Difference between revisions of "Macintosh line"

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|type = [[:Category:Computers|Computers]]
 
|type = [[:Category:Computers|Computers]]
 
|release = 1984
 
|release = 1984
|discontinued =  
+
|discontinued = 2001
|predecessor = [[Apple II Line|Apple ][]], [[Apple Lisa emulators|Lisa]]
+
|introductory price = {{Inflation|USD|2495|1984}}
|successor =  
+
|predecessor = [[Apple Lisa emulators|Lisa]], [[Apple II Line|Apple ][]]
 +
|successor = [[MacOS]]
 
|emulated = {{✓}}
 
|emulated = {{✓}}
 
}}
 
}}
 +
:''This page is about software that emulates Classic Mac OS systems on other non-native hardware.''
 +
{{for|emulators that support current macOS (formerly Mac OS X and OS X)|macOS}}{{for|emulators that run on macOS (previously Mac OS X)|Emulators on macOS}}
 +
:''For other emulators that run on Classic Mac OS [[Emulators on Legacy systems#Classic Mac OS|Emulators on Classic Mac OS]]''
 +
 
The '''[[wikipedia:Macintosh|Macintosh]]''' is a family of personal computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Inc. since January 1984. The original Macintosh was the first mass-market personal computer that featured a graphical user interface, built-in screen, and mouse, eschewing the command-line interface and/or BASIC interpreter that had been the mainstay for home computers since the late '70s. Apple offered the Macintosh alongside its popular [[Apple II Line|Apple II]] family of computers for almost ten years before those were discontinued in 1993.
 
The '''[[wikipedia:Macintosh|Macintosh]]''' is a family of personal computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Inc. since January 1984. The original Macintosh was the first mass-market personal computer that featured a graphical user interface, built-in screen, and mouse, eschewing the command-line interface and/or BASIC interpreter that had been the mainstay for home computers since the late '70s. Apple offered the Macintosh alongside its popular [[Apple II Line|Apple II]] family of computers for almost ten years before those were discontinued in 1993.
  
 
Throughout its history the Macintosh has spanned four CPU instruction set architectures that represent the four commonly known generations. From its launch in 1984 up until 1996, Apple sold Macintoshes with the Motorola 68k family of CPUs. In the early 90s, Apple partnered with Motorola and IBM to combine IBM's POWER with Motorola's 88k to produce the PowerPC (PPC) architecture they used in Macs from 1994-2007, naming some of them accordingly as Power Macintosh. They switched to x86 in 2007, justifying it with the explanation that PPC failed to be competitive with Intel's Pentium M series. And in 2020 have started a transition from x86 to ARM, further integrating with its more popular iOS mobile spinoff.
 
Throughout its history the Macintosh has spanned four CPU instruction set architectures that represent the four commonly known generations. From its launch in 1984 up until 1996, Apple sold Macintoshes with the Motorola 68k family of CPUs. In the early 90s, Apple partnered with Motorola and IBM to combine IBM's POWER with Motorola's 88k to produce the PowerPC (PPC) architecture they used in Macs from 1994-2007, naming some of them accordingly as Power Macintosh. They switched to x86 in 2007, justifying it with the explanation that PPC failed to be competitive with Intel's Pentium M series. And in 2020 have started a transition from x86 to ARM, further integrating with its more popular iOS mobile spinoff.
  
