So, you’ve decided to download an older version of Mac OS X. There are many reasons that could point you to this radical decision. To begin with, some of your apps may not be working properly (or simply crash) on newer operating systems. Also, you may have noticed your Mac’s performance went down right after the last update. Finally, if you want to run a parallel copy of Mac OS X on a virtual machine, you too will need a working installation file of an older Mac OS X. Further down we’ll explain where to get one and what problems you may face down the road.
A list of all Mac OS X versions
- Mac OS X & macOS names. As you can see from the list above, with the exception of the first OS X beta, all versions of the Mac operating system from 2001 to 2012 were all named after big cats.
- OS X Mountain Lion; Mac OS X v10.7 Lion; Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard; Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard; Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger; Mac OS X v10.3 and earlier; Mac OS X Technologies; Classic Mac OS (OS9, OS8 & System 7) Photos for Mac; QuickTime; Safari; Front Row.
Officially, the operating system that was available on that Mac at the time that you bought it is the oldest version of macOS that can run on that Mac. It's likely that an older OS won't include. The 'classic' Mac OS is the original Macintosh operating system that was introduced in 1984 alongside the first Macintosh and remained in primary use on Macs until the introduction of Mac OS X in 2001. Apple released the original Macintosh on January 24, 1984; its early system software was partially based on the Lisa OS and the Xerox PARC Alto computer, which former Apple CEO Steve Jobs.
https://truezup721.weebly.com/terminal-town-mac-os.html. We’ll be repeatedly referring to these Apple OS versions below, so it’s good to know the basic macOS timeline.
| Cheetah 10.0 | Puma 10.1 | Jaguar 10.2 |
| Panther 10.3 | Tiger 10.4 | Leopard 10.5 |
| Snow Leopard 10.6 | Lion 10.7 | Mountain Lion 10.8 |
| Mavericks 10.9 | Yosemite 10.10 | El Capitan 10.11 |
| Sierra 10.12 | High Sierra 10.13 | Mojave 10.14 |
| Catalina 10.15 |
STEP 1. Prepare your Mac for installation
Given your Mac isn’t new and is filled with data, you will probably need enough free space on your Mac. This includes not just space for the OS itself but also space for other applications and your user data. One more argument is that the free space on your disk translates into virtual memory so your apps have “fuel” to operate on. The chart below tells you how much free space is needed.
Note, that it is recommended that you install OS on a clean drive. Next, you will need enough disk space available, for example, to create Recovery Partition. Here are some ideas to free up space on your drive:
- Uninstall large unused apps
- Empty Trash Bin and Downloads
- Locate the biggest files on your computer:
Go to Finder > All My Files > Arrange by size
Then you can move your space hoggers onto an external drive or a cloud storage.
If you aren’t comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some nice automatic “room cleaners”. Our favorite is CleanMyMac as it’s most simple to use of all. It deletes system junk, old broken apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.4 - 10.8 (free version)
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.9 (free version)
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.10 - 10.14 (free version)
STEP 2. Get a copy of Mac OS X download
Normally, it is assumed that updating OS is a one-way road. That’s why going back to a past Apple OS version is problematic. The main challenge is to download the OS installation file itself, because your Mac may already be running a newer version. If you succeed in downloading the OS installation, your next step is to create a bootable USB or DVD and then reinstall the OS on your computer.
How to download older Mac OS X versions via the App Store
If you once had purchased an old version of Mac OS X from the App Store, open it and go to the Purchased tab. There you’ll find all the installers you can download. However, it doesn’t always work that way. The purchased section lists only those operating systems that you had downloaded in the past. But here is the path to check it:
- Click the App Store icon.
- Click Purchases in the top menu.
- Scroll down to find the preferred OS X version.
- Click Download.
This method allows you to download Mavericks and Yosemite by logging with your Apple ID — only if you previously downloaded them from the Mac App Store.
Without App Store: Download Mac OS version as Apple Developer
If you are signed with an Apple Developer account, you can get access to products that are no longer listed on the App Store. If you desperately need a lower OS X version build, consider creating a new Developer account among other options. The membership cost is $99/year and provides a bunch of perks unavailable to ordinary users.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that if you visit developer.apple.com/downloads, you can only find 10.3-10.6 OS X operating systems there. Newer versions are not available because starting Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.7, the App Store has become the only source of updating Apple OS versions.
