ppc app runs on Intel -weird

BlitzMax Forums/BlitzMax Programming/ppc app runs on Intel -weird

Grey Alien(Posted 2007) [#1]
I've got a PPC exe that i made on my G4 which I've copied to my Intel MacBook Pro and it runs OK! That's not supposed to happen is it?

Also has anyone tried this app to build a universal binary:

http://www.svenschwiecker.de/Web-Site/Software.html

It doesn't work for me, it won't let me properly pick a PPC bundle, it says "the PPC and Intel bundle must have the same name" yet they do! It lets me pick an intel one but not the PPC ones that I've copied to the Macbook Pro.

Also I've noticed that PPC apps are bigger than intel ones, anyone noticed this before?


ziggy(Posted 2007) [#2]
Intel macs run PPC applications using the roseta technology, a sort of emulator. So yes, any ppc application for mac, should run on intel macs. Obviously providing a universal binary will make the application run faster on intel macs.


Nigel Brown(Posted 2007) [#3]
Grey: Tried the app you mention and after 30 seconds realised it was easier to use lipo from the command line.


Grey Alien(Posted 2007) [#4]
ziggy: OK, I thought it loaded up slower. Now I know. Thanks!

Nigel: Looks like I'd better use the command line tool then, there's a thread round here somewhere...


Azathoth(Posted 2007) [#5]
Also I've noticed that PPC apps are bigger than intel ones, anyone noticed this before?
I noticed the same when PPC boards came out for the Amiga, I had put it down to PPC being a RISC processor.


ImaginaryHuman(Posted 2007) [#6]
Yah when Apple switched from PPC to Intel they didn't want to lose backwards compatibility with software so they made that Rosetta emulator to run PPC apps invisibly, and in a much better way than the old oS9 emulator. The app will run slower but it's still useable.


Grey Alien(Posted 2007) [#7]
That's pretty neat.


Digital Anime(Posted 2008) [#8]
It's neat but it's better to compile your software on an intel Mac also, because Rosetta uses loads of CPU, and not everything is 100% compatible.

I know because I worked at Apple phone support when they made the big change from PPC to Intel.

And at home I'm not even a Mac user and never owned a Mac, I'm still used to Windows a lot I guess :-p


Grey Alien(Posted 2008) [#9]
Yeah I compile on both PPC and Intel and make a Universal binary.


ImaginaryHuman(Posted 2008) [#10]
I think in fugure universal binary will become obsolete because the more Intel machines are in place the less need there will be to make a PPC exe.


Grey Alien(Posted 2008) [#11]
It's a bit of a hassle making it, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.


Dreamora(Posted 2008) [#12]
I would create a ppc and an intel version.
less hassle, still safe. and especially less problematic and potentially smaller


JazzieB(Posted 2008) [#13]
Provided all the media and additional files are stored within the application bundle itself (or an external folder, but not the Mac way of doing things though), the difference between a universal binary and a non-universal binary will be no more than a couple of MB depending on the application itself. It could be a lot smaller if the application is quite simple.

There's quite a few people with both PPC and Intel based Macs, so those people would prefer a universal binary over having to download two 20MB files than just one 22MB file.