I am contemplating upgrading my 13" MacBook Pro to a newer model with the M1 chip. One thing I do need is to run an old client app (Fiery XF 6) that connects to my wide format printer at home. This app is 32 bit and I currently use it through a VM of Yosemite in Parallels. I know there are issues with Windows 10 as a VM on M1 Macs, do older MacOS versions have this problem as well? If I had an M1 Mac could I install Yosemite in Parallels?
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Yosemite in Parallels on M1 Mac?
- Thread starter wonderings
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No. The M1 uses the Arm Aarch64 instruction set which is not compatible with x86. Parallels uses hardware in the M1 SoC to virtualize the OS but it doesn’t do x86 or x86-64 emulation. There is no version of any macOS before Big Sur that is Aarch64.
if an older and better OS ran in that M1, i would get one.
(i declined getting a free MacBook air of this year because of the OS being useless and annoying for my computing use)
somehow thinks that everyone will buy new MacBook every year.
even Macworld is getting critical of apple software and just disregard to fix easy problems,
these are 2 headlines on their webpage today:
Why does Apple's 'change' feel more forced than transformative?
Before the next big thing, Apple has a lot of little things that need fixing
(i declined getting a free MacBook air of this year because of the OS being useless and annoying for my computing use)
somehow thinks that everyone will buy new MacBook every year.
even Macworld is getting critical of apple software and just disregard to fix easy problems,
these are 2 headlines on their webpage today:
Why does Apple's 'change' feel more forced than transformative?
Before the next big thing, Apple has a lot of little things that need fixing
Intel based operating systems are not supported in Parallels on M1, so Yosemite will not run.
Well that puts off my upgrade plans completely. Seems like this will completely kill off Parallels business if they can't come up with a way to install normal Windows and Mac OS's.
I have thousands of dollars of legacy 32-bit software that I run in Sierra and Mountain Lion VM's under Parallels on my 2018 Mini. Works great, so I'm in no hurry to move to Apple Silicon. However, I don't think lack of MacOS VM's will "completely kill off Parallels business". My impression is that very few people need this, I see very little discussion of legacy MacOS virtual machines here in the forums and I found very little help online when initially setting up my own.
It seems that lots of people are already running Windows under Parallels on the M1, even though it is not officially supported.
They’d have to emulate a x86-64 system then (like QEMU does); like Virtual PC did on PowerPC Macs. (And that was slow as molasses.)
They will be fine.
Parallels (and VMware) are already offering cloud based virtualisation solutions. Currently only for business customers, but I wouldn't be surprised if they would also extend the offer to private customers in the future.
Have not followed it that closely but from what I understand it is an ARM version of Windows 10/11 that works and many apps do not support ARM. I think people may be able to make something happen but I do wonder how that effects those who use Parallels because it is simple and easy. I don't think most people need to run an older MacOS, I would say the vast majority are running Windows as a VM.
Windows-on-ARM has a built-in emulator for x86 apps though. You won’t get native performance but the apps should at least run. And this also works virtualised on Apple Silicon.
The problem with macOS in a VM is the lack of graphics acceleration which causes glitches in the UI and prevents some apps from running properly or at all, which is why I use an older Mac if/when I need an older version of macOS. To me, no graphics acceleration renders a macOS VM useless.
I'm sure this varies by app, but I can run VectorWorks 2008 (a $1500 CAD program) in a Mountain Lion VM and it works far better than it ever did natively. Same with Strata 3d cx (another very expensive app). I could run these natively on Mountain Lion on my 2012 Mini or 2013 MacBook Air but the VM is really much better and WAY more convenient.
I don't use these very often, but the VM more than meets my needs when I need them. I have very little hope that this will ever be possible on the M1.
I don't use these very often, but the VM more than meets my needs when I need them. I have very little hope that this will ever be possible on the M1.
Yep. For instance, none of the iWork ‘09 apps are usable without accelerated graphics. They just display a solid white window. But YMMV.
@wonderings Perhaps UTM would work: https://mac.getutm.app
Here is a tutorial to run older versions of macOS on UTM. It is a little bit involved, though, and you may need some knowledge of the command line. Performance may not be the greatest since UTM needs to emulate Intel instructions on Apple Silicon.
Alternatively, if you haven't done so already, you may want to consider contacting your software's vendor to see if they have an updated 64-bit version that works with your printer. There could also be open-source alternatives available.
Here is a tutorial to run older versions of macOS on UTM. It is a little bit involved, though, and you may need some knowledge of the command line. Performance may not be the greatest since UTM needs to emulate Intel instructions on Apple Silicon.
Virtualizing OpenCore and x86 macOS on Apple Silicon (and even iOS!)
Recently I purchased an M1 equipped 13” MacBook Pro. Overall the machine has been absolutely amazing however I have 1 big issue transitioning from my old Intel Hackintosh:
khronokernel.github.io
Alternatively, if you haven't done so already, you may want to consider contacting your software's vendor to see if they have an updated 64-bit version that works with your printer. There could also be open-source alternatives available.
UTM does a good job on running old X86 stuff in Win7 on the M1, so Yosemite should also work when configured correctly.
Will check that out. I really am hoping to have it work in Parallels as I own it and love how it works with Coherence.
It is a paid update for newer versions and it is in the thousands of dollars. This is a pro end RIP that I had from our family business. We merged with a larger company so I took our wide format printer home along with the RIP. I use it off and on for little things and family so do not want to invest money into the RIP.
M1 Macs can only virtualize operating systems that are compatible with the 64-bit ARM instruction set (ARM64). So, that limits you to any ARM based version of Linux, macOS Monterey (though, I can't imagine that Big Sur won't be backported) and newer, and Windows 10 for ARM64 or newer are all that you'll be able to virtualize. Yosemite never had a public ARM64/Apple Silicon release; that was Intel only. Your best bet to be able to virtualize with that would be an Intel based Mac. Though, Intel based Macs that can run Yosemite decently, shouldn't fetch too high a price on eBay. Maybe get the M1 Mac and then, rather than virtualizing Yosemite, get a decent used Yosemite Mac?
Yes, but it is currently unsupported as a VM on Apple Silicon Macs, despite this. It's only supported as an x86-64 VM running on an Intel Mac.
Since virtualizing MacOS on MacOS requires virtualization API support from Apple, it isn’t likely that Big Sur will be backported. The MacOS guest support starts with Monterey.