Swarm: MacOS X binaries

All software discussed on this page is available at: ftp.swarm.org/pub/swarm/binaries/macosx. Locations are relative to that URL.

Further hints about MacOS installation including a recipe to run the current binaries on Intel Macs can be found at:

MacOS X Installation FAQ

These packages support the compilation of heatbugs, mousetrap, jheatbugs, jmousetrap and ASM. Please let us know what else they support and what breaks.

This package supports Java 1.4.2.

Operating System and Developer tools

You must have MacOS X 10.3.x (Panther) or MacOS X 10.4.x (Tiger). You need the Apple X11 from the MacOS X install disks. You will also need the Xcode 2.3 (1.5 for Panther), Apple Java 1.4.2 and the Apple Java 1.4.2 Development Kit. All the Developer tools are available as free downloads from:

Apple Developer Connection.

You will need to sign up on ADC (no charge).

Our advice is to use MacOS X Tiger if you possibly can. Tiger is the first version of MacOS X with a fully tested release compiler which will build Swarm properly. All previous versions required development compilers which had not been fully tested.

MacOS X 10.4 on Intel based Macs

The Tiger packages below will work to build and run Objective-C code on Intel Macs using Rosetta. Checkout the detailed instructions in the *FAQ. Java code using JNI will not run under Rosetta. So Java Swarm code will not run using these libraries.

We are working on a native Intel MacOS X port of Swarm, but unfortunately this is not trivial and may take some months to complete.

For MacOS X 10.4 Tiger

If you are new, download and install the following libraries and utilities:

The standard Apple gcc-4.0 compiler provided with Xcode 2.3 should work fine. Do not try to use the legacy gcc-3.3.

For those who like to be on the bleeding edge, there is a gcc-4.0 compiler with added features available at gcc-4-swarm.dmg

This compiler is based on Apple source code for gcc-5026 as shipped with Xcode 2.1. It includes the new gfortran compiler and runtime libraries for Fortran 77, 90 or 95 code. The Fortran code is updated with patches from the FSF gcc-4.0 compiler sources as at 4 July 2005. The build also includes libffi and libobjc-gnu. Check the ReadMe in the package.

For building C, C++, Objective-C or Objective-C++ this compiler should be identical to the gcc-4 included with Xcode 2.1. Unless you need the extra features, you do not need this compiler.

For MacOS X 10.3 Panther

You will need a modified or newer Apple compiler than those supplied with Xcode1.5.

Two Panther compilers are provided here:

1) gcc-4020.pkg.sit This compiler is built from Apple CVS sources for gcc-4.0 pre-release as at 22 November 2004. Unlike normal Apple compilers, this one includes Fortran 95, libffi and the GNU Objective-C runtime (libobjc-gnu). Other than these extras, the code is unmodified. This first compiler installs in addition to the Xcode compilers. It will probably be damaged by reinstalling Xcode. It cannot easily be made the system default for Panther. Invoke it as gcc-4.0.

2) gcc_os-1555_3.3.1.pkg.sit (Recommended for Panther)
This compiler has been compiled from Apple code as at March 2004. This code has not been modified by us, but will have had very little testing. It seems to be better than the normal compiler, but there are no guarantees.

The second compiler replaces the gcc-3.3 supplied with Xcode. It can be removed by reinstalling Xcode.

If you are new, download and install the following libraries and utilities (for Panther):

Notes on packages

The packages are in Apple package format and after unstuffing, they install by simply double clicking. An Administrator login is required. For those limited to command line access, please read man pax. The recent compiler packages are supplied as disk images which should automount. Once mounted the packages can be installed as above.

Please note the ReadMe files concerning necessary environment variables.

You should now be able to compile working Swarm code using the standard Swarm makefile.

Also Note:

These packages include only dynamic libraries. The use of static libraries on MacOS X is not encouraged.
These are packages for MacOS X not Fink. If you have Fink installed they may not work. If somebody wants to do a Fink port, I am happy to help, but I don't have Fink installed.

Comments please to support@swarm.org. Please check the archives before posting to avoid duplication.

Bill Northcott
29 August 2006