Options for running JW library on mac

[bigvince]

I own and use professionally apple mac computers. Has anyone found a decent way to use JW Library on a mac running Mac OS Catalina? I only occasionally need it to show things during meetings, not for regular use.

[ArcticShark]

U could use Parallels 16 but than u also need a windows license to run. Or dual boot your system with Bootcamp and if needed start the machine as a windows version.  On previous versions I had it running with Wine. But atm I’m now using a windows machine for Zoom or my iPad. 
 

I can ask my son if he wants to look at it. He’s studying IT. Maybe he can find a solution 

[bigvince]

@ArcticShark That would be great. I no longer have a parallels subscription and will not dual boot to windows. I need the mac for too many things to spend time in windows.

[jwhess]

2 hours ago, bigvince said:

@ArcticShark That would be great. I no longer have a parallels subscription and will not dual boot to windows. I need the mac for too many things to spend time in windows.

Wow, how many Windows, Android and IOS users have been waiting all day for a straight line like that to use.  Maybe they will show respect and restraint and just not comment....,

[bigvince]

@jwhess LOL. WHat I mean is that when I'm on my computer, I'm usually doing multiple things and wouldn't have the time to switch back and forth between mac and windows. I might look into parallels though. I have windows licenses.

[Sebastian]

@bigvince Lots of us are searching for a good solution to this problem. For me I have settled on WOL as it doesn't require any fiddling with VMs or dual-boots. We have hope for M1 Macs to be a more tenable solution! As a side point, maybe you have noticed the "Log In" link at the bottom of WOL to "Log in to Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY to access additional content."

[Myew]

You either run Windows or Android in a Virtual Machine on your Mac, or you stream stuff from wol.jw.org. There is no way around this on that hardware, currently. If a Mac is what you own, that's what you need to run it.

[ArcticShark]

A little update: my son spend several hours to find a solution and found some interesting possibilities. But most of them would involve a lot of programming in the console and maybe even breaking open some system possibilities that are closed by Apple. If that would be needed, than it’s not advisable if you are not a very experienced programmer because the system could become unstable (that’s why it’s closed by Apple 🙈). So now he needs to take some time to overthink the possibilities and see if there is a way to run wine again without hardcore programming. To be continued....

[Jmystro]

An option is to get the new Apple with the M1 chip.

 

Maybe someone that has that computer can chime in and let us know how it’s working.

[bigvince]

@ArcticShark That's what I'm trying to avoid.

@Jmystro I'm thinking about getting a macbook pro M1, just waiting for the 16".

[jwhess]

With a touchscreen???

[Jendo]

I found bluestack. Its android emulator. https://www.techjunkie.com/run-apk-files-mac/
I long ago had installed linux and fiddling with running jw library there

[bigvince]

@Janko forgot about bluestack, might check it out. 
@jwhess that would be great.

[ArcticShark]

Final update: unfortunately no possibilities without cracking the system. It fails on admin and system rights. Apple blocked the deeper system rights, and to work with that u need to crack the systems rights. And neither me nor my son wants to do that. So the adventure ends here. The available possibilities are: parallel, bootcamp and blue stack. Or switch to a windows machine🙈😳

[Brandon]

18 hours ago, bigvince said:

I'm thinking about getting a macbook pro M1

if you're specifically buying in order to run JW Library, you'll want to contact the IT dept at bethel first to be sure that they haven't "opted out" as other developers have done. Apple will only let you attempt to install iOS/iPadOS apps on your M1 mac if the developer expressly allows it.

For reference, here's apple's developer profile page for "Jehovah's Witnesses  ©Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania":  https://apps.apple.com/developer/id672417834

 

That lists all the official apps (ones from Bethel) that are available right now for all apple platforms.

 

According to this article, apple is supposed to be adding 'clarifiers' to listings on the app store, such as "Designed for iPad" or "Not checked for macOS."  One final note: according to MacRumors, via the Verge, it might be possible at the moment to use an app such as iMazing to copy an iOS app from your own phone or ipad to your mac, and then attempt to run it (even if the developer hasn't approved it, as I mentioned earlier)-- it notes that this process could be blocked by apple in the future, and requires that the mac and ipad/iphone are logged in using the same Apple ID; because apps distributed by apple are signed using the user's own credentials and won't run on a different device. So you can't 'share' the ipa file to someone else.

Edited November 22, 2020 by Brandon

[bigvince]

@Brandon I definitely wouldn’t buy it just for JW library. But it would be nice to run JW library when I need it other than on my phone or iPad.

[ronniejonesjr]

For those interested, I picked up a M1 MacBook Pro and the Watchtower Library App is not supported yet. Interestingly the the JW Language and JW Event App is! Naturally this leads me to be live that they are at least testing the functionality of the other apps as well. If it wasn't mentioned, I was not able to get Bluestacks to run on the M1 either. 

 

@bigvince

@Brandon 

@Jmystro

@ArcticShark

[Brandon]

@ronniejonesjr but not JW Library?

 

also, could you open the Mac App Store and send screenshot of what the page details for these apps looks like? Plz and thnx

[ronniejonesjr]

hope this helps

[ronniejonesjr]

sorry, forgot to tag you @Brandon

[bigvince]

@ronniejonesjr AWESOME! Thank you. Hopefully JW Library for mac is in the pipeline.

[Bek]

I wonder if it is possible to have the JW library app on Linux Mint directly without a virtual machine. It would be great to hear some suggestions. 

[Myew]

2 hours ago, Bek said:

I wonder if it is possible to have the JW library app on Linux Mint directly without a virtual machine. It would be great to hear some suggestions. 

I tried running it on Anbox not long back and couldn't get it to work. There are people who have gotten JW Library working on Linux by fussing with Chrome's Android/Webapp container thing. Too much hassle and headache for me to understand. Easier to run an Android x86 or Chrome OS variant/virtual machine.

Edit: I'm tired in the morning.

 

Edited November 23, 2020 by Myew

[ronniejonesjr]

I came across a great program called CrossOver that will allow Windows programs to run on Mac. Problem is, you need the install file for it to work. It seems this file only exist in the Microsoft Store for Windows. Is there any other way to get the "setup" file?

[Myew]

That doesn't make sense. You buy and download CrossOver from their website. It is a paid app, a modified version of Wine, a compatibility layer for x86 Windows applications on Mac/Linux/Chrome. https://www.codeweavers.com/store

Wine can functionally do that for free in many cases, but without much support or programmer help to get an application running. Plus, CrossOver costs enough that why wouldn't you just buy a Windows license to dual boot/virtual machine instead rather than pay for it continuously? If nothing else find a used Windows 10 laptop/tablet for $100 and control it remotely from your Mac.

https://www.howtogeek.com/187359/5-ways-to-run-windows-software-on-a-mac/

Edited November 24, 2020 by Myew