Macintosh computers have always included a platform-exclusive operating system that never had a consistent name.<ref group=N> It used to be called System or System Software until version 7.6, when it was renamed Mac OS in 1997. Version 10 was named Mac OS X in 2000, and when version 10.8 was released in 2012, it was shortened to OS X and then macOS when version 10.12 was released in 2016. Don't try to make sense of this.</ref> An important divide relevant for Mac emulation is "Old World" vs. "New World" motherboard ROMs, with Old World used for System 1-7 on 68k/PPC targets, and New World generally used for Mac OS 8-10 PPC targets, since New World ROMs were stored with the OS, they are available legally from Apple for free online in OS updates. A quick way to distinguish an Old World from a New World Mac is that all New World Macs have onboard USB ports, while no Old World Macs do. Mac OS 8.5 dropped support for 68k CPUs. Mac OS X, which has UNIX underpinnings different from its predecessor, was introduced in 1999 requiring a PowerPC G3 at minimum,<ref group=N>With the exception of one orphaned early G3 laptop. Though that didn't stop some users from programming OS X bootloaders for most PCI-based Macs, especially those with G3/G4 upgrades.</ref> and ported to x86 in 2006. With version 11 in 2020, macOS is now being ported to ARM (like its mobile cousin [[iOS emulators|iOS]]).
+
Macintosh computers have always included a platform-exclusive operating system that never had a consistent name.<ref group=N> It used to be called System or System Software until version 7.6, when it was renamed Mac OS in 1997. Version 10 was named Mac OS X (Ten, not Ex) in 2000, and when version 10.8 was released in 2012, it was shortened to OS X. When version 10.12 was released in 2016 it was rebranded as macOS to match the style of their other OSes at the time: iOS, iPadOS, tvOS and watchOS. They kept using the 10.x versioning until the release of macOS 11 Big Sur in 2020, and continue to increment every year.</ref> An important divide relevant for Mac emulation is "Old World" vs. "New World" motherboard ROMs, with Old World used for System 1-7 on 68k/PPC targets, and New World generally used for Mac OS 8-10 PPC targets, since New World ROMs were stored with the OS, they are available legally from Apple for free online in OS updates. A quick way to distinguish an Old World from a New World Mac is that all New World Macs have onboard USB ports, while no Old World Macs do. Mac OS 8.5 dropped support for 68k CPUs. Mac OS X, which has UNIX underpinnings different from its predecessor, was introduced in 1999 requiring a PowerPC G3 at minimum,<ref group=N>With the exception of one orphaned early G3 laptop. Though that didn't stop some users from programming OS X bootloaders for most PCI-based Macs, especially those with G3/G4 upgrades.</ref> and ported to x86 in 2006. With version 11 in 2020, macOS is now being ported to ARM (like its mobile cousin [[iOS emulators|iOS]]).
  
 
A ton of Macintosh emulators have appeared over the years, some early in the system's release (mostly for competing m68k microcomputers) and others as late as a few years ago. As a PC platform in its own right with its own userbase and varying degrees of unique software and hardware features, most major emulators of other platforms maintain a macOS port, or are ported to macOS by external collaborators, in addition to a number of emulators originating on the Mac over the years. It should be noted that we do not aim to be the last word on Mac emulation; there's a community called E-Maculation that covers this more thoroughly, as they offer builds for many of the emulators shown here on their forums. We'll either be further ahead or severely behind.
 
A ton of Macintosh emulators have appeared over the years, some early in the system's release (mostly for competing m68k microcomputers) and others as late as a few years ago. As a PC platform in its own right with its own userbase and varying degrees of unique software and hardware features, most major emulators of other platforms maintain a macOS port, or are ported to macOS by external collaborators, in addition to a number of emulators originating on the Mac over the years. It should be noted that we do not aim to be the last word on Mac emulation; there's a community called E-Maculation that covers this more thoroughly, as they offer builds for many of the emulators shown here on their forums. We'll either be further ahead or severely behind.
 
+
<references group=N/>
 
==Emulators==
 
==Emulators==
 
===68k===
 
===68k===
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!colspan="6"|PC / x86
 
!colspan="6"|PC / x86
 
|-
 
|-
|Basilisk II
+
|[https://basilisk.cebix.net Basilisk II]
 
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
 
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|[https://github.com/cebix/macemu 1.0 R5]
+
|[https://www.emaculation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5282 19-01-2024 (Win)]<br/>[https://www.emaculation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6580 23-02-2024 (Linux)]<br/>[https://www.emaculation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7361 29-12-2023 (Mac OS X)]<br/>[https://github.com/kanjitalk755/macemu/ git]
 
