Karabiner-Elements - Karabiner-Elements is a powerful utility for keyboard customization on macOS Sierra (10.12) or later. Kawa - Better input source switcher for macOS. Thor - Switch the right application ASAP. Unshaky - A software attempt to address the 'double key press' issue on Apple's butterfly keyboard; Mail. The new Mac operating system offers more than a name change. MacOS Sierra version 10.12 moves Apple's desktop OS closer to its mobile counterpart, gaining Siri, Apple Pay, and more.

Get an ultimate backup app

Running the latest software is not always the best decision. There are plenty of reasons you might want to downgrade or run an older version of macOS on your computer.

You may find that after the latest update your computer runs slower, your apps don’t function, or that the programs you need to run are not yet compatible with the upgrade. Maybe as a developer, you want to create a test environment to ensure your software runs properly in all available versions of OS X - check out the infographic below. Or you may simply like the look of the old version better (no judgement) and not want to upgrade until absolutely necessary.

Keep your apps while downgrading

Get Setapp, a collection of Mac apps that strengthen your macOS. Whenever you decide to downgrade, your apps will travel with you.

How to Install Old OS X on Your Mac

Although you might think that going back to the old macOS is not possible by looking at the App Store Updates tab, it’s actually quite easy to do. In this article, we’ll take you through everything you need to download and install an old OS X on your Mac.

Prepare your Mac first

Make sure you are ready to downgrade your operating system by checking in with what version of OS X you already have and ensuring you have enough hard drive room to download the older version. Clicking the apple in the top left corner of your desktop and selecting About This Mac will allow you to see what OS X version you are currently running. Tabbing over to Storage will let you know how much disk space you have available. You’ll need around around eight gigabytes free depending on which macOS you downgrade to.

Even if you do have enough space, it’s a good idea to clean your computer before installing the desired operating system. You can, of course, do so manually by deleting unused files and uninstalling old software to free up disk space. Depending on how tidy you are, this might take quite a bit of time.

To make things easy, use a specialized app like CleanMyMac, which will quickly free up space by detecting unused apps and large files, and offering to completely delete them, with all their hidden corresponding files, in one quick click.

Optimizing your Mac with CleanMyMac is effortless:

1. Launch CleanMyMac
2. Select the Smart Scan tab and click Scan
3. Review Details to see the list of suggested optimizations
4. Click Clean

To uninstall certain apps, find the Uninstaller tab and select the apps you haven’t been using for a while.

Download CMM X to prepare for Big Sur

The only solution that will free up disk space, remove duplicates, and solve tons of problems to prepare your Mac for a new macOS

The final preparation step is to make sure you back up all your important files to cloud storage or an external drive. A proper backup app like Get Backup Pro can save you a lot of headache here.

To create a new backup with Get Backup Pro:

1. Connect your external hard drive
2. Click the plus icon in the bottom left corner
3. Type in the name for your backup
4. Choose your external drive as a destination
5. Adjust all the settings according to your preference and click OK
6. Tap the play button once you ready to perform the backup

Grab an old macOS with Setapp

Downgrading to previous operating systems on Mac gets easier. To put it shortly, Setapp has your back here.

Download the OS X you want

Once you have space on your computer, figure out what version of OS X you would like to install. You can see all previous versions of OS X your Mac has installed by opening up the App Store and clicking the icon in Applications. Tab to the Purchase page of the menu and scroll down to find the line for previous operating systems. Clicking the install button of the macOS you want will begin downloading the file.

What if I can’t find the version I want in the app store?

If your goal is to download a version of macOS that you have not already used, or, that was not available as an update from the App Store after you bought your Mac, you may need to purchase it. The earliest versions, OS X Lion and OS X Mountain Lion are available on the Apple Store’s website and arrive to you via email for download. OS X Snow Leopard ships as a boxed version and requires a disk drive to install.

