As I mentioned a couple of posts ago my old iMac failed. My son has given me his Mac mini - thank you.
I have purchased a superb 15.6" 16:9 screen and a new Apple keyboard. Both are amazing. Here's my setup now
Currently running Windows 10 under Parallels, and ELAD FDM-SW2 connected to my ELAD FDM-DUO transceiver. As well as, on a 2nd desktop, WSJT-X running under MAC OS.
Whopee, back in business.
So WSJT-X does not work on OS 11, Big Sur. It returns the famous Memory Error. WSJT-X uses a shared section of memory to swap data between its waterfall and the control windows. On previous versions of Mac OS (e.g. Catalina) the standard OS amount of shared memory was about 7MB, but WSJT-X needed 14MB.
The shared memory could be increased by changing the memory size in a file called /etc/sysctl.conf. But on Mac Big Sur this file is no longer present! And so far I have not discovered what replaces it. (Never fear, see below)
I guess eventually the WSJT-X development group will solve the issue, but until then I will use my Mac Mini which still runs Mac OS Catalina and runs WSJT-X perfectly. As well as Parallels to run Windows programs.
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See a later blog post for an installation solution that worked for me
Whoops. All of a sudden Mac OS Catalina fails and crashes on my rather old (2012) iMac. Oh dear.
First I decide to try re-formatting ("Erasing") the HDD, this fails. I try again using an older file format, and it works. So I re-install the original OS Mountain Lion and this runs, but any attempt to upgrade to the latest Catalina fails (Catalina partitions the HDD into Programs & Data, I guess this doesn't work...))
Off to the Apple store and get a test. This reports that the HDD has indeed failed on one sector. They suggest I can recycle the iMac (offering a miserable £100) and they tell me the computer is too old to repair - they have no HDDs to put in it!
This is all very sad. Until my son offers to give me a 2015 Mac Mini he has but is not using - the kids were using it for school work - mostly in Microsoft Word etc. But he has no Key Board nor a screen display spare to offer with it. I shout whoopee for he has upgraded the RAM to 16GB and put in a 256Gb SSD which has speeded it up enormously.
So now I have to solve a couple of problems
1. Access the machine to sort it out, basically erase everything and install Catalina and set it up with my name and iCloud address. To do this I wire it up HDMI to my living room TV! And use the old iMac keyboard and mouse. It works a treat. I return the iMac for recycling.
2. Meanwhile I source a screen and use the £100 they will give me for my old iMac to buy a new keyboard (I have a spare Track Pad). I purchase a 15.6" screen on eBay, it arrives broken and I am struggling with the supplier to replace it or give me my money back... we will see.
But in the mean time I have configured the new Mac Mini to allow screen sharing and can access it very easily from my MacBook over wifi. So that is what I am doing. And making lots of FT8 QSO with WSJT installed.
Later
Days later I purchase a "very" expensive 15.6" screen, which is luxury and perfect with a 16:9 ratio & HDMI interface. I am very pleased with it.
Wish me luck.
