Sinarback meets Mavericks > no love lost

[lowep]

My legacy Sinarback eMotion75 MFDB depends on Sinar´s Captureshop program to download and convert the proprietary RAW files stored on the MFDB into useable dng digital negative files for further processing. This used to work fine on my legacy Macbook. However after upgrading to a newer 2012 Macbook that came with Mavericks OS I discover Captureshop 6.1.2 repeatedly crashes every time I try to use it to download files either via firewire from the MFDB´s internal memory or from the CF card. This means that I cannot download and process my photos... so any advice about could be the cause of the problem and how to go about solving it would be most welcome.

[WaitingForAnR10]

My suggestion would be to partition your disk, and run your current OS in the first partition, and install the previous OS in the second.  I currently run my old 10.6.8 version as my primary OS in order to use older programs (and because I prefer it), and 10.7 in a second partition for anything that can't handle 10.6.8.

[lowep]

When I tried this trick in my usual bush mechanic fashion by just loading the old Mac 10.6 OS X DVD on my "new" mid-2012 Macbook Pro (2.5 GHz Intel Core i5) I got a message saying "you can’t use this version of the application “Install Mac OS X” with this version of OS X. You have “Install Mac OS X” 23.1." So I thought the good solution you suggest was not possible.  

However after receiving your encouraging reply I now know for sure it is doable to dual boot Mac OS X, which is half of the battle, so looks like all I have to do is keep trying to figure out the best way to do this. So far I have learned the oldest version of OSX I can install is the version that was preinstalled when the computer was first bought - 10.6 simply does not have the kexts (device drivers) for the newer hardware on my current Mac. So next step will to try with a "newer" but not "too new" OS X.

Did you "upgrade" to dual boot from an older OS X to Mavericks, or "downgrade" to an older OSX dual boot from a computer already configured with Mavericks that is what I would like to do.  

[mkihne]

Once you partition and have the new OS X on your "main" partition, you should be able to install your previous OS X on the newly created partition. Then switch back and forth by selecting the start up disk in system preferences and restart. Alternatives to that would include creating a bootable external drive with your previous OS X. This would allow you to keep your full hd space for your new OS X. A third possibility might be to load your previous OS X on a flash drive(8 Gig should be enough) and use that as a bootup drive(it should be recognized as a drive choice). Instructions to do so can be found on the internet. To switch between them, hold down option key at startup. You can also go into system preferences, select start up drive and restart.

This is not a dual boot in the sense of Mac/Pc. You are just adding another bootable disk to your computer which can be selected and switched back and forth as you see fit.

[WaitingForAnR10]

Once you partition and have the new OS X on your "main" partition, you should be able to install your previous OS X on the newly created partition. Then switch back and forth by selecting the start up disk in system preferences and restart. Alternatives to that would include creating a bootable external drive with your previous OS X. This would allow you to keep your full hd space for your new OS X. A third possibility might be to load your previous OS X on a flash drive(8 Gig should be enough) and use that as a bootup drive(it should be recognized as a drive choice). Instructions to do so can be found on the internet. To switch between them, hold down option key at startup. You can also go into system preferences, select start up drive and restart.

This is not a dual boot in the sense of Mac/Pc. You are just adding another bootable disk to your computer which can be selected and switched back and forth as you see fit.

What he said.

I actually keep an external drive loaded with 10.6.8 attached to the desktop.  Originally the desktop was 10.6.8, then I upgraded to 10.7.  Ugh.  I wiped the drive, partitioned it, then reinstalled a fresh copy of 10.6 in the main partition and 10.7 in the second.  Holding down the Option key during boot gives you a list of bootable drives.  Use the keyboard or mouse to select the OS you want to use.  Simple and easy to restart to the version you want.

[lowep]

Thanks, this is starting to look like what Obama & Merkel would call an "off ramp" option

Waiting for time machine to back up everything before attempting to install my old DVD copy of OS X 10.6 on an external HD hooked up to my wife´s late-2011 Macbook Pro, I reread the CaptureShop 6.1.2 Readme pdf file that comes with the download including this note with my emphasis in green on stability:

There is the possibility that on some computers permanent Firewire usage, i.e. use of Live
Image, can lead to crashes with Captureshop. From our experience most computers operating
under Mac Os 10.5.x are affected. Running CaptureShop with Mac OS 10.4.11 or 10.6.8 and
higher on the same computer performs stable.
In general we recommend to operate computers with G5 processors under Mac OS 10.4.11
and Mac OS 10.6.8 on computers with Intel Processors.
If you do not experience such crashes with your configuration, there is no need to upgrade or
downgrade, though.

I am not using Live Image or permanent firewire, and in my case the instability occurs on a computer "running 10.6.8 and higher" also when trying to download from CF card rather than firewire, but I am also not deaf and dumb ie looks like 10.6.8 maybe the way to go on computers with Intel processors?

[mkihne]

Since, I think, OS 10.7 Apple has chosen to be somewhat proprietary in terms of color management. I have issues with anything newer than 10.6.x regarding my Cone System B & W printing on my 3880. So, similar issues to yours.

BTW, if you have a partition or computer you would rather clone fully rather than reinstall software, I highly recommend Carbon Copy Cloner. Does a great job of literally cloning one drive to another. It used to be shareware but now for purchase and dowload. I think about 40 bucks, but money well spent if you need that capability.

[lowep]

Just found out through trying that Mac os x 10.6 is incompatible with my mid-2012 Macbook and also my wife´s late-2011 Macbook Pro. As far as I can figure out it is the hardware not the Mavericks software that doesn´t want to dance; so doubling up os is not an option and looks like only solution is to buy an old Macbook just for downloading files from my MFDB that at least is less costly than upgrading my camera system. 

[mkihne]

Too bad, but sounds like your only choice for maintaining your software. I'm keeping an early generation Mac Pro to run 10.6 for my software to maintain "color" control over my B&W piezio printing.

[lowep]

good idea... maybe I shouldn´t have chucked out that typewriter

[WaitingForAnR10]

Since, I think, OS 10.7 Apple has chosen to be somewhat proprietary in terms of color management. I have issues with anything newer than 10.6.x regarding my Cone System B & W printing on my 3880. So, similar issues to yours.

BTW, if you have a partition or computer you would rather clone fully rather than reinstall software, I highly recommend Carbon Copy Cloner. Does a great job of literally cloning one drive to another. It used to be shareware but now for purchase and dowload. I think about 40 bucks, but money well spent if you need that capability.

Sorry, what's wrong with just using the Mac's Disk Utility?  I've used it to create a .dmg disk image file, which can then be installed on another available partition.

[mkihne]

Sorry, what's wrong with just using the Mac's Disk Utility?  I've used it to create a .dmg disk image file, which can then be installed on another available partition.

Technically, you cannot boot from a dmg file. However you can restore to provide a bootable partition/drive with disk utility. I use CCCloner because I can incrementally back up a drive in shorter time with it. Otherwise, not much difference.

[lowep]

Good news (for me) is thanks to a tip from another Lula compatriot I have found another program with a different name Captureflow but by the same company Sinar that I have downloaded free from their website and can use to transfer and convert files from my legacy eMotion MFDB to my Mavericks OSX Macbook with (gasp!) NO CRASH at least not yet that is wonderful.