64-bit version for Mac?

[intersol]

Sadly BeyondCompare is not opensource so we cannot really see how many commit were made towards having a 65-bit build, so we have to get used to motivational ambiguos answers like "soon" or "working hard" (hoply not hardly working).

As of today BC is no longer usable on MacOS because now the git tool (SourceTree) fails to start it, meaning that i am no longer able to use to resolve conflicts....

[Aaron]

Testing with the latest version of SourceTree (interacting with Git) and BC4.2.6 running on MacOS 10.14, everything seems to be working fine. Please verify that BC4 starts up normally after answering the initial warning dialog, and use the Beyond Compare menu -> Install Command Line Tools. Then close BC4 and verify that in SourceTree, under Preferences, you've gone to the Diff tab and set the External Diff/Merge section Visual Diff Tool to "Beyond Compare" from the dropdown (nothing else is needed).

[tuckdesign]

Mojave is out today and all of us using Beyond Compare can not upgrade or we won't be able to use it without 64bit version. Any news on this?

[Zoë]

Beyond Compare works just fine under Mojave. It will display a warning that it needs to be updated, but you can dismiss that and it won't come back. 64-bit support isn't required until next year's release and we're working on getting BC updated for it as quickly as possible.

[dempson]

The warning alert about the application being "not optimized" will come back: in Mojave it repeats about every 30 days. This alert being displayed blocks Beyond Compare from launching until it is dismissed by the user, which could interfere with various automated uses of BC.

I found an undocumented workaround to prevent the alert appearing again for a specific application until a later date. Obviously this should only be used for applications which are expected to be getting a 64-bit update before Mojave's successor is released. I don't recommend using this with applications that won't be getting updated because you are likely to forget to deal with it.

In Mojave, the following command in Terminal (all one one line) will defer 32-bit application warnings for Beyond Compare until early June 2019, which is roughly when Apple is expected to have their next developer conference and release the first developer preview of macOS 10.15. (Assuming Apple doesn't change the mechanism by then, since this is an undocumented feature.) If you have multiple user accounts, this only affects the current user.

defaults write com.apple.coreservices.uiagent "CSUILast32BitPromptDate_v2 for com.ScooterSoftware.BeyondCompare" -date 2019-05-04

[foxnetradio]

This is one of those times when I really wish that BC enthusiasts with programming skills could join in. And, just FYI, that's a rare comment, from me; my plate is much too full as it is. But, just this once, I have to say it.

Not only do I love BC, but it is a staple and a tentpole for so many of my tasks. It's basically an essential part of my workflow. It has also saved my backside on so many occasions.

When a bunch of my clients went to Mac for their development team efforts (forcing me to, as well), I was concerned (for lots of reasons). For the short time I had to run BC in a VM, I was a less-than-happy camper, so to speak. But, BC for Mac came along soon after, and I've long since made my peace with Mac. (Safely returned to the ever-comfortable "best tool for the job" zone afterward, picking up a new platform along the way, too.)

Anyway, I guess I'm trying to find a good way to say... if the option existed, I'd love to help (and, I bet there are others who feel similarly). This is one of those situations where, if I was the same age as BC (20, right?), I'd probably have made a witty comment like, "Need any remote development support, Team Scooter?" And, surprisingly, after being in a long-term, committed relationship with BC for as long as I have, that didn't feel as unprofessional as I thought it would, typing it. But, in all seriousness, you guys might benefit from a partner program, of some sort. Or, at the very least, some deeper API hook capabilities. (Yes, of course I would love to just "git clone, and contribute", but that'd be the end of the licensing model.)

P.S. I know I'm slightly adding to a thread anecdotally (and, I know my "netiquette"; so, all apologies!), but I couldn't help myself. And, with that last paragraph, probably best to have softly mentioned it here.

--Ed

[Chris]

foxnetradio,

Thanks for the compliments. We keep all Beyond Compare development in-house, but we appreciate the interest.

[foxnetradio]

They're well deserved, Chris (and Team). I had a feeling you'd say all implementation is done in-house, and that's great. Keep up the good work!

(I had originally just typed "on-site", thought about it, and changed it back to "in-house". Might be one thing, might not; and, not the point!)

--Ed

[tonyfwhite]

Any eta on when we might see a 64bit version available? Not sure if it is due to the 32bit or what but finding beyond compare is sluggish.

[Aaron]

No updates at this time. It's possible to troubleshoot general sluggish behavior in another thread or an email ([email protected]) but you are correct in that it will be greatly effected and different behavior once a new build is available.

[Greg Macdonald]

As others, I have been using BC for many years and am very, very grateful for an excellent app. I can't remember the last time I gave you money. You should charge me for a 64-bit version. Well, actually, we should all be happy to show our gratitude.

[BasilFawlty]

We're aware that macOS 10.15 (September or October 2019) will remove 32-bit app support and are working hard on a 64-bit version to meet that deadline.

32-bit apps including Beyond Compare 4 will be supported in macOS 10.14 (September or October 2018).

I haven't upgraded to Mojave yet (I'm on High Sierra). But, I was wondering - if I purchase the pro version now, then will the 64 bit version be a free upgrade or will I have to pay again? I'm not needing BC right away, but eventually would like to purchase it - the question is whether I could get it now, or should I wait for the 64-bit version?

[Aaron]

We plan on providing a free update for MacOS 64bit support for BC4 users.
If we have not launched ahead of time when macOS 10.15 is released, we'll will release a 64-bit alpha/beta version of BC.

If you are not in a rush, you can wait for and trial the release once it is available.

[ings]

You "plan on providing a free update"? I suppose I shouldn't complain, but I'd echo a previous poster who said you should charge us for the upgrade! I've used BC for many years, and I am happy to contribute to its development and maintenance.

[Zoë]

v5 will be a paid upgrade, so you'll still have your chance We were originally planning on releasing the 64bit update as part of v5, but Apple's timetable was sooner than we expected, so we had to rearrange the schedule to make sure we have it out in time for macOS 10.15. We've been able to continue for as long as we have on the strength of happy customers, and twisting their arms with a forced upgrade definitely wouldn't give us that. We're also still getting a feel for what it takes to support faster moving, less stable platforms. It's been something of a shock to continuously scramble to fix things for every new macOS release; Beyond Compare 1.8 still works on Windows 10 64-bit, and that came out in 1999.