Hey 
Just got my two axos today. Great
I tried installing on OSX 10.6.8, but it is not possible. Was really hoping that that it would work on my older laptop. The Axoloti applications is crossed over and wont open.
I think I know the answer all ready, but is there any chance of backwards compatibility with older OSX versions older than 10.7.4?
How 'bout running Xubuntu (or some other lightweight Linux distro) in a virtual machine and using it to connect to Axoloti? Just an idea, if your laptop has the memory for it...
The software might work on OSX 10.6.8, but you will need to install a newer version of Java. The Java version of Apple that is included with your version of OSX has some issues. Using 10.8.x or later is the best option.
Creating a version of the software that is fully compatible with 10.6.8 is not an option. Adding workarounds takes a lot of time and would make the code bloated.
to add some more details to @janvantomme post
the reason it is 'crossed' out, is we use JavaFX to make the java application integrate better with OS X (and as users expect), this deploys with a minimum version of 10.7.4.... and yeah, developing something else, would cost us time better spent elsewhere.
the best way to use with platforms prior to this, is to use download from the github repository directy
github.com/axoloti and use git to download.
this is covered in the 'developers' section in the installation guide (albeit briefly as its aimed at developers who are familiar with such things)
it might take you a bit to figure out, but is not actually hard - install git (sourcetree is pretty good as a GUI) , then clone the repo, run build.sh and then use Axoloti.sh to run the program.
(as @janvantomme said, make sure you use a recent version of java, this is important, and if building form the repo, you will need the JDK, rather than just the JRE... still free!)
as developers we use this all the time, so no fear that its not going to work etc.
Are there any minimum requirements for Java versions? Like
Java 7? I think I tried installing newer version of java om this laptop
before, but with no luck. On Osx 10.6, the only way to install/update
java is through "software update". For a newer version of OSX (10.7.3
and up) you download the files and install on its on.
In software update there is this info about the Java update I have available, which is 1.6.0_65:
Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 17 delivers improved security,
reliability, and compatibility by updating Java SE 6 to 1.6.0_65. This
update enables per-website control of the Java plug-in within Safari
5.1.9 or later.
And thanks for info
Java 7... but frankly while your at it, you might as well upgrade to java 8.
Java 6 that Apple shipped is very old, and has quite a few bugs in it, and whilst it will work, we don't have the time work around these bugs.
if your going down the build it yourself route for 10.6.8, download the 8 JDK from here :
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html
(you don't need netbeans)
I totally understand that you don´t want to waste time on making it anymore backwards compatible than it all ready is. But I thank you for helping me anyway 
Since you said it might be possible, I am going to try. I downloaded this one:
jdk-8u51-macosx-x64.dmg
I found this guide to install java 7 on 10.6.8:
http://jksha.blogspot.se/2013/09/java-7-and-snow-leopard-osx-106.html
Couldnt find a guide for 8 so i am just going to try installing 8 with the guide for 7. But I think I will read a little bit more about it before I do it. It is totally new territory.
EDIT: anyway, got it working on my desktop and having lots of fun
Btw, regarding older compatibility with older OSX version: I have been able to run the demo version with no sound that was send out long time ago on OSX 10.6.8. Going to try that version later today. Maybe I am lucky
you don't need to run the demo version... and it won't prove anything (and has a lot of bugs which are now fixed)
simply go to https://github.com/axoloti/axoloti
download zip
then type platform_osx/build.sh
wait while it downloads stuff, and builds
then run ./Axoloti.sh
its really that simple .. this will give you an up to date version,
its not about luck, its about doing the right thing...
EDIT: as far JDK install, again just download and click on the installer, iirc thats as complicated as it gets for installation.
I found the file: platform_osx/build.sh
I clicked the file in axoloti directory, but nothing downloads. It only opens up a text document. Maybe the Java8 has to be in order before the computer can read the build.sh file?
ABout JDK8. I dont think it is as simple as just installing. When I try to install Java8 I am told that I need atleast OSX 10.7.3 and that I am not allowed(see pic). It is not possible to do it i regular way. So I guess I am going to have to try to change permissions of java8 that will allow me to install Java8 on OSX 10.6.8. I think I did that to some other app before with a program called BatChmod. Need to check up on it again.
