With the update (10.14.4) that came to MacOS mojave iTunes 12.6.5 is no longer supported. I made a research via the forums and copied the plist of iTunes 12.9.4 and changed the plist in iTunes 12.6.5 with the plist I copied. While doing all that sip was closed. Will changing the plist result in problems in the future? Will I face any issues If I open Sip?
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Apple's Special Version of iTunes That Still Has an App Store Currently Incompatible With macOS Mojave
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Good to know, thanks.
I plan to purchase something like iMazing for my next machine (and newer OS), but it's good that there are some who try to keep the flame alive.
But the winds of change are blowing. I fully expect as the tech and entertainment giants converge further, and the business model shifts to services and subscriptions, the notion of user management will become extinct. It's good for them (continuous revenue and lock-in), and the majority are not resistant to renting their entertainment and software.
It has worked for productivity software (Adobe and Microsoft), music (Spotify, Apple, etc.), and now Apple is trying to apply it to game apps. If it works there, expect it to spread further to all apps.
As video functions shift to the new TV app, iTunes will further become focused on Music. App management has already been removed, and as fewer people buy and rip their own music, those functions will eventually go away as well. Those who have clamored for the "breakup" of iTunes will get their wish, but I'm not entirely sure the result will be as pleasing or beneficial to users.
At some point, I wouldn't be surprised to see iDevices have no user-accessible ports, and rely on subscriptions to remain functional.
For Apple, A Piece of the Action, the Star Trek TOS episode, comes to mind.
So does anyone know if we can use even earlier versions of iTunes ? ... Not that I would recommend that necessarily.
We would like to be able to keep the Nike integration. ..Or as much of it as possible. Along with the ability to transfer apps from devices without having them get deleted. Both me and my brother and sister are all still using iPods and the running app/hardware.
Thanks guys and thanks Bogdanw for helping everyone out here!
We would like to be able to keep the Nike integration. ..Or as much of it as possible. Along with the ability to transfer apps from devices without having them get deleted. Both me and my brother and sister are all still using iPods and the running app/hardware.
Thanks guys and thanks Bogdanw for helping everyone out here!
Quick recap:
1. iTunes 12.6.5.3 is still available here https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208079
direct link https://secure-appldnld.apple.com/i...-B085-11E8-B6AB-C1D03409AD2A/iTunes12.6.5.dmg
2. You can use this script to create a package that will install on macOS Mojave
3. After installation, use this script to modify iTunes 12.6.5.3 to run on macOS 10.14.4
1. iTunes 12.6.5.3 is still available here https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208079
direct link https://secure-appldnld.apple.com/i...-B085-11E8-B6AB-C1D03409AD2A/iTunes12.6.5.dmg
2. You can use this script to create a package that will install on macOS Mojave
Code:
display dialog "Please select iTunes 12.6 dmg file" buttons {"Ok"}
set theDMG to choose file with prompt "Please select iTunes 12.6 dmg file:" of type {"dmg"}
do shell script "hdiutil mount " & quoted form of POSIX path of theDMG
do shell script "pkgutil --expand /Volumes/iTunes/Install\\ iTunes.pkg ~/tmp"
do shell script "sed -i '' 's/18A1/14F2511/g' ~/tmp/Distribution"
do shell script "sed -i '' 's/gt/lt/g' ~/tmp/Distribution"
do shell script "pkgutil --flatten ~/tmp ~/Desktop/iTunes.pkg"
do shell script "hdiutil unmount /Volumes/iTunes/"
do shell script "rm -rf ~/tmp"
set question to display dialog "Install iTtunes?" buttons {"Yes", "No"} default button 1
set answer to button returned of question
if answer is equal to "Yes" then
do shell script "open ~/Desktop/iTunes.pkg"
return
end if
if answer is equal to "No" then
display dialog "Modified iTunes.pkg saved on desktop" buttons {"Ok"}
return
end if3. After installation, use this script to modify iTunes 12.6.5.3 to run on macOS 10.14.4
Code:
set theAPP to choose file with prompt "Please select iTunes 12.6 app:" of type {"app"}
do shell script "sed -i '' 's/12.6.5/12.9.4/g' " & POSIX path of theAPP & "Contents/Info.plist" with administrator privileges
set question to display dialog "iTunes was patched. Open iTunes?" buttons {"Yes", "No"} default button 1
set answer to button returned of question
if answer is equal to "Yes" then
do shell script "open " & POSIX path of theAPP
return
end if
if answer is equal to "No" then
display dialog "Modified iTunes saved on " & (POSIX path of theAPP as text) buttons {"Ok"}
return
end if
Last edited:
After some research the answer is yes and no
You can use iTunes 12.6.5.3 to transfer ipa's from devices, but only if they are running an iOS version lower than 9.
