step 8: Install Parallels Tools from the Virtual Machines menu and then Restart and when the Desktop returns eject Parallels Tools. A Shared Folders folder should now appear.

Step 9: If you want to avoid having to log in at each Startup or Restart, go to System Preferences, Accounts, click on the padlock at the bottom left, enter your SLS password, click on Login Options, Change Automatic Login from Off to the name of your SLS account, enter your SLS password and click on the padlock.

While in System Preferences, I also like to go to Date & Time, Clock and check Display the time with seconds, so that you can always see from the changing seconds if SLS has frozen.