A77 Firmware upgrade problem on Mac OS X 64 bit

[Paul Richman]

I just downloaded the firmware from the Sony Support website and am following the instructions there. When I get to the step to run the installer, it gives me a message saying that it will not run on the 64-bit kernel, and to run it on the 32-bit kernel. But, unlike Photoshop, its info panel does not provide a checkbox for running it in 32-bit mode.

THIS IS PATHETIC!

So, now I'll go over to my wife's Window machine, and try it there. Ugh!
--
Paul Richman
Pixels By Paul

 

[lucas vda]

Hi Paul,

No need to use your wife's computer if you are running Lion. Just shut down and start again while keeping the 3 and 2 buttons pressed down. You will then run in 32 bit mode. Next time you boot gain it will automatically default back to 64 bit mode.

Lucas

I just downloaded the firmware from the Sony Support website and am following the instructions there. When I get to the step to run the installer, it gives me a message saying that it will not run on the 64-bit kernel, and to run it on the 32-bit kernel. But, unlike Photoshop, its info panel does not provide a checkbox for running it in 32-bit mode.

THIS IS PATHETIC!

So, now I'll go over to my wife's Window machine, and try it there. Ugh!
--
Paul Richman
Pixels By Paul

 

[BMWX5]

Boot your Mac as 32 bit

I just downloaded the firmware from the Sony Support website and am following the instructions there. When I get to the step to run the installer, it gives me a message saying that it will not run on the 64-bit kernel, and to run it on the 32-bit kernel. But, unlike Photoshop, its info panel does not provide a checkbox for running it in 32-bit mode.

THIS IS PATHETIC!

So, now I'll go over to my wife's Window machine, and try it there. Ugh!
--
Paul Richman
Pixels By Paul

 

[Paul Richman]

Right. That's what I found out, calling Sony tech support. They pointed me to an Apple article, that tells how to do this.

Do you think this is satisfactory support from Sony? I sure don't!

No need to use your wife's computer if you are running Lion. Just shut down and start again while keeping the 3 and 2 buttons pressed down. You will then run in 32 bit mode. Next time you boot gain it will automatically default back to 64 bit mode.

Lucas

I just downloaded the firmware from the Sony Support website and am following the instructions there. When I get to the step to run the installer, it gives me a message saying that it will not run on the 64-bit kernel, and to run it on the 32-bit kernel. But, unlike Photoshop, its info panel does not provide a checkbox for running it in 32-bit mode.

THIS IS PATHETIC!

So, now I'll go over to my wife's Window machine, and try it there. Ugh!
--
Paul Richman
Pixels By Paul

--
Paul Richman
Pixels By Paul

 

[Err0xx]

Right. That's what I found out, calling Sony tech support. They pointed me to an Apple article, that tells how to do this.

Do you think this is satisfactory support from Sony? I sure don't!

No need to use your wife's computer if you are running Lion. Just shut down and start again while keeping the 3 and 2 buttons pressed down. You will then run in 32 bit mode. Next time you boot gain it will automatically default back to 64 bit mode.

Lucas

I just downloaded the firmware from the Sony Support website and am following the instructions there. When I get to the step to run the installer, it gives me a message saying that it will not run on the 64-bit kernel, and to run it on the 32-bit kernel. But, unlike Photoshop, its info panel does not provide a checkbox for running it in 32-bit mode.

THIS IS PATHETIC!

So, now I'll go over to my wife's Window machine, and try it there. Ugh!
--
Paul Richman
Pixels By Paul

--
Paul Richman
Pixels By Paul

It's Sony's problem that you don't know how to operate your own OS? Lawl. Call Apple and complain that Sony cam software aren't fully compatible with 64 bit OSX. Bet they don't care. At least they referred you to an article that solved your problem. Perfectly acceptable to me - Amazing how some people expect Sony to send out an engineer and do everything for them. Get real.

 

[osu9400]

Shouldn't the OS kick into 32-bit "compat mode" automatically without having to jump through hoops?

 

[Paul Richman]

CS5 has a checkbox in its Info Panel for this, but the sony installer does not.

Shouldn't the OS kick into 32-bit "compat mode" automatically without having to jump through hoops?

--
Paul Richman
Pixels By Paul

 

[Paul Richman]

Interesting reply. I switched to the Mac 8 years ago from Windows, and have never had a piece of software ask me to do this. Of course, 64 bit OS is pretty new, but still, I've never had this problem with any other software.