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 
|-
 
|-
|Mini vMac
+
|Mini vMac<br/><small>[https://docs.libretro.com/library/minivmac/ minivmac_libretro]</small>
 
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
 
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|[https://www.gryphel.com/c/minivmac/download.html 36.04]
+
|[https://www.gryphel.com/c/minivmac/beta.html 37.00(beta)]<br/>[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]<br/>[https://www.gryphel.com/c/minivmac/download.html 36.04]
 
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 +
|-
 +
|[[MAME]]
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
 +
|<abbr title="Latest development version">git artifacts</abbr><ref group=N2>[https://nightly.link/mamedev/mame/workflows/ci-windows/master CI-Windows] [https://nightly.link/mamedev/mame/workflows/ci-linux/master CI-Linux] [https://nightly.link/mamedev/mame/workflows/ci-macos/master CI-Macos]</ref></br>[http://www.mamedev.org/release.html {{MAMEVer}}]<br/>[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}[https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/master/src/mame/apple/mac128.cpp#L1518 *]
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Clock Signal]]
 
|[[Clock Signal]]
 
|align=left|{{Icon|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
 
|align=left|{{Icon|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|[https://github.com/TomHarte/CLK/releases {{clkver}}]
+
|[https://github.com/TomHarte/CLK/releases {{clkVer}}]
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{TBD}}
+
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{?}}
 
|-
 
|-
 
|<abbr title="PC Emulator">PCE</abbr>
 
|<abbr title="PC Emulator">PCE</abbr>
 
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
 
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
 
|[http://www.hampa.ch/pce/download.html 0.2.2]
 
|[http://www.hampa.ch/pce/download.html 0.2.2]
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{TBD}}
+
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{}}
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Ardi Executor]]
 
|[[Ardi Executor]]
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|[https://www.emaculation.com/doku.php/executor 2.1.17]
 
|[https://www.emaculation.com/doku.php/executor 2.1.17]
 
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
 
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
 
|[[MAME]]
 
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
 
|[https://www.mamedev.org/release.html {{MAMEVer}}]
 
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|vMac
 
|vMac
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|[http://www.vmac.org/ 0.19]
 
|[http://www.vmac.org/ 0.19]
 
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
 
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="6"|Mobile / ARM
 +
|-
 +
|Mini vMac
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Android|iOS}}
 +
|[https://www.gryphel.com/c/minivmac/ports.html Ports]
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 
|-
 
|-
 
!colspan="6"|Consoles
 
!colspan="6"|Consoles
 +
|-
 +
|Mini vMac
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Pyra|3DS}}
 +
|[https://pyra-handheld.com/repo/apps/33 36.04]<br/>[https://www.gryphel.com/c/minivmac/ports.html Ports]
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 
|-
 
|-
 
|Basilisk II
 
|Basilisk II
 
|align=left|{{Icon|PSP}}
 
|align=left|{{Icon|PSP}}
|[https://github.com/PSP-Archive/Basilisk-II-PSP/releases/tag/1.1.1 1.1.1]
+
|[https://github.com/PSP-Archive/Basilisk-II-PSP/releases git]
|{{✓}} ||{{}} ||{{}}
+
|{{✓}} ||{{}} ||{{~}}
 
|}
 
|}
 +
 +
<references group=N2/>
  
 
;Basilisk II
 
;Basilisk II
Line 81: Line 100:
  
 
;[[MAME]]
 
;[[MAME]]
:To say it's a multi-system emulator would be an understatement. It covers a wide range of electronic history, with its namesake being arcade machines. Just typing in "Macintosh" will list basically everything Mac-related like the original Macintosh 128K (unfortunately labelled as Not Working) and the Macintosh II (which is OK). [https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/0f028a8bd2afcb32ccdab0291eb3a798a98a1afc/src/mame/machine/mac.cpp#L14 See the full list here.]
+
:To say it's a multi-system emulator would be an understatement. It covers a wide range of electronic history, with its namesake being arcade machines. Just typing in "Macintosh" will list basically everything Mac-related like the original Macintosh 128K (labelled as Working) and the Macintosh II (which is OK). [https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/0f028a8bd2afcb32ccdab0291eb3a798a98a1afc/src/mame/machine/mac.cpp#L14 See the full list here.]
 +
 
 +
;Clock Signal
 +
:A multi-system emulator with full-hardware [[Emulation Accuracy#Cycle accuracy|cycle-accurate]] emulation of the Macintosh Plus.
  
