![]() ![]() The concept of a universal binary originated with " Multi-Architecture Binaries" in NeXTSTEP, the main architectural foundation of Mac OS X. They also do not require extra RAM because only one of those two copies is loaded for execution. However, because some non-executable resources are shared by the two architectures, the size of the resulting universal binary can be, and usually is, smaller than the combined sizes of two individual binaries. Universal binaries are larger than single-platform binaries, because multiple copies of the compiled code must be stored. This approach results in lower performance, and is generally regarded an interim solution to be used only until universal binaries or specifically compiled binaries are available as with Rosetta. The other alternative is to rely on emulation of one architecture by a system running the other architecture. However, this can be confusing to software users unfamiliar with the difference between the two, although the confusion can be remedied through improved documentation, or the use of hybrid CDs. The first is to simply provide two separate binaries, one compiled for the x86 architecture and one for the PowerPC architecture. ![]() There are two general alternative solutions. Universal 2 allows applications to run on both Intel x86-64-based and ARM64-based Macintosh computers, to enable the transition to Apple silicon. ![]() The new Universal 2 binary format was introduced at the 2020 Worldwide Developers Conference. Fat binaries would only be necessary for software that is designed to have backward compatibility with older versions of Mac OS X running on older hardware. Additionally, starting with OS X Lion, only 64-bit Intel Macs are supported, so software that specifically depends on new features in OS X 10.7 or newer will only run on 64-bit processors and therefore does not require 32-bit/64-bit fat binaries. Starting with Mac OS X Snow Leopard, only Intel-based Macs are supported, so software that specifically depends upon capabilities present only in Mac OS X 10.6 or newer will only run on Intel-based Macs and therefore does not require Intel/PPC fat binaries. This allows the application to run natively on any supported architecture, with no negative performance impact beyond an increase in the storage space taken up by the larger binary. The operating system detects a universal binary by its header, and executes the appropriate section for the architecture in use. Universal binaries typically include both PowerPC and x86 versions of a compiled application. Universal binaries were introduced into Mac OS at the 2005 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference as a means to ease the transition from the existing PowerPC architecture to systems based on Intel processors, which began shipping in 2006. Apple does not specify whether or not such third-party software publishers must (or should) bundle separate builds for all architectures. The same mechanism that is used to select between the PowerPC or Intel builds of an application is also used to select between the 32-bit or 64-bit builds of either PowerPC or Intel architectures.Īpple, however, continued to require native compatibility with both PowerPC and Intel in order to grant third-party software publishers permission to use Apple's trademarks related to universal binaries. With the release of Mac OS X Snow Leopard, and before that, since the move to 64-bit architectures in general, some software publishers such as Mozilla have used the term "universal" to refer to a fat binary that includes builds for both i386 (32-bit Intel) and x86_64 systems. The format originated on NeXTStep as " Multi-Architecture Binaries", and the concept is more generally known as a fat binary, as seen on Power Macintosh. ![]() The universal binary format is a format for executable files that run natively on either PowerPC or Intel-manufactured IA-32 or Intel 64 or ARM64-based Macintosh computers. ![]()
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