alt Hacker NewsWait, so.. how are we supposed to test Intel builds of our macOS apps from now on?
I get it that macOS has to evolve, but that doesn't mean all apps have to drop Intel support at the same time.
On hardware-level apps like my Lunar app I have plenty #if arch(arm64) because some features like reading the brightness nits or reading ambient light is different or completely missing based on the architecture. I need to test the UI differences based on what features are available.
I don't see it viable to stay on macOS 26 for this, especially if we're going to see breaking changes again with the display and window server subsystem like we did with Tahoe. M5 support for Gamma table changes is still broken after so many months [0]
[0] https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/819331#819331021
Replies
Keep a macOS 26 machine around for testing. All Intel Macs will be stuck on 26 as well, so testing under 26 is probably best anyway.
Virtualize macOS 26 for testing purposes: https://eclecticlight.co/2025/01/21/what-can-you-do-with-vir...
IIRC Apple supported 10.5 extra long because of it being the last PowerPC MacOS. I wouldn't be surprised if they do something similar here. Keep an intel mac around, and you should be fine
> Wait, so.. how are we supposed to test Intel builds of our macOS apps from now on?
Isn't this a general form of 'how do we deal with the transition from a to b?'
If your client's can get intel Mac's, then you should be able to get one. If they can't, why do you need to keep supporting intel Mac's?
> Wait, so.. how are we supposed to test Intel builds of our macOS apps from now on?
In a older version of the OS running in a virtual machine?
Keep an Intel Mac around or drop support.
They followed the same path when moving from PPC to Intel.
Same way you test them now?
> Wait, so.. how are we supposed to test Intel builds of our macOS apps from now on?
You don't. You could stay on an old MacOS. Apple would prefer that you tell your customers to stop being poor and buy a new computer. They will make your situation increasingly unbearable until you do.
The overwhelming majority of people haven't needed a new computer since 2016. The current economic situation makes a new computer a worse value proposition than it's been in 35 years. Vendors are responding to this situation by manufacturing obsolescence. Microsoft pulled the same stunt with Windows 11's TPM 2.0 requirement.