 
;PCE <small>(PC Emulator)</small>
 
;PCE <small>(PC Emulator)</small>
 
:A multi-system emulator. Computers it targets include the Macintosh Plus, SE and Classic. Stables used to release every two years but stopped in 2013. A snapshot exists for December 2018 however, which suggests that the project isn't completely dead.
 
:A multi-system emulator. Computers it targets include the Macintosh Plus, SE and Classic. Stables used to release every two years but stopped in 2013. A snapshot exists for December 2018 however, which suggests that the project isn't completely dead.
 
;Clock Signal
 
:A multi-system emulator with full-hardware [[Emulation Accuracy#Cycle accuracy|cycle-accurate]] emulation of the Macintosh Plus.
 
  
 
;[[Ardi Executor]]
 
;[[Ardi Executor]]
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!colspan="6"|PC / x86
 
!colspan="6"|PC / x86
 
|-
 
|-
|SheepShaver
+
|[https://sheepshaver.cebix.net SheepShaver]
 
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
 
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|[https://github.com/cebix/macemu 2.4]
+
|[https://www.emaculation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5325 25-02-2024 (Win)]<br/>[https://www.emaculation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6553 23-02-2024 (Linux)]<br/>[https://www.emaculation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7360 29-12-2023 (Mac OS X)]<br/>[https://github.com/kanjitalk755/macemu/ git]
 
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 
|-
 
|-
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|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}
 
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}
 
|-
 
|-
|Rosetta
+
|[[QEMU]]
|align=left|{{Icon|macOS}}
+
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" (Intel)
+
|{{QEMUVer}}
|{{}} ||{{}} ||{{}}
+
|{{}} ||{{}} ||{{~}}[https://www.emaculation.com/doku.php/qemu *]
 
|-
 
|-
|[[QEMU]]
+
|[[MAME]]
 
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
 
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|4.0.0
+
|<abbr title="Latest development version">git artifacts</abbr><ref group=N3>[https://nightly.link/mamedev/mame/workflows/ci-windows/master CI-Windows] [https://nightly.link/mamedev/mame/workflows/ci-linux/master CI-Linux] [https://nightly.link/mamedev/mame/workflows/ci-macos/master CI-Macos]</ref></br>[http://www.mamedev.org/release.html {{MAMEVer}}]<br/>[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{TBD}}
+
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{}}[https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/master/src/mame/apple/macpdm.cpp#L1195 *]
 
|-
 
|-
|PearPC
+
|[[DingusPPC]]
 
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
 
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|[https://github.com/sebastianbiallas/pearpc 0.6.0]
+
|[https://github.com/dingusdev/dingusppc git]
|{{✓}} ||{{}} ||{{✗}}
+
|{{✓}} ||{{}} ||WIP
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
 
+
<references group=N3/>
 
;SheepShaver
 
;SheepShaver
 
:An open-source "run-time environment" that includes a PowerPC emulator for non-PowerPC host systems. Originally commercial software named ShapeShifter, it is the companion app of the 68k Mac emulator Basilisk II. It boots System 7.5.2 through (due to a lack of MMU emulation) OS 9.0.4, runs most Mac applications at full speed on any modern PC, and can interface with and copy files to and from host hardware. It hasn't seen significant development in a while, not to mention that it is riddled with hacks and workarounds, which accounts for why some applications such as the default bundled Internet Explorer flat-out crash. Like Basilisk and vMac, it needs a firmware image from a working Mac.
 
