macOS Sierra for Java 6 and Variax Workbench

[blekenbleu]

Apple has dropped Java 6 support, and

I suppose that Line 6 has no plan to update legacy Variax support beyond Java 6.

 

For a Mac with available drive space, create a bootable Sierra partition for Variax Workbench.

Apple support: use Disk Utility to create a partition

Download Sierra installation app using Safari

 

That Sierra installation app will not run directly in newer macOS versions..

 

Create a bootable USB thumb drive for Sierra installation

 

FWIW, 3 of 3 Silicon Power USB flash drives failed for me;  a LEXAR worked fine..

 

I renamed the Sierra Installation app, removing blanks to ease Terminal work, then

1)  in Terminal:

$ cd /Applications/Sierra10126.app/Contents/Resources/

$ sudo ./createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/VariaxSierra --applicationpath /Applications/Sierra10126.app/

 

Enter password when prompted.

 

IMO, updating an old laptop to use SSD is most reasonable,

with at least enough capacity wanted to keep usage below 50%,

reducing SSD wear.  Keep in mind that,

even if you are not directly creating or changing many files,

macOS and browsers are logging and caching.

Since Sierra consumes over 15GB, its partition should be over 30GB.

 

2) Use Disk Utility to create a second partition on the internal drive.

To avoid confusion during subsequent installation,

be sure to give that second partition an unambiguous name (I chose Variax)

with significantly different (smaller) size than the current macOS volume.

 

FWIW, macOS Disk Utility `Erase` is what other operating systems call `format`..

 

While in Disk Utility, be sure to click the sidebar icon (upper left), and

 Show All Devices (instead of Only Volumes)

to verify that the new volume is  NOT in an APFS Container.

MacOS 10.12 Sierra CANNOT be installed on APFS,

but its installer will NOT report failure (unknown internal error)

until AFTER wasting a half hour or more installing over 90%.

 

Click on the container for the new volume,

select Erase and confirm that some "Mac OS Extended" option is checked.

If not, then check an option that is and Erase again.

 

3) Verify the "Install macOS Sierra" USB flash drive;

It should mount with contents visible in Finder when plugged in.

 

4) Reboot and press [Option] key for boot menu;
  select the "Install Sierra" USB drive.

 

5) To avoid wasting time on a doomed installation,
select the Disk Utility option and erase again.
If erase fails, then installation was doomed;
- reboot to the current OS and go back to step 1)
else quit Disk Utility and select install.

 

6) Sierra installation takes absurdly longer than advertised

and has failed twice for me when a Mac slept before completion;

wiggle the mouse every few minutes to keep the Mac awake.

 

7) I intend to boot Sierra ONLY for Line 6; disabling Network to avoid malware.

Keep in mind that the newer macOS volume is accessible from Sierra,

and apps in Applications on that volume will generally run on Sierra. 

Of course, Sierra requires its own Java 6 and Line 6 driver..

[soundog]

@blekenbleu --- thanks for researching and documenting this info, I'm sure it will come in handy when I hit the wall for Workbench support!

 

Line 6 customers shouldn't have to resort to keeping an old computer or performing Java workarounds just to use their trusty old Variax guitars with Workbench.

 

There are a few things we can do to pressure Line 6 to update Workbench so it works with recent computers and operating systems:

 

1) open a support ticket here https://line6.com/support/tickets/add.html and the more the merrier. Squeaky wheel gets the grease.

2) be vocal on these and other forums

3) vote for support in Line 6 Ideascale right here. You'll need to register for Ideascale if you haven't already. (In my opinion, the lack of legacy Variax support shouldn't require an "idea" for submission. But sometimes you gotta approach a problem from all angles.)