14 DAY TRIAL // Developer Markus Winter has updated his 32- or 64-bit Kernel Startup Mode Selector to version 1.2.1 with added support for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, Apple’s latest OS release. The Intel-only app not only shows whether you have a 32-bit or a 64-bit processor, but also allows you to select whether you want to start the Mac OS X Kernel in 32-bit or in 64-bit mode.
According to the app’s maker, the main features of the 32-64-bit Kernel Startup Mode Selector include:
- it shows whether you have a 32-bit or a 64-bit processor; - it shows whether you have a 32-bit or a 64-bit EFI; - it shows whether the MacOS X Kernel is set to boot in 32-bit or in 64-bit mode; - it shows whether the MacOS X Kernel is running in 32-bit or in 64-bit mode; - it shows whether Apple officially supports booting a 64-bit kernel on your Mac; - it allows you to select whether you want to start the MacOS X Kernel in 32-bit or in 64-bit mode (the setting might be ignored on MacBooks, depending on how Apple implements the restriction).
Upon launching the app, users are also given a link to a web page that explains “what the whole commotion about 32-bit and 64-bit in MacOS X Snow Leopard is about.”
“There is a lot of confusion about the fact that Snow Leopard starts by default with a 32-bit kernel even though nearly everything else is 64-bit (according to Apple all system applications except DVD Player, Front Row, Grapher, and iTunes have been rewritten in 64-bit),” developer Markus Winter writes on his website.
Therefore, you may want to document yourself a bit before using the piece of software. Don’t bother trying to switch between modes on Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard either – the feature is not supported. In this version (1.2.1), the developer has addressed an issue where some machines were shown as unsupported when they were in fact supported.
Requirements, in order to check your configuration, include an intel Mac and at least MacOS X 10.4 Tiger or higher. To set the kernel's startup mode, you also need an Intel Mac, Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard or higher and admin rights. The application is free to download and use, but donations are appreciated. According to Markus, 100% of all proceedings will support a home for street kids in India.