It could be helpful to know where you sit on the timeline of macOS X updates. Below is a chronological list of all the updates beginning with the most recent update, High Sierra, released in 2017:

• OS X High Sierra 10.13
• OS X Sierra 10.12
• OS X ElCapitan 10.11
• OS X Yosemite 10.10
• OS X Mavericks 10.9
• OS X Mountain Lion 10.8
• OS X Lion 10.7, released in 2011

Visiting the Apple Support’s Downloads page makes it easy to search for any version of macOS you might need, and most are available for free. Downloads for previous versions of OS X are linked below and include:

Alternative sources for downloading macOS

If you can’t find the version you want from Apple, ask a friend who is running the macOS you’re looking for to make a copy of the installer file for you. Downloading a .dmg file from a torrent site may seem a quick solution, but it means risking your security. Alternatively, you could hit up your nearest Apple Store. They will likely have image files of all the different versions of the software and help you install it right there as well.

Install the macOS

If you download the file from the App Store, the installer will start immediately. Follow the prompts and be prepared to restart your computer. If you acquire the installer from another source, just downloading the file will not install the OS X right away on your Mac, you’ll need to find the file in your Downloads or Applications folder, then open and run the installer from the downloaded file.

I can’t download an old version of Mac OS X

A downgrade is different than an upgrade. When you try to downgrade macOS, the installer may not launch right away depending on which versions of macOS you are moving between. If your installer does not launch, or you get an error message that reads: “This copy of the ‘Install OS X’ application is too old to be opened on this version of OS X,” you’ll need to use a bootable USB or external drive to work around this problem.

Get a bootable drive with OS X

Creating a bootable USB or a bootable drive is not complicated. You’ll need an external drive with enough space to hold your desired OS X on it and a basic familiarity with Terminal, Apple’s command line interface.

If you’re uncomfortable using Terminal to execute basic commands, use an app like Disk Drill to help create a boot drive. Whether you use Terminal or Disk Drill, our guide on creating a bootable installer will walk you through all the necessary steps.

Remove the old OS X

Once your drive is prepared with your bootable version of OS X, erase the unwanted version. After you restart your computer, press and hold Command + R. When you enter the macOS Utilities screen, navigate to Disk Utility, click continue, and find your Startup Disk. Tab to the Erase page and name the file you want erased (e.g. macOS High Sierra). Then select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) from the dropdown menu. Hit Erase and quit out of Disk Utility. This will return you to the OS X Utilities selector.

Install the bootable version of OS X

If you used Disk Drill for creating your bootable drive, a window will prompt your actions for using the install disk you made. But if you created your own using Terminal, use OS X Utilities Selector and find Reinstall OS X. Find and select your install disk with your bootable version of your preferred macOS, and click continue through to the license agreement. Once you agree, you should be prompted by the installer. Once the installation is completed, your computer should restart. If it does not restart itself, make sure you restart it normally. The downgrade should be complete!

As you can see, downgrading your OS X is not as dreadful as you might think, especially if you use helper apps like CleanMyMac, Get Backup Pro, and Disk Drill — all of which are available for a free trial on Setapp. So downgrade away!

macOS evolution inforgaphic

Big Sur macOS 11 November 19, 2020 Epic design change: new Control Center, notifications, and more. With the transition to Apple’s M1 chips, you can now run iOS apps natively on Mac.

October 7, 2019 iTunes is replaced by dedicated apps for music, movies, and podcasts. It’s now possible to port iOS apps to macOS and expand your workspace with Sidecar.

Mojave macOS 10.14 September 24, 2018 Visual refinements introduced via Dark Mode and Dynamic Desktoptake central stage in Mojave. The new apps migrating from iOS include Stocks, News, Home, and Voice Memos..

September 25, 2017 Major improvements go unnoticed for a user, but the overall performance skyrockets, due to embracing Apple File System and a new video standard, HEVC.

