rustyshelf
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Mar 30, 2006 1:55 am

Universal Binary on Mac?

Hi,

I noticed that even the latest version of Advanced Installer builds a PowerPC application for a Java Product. It would be nice if it built a Universal one instead, as this should in theory run faster on all the new intel macs.

Apple's jar bundler application builds universal binaries, so I don't see why Advanced Installer couldn't do the same?

cheers,

Rusty
gigi
Posts: 2103
Joined: Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:55 am
Contact: Website

Hi,

Sorry but I don't fully understand what you are trying to say, please give me more details.

Regards,
Gigi
______________
Gheorghe Rada
Advanced Installer Team
http://www.advancedinstaller.com
rustyshelf
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Mar 30, 2006 1:55 am

The Macintosh recently moved to using Intel CPUs instead of the IBM PowerPC ones that they previously had. To make this transition smoother, Apple implemented a software emulation layer called 'Rosetta'. So now Apple has two ways of labelling applications:

'Universal' - applications that will run natively on both PowerPC and Intel CPUs, at full speed.

'PowerPC' - appllications that will run natively on the PowerPC, but emulated on the Intel CPU.

When I build a JAVA app using Advanced Installer, it is built as a PowerPC application, meaning that it will actually run slower on the new Intel machines, because it will run in the Rosetta emulation layer.

When I use the JAR Bundler that comes with Xcode on the Mac, they are built as Universal Binaries, meaning that they will run at full speed on both Intel and PowerPC platforms.

I think you guys just need to update whatever library it is that you're using to build Mac Apps, and you should be able to build Universal Binaries.

More information:
http://www.apple.com/universal/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_binary
gigi
Posts: 2103
Joined: Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:55 am
Contact: Website

Hi,

Thank you for your suggestion. We shall consider to implement this is a future release. We add this on our TODO list.

Regards,
Gigi
______________
Gheorghe Rada
Advanced Installer Team
http://www.advancedinstaller.com

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