Running Snow leopard on Fusion 4

[MATTN201110141]

Hello, I'd liek to maintain compatibility with Rosetta applications using Snow Leopard.

The liekly host computer will be a new Mac mini running OSX Lion and VMWare Fusion 4.

How simple is it to create a virtual machine running OSX Leopard? Do I need the server version? If so, where do I purchase it from? Can VMWare supply it?

[admin]

Hi Mattn,

As per Apple's EULA, you will need to run the server version of OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, as the client version is not able to be virtualized.

Creating the VM using easy install is straight forward as long as you have the install disk.

You will need to purchase the full server disk from Apple or an Apple reseller as VMware will not be able to provide it to you.

Regards,

-Kevin

[MATTN201110141]

Thanks for your help Kevin,

Interesting: There doesn't seem to be anything in the SnowLeopard EULA that says one cannot virtualise Snow Leopard client on a system running Lion. We would require only one copy and it would be running on an Apple-branded computer. These are in accordance with the wording of section 2A of the Snow Leopard EULA:

QUOTE:

2. Permitted License Uses and Restrictions. 

A. Single Use License. Subject to the terms and conditions of this License, unless you have purchased a Family Pack or Upgrade license for the Apple Software, you are granted a limited non-exclusive license to install, use and run one (1) copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-branded computer at a time. You agree not to install, use or run the Apple Software on any non-Apple-branded computer, or to enable others to do so. This License does not allow the Apple Software to exist on more than one computer at a time, and you may not make the Apple Software available over a network where it could be used by multiple computers at the same time.

I grabbed the EULA PDF from here: http://www.apple.com/legal/sla/

Is the requirement for SL server then a VMware licensing issue?

Whatever the case: where can I get SL server? Apple don't sell it anymore on the UK site, but do still sell SL client - which makes the issue even more perplexing!

Can I install SL server from the discs that came with a Mac mini server we have? (Assuming we upgrade the mini to Lion so that the SL license is no longer being used.)

I run an academic reserach lab in the UK. Such a virtualisation route is a pretty big deal as we use some analysis software that requires Rosetta. Hoping VMware can help us out on this issue - we already contacted the software vendor (FujiFilm Imaging) and they refuse to reinitiate software development for a transition to Intel.

Best regards, Matt

[ColoradoMarmot]

It's been asked and answered many times, Apple only permits the server version of 10.6 to be run as a virtual machine.  Period.  The client EULA requires that it be installed directly on the computer.

As for the disk that came with the mini, those are generally node-locked for that particular hardware and may or may not be able to technically run as a VM.  You may run into some CPU support issues if it's an old version.

As for the legality of doing so, I'd call Apple.

In most cases, folks with Rosetta requirements are having to stick with 10.6 on the hardware.  If the vendor (like Intuit) isn't going to upgrade their software, then it's probably time to look for a different solution.

[MATTN201110141]

Thanks for the response dlhotka. It may have been asked and answered many times, but I've not had it explained to me (with appropriate reference to the EULA).

I don't mean to get in a pointless argument, but I cannot see how the Apple EULA restricts running SL virtually so long as the host is not also the same software (i.e. only one copy of SL is installed). The EULA does not state that the installation needs to be installed directly on the computer. I wonder if VMware have argued with Apple about this, as there is a growing market in need of Rosetta client emulation.

For my requirements: I have contacted the software vendor (FujiFilm Imaging Corp). They are not going to update the software. Yet, we have hundreds of files in this proprietary format, and thus need to maintain Rosetta to open them.

I'd (relunctantly) purchase VMWare and add SL server if Apple would still sell me a copy! But it doesn't exist on the online store (UK).

Note: I saw a KB article here on Fusion stating that a copy of SL server from a mini will NOT install on Fusion.

[admin]

Hi Matt,

If Snow Leopard Server is no longer available from Apple, then I would suggest looking at a third party reseller.

I have checked with Amazon and CDW and found that they are both still selling 10.6 server.

http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/Mac-OS-X-Server-Snow-Leopard-Unlimited-Client-v.-10.6.3-complete-pa...

http://www.amazon.com/Mac-Server-v10-6-Snow-Leopard/dp/B001AMPORG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1318866142&...

I am not sure what the availability is in your area, but I am sure you could have a copy shipped from America.

-Kevin