How far can I update OSX and still run LR6.7 without problems?

[571514m3]

How far can I update OSX and still run LR6.7 without problems?

I use a perfectly ok Macbook Pro 13” from early 2015 running OSX 10.11.6 and also Lightroom 6.7 stand alone.

I like it that way, it works for me and my printer. But now Safari is struggling while Firefox is running like the wind. That seems to tell me that my MAC is still very capable. And I could update OSX. I certainly don't want to update my MAC and loose LR6.7

But I am scared I might mess up how Lightroom runs.

What to do?
Can I risk updating OSX?

BTW. I'm not that deep into software but what also confuses me is that when I check the info on LR the info says:
Version: Adobe Lightroom [1090788]
Obtained from: Identified Developer
Last Modified: 10/03/2019, 20:44
Kind: Intel
64-Bit (Intel): Yes

Why and how would this be 'modified' when it seems that Adobe no longer touches LR6???

 

[krötenblender]

The current version of masOS Mojave is the last one, that will run your Lightroom. Next update will be incompatible.

But you should also consider other aspects of your situation: at some point, Apple will stop to deliver security updates to your version, and that may put you and your data at great risk, so an update might be necessary if you don‘t use that computer for LR only without connecting to the internet.

On the other side of things: LR will probably not be able to develop raw images from your next camera, if you ever buy one. So updating that might also be necessary. I had the same decision to make, but I‘m very much into computers, so it wasn‘t so hard and I created some fallbacks. But I understand, that many people do not like Adobes new license modell. Me included.

In the long run, updates will be the easiest and for most people the only choice. Especially, if you are not so much into computers...

 

[splitimageview]

I set up a Mojave virtual machine to run 32 bit apps like Aperture and Photoshop CS3. This can be done for free using Virtualbox. Should work with older LR too. Ready for Catalina without having to spring for software updates...

 

[Godfrey]

I've locked my current 2012 Mac mini at macOS Mojave to preserve LR v6.14 perpetual license. I won't upgrade it ... I'll buy a new mini and move over to that when I'm ready and move away from LR at that point.

Outside of photography, the Apple Reminders app is now broken for use on my current mini: there are upgrades for iOS and iPadOS 13 that render the macOS version incompatible, and I use that app extensively between all three devices. It's more important to have it on the mobile devices, so I upgraded them and it's now dead on macOS.

Things like this will move me to the next macOS, rather than the photo software. It's the downside of a multi-OS integrated system of devices. But the upside is such that it's worth it to me. I get a tremendous amount of use out of my systems, photography is only a part of it, and the total package has to be weighed and considered when I change things.

The biggest concern I have with the photographic software is printing. LR's Print module has been terrific and I'm still experimenting with the potential replacement apps and their printing workflows. Image processing, effects, etc, I already know I can do anything I want. Image management is another area that I'm still working on.

G

 

[Ted Striker]

I'll stop updating macOS if it breaks LR. That's far more important to me than any of the "features" that Apple brings to the Mac.

 

[willie_901]

All Solutions Are Inconvenient

All Solutions Are Inconvenient

I set up a Mojave virtual machine to run 32 bit apps like Aperture and Photoshop CS3. This can be done for free using Virtualbox. Should work with older LR too. Ready for Catalina without having to spring for software updates...

This is an interesting solution.

Another possibility to consider is acquiring a fast, Thunderbolt 2 port compatible external drive. Spending more for a fast drive would minimize any performance loss. Thunderbolt 2 has a maximum transfer rate of 20 Gbps.

You would make a bootable copy of your current internal drive (OSX 10.11.6) for the new drive. Then you would boot using the Thunderbolt 2 drive whenever you needed to use a 32 bit program. Of course you would reboot back into Catalina for other usage.

You could disconnect from the internet when using OSX 10.11.6 when security updates are no longer available.

I think there would be a loss of performance because even a fast Thunderbolt 2 external drive would be slower than an SSD internal drive. UNIX does a lot of memory swapping.

You did not mention the size of your Macbook Pro's internal storage. If it is large enough you could partition the internal SSD. One partition would boot into OSX 10.11.6 and have LR installed. The other would be for Catalina.

It might be worthwhile to upgrade your SSD storage size. The advantage is your current LR performance would not slow down. The disadvantage (besides the cost) is you have to be comfortable at installing the new internal SSD. However you could probably find a computer repair tech to do this for you. One advantage of this strategy is your original SSD can be installed in a case and used for external data storage or back ups.

A 2TB internal SSD upgrade kit is about $450. The kit also includes a separate enclosure and cable to repurpose your existing SSD as an external drive .

In the future when new camera support for LR 6.7 is no longer available you can convert those raw files to DNG before import into LR 6.7. Adobe DNG converter is free.

 

[571514m3]

How far can I update OSX and still run LR6.7 without problems? Reply to Thread

How far can I update OSX and still run LR6.7 without problems? Reply to Thread

I set up a Mojave virtual machine to run 32 bit apps like Aperture and Photoshop CS3. This can be done for free using Virtualbox. Should work with older LR too. Ready for Catalina without having to spring for software updates...

Thank you for that. I had not heard of it. Seems like a brilliant idea and of course there should be a way to 'simulate' a particular OS in any OS.

My M-P 240 feels like it could be viable for quite a few years and it stands to reason that there should be a way to future-proof the use of its DNGs.

 

[jarski]

Wonder how well virtualized OS can handle large image libraries with lot of raw files.

 

[splitimageview]

For the work I do in Photoshop and Aperture, I don't need raw speed. Both apps are plenty fast enough under the virtual machine, in any case, on my MacBook Pro. Just assign the VM a decent amount of RAM and have plenty of VM disk storage.