:An open-source "run-time environment" that includes a PowerPC emulator for non-PowerPC host systems. Originally commercial software named ShapeShifter, it is the companion app of the 68k Mac emulator Basilisk II. It boots System 7.5.2 through (due to a lack of MMU emulation) OS 9.0.4, runs most Mac applications at full speed on any modern PC, and can interface with and copy files to and from host hardware. It hasn't seen significant development in a while, not to mention that it is riddled with hacks and workarounds, which accounts for why some applications such as the default bundled Internet Explorer flat-out crash. Like Basilisk and vMac, it needs a firmware image from a working Mac.
  
 
;PearPC
 
;PearPC
:This emulator had been developed since 2004, and is capable of booting OS X 10.1-10.4, but not prior Mac OSs, nor OS X's Classic environment. It was the subject of controversy when a closed-source emulator, CherryOS, was revealed to have used [[source code|code]] stolen from PearPC. PearPC lacks a GUI (all that's available is the "Change CD" button), so using a frontend may be necessary.
+
:This emulator had been developed since 2004, and is capable of booting OS X 10.1-10.4, but not prior Mac OSs, nor OS X's Classic environment. It once had lots of developer momentum, but activity and interest declined significantly following Apple's 2005 transition to Intel processors. It was the subject of controversy when a closed-source emulator, CherryOS, was revealed to have used [[source code|code]] stolen from PearPC. PearPC lacks a GUI (even the "Change CD" button is removed in the most recent builds), so using a frontend may be necessary. Sound is not emulated unless you use a buggy and now outdated fork.
  
 
;[[QEMU]]
 
;[[QEMU]]
 
:Best known for its use as an x86 hypervisor, QEMU also emulates a wide range of CPU architectures. In 2015, a Google Summer of Code event brought PowerPC Macintosh support from a curiosity to a possibility and it now supports [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1T0kkk8WpQ-eWBIdxBnXWCfeyClVVLJyXvvF2NED2U6Q/view a specific range of versions] as of 2017. Like PearPC, QEMU is run from a shell.
 
:Best known for its use as an x86 hypervisor, QEMU also emulates a wide range of CPU architectures. In 2015, a Google Summer of Code event brought PowerPC Macintosh support from a curiosity to a possibility and it now supports [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1T0kkk8WpQ-eWBIdxBnXWCfeyClVVLJyXvvF2NED2U6Q/view a specific range of versions] as of 2017. Like PearPC, QEMU is run from a shell.
  
;Rosetta
+
;DingusPPC
:Apple's official PowerPC emulator for x86-based Macs included in Tiger (10.4.4). Though it wasn't included in Snow Leopard, it was still possible to transfer it from a previous Leopard install. It was removed entirely in OS X Lion. Rosetta uses QuickTransit technology licensed from Transitive Corporation, and works transparently from the end-user, leading Apple to market it as "the most amazing software you'll never see." as it, unlike most emulators, does not have a user interface. Rosetta works best on software that isn't system-intensive, such as office applications; games and other software applications which rely on kexts, libraries or certain instructions may not work properly if at all. A compatibility list is available [https://web.archive.org/web/20060208152806/http://guides.macrumors.com/Rosetta_incompatibilities here].
+
:Experimental emulator early in development.
 
 
===x86===
 
 
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
 
|-
 
! scope="col"|Name
 
! scope="col"|Platform(s)
 
! scope="col"|Latest Version
 
! scope="col"|<abbr title="Free/Libre and Open-Source Software">FLOSS</abbr>
 
! scope="col"|Active
 
! scope="col"|[[Recommended Emulators|Recommended]]
 
|-
 
!colspan="6"|PC / x86
 
|-
 
|Rosetta 2
 
|align=left|{{Icon|macOS}}
 
|macOS 11 “Big Sur” (Apple Silicon)
 
|{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 
|-
 
|}
 
 
 
==Emulation issues==
 
Currently, no 3rd-party Macintosh emulators support hardware graphics acceleration, due to [https://www.emaculation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8396 certain CPU instructions left unimplemented in their upstream PPC softcores]. This means no GLIDE, RAVE, nor OpenGL. Fortunately, though as was generally the case in every platform of the period significant visual and feature differences exist between the two, the majority of Mac-exclusive software using these APIs also included software fallback renderers.
 