Purchase an older version of Mac operating system
You can purchase a boxed or email version of past Mac OS X directly from Apple. Both will cost you around $20. For the reason of being rather antiquated, Snow Leopard and earlier Apple versions can only be installed from DVD.
Buy a boxed edition of Snow Leopard 10.6
Get an email copy of Lion 10.7
Get an email copy of Mountain Lion 10.8
The email edition comes with a special download code you can use for the Mac App Store. Note, that to install the Lion or Mountain Lion, your Mac needs to be running Snow Leopard so you can install the newer OS on top of it.
How to get macOS El Capitan download
If you are wondering if you can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice as it’s possible too. But before your Mac can run El Capitan it has to be updated to OS X 10.6.8. December 20xx mac os. So, here are main steps you should take:
1. Install Snow Leopard from install DVD.
2. Update to 10.6.8 using Software Update.
3. Download El Capitan here.
“I can’t download an old version of Mac OS X”
If you have a newer Mac, there is no physical option to install Mac OS versions older than your current Mac model. For instance, if your MacBook was released in 2014, don’t expect it to run any OS released prior of that time, because older Apple OS versions simply do not include hardware drivers for your Mac.
But as it often happens, workarounds are possible. There is still a chance to download the installation file if you have an access to a Mac (or virtual machine) running that operating system. For example, to get an installer for Lion, you may ask a friend who has Lion-operated Mac or, once again, set up a virtual machine running Lion. Then you will need to prepare an external drive to download the installation file using OS X Utilities.
After you’ve completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, but you can click Cancel and copy the file you need. Below is the detailed instruction how to do it.
STEP 3. Install older OS X onto an external drive
The following method allows you to download Mac OS X Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks.
- Start your Mac holding down Command + R.
- Prepare a clean external drive (at least 10 GB of storage).
- Within OS X Utilities, choose Reinstall OS X.
- Select external drive as a source.
- Enter your Apple ID.
Now the OS should start downloading automatically onto the external drive. After the download is complete, your Mac will prompt you to do a restart, but at this point, you should completely shut it down. Now that the installation file is “captured” onto your external drive, you can reinstall the OS, this time running the file on your Mac.
- Boot your Mac from your standard drive.
- Connect the external drive.
- Go to external drive > OS X Install Data.
Locate InstallESD.dmg disk image file — this is the file you need to reinstall Lion OS X. The same steps are valid for Mountain Lion and Mavericks.
How to downgrade a Mac running later macOS versions
If your Mac runs macOS Sierra 10.12 or macOS High Sierra 10.13, it is possible to revert it to the previous system if you are not satisfied with the experience. You can do it either with Time Machine or by creating a bootable USB or external drive.
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Sierra Punzzles mac os.
Instruction to downgrade from macOS High Sierra
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Mojave
Otherness (yhliu) Mac Os X
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Catalina
Before you do it, the best advice is to back your Mac up so your most important files stay intact. In addition to that, it makes sense to clean up your Mac from old system junk files and application leftovers. The easiest way to do it is to run CleanMyMac X on your machine (download it for free here).
Visit your local Apple Store to download older OS X version
If none of the options to get older OS X worked, pay a visit to nearest local Apple Store. They should have image installations going back to OS Leopard and earlier. You can also ask their assistance to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. So here you are. We hope this article has helped you to download an old version of Mac OS X. Below are a few more links you may find interesting.
What Are the Differences Between macOS and Linux?
To start with, Linux is just an operating system kernel, while macOS is a complete operating system that comes bundled with a large number of applications. The kernel at the heart of macOS is called XNU, an acronym for X is Not Unix.
The Linux kernel was developed by Linus Torvalds, and it’s distributed under GPLv2. XNU was originally developed by the American computer and software company NeXT, which was purchased by Apple in 1997. XNU is developed under the Apple Public Source License 2.0, which allows only limited modification of the code by a licensee.