Normally, software is written for ease of use by the user. Here, this is clearly not the case.

It's Sony's problem that you don't know how to operate your own OS? Lawl. Call Apple and complain that Sony cam software aren't fully compatible with 64 bit OSX. Bet they don't care. At least they referred you to an article that solved your problem. Perfectly acceptable to me - Amazing how some people expect Sony to send out an engineer and do everything for them. Get real.

--
Paul Richman
Pixels By Paul

 

[Hughesnet]

64-bit OS is not new at all. If you have had a Mac for 8 years you should know this. Mac OS has been 64-bit for many years. Should Sony have put out a 64bit installer? Yes they should have. However is it really much of a problem that they did not? Hardly.

 

[Kilrah]

Interesting reply. I switched to the Mac 8 years ago from Windows, and have never had a piece of software ask me to do this. Of course, 64 bit OS is pretty new, but still, I've never had this problem with any other software.

Say thank you to Apple for that. They're good at taking unilateral decisions whatever that implies for software developers, they just have to do with it.
And Apple dropping 32bit support in Lion was pretty much a last minute decision.

There was a video with interviews from the Photoshop team at Adobe, who are usually collaborating quite closely with Apple, had nearly finished CS5.5 when Apple came "Oh, just so you know, we drop the Carbon framework in Lion"... and the whole team at Adobe had to spend one full year basically rewriting Photoshop from scratch.

Adobe has the resources to do that (and have to, as selling software is kind of important for them), but it's not surprising that some don't play that game so happily, especially when there are workarounds.

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kilrah/
http://www.youtube.com/user/kilrahvp

 

[Paul Richman]

Very interesting reply, Andre. I didn't realize Apple did that. As good as they are, they can be very bad....

Say thank you to Apple for that. They're good at taking unilateral decisions whatever that implies for software developers, they just have to do with it.
And Apple dropping 32bit support in Lion was pretty much a last minute decision.

There was a video with interviews from the Photoshop team at Adobe, who are usually collaborating quite closely with Apple, had nearly finished CS5.5 when Apple came "Oh, just so you know, we drop the Carbon framework in Lion"... and the whole team at Adobe had to spend one full year basically rewriting Photoshop from scratch.

Adobe has the resources to do that (and have to, as selling software is kind of important for them), but it's not surprising that some don't play that game so happily, especially when there are workarounds.

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kilrah/
http://www.youtube.com/user/kilrahvp

--
Paul Richman
Pixels By Paul

 

[Paul Richman]

I have always been challenged at keeping such past dates and timings in my head. For me, the past fades quickly into a mishmash, while understandings stick.

Rebooting my MacBookPro takes many minutes and is thus a pain, especially if I have to do it twice, and even more so if I'm in the middle of other things, as I usually am. And finding out which keys to hold down to reboot into 32 bit mode is also a big pain, since I've never had to do it before.

So for me (but obviously not for you), it is indeed a problem that I resent Sony for. Nevertheless, I love my A77 and all the Sony and other lenses I've gotten for it. Just hated this upgrade experience.... But that's just me (I guess).

64-bit OS is not new at all. If you have had a Mac for 8 years you should know this. Mac OS has been 64-bit for many years. Should Sony have put out a 64bit installer? Yes they should have. However is it really much of a problem that they did not? Hardly.

--
Paul Richman
Pixels By Paul

 

[Tom Zimmer]

When I upgraded my A77, and then rebooted back to 64-bit, lots of stuff seemed to be slower than before I had manually switched into 32-bits for the upgrade.

I did some web research and found that the computer doesn't always switch back to 64-bits automatically. I also located a utility with the wonderful name "32- or 64-bit Kernel Startup Mode Selector". The utility tells you what mode you are in, and allows you to select which mode to startup in the next time you reboot. I selected 64-bit and rebooted, and everything was back to normal performance wise.

Just a word to the wise.

I just downloaded the firmware from the Sony Support website and am following the instructions there. When I get to the step to run the installer, it gives me a message saying that it will not run on the 64-bit kernel, and to run it on the 32-bit kernel. But, unlike Photoshop, its info panel does not provide a checkbox for running it in 32-bit mode.

THIS IS PATHETIC!

So, now I'll go over to my wife's Window machine, and try it there. Ugh!
--
Paul Richman
Pixels By Paul

--
Tom Zimmer

Sigma DP2, SD10, SD14 and now that the SD1 is $6700, a Sony A55 with the ZEISS Vario-Sonnar 16-80mm.