  
 
==Resources==
 
==Resources==
 
* [https://www.emaculation.com/doku.php '''E-Maculation'''] - This links to their wiki, but they also have a forum that's "super busy." They provide setup guides and builds when the emulators themselves don't.
 
* [https://www.emaculation.com/doku.php '''E-Maculation'''] - This links to their wiki, but they also have a forum that's "super busy." They provide setup guides and builds when the emulators themselves don't.
 
* [http://macintoshgarden.org/guides#Selecting_an_Emulator Macintosh Garden] (They feature many abandonware games. This page shows guides with links to installing any of the three covered emulators, two for the 68K line called ''Basilisk II'' & ''Mini vMac''; and one for the PowerPC called ''SheepShaver''.)
 
* [http://macintoshgarden.org/guides#Selecting_an_Emulator Macintosh Garden] (They feature many abandonware games. This page shows guides with links to installing any of the three covered emulators, two for the 68K line called ''Basilisk II'' & ''Mini vMac''; and one for the PowerPC called ''SheepShaver''.)
 +
* [https://www.macintoshrepository.org/ Macintosh Repository] A page with tons of software for the Macintosh and other Apple computers, including games and much more.
 
* [https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/2886439?page=0&sort=0&showBanned=0&path=0 Pathways into Emulators - A Guide to Pre-Halo Bungie Games] (www.bungie.net forums. Mar 17 2011. Includes guide links for running ''Basilisk II'' on Windows, mac OS and Linux.)
 
* [https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/2886439?page=0&sort=0&showBanned=0&path=0 Pathways into Emulators - A Guide to Pre-Halo Bungie Games] (www.bungie.net forums. Mar 17 2011. Includes guide links for running ''Basilisk II'' on Windows, mac OS and Linux.)
 +
* [https://infinitemac.org/ InfiniteMac]/[https://github.com/mihaip/infinite-mac Github] A project based on Basilisk II, SheepShaver and Mini vMac which makes several Macintosh and Early MacOS versions available on any web browser.
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
<references group=N />
+
<references group=N2 />
  
 
{{Apple}}
 
{{Apple}}
  
 
[[Category:Computers]]
 
[[Category:Computers]]
 +
[[Category:Apple computers]]
 +
[[Category:68000-based]]
 +
[[Category:PowerPC-based]]

Latest revision as of 08:01, 12 March 2024

Apple Macintosh
Macintosh.jpeg
Developer Apple Computer, Inc.
Type Computers
Release date 1984
Discontinued 2001
Introductory price $2495
Predecessor Lisa, Apple ][
Successor MacOS
Emulated
This page is about software that emulates Classic Mac OS systems on other non-native hardware.
For emulators that support current macOS (formerly Mac OS X and OS X), see macOS.
For emulators that run on macOS (previously Mac OS X), see Emulators on macOS.
For other emulators that run on Classic Mac OS Emulators on Classic Mac OS

The Macintosh is a family of personal computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Inc. since January 1984. The original Macintosh was the first mass-market personal computer that featured a graphical user interface, built-in screen, and mouse, eschewing the command-line interface and/or BASIC interpreter that had been the mainstay for home computers since the late '70s. Apple offered the Macintosh alongside its popular Apple II family of computers for almost ten years before those were discontinued in 1993.

Throughout its history the Macintosh has spanned four CPU instruction set architectures that represent the four commonly known generations. From its launch in 1984 up until 1996, Apple sold Macintoshes with the Motorola 68k family of CPUs. In the early 90s, Apple partnered with Motorola and IBM to combine IBM's POWER with Motorola's 88k to produce the PowerPC (PPC) architecture they used in Macs from 1994-2007, naming some of them accordingly as Power Macintosh. They switched to x86 in 2007, justifying it with the explanation that PPC failed to be competitive with Intel's Pentium M series. And in 2020 have started a transition from x86 to ARM, further integrating with its more popular iOS mobile spinoff.