Sierra macOS 10.12 September 20, 2016 With Sierra, OS X dies and macOS is born. The renamed system introduces even more iOS perks like Siriand unlocking Mac with Apple Watch.

September 30, 2015 El Capitan features Split Views– dual-window functionality for arranging and managing app windows. Plus, OS X 10.11 comes with improved Safari, Mail, and Spotlight.

Yosemite OS X 10.10 October 16, 2014 A completely new sleek design is what Yosemite is remembered for. Continuityand Handoffintegrated into the new OS strengthen bonds between iOS and OS X devices.

October 22, 2013 Maps, iBooks, and Tagsdebut in the first inanimate OS X – Mavericks. To enable secure password encryption and storage, iCloud Keychainin introduced.

Mountain Lion OS X 10.8 July 25, 2012 Mountain Lion adds new integrations and further iOS perks like Reminders, Notes, and Messages. It gets easier to track app updates via the Notification Center.

July 20, 2011 iCloudarrives. Apart from that, lots of iOS advancements find reflection in OS X Lion, covering Launchpad, multi-touchgestures, and more.

Snow Leopard OS X 10.6 August 28, 2009 While Leopard did a great job, Snow Leopard arrives to refine it even more. Mainly, it comes with apps rewritten in 64 bit and OpenCL. The 2009 OS X release is also known for Mac App Storelaunch.

October 26, 2007 Long-awaited and Mac-changing. Leopard gives a spectacular leap, introducing Time Machine, Boot Camp, QuickLook, and full support for 64-bit software.

Tiger OS X 10.4 April 29, 2005 A rich harvest for Mac, Tiger marks the launch of 200+ new features. Spotlightsearch and Dashboardare the top stars, with Apple TV, Automator, and VoiceOver joining the crowd.

October 24, 2003 Panther release introduces Exposé, a feature for seamless management of open applications. Safariofficially becomes the default web browser.

Jaguar OS X 10.2 August 23, 2002 A large grey Apple logoappears for the first time, replacing Happy Mac at startup. Optimized search functionality of Finder and the first release of Accessibility API – Universal Access. App arrivals: iChat and Address Book.

September 25, 2001 No big functionality updates, the focus is shifted to performanceinstead. From improved file management to CD and DVD burning, Puma just makes it work better.

Cheetah OS X 10.0 March 24, 2001 “When you saw it, you wanted to lick it,” said Steve Jobs about Aqua– the brand new UI born with the release of Cheetah. Preview, Mail, QuickTime, and TextEdit make debut at this point.

Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.

Read on

Sign Up

Mac System Software

Mac OS was named by the company Apple as 'Mac System Software' in the beginning, a specially designed operating system only for 68K first Motorola processors. With own Macintosh hardware, Mac OS takes up a special role in the world of desktop systems. The first version was 'System 1' and appeared bundled with the Mac in 1984. The classic desktop is designed as a single user operating system and almost completely hides the full path to files and directories. The graphic representation is reduced to the essence. Overall the interface is very easy to use and does not need the right mouse button for user interaction. Mac OS does not include a command line interface.
Starting with System 3.0, the used filesystem HFS was used officially, which does not different between uppercase and lowercase letters. System 5.0 was the first release to run several programs with the integrated MultiFinder at the same time. The operating system was programmed up to system 6.0 mostly in assembler and partially in Pascal and used a 24-bit addressing mode. Cooperative Multi-tasking could optionally be enabled in System 6. System 7.0 first supported 32-bit addressing. Thus allow the operating system can use more memory and more powerful programs. Since 1994 System 7.5 supported for the first time the PowerPC architecture and is optimized with the following Mac OS versions further on this architecture. With System software 7.6 the name was changed to Mac OS in January 1997.
The optimization of the operating system to the hardware has the disadvantage that the system software can not be installed on every Mac. Application compatibility to the Mac systems may also vary with each version.
2006 MacOS X was presented for the first time publicly on x86 hardware, Apple allows the use of Mac OS X only on specific intel-Macintosh systems. According to Steve Jobs Mac OS X have been developed since 2000 internally parallel for Intel and PowerPC processors. The version of Mac OS X 10.6.0 raised the optimization to Intel-based processors further, the new operating system is no longer available for PowerPC Macintosh or pure 32-bit intel processors. In return the user receives a pure 64-bit operating system optimized for performance on multiple processors. Even the GPU computing power itself can be used with specific applications.
The selection of software is focused on the creative industry and enables such as the professional graphic, audio and video editing. Office applications such as MacWrite, Microsoft Office, OpenOffice and 3D games are also available. The choice of browsers is large with iCab, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera and Mozilla Firefox. StuffIt is the standard software for file compression.