 

[Paul Richman]

Thanks! I downloaded the little app and then read his web site. This is a very complicated and confusing issue. 64/32 bit hardware. 64/32 bit EFI. 64/32 bit kernel. 64/32 bit apps. Yikes!

I wouldn't have had to know any of this if Sony had just done their job here.

When I upgraded my A77, and then rebooted back to 64-bit, lots of stuff seemed to be slower than before I had manually switched into 32-bits for the upgrade.

I did some web research and found that the computer doesn't always switch back to 64-bits automatically. I also located a utility with the wonderful name "32- or 64-bit Kernel Startup Mode Selector". The utility tells you what mode you are in, and allows you to select which mode to startup in the next time you reboot. I selected 64-bit and rebooted, and everything was back to normal performance wise.

Just a word to the wise.

--
Paul Richman
Pixels By Paul

 

[Wally626]

Interesting reply. I switched to the Mac 8 years ago from Windows, and have never had a piece of software ask me to do this. Of course, 64 bit OS is pretty new, but still, I've never had this problem with any other software.

Normally, software is written for ease of use by the user. Here, this is clearly not the case.

It's Sony's problem that you don't know how to operate your own OS? Lawl. Call Apple and complain that Sony cam software aren't fully compatible with 64 bit OSX. Bet they don't care. At least they referred you to an article that solved your problem. Perfectly acceptable to me - Amazing how some people expect Sony to send out an engineer and do everything for them. Get real.

--

The 64-bitness of Mac OS is not real new but the decision that with Lion all the 64-bit computers would boot in 64-bit kernel is new. Only a few Power Macs booted in 64-bit automatically prior to that. The Sony installer is the second piece of software I have run into that requires 32-bit mode. It would have been very nice for Sony to have a either a short instruction on how to boot in 32-bit mode or a link to an Apple page that explains it.

Paul Richman
Pixels By Paul

 

[Paul Richman]

It would have been very nice for Sony to have a either a short instruction on how to boot in 32-bit mode or a link to an Apple page that explains it.

--
Paul Richman
Pixels By Paul

 

[lucas vda]

Interesting reply. I switched to the Mac 8 years ago from Windows, and have never had a piece of software ask me to do this. Of course, 64 bit OS is pretty new, but still, I've never had this problem with any other software.

Say thank you to Apple for that. They're good at taking unilateral decisions whatever that implies for software developers, they just have to do with it.
And Apple dropping 32bit support in Lion was pretty much a last minute decision.

There was a video with interviews from the Photoshop team at Adobe, who are usually collaborating quite closely with Apple, had nearly finished CS5.5 when Apple came "Oh, just so you know, we drop the Carbon framework in Lion"... and the whole team at Adobe had to spend one full year basically rewriting Photoshop from scratch.

Adobe has the resources to do that (and have to, as selling software is kind of important for them), but it's not surprising that some don't play that game so happily, especially when there are workarounds.

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kilrah/
http://www.youtube.com/user/kilrahvp

Hi Kilrah,

I don't doubt that Adobe has said that, but at the least it is a bit disingenuous. Apple has been openly communicating for many years (10?) that they are moving to 64 bit. Yes, they have taken their time as it takes a lot of work, both from their side as from the developers side. However, especially a company as Adobe should have moved already to 64 bit because of the performance advantages for their customers. Furthermore, they might officially say that they work closely with Apple, but their relationship has been one with a lot of friction. Anyway, I hope that this does not create a flaming session between Apple and Adobe fans.

Lucas

 

[janvanbogaert]

It's Sony's problem that you don't know how to operate your own OS? Amazing how some people expect Sony to send out an engineer and do everything for them. Get real.

Amazing how some people expect everybody to know everything, and then get rude if they don't. Sony could have given this information in the upgrade instructions.
--
jvb

 

[Tom Zimmer]

So true!
--
Tom Zimmer

Sigma DP2, SD10, SD14 and now that the SD1 is $6700, a Sony A55 with the ZEISS Vario-Sonnar 16-80mm.

 

[osu9400]

I asked this earlier but I guess it wasn't clear since the response was invalid.

When in 64-bit mode, and a 32-bit app is encountered, why doesn't the OS employ a 32-bit comptaibility mode? It's transparent to the user. This is a common technique in other operating systems.