To create complete operating systems (Linux distributions), developers bundle the Linux kernel with third-party open-source applications. This open and flexible approach is one of the biggest strengths of Linux, and it’s also the reason why it can meet the needs of everyone from data centers to home users.
The Linux community has been working tirelessly to support all kinds of hardware, including devices that have been labeled as obsolete by their manufacturers. On the other hand, Apple is actively preventing users from installing macOS on non-Apple hardware, forcing them to purchase expensive Macs.
Apple wants macOS users to install applications only from the App Store, which is inaccessible without a user account. Most Linux distributions that look like macOS come with their own “app stores” packed with free, open-source applications that can be installed with a simple click and without registration.
Top 5 Best macOS Alternatives
Our selection of Linux distributions that look like macOS includes only active projects with a decent number of users. We ranked the distributions according to their similarity with macOS, general usability, and popularity.
1. Elementary OS
Elementary OS presents itself as a privacy-respecting replacement for macOS. It takes just a few minutes to realize that its developers understand what macOS users like about Apple’s operating system. All parts of the Elementary OS—from the familiar bottom dock to individual applications—are designed with ease of use in mind. As a user, you never feel overwhelmed with options because everything just works.
The Pantheon desktop environment, which the developers created from scratch, is arguably the main reason why Elementary OS is so cohesive. In addition to Pantheon, Elementary OS comes with its own heavily curated app store for free and paid applications, called AppCenter. At the moment, there are only 170 applications in the AppCenter, all of which have been reviewed to ensure a native, privacy-respecting, and secure experience.
Otherness (yhliu) Mac Os Catalina
You can download, install, and use Elementary OS without paying a single dollar, but users are encouraged to make a small donation to support the development of this beautiful and powerful operating system.
2. Deepin Linux
Deepin Linux is based on Debian, and it features its own desktop environment, called the Deepin Desktop Environment (DDE). This desktop environment is written in Qt and is clearly inspired by Apple’s operating system.
The China-based developers of Deepin Linux, Wuhan Deepin Technology Co., Ltd., don’t limit themselves to open-source software. WPS Office, Skype, Google Chrome, and Steam are just a few examples of proprietary applications included in the distribution.
Most basic applications that you would expect to find in any Linux distribution were created by the Deepin development team, and they include Deepin Installer, Deepin File Manager, Deeping System Monitor, and others.
3. Xubuntu
Xubuntu is a derivative of the Ubuntu operating system, one of the most popular Linux distributions in the world. Instead of Ubuntu’s GNOME desktop, it users the Xfce desktop environment, which shares the same basic layout with macOS.
One of the main goals of Xubuntu is to run well on low-end hardware and older computers. If you have, for example, an aging MacBook with a limited amount of RAM, replacing macOS with Xubuntu will allow you to extend its lifespan by a couple of years.
To work well on older hardware, Xubuntu had to sacrifice some features, and the same can be said about Xfce. Even the included applications can, at times, look a little basic and dated, but they get the job done and don’t consume too much resources.
4. Zorin OS
Designed to be easy to use and feature-complete, Zorin OS is an increasingly popular Linux distribution that directly targets users of macOS who would like to break the chain that binds them to Apple’s expensive hardware.
The distribution is available in over 50 languages and comes with many open-source and proprietary applications. Additional applications can be installed from the built-in app store, and Zorin OS even allows its users to install many Windows apps using the Wine compatibility layer.
Only the most basic version of Zorin OS is free. To unlock a macOS desktop layout, you need to pay €39 for the Ultimate version, which also comes with professional installation support and additional apps and games.
5. Voyager Live
Voyager Live is a French Linux distribution that ships with Voyager-branded computers and tablets. It’s based on Ubuntu and includes excellent support for 2-in-1 convertibles (namely the Voyager PC Tablet).
macOS users will appreciate the familiar layout, with a dock at the bottom and a menu bar at the top. Voyager Live makes heavy use of Conky, a popular desktop system monitor capable of displaying all kinds of information directly on the desktop, including network speed, CPU utilization, tasks, and application shortcuts.
If you’re not afraid to try a less popular Linux distribution (whose website hasn’t even been translated into English), then you might be pleasantly surprised by Voyager Live and its polished version of the Xfce desktop environment.