Macintosh computers have always included a platform-exclusive operating system that never had a consistent name.[N 1] An important divide relevant for Mac emulation is "Old World" vs. "New World" motherboard ROMs, with Old World used for System 1-7 on 68k/PPC targets, and New World generally used for Mac OS 8-10 PPC targets, since New World ROMs were stored with the OS, they are available legally from Apple for free online in OS updates. A quick way to distinguish an Old World from a New World Mac is that all New World Macs have onboard USB ports, while no Old World Macs do. Mac OS 8.5 dropped support for 68k CPUs. Mac OS X, which has UNIX underpinnings different from its predecessor, was introduced in 1999 requiring a PowerPC G3 at minimum,[N 2] and ported to x86 in 2006. With version 11 in 2020, macOS is now being ported to ARM (like its mobile cousin iOS).

A ton of Macintosh emulators have appeared over the years, some early in the system's release (mostly for competing m68k microcomputers) and others as late as a few years ago. As a PC platform in its own right with its own userbase and varying degrees of unique software and hardware features, most major emulators of other platforms maintain a macOS port, or are ported to macOS by external collaborators, in addition to a number of emulators originating on the Mac over the years. It should be noted that we do not aim to be the last word on Mac emulation; there's a community called E-Maculation that covers this more thoroughly, as they offer builds for many of the emulators shown here on their forums. We'll either be further ahead or severely behind.

  1. It used to be called System or System Software until version 7.6, when it was renamed Mac OS in 1997. Version 10 was named Mac OS X (Ten, not Ex) in 2000, and when version 10.8 was released in 2012, it was shortened to OS X. When version 10.12 was released in 2016 it was rebranded as macOS to match the style of their other OSes at the time: iOS, iPadOS, tvOS and watchOS. They kept using the 10.x versioning until the release of macOS 11 Big Sur in 2020, and continue to increment every year.
  2. With the exception of one orphaned early G3 laptop. Though that didn't stop some users from programming OS X bootloaders for most PCI-based Macs, especially those with G3/G4 upgrades.

Emulators[edit]

68k[edit]

Name Platform(s) Latest Version FLOSS Active Recommended
PC / x86
Basilisk II Windows Linux macOS 19-01-2024 (Win)
23-02-2024 (Linux)
29-12-2023 (Mac OS X)
git
Mini vMac
minivmac_libretro
Windows Linux macOS 37.00(beta)
libretro core
36.04
MAME Windows Linux macOS git artifacts[N2 1]
0.264
libretro core
*
Clock Signal Linux macOS FreeBSD 2024-01-22 ?
PCE Windows Linux macOS 0.2.2
Ardi Executor MS-DOS Linux Windows 2.1.17
vMac Windows Linux macOS FreeBSD 0.19
Mobile / ARM
Mini vMac Android iOS Ports
Consoles
Mini vMac Dragonbox Pyra Nintendo 3DS 36.04
Ports
Basilisk II PSP git ~
Basilisk II
An emulator targeting the "Mac Classic" and "Mac II" lines, capable of booting System 6.0.7 to OS 8.1 depending on ROM. The successor to Basilisk, a similar emulator for Linux and BeOS, it works by providing replacement drivers for components that would normally be hardware (a sort of HLE approach). Aside from the usual Windows, macOS, and Linux ports, Basilisk II also received an acclaimed (homebrew) PSP port.
Mini vMac
The successor to vMac, an older emulator. Targets the Macintosh Plus (capable of booting Systems 3 to 7.5.5), but can be built targeting other models (128K, 512Ke, SE, SE FDHD, Classic, or [buggy] II).
MAME
To say it's a multi-system emulator would be an understatement. It covers a wide range of electronic history, with its namesake being arcade machines. Just typing in "Macintosh" will list basically everything Mac-related like the original Macintosh 128K (labelled as Working) and the Macintosh II (which is OK). See the full list here.
Clock Signal
A multi-system emulator with full-hardware cycle-accurate emulation of the Macintosh Plus.
PCE (PC Emulator)
A multi-system emulator. Computers it targets include the Macintosh Plus, SE and Classic. Stables used to release every two years but stopped in 2013. A snapshot exists for December 2018 however, which suggests that the project isn't completely dead.
Ardi Executor
A formerly payware compatibility layer targeting System 1 to 6. Requires no ROM images or other copyrighted Apple code, as it instead translates Macintosh API calls into equivalent Win32 or POSIX API calls similarly to Wine. Compatibility is limited however, and as such some games and applications which depend on Mac System Extensions may not work properly.