System 6 (Mac OS)

Mac system software 6 came onto the market in 1988. It requires 1 MB RAM and can address up to 8 MB. The file system can organize hard disks up to 2 GByte with 65,536 files. Optionally applications run with the multi Finder in cooperative multitasking. For word processing are programs such as WriteNow, MacWrite II, and Microsoft Word 4.0 available.

System 7 (Mac OS)

The system 7 was first available in May 1991. The new operating system needed 2 MB RAM, optionally it can be switched to 32-bit depending from the used hardware. Cooperative multitasking is now enabled by default, the addressable memory is no longer limited to 8 MB. In addition virtual memory can be enabled.
New is the direct support of networks with file exchange, AppleScript as scripting language and display of colors. Balloons provide help for the user to use the interface. With aliases are icon links to files possible, regardless of the storage location locally or from the network. The TrueType fonts are scalable to any size.
The System Software 7.5 appeared in 1994 and requires at least 4 MB RAM. It was running both on 68k-Macs and Power Macintosh. In September 1996, the update System 7.5.5 includes all available bug fixes, Open Transport 1.1.2, current Ethernet driver and support for storage drive volumes up to 4 GB. With release 7.6 the company Apple changed the name for the operating system from System Software to Mac OS in 1997. At the 31. January 1999 Apple gave the Mac system software 7.5.3 public as free download.
Mac OS 7.6 can be installed on every Mac compatible computer, which contains at least a 68030 processor and supports 32-bit addressing. The 24-bit addressing is no longer supported. Performance is improved in the area of virtual memory and memory management. QuickTime version 2.5 offers better image quality and benefits of multiple processors.
On systems with 68040 or PowerPC processors partitions can be used of up to 2 TByte, systems with 68030 processor remain limited to 4 GB. Check of the disk after a system crash requires now much less time.

Mac OS 8

Mac OS 8 by Apple appeared in July 1997. As minimum requirements are specified a 68040 or PowerPC processor, 32 MB RAM and 120 MB of free disk space. The CTRL key is used to display a specific context menu for different actions. Finder in version 8 is now multithreaded and does no longer breaks other applications during the copy of files. The starting time of the operating system and applications is been reduced. As standard the browser software Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 and Netscape Navigator 3.0 are included. Inside of a TCP/IP network can shared files and printers accessed.
With Mac OS 8.1 the filesystem HFS+ is included by default. Now informations are stored more efficiently on the file system and does less waste disk space in comparison of HFS. The limit of the partition size is depending on your hardware, the maximum size is now 2 TByte for all Quadra and PowerMac systems. The file system can handle up to 2 billion files with a current file size of up to 2 GB. PC Exchange 2.2 allows users the mount of DOS and Windows drives on your desktop. The supported file systems include FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, VFAT.
Mac OS 8.5 further optimized the stability and speed of the operating system, Sherlock is extended for full-text search in local files and Internet search wizard for the first time. Mac systems with 68k processors are no longer compatible with this version. The throughput in Ethernet networks has been increased, AppleScript is now up to 5 x faster than the previous version. The graphical display is accelerated by new QuickDraw routines. Copying files has become faster and increase the disk throughput. A tool for system maintaining detects and fixes errors on the file system automated. The 'Apple System Profiler' creates comprehensive reports about the used hardware and software.
Following applications are included in current version: Finder 8.5 QuickTime Pro 3, Open Transport 2, Internet Explorer 4.01, Outlook Express 4.01, Netscape Navigator 4.0.5, Mac OS Runtime for Java 2.0 and File Exchange 3.
Mac OS 8.6 requires 250 MB free disk space and 24 MB RAM. A new kernel is included which improves performance and added support for the PowerPC G4 processor. The ability of multitasking and multiprocessing has been optimized further and enhanced with new features.
UDF 1.5.2 allows reading and storing data to DVD-RAM and read of DVD-ROM media.