This is just a way to have all the new goodies of Catalina without having to sacrifice a handful of 32 bit apps, some of which have no further upgradeability.

As for security, the virtual machine has no internet connection.

Anyone who is considering doing this, should download a copy of the Mojave installer now, as when Catalina is released Mojave may no longer be available. That's the way Apple has done things in the past, anyway. The installer is required when setting up the VM.

 

[Ted Striker]

Anyone who is considering doing this, should download a copy of the Mojave installer now, as when Catalina is released Mojave may no longer be available. That's the way Apple has done things in the past, anyway. The installer is required when setting up the VM.

How can Apple drop the Mojave installer when that is the final version of the OS that some Macs can use? What if they need to re-install for some technical reason?

 

[splitimageview]

To clarify: If your machine is already running Catalina, you won't be able to download the Mojave installer again without going through a bunch of hassle. Apple won't allow you to go to the App store and download it again...

Just a heads up. 🙂

Anyone considering running Catalina in combination with a Mojave virtual machine, it's simply a good idea to download the Mojave installer first, before updating your machine to Catalina.

 

[Peter Jennings]

Its' a good idea for anyone using an older machine to download a copy of your current system OS onto a thumb drive before you upgrade to a new OS just in case the new OS causes unforeseen issues. This makes it a lot easier to revert to the old system. There numerous guides for doing this online.

 

[Godfrey]

How can Apple drop the Mojave installer when that is the final version of the OS that some Macs can use? What if they need to re-install for some technical reason?

This is not rocket science. 🙂

Apple Support will always have access to the Mojave installer, just like most developers will need access to it for testing purposes. It may not be available for download to the general public through the website/App Store channels after some point.

G

 

[jarski]

hmm good idea to download Mojave now (installation media). Apple has been disabling/making it more difficult to return older iOS versions too, all in the name of progress and security of course.

 

[bayernfan]

I'm also clinging to the last non-subscription LR... running 6.14 on Mojave 10.14.6 with zero issues.

I don't foresee the purchase a new digital anytime soon, so there's no need for updates. If I decide to upgrade to Catalina, I'll make sure LR6 works in a virtual machine first. I'm running NikonScan in a Win7 VM and it works a treat!

 

[Godfrey]

hmm good idea to download Mojave now (installation media). Apple has been disabling/making it more difficult to return older iOS versions too, all in the name of progress and security of course.

The issue with iOS (and now iPadOS and tvOS...) is a little different. Apple only supports the latest revision due to all the authentication certification required, and doesn't support backwards migration for the same reason. As with macOS, Apple Support has access to older revisions for systems that cannot be upgraded past a certain point, but support stops at some point anyway.

G

 

[Godfrey]

I'm also clinging to the last non-subscription LR... running 6.14 on Mojave 10.14.6 with zero issues....

LR v6.14 is not without issues already on Mojave. The Maps module no longer functions, due to changes in the back end interface to the geolocation library that Adobe will no longer update, and I found that the Slideshow module had major issues playing and integrating a slideshow into a 720p video I was working on yesterday.

There are also occasional issues in the Develop and Print modules ... usually a restart clears them. But the days are numbered, and I am readying other tools to take its place if I continue to hold my resolve not to hop on the subscription bandwagon. Other aspects of macOS and its integration with iOS and iPadOS are actually more important to me than LR.

G

 

[571514m3]

How far can I update OSX and still run LR6.7 without problems? Reply to Thread

How far can I update OSX and still run LR6.7 without problems? Reply to Thread

LR v6.14 is not without issues already on Mojave. The Maps module no longer functions, due to changes in the back end interface to the geolocation library that Adobe will no longer update, and I found that the Slideshow module had major issues playing and integrating a slideshow into a 720p video I was working on yesterday.

There are also occasional issues in the Develop and Print modules ... usually a restart clears them. But the days are numbered, and I am readying other tools to take its place if I continue to hold my resolve not to hop on the subscription bandwagon. Other aspects of macOS and its integration with iOS and iPadOS are actually more important to me than LR.

G

But LR6.7 works fine with Mojave?

I have also tried various options, from ON1 to Luminar and Marketable, in the hope of finding an alternative (and I'm happy to pay for a stand-alone). What has turned me off these is that they are very 'flashy' c/w LR. All I want is a clean and not not AI version of my darkroom. A lightroom where I can import DNGs that I have moderately renamed, where I can adjust the file and then print with confidence, and of course manage my files.

Is that really such a unreasonable demand? By all means let them make that program complex and whatever but allow me to use it in the way I like.

None of that seems possible so for now I have to protect my LR6.7/MAC combo. It works and is brilliant.

 

[splitimageview]

This is not rocket science. 🙂

Apple Support will always have access to the Mojave installer, just like most developers will need access to it for testing purposes. It may not be available for download to the general public through the website/App Store channels after some point.

G

It’ll be available to the general public after Catalina is released, however if a particular Mac has already been updated to Catalina then it’s more of a challenge to download the prior OS.

The usual method of going to the App Store to download a previous purchase will no longer work, from that particular Mac anyway.

So there are at least two good reasons to download the Mojave installer prior to Catalina being installed an your Mac:

• if one intends to use a Mojave virtual machine under Catalina
• just in case one decides to downgrade back to Mojave

Catalina is a hard-cutoff for 32 bit apps, so it’s also a good idea to make a list of all apps that are 32 bit on your system so there are no post-Catalina installation surprises. 🙂

 

[Canyongazer]

The more I read this thread the closer I come to ditching the digital and getting a Leica M3 or Nikon F6.

OK, I am exaggerating...a little.