PowerPC[edit]

Name Platform(s) Latest Version FLOSS Active Recommended
PC / x86
SheepShaver Windows Linux macOS 25-02-2024 (Win)
23-02-2024 (Linux)
29-12-2023 (Mac OS X)
git
Classic Environment macOS (PPC) Mac OS X v10.4 "Tiger"
QEMU Windows Linux macOS 8.2.0 ~*
MAME Windows Linux macOS git artifacts[N3 1]
0.264
libretro core
*
DingusPPC Windows Linux macOS git WIP
SheepShaver
An open-source "run-time environment" that includes a PowerPC emulator for non-PowerPC host systems. Originally commercial software named ShapeShifter, it is the companion app of the 68k Mac emulator Basilisk II. It boots System 7.5.2 through (due to a lack of MMU emulation) OS 9.0.4, runs most Mac applications at full speed on any modern PC, and can interface with and copy files to and from host hardware. It hasn't seen significant development in a while, not to mention that it is riddled with hacks and workarounds, which accounts for why some applications such as the default bundled Internet Explorer flat-out crash. Like Basilisk and vMac, it needs a firmware image from a working Mac.
PearPC
This emulator had been developed since 2004, and is capable of booting OS X 10.1-10.4, but not prior Mac OSs, nor OS X's Classic environment. It once had lots of developer momentum, but activity and interest declined significantly following Apple's 2005 transition to Intel processors. It was the subject of controversy when a closed-source emulator, CherryOS, was revealed to have used code stolen from PearPC. PearPC lacks a GUI (even the "Change CD" button is removed in the most recent builds), so using a frontend may be necessary. Sound is not emulated unless you use a buggy and now outdated fork.
QEMU
Best known for its use as an x86 hypervisor, QEMU also emulates a wide range of CPU architectures. In 2015, a Google Summer of Code event brought PowerPC Macintosh support from a curiosity to a possibility and it now supports a specific range of versions as of 2017. Like PearPC, QEMU is run from a shell.
DingusPPC
Experimental emulator early in development.

Resources[edit]

  • E-Maculation - This links to their wiki, but they also have a forum that's "super busy." They provide setup guides and builds when the emulators themselves don't.
  • Macintosh Garden (They feature many abandonware games. This page shows guides with links to installing any of the three covered emulators, two for the 68K line called Basilisk II & Mini vMac; and one for the PowerPC called SheepShaver.)
  • Macintosh Repository A page with tons of software for the Macintosh and other Apple computers, including games and much more.
  • Pathways into Emulators - A Guide to Pre-Halo Bungie Games (www.bungie.net forums. Mar 17 2011. Includes guide links for running Basilisk II on Windows, mac OS and Linux.)
  • InfiniteMac/Github A project based on Basilisk II, SheepShaver and Mini vMac which makes several Macintosh and Early MacOS versions available on any web browser.

Notes[edit]


Apple Inc.
Apple Computer (1998).jpg
Desktop: Apple IApple II Line (Apple IIGS) • Apple III lineLisaMacintosh lineMacOS
Mobile: iPodiOS
Consoles: Pippin