Mac OS 9

The operating system Mac OS 9 has been developed under the name Sonata and released to the 23. October 1999. The installation requires 32 MB RAM with virtual memory and a PowerPC 601 processor or higher. For models with G3 processor are at least 64 MB RAM recommended for optimal performance. The first G4 and iMac systems until summer 2000 are supported. The free disk storage should be 150 up to 400 MB depending on the installation type.
50 new features are added in comparison to the previous version. This includes support for multiple users with password and access management for files and settings. The login is available through authentication by voice. Files can be stored encrypted. The operating system can automatically update itself via the Internet. You can back up all personal passwords with a master password. The integrated search engine Sherlock 2 is extended with language and search templates. The first version 'Carbon' API is available for new applications.
The following applications are included in current version: Finder 9.0, Mac OS Runtime for Java 2.1.4, Apple data security 2.0 and Open Transport 2.5.

Mac OS X

Different technologies like the Mach Kernel, NEXTSTEP and tools from NetBSD and FreeBSD found influence in Mac OS X to merge the previous Apple technology with UNIX features. The operating system core Darwin is open source and can be used also on x86 computers standalone. Mac OS X works with preemptive multi-tasking and includes beside the new GUI Aqua the classic GUI from Mac OS 9.

Mac Os Sierra 10.12 Developer Preview Download Free

Mac OS X 10.0 came out in March 2001. To install are 128 MB RAM (256 MB RAM starting from Mac OS X 10.3.9) and 1.5 GB hard disk space (3.0 GByte starting from Mac OS X 10.2) provided. Mac OS X 10.5 requires at least 512 MB RAM and 9 GByte of free disk space.
- 32-bit or 64-bit processing
- SMP with up to 32 CPUs
- needs a PowerPC G3, G4 or G5
- POSIX compatible
- HFS+ file system
Field of Application
- digital photography
- 2-D and 3-D animations
- video processing, streaming