Nah, I wouldn't start messing with forcing Java 8 to run, that could have all sorts of consequences, just use java 7 JDK, assuming that will install
(before you do this, install Java7... you don't have to, but it just means the final step will run correctly)
start Terminal, (Applications/Utilities)
then use change the directory to the where ever you put the download
(lets say for simplicity you put it in your home directory ... as axoloti)
cd axoloti
then type:
ls
it will display something like: (if not your probably in the wrong directory still :))
Axoloti.bat README.md build dist license.txt patches public_key.der
Axoloti.sh archive build.xml doc manifest.mf platform_linux src
CMSIS axoloti.log chibios firmware nbproject platform_osx thirdparty
Contributing.txt axoloti.prefs copyright.txt lib objects platform_win xcode
is thats ok, then type:
platform_osx/build.sh
it will then start doing lots of stuff... and the screen will fill up...
(heres some basic for Terminal, if you have not used it before, http://guides.macrumors.com/Terminal... but there are lots of guides on the internet)
its a bit unfamiliar for non-programmers at first, but actually quite useful skill once you have worked it out.
Hey again. Back again after nice weekend
Java:
I managed to install Java 7 after all. Had to "cheat" a bit to make it work
Axoloti/terminal:
I put axoloti-master folder in home(and changed name for axoloti). I needed to use the master axoloti right?
Then I went to terminal:
first cd /axoloti
then: ls
and last platform_osx/build.sh
Installed alot of things. Dunno if it is installed right. Here is terminal log. I put a link for the log since I was not allowed to put the log itself.
https://mega.nz/#!zAR3QKLT!2fV_nILXrSas3uOv9_OQVx-LFI-8GeyNDQ6oEg7TVxs
Anyway, how do I open the app? hehe I dont see the Axoloti app as there is in the "ofiicial" installer.
So close..........
Can you tell me something from this screenshot from terminal? I cant get it to work yet.
ok, just checked your session.... for some reason part of the build didnt work
checking for gcc... no
checking for cc... no
checking for cl.exe... no
configure: error: in `/axoloti/platform_osx/src/libusb-1.0.19':
configure: error: no acceptable C compiler found in $PATH
See `config.log' for more detailssorry, I'm away for a few days so cant look into it... till I'm back
btw, you can still try to build the jar file...
type:
antthis will at least tell you if java is installed correctly....
and then you can try to run
./Axoloti.shto see if the app will start
(it should do, but will have issues connecting to the board, but one hurdle at a time!)
I believe gcc comes as (an optional) part of xcode on macosx. Perhaps you should install this option of xcode?
No worries I can wait a bit longer.
I ran the ant and got alot of info again. In the end it said "build succesfully"..... but still didnt work when i did the ./Axoloti.sh
New link for log:
https://mega.nz/#!CZo12Cza!xu5tWLqJ7ibydX4OqywXuQST9nk2k8ITZlOuhZJnSSQ
Edit: I am pretty sure installing the Java7 have messed up some things on my computer. I cant stream anything from youtube anymore and FIrefox looks, a bit weird. Not sure if this is the solution.
Edit edit I can watch movies in Safari, but not in Firefox.... Dunno what to make of that,,,
yeah, as @johannes says, you'll need to install
'Xcode command line tools' which is free from Apple.
(you don't need full Xcode, and it must be for the right version of OS X)
ok, the error looks bad, is Java 7 supported on 10.6.8?
thats not looking good... id be concern this is related to:
it java7 is not supported your not really going to get very far...
time for an upgrade i fear....
Technobear: That is what I told you all along; Java7 or Java8 is NOT ment for OSX 10.6.8. Like I wrote I had to make Java "believe" that my OSX version was 10.7.8 or else it wouldnt install. I know it is not preferable, but that is the option I have if I want to use it on laptop and I do. Some other guys did that(not for axoloti though), but they didnt mentioned how succesful they had been, so I gave it a go anyway. And now I realize it does not work very well; it messes up a lot of other things on my computer. So I need to re install.
If I had the option to upgrade this laptop, I would of course have done it from the beginning. It is an older laptop, which does not support newer OSX than 10.6.x. Maybe I need to look for a newer laptop, but I just think it is a bit "too much" to buy a new laptop for 60 euro device..... so I wanted to try all possible ways, before even considering buying a new laptop.
Johannes: can you explain why I should install gcc from Xcode? What is the purpose of it? I dont know anything about it. What should I do with it?
The reason for Xcode tools is we build Libusb from source code because we need to apply a patch to it.
Hey I have an old MBP , so understand the desire to use it... But the issue is simple apple upgrade the API with newer versions of OSX , and developers like oracle for Java have to move with them so after a while we all have to follow.
( I fairness to apple 10.6 was released in 2009 , an eternity ago in the software world :))
You could run with Java 6 BUT it WILL have bugs and issues that we can't fix/workaround .
But given your choices that your best option