Install Macos Sierra 10.12 Developer Preview Download

- audio processing
- platform for DTP, web design
- office applications
Structure Information
- supports QuickTime/VR
- monolithic Kernel
- Read/Write FAT, FAT32, ISO9660, UDF
- well proven TCP/IP Stack
- graphical user interaction with the finder
- graphical representation by Quickdraw
- central password administration (Keychain)
Considerable performance and comfort improvements were carried out in version Mac OS X 10.1. The surface reacts quicker at user interaction, the system start was accelerated and the OpenGL performance increased noticeable.
Mac OS X 10.3 has now a GUI in metallic scheme and the optimized Finder. The use and access in heterogeneous networks was further simplified. Files can be provided with etiquettes, the compression format ZIP is now directly supported. 12 million MacOS X user were counted in October 2004.
According to Apple Mac OS X 10.4 brings more than 200 new features. Features are the fast, system-wide and index-based search function named Spotlight, the Dashboard for easy access to small programs (Widgets), the Automator for the simplified composition of Applescripts for the automation of tasks. The Web browser Safari in version 2.0 now contained RSS support, the QuickTime software was updated to version 7 with support for the H.264 video codec. Further novelty is the delivery at a DVD medium, an installation of CD-ROM is no longer possible.
First since the 10th January 2006 is MacOS X 10.4.4 next to the PowerPC version available for Intel based Macs. On the 6. June 2005 Steve jobs announced at the WWDC the switch to Intel processors. As further details became known that Apple had developed Mac OS X since 2000 internally also for the Intel platform.
Apple released the successor MacOS X 10.5, Leopard at the 26.10.2007. With more than 300 innovations MacOS offers the user an enhanced user interface with virtual desktops, a fast file preview and Dock with 3D effect. The Finder was revised, the expansion 'Boot Camp' for the installation of Windows on Intel-Macs is an official component now. As a file system ZFS is optionally available. For the surfing on the Internet the Apple Safari 3 Web browser is included. Backups can be made, managed and restored in a simple way with 'Time Machine'. Time Machine makes every hour the day automatically a file backup and every day a snapshot for the duration of a complete month. Lost files are recovered easily over the display of a dynamic time line of those snapshot. The security of the operating system and applications is improved by 11 enhancements. This are beside others the application-based firewall, signed applications, the use of ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization) and Sandboxing for applications.
Open Group certified MacOS X 10.5 according to the standard UNIX 03 in November 2007. MacOS X is the first free BSD derivative with such certificate to bear the name UNIX officially. The certification guarantees the use of UNIX standard implementations to porting UNIX applications easily.
The first update with bug fixes was released with Mac OS X 10.5.1 by Apple on November 15th, 2007. It contains general bug fixes for the operating system to improve stability, better compatibility and safety. Mac OS X 10.5.2 cames with 125 bug fixes and smaller optimizations on January 24th, 2008.
Mac OS X 10.6 is a Mac computer with Intel Core 2 Duo processor with at least 1 GB memory and 5 GB free space ahead. This operating system no longer exists as PowerPC execution. Apple placed the focus development on performance and stability. It supports up to 16 TByte memory, it is optimized for multi core processors, and is a pure 64-bit operating system. With the technology OpenCL graphics processor can speed up in specific applications calculations.
Apple released macOS 10.12 as free update on 20th September 2016. The new operating system brings the personal assistant Siri to desktop computers. You can also Auto Unlock with your Apple Watch to unlock the computer automatically. The storage management has been optimized to e.g. free up local storage space and easily get rid of duplicate and obsolete files. The Universal Clipboard allows you to copy and paste images, video, and text between all supported devices. Beside of the HFS+ file system you can use the new file system Apple File System (APFS) as a developer preview on data volumes only. Highlights of APFS are e.g. native encryption, optimization for Flash/SSD storage and the Apple software ecosystem. It is planned that APFS will be the default file system for all Apple products in 2017.

Mac OS 1.0 Desktop	Mac OS 2.0 Desktop	Mac OS 3.0 Desktop	System 6, Macintosh Finder
System 6, system directory	System 6, system control	System 6, find file	System 6, Apple menu and scrap book
System 7.5.3, Desktop	System 7.5.3, Apple menu with control panel	System 7.5.3, system directory and info	System 7.5.3, file menu and system directory
System 7.5.3, help with text balloons	System 7.5.3, find file	Mac OS 7.6.1, system is starting	Mac OS 7.6.1, desktop and system directory
Mac OS 9, system is starting	Mac OS 9, desktop and version	Mac OS 9, iCab internet browser	Mac OS 9, Apple menu with system directory
Mac OS 9, control panel	Mac OS 9, system partition	Mac OS 9, Sherlock 2	Mac OS 9, context menu and alias
Desktop of Mac OS 8.1	Desktop of Mac OS 10	Mac OS 10.3 - Boot logo	Mac OS 10.3 - Installation screen
Language selection	Mac OS X installer	Storage drive for installation	Installation type for custom install
Boot screen of Mac OS X	Desktop with user directory	About this mac	System Preferences
Safari Internet Browser	Software Update	Applications	Unix bash terminal
Internet Explorer 5.2 for Mac

Versions