I could transfer apps from an iPod 4 with iOS 6.1.6, but not from an iPhone with iOS 12.2
ITunes 12.6 works fine on 10.4.4 with this script , but now I cannot login to Icloud.
Any solution?
Thank you bogdanw for the scripts - I can confirm that on a 2015 15" MacBook Pro running Mojave 10.14.4, this procedure worked:
I tried to see if it may help to explicitly give iTunes "Full Disk Access" in System Preferences -> Security & Privacy -> Privacy, but it does not solve the iPhoto Library problem.
Any suggestions/steps to solve the iPhoto Library sync issue in iTunes would be much appreciated, thanks!
- reboot in Recovery mode, disable System Integrity Protection with "csrutil disable"
- reboot in standard (non-admin user) Mojave 10.14.4
- run the above 1st script by bogdanw to create an installable (patched) package from the latest available iTunes 12.6.5.3
- install iTunes 12.6.5.3 from the the patched package (no errors during install, admin user password asked)
- run the above 2nd script by bogdanw to patch "in place" the installed iTunes 12.6.5.3, which now replaced the iTunes version 12.9.4 that was installed together with the Mojave 10.14.4 system update (again, admin user password asked by script)
- reboot in Recovery mode, re-enable System Integrity Protection with "csrutil enable"
- reboot in standard Mojave 10.14.4
- iTunes 12.6.5.3 runs fine when started from /Applications/ (note: iTunes 12.6.5.3 won't start if moved away from /Applications/
I tried to see if it may help to explicitly give iTunes "Full Disk Access" in System Preferences -> Security & Privacy -> Privacy, but it does not solve the iPhoto Library problem.
Any suggestions/steps to solve the iPhoto Library sync issue in iTunes would be much appreciated, thanks!
After some research the answer is yes and no
You can use iTunes 12.6.5.3 to transfer ipa's from devices, but only if they are running an iOS version lower than 9.
I could transfer apps from an iPod 4 with iOS 6.1.6, but not from an iPhone with iOS 12.2
Thank you for the useful information.
For what it is worth there are reports that iTunes 12.7 was the first version to have some Nike parts removed.
Not sure which versions prior to that also removed other Nike running parts.
It is a shame that we are now reduced to more nefarious methods to save application files locally.
Also for what it is worth it seems offloading apps keeps offloaded app versions which is semi helpful.
This link is also semi helpful https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_iTunes
You will likely need to hold off on installing Mojave forever because current Apple will NEVER update iTunes 12.6 again.
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You are wrong. We are talking about iTunes 12.6 which still has app management and App Store built in. Sure, it is out of date, but it has the feature we all love.
I still use it until today and I will find a way to hide macOS update permanently. iTunes 12.6 for the win.
[doublepost=1554041398][/doublepost]
Yeah. Me too. Prolly never update until I get new iPhone, in which case I have to.
[doublepost=1554041716][/doublepost]
Well said. And I can relate to everything listed here. The sad part is, Android will eventually follow, and user will have zero control over their devices. Soon, there is no such a concept as “ownership” and “personal property”. Everything given to you can be taken away in a pinch, with or without reason. Horrifying.
[doublepost=1554042129][/doublepost]
This is the world we are living right now. Care nothing about what happens to Apple cause they care nothing about users.
bogdanw's both scripts work great but be aware that the installed 12.6.5.3 cannot use airplay with Apple TV. The first time you try it the AppleTV presents a 4 digit code that is required in order to pair together your Mac and AppleTV. You fill in the code to a small input field in iTunes but nothing happens.
The only workaround I've found is to have my videos on an external HD with Mohave 10.14.4 and start iTunes 12.9.4 from that disk. That works without having to boot from the external disk.
In case anybody wonders why I need to use 12.6.5.3: I read A LOT on my two iPads (continuing thousands of ebooks, PDFs and documents) and I need to modify tags very frequently, which I can now do with the Books app. Unfortunately Books does not allow me to manually transfer books from my Macs to my iPads. I think it can do some sort of syncing of books bought from the Appstore but I only have maybe a hundred of those. Also I hate syncing (I also have over 200GB of music that I've always managed manually). So my options with Mohave 10.14.4 is to first modify tags with the Books app and then transfer them using iMazing (excellent app by the way, I recommend it unconditionally).
iTunes 19.6.5.3 allows me to do both, so it's a better option. So much in fact that I will not install the forthcoming macOS10.15 (another reason for this is the abandoning of 32 bit apps)
The only workaround I've found is to have my videos on an external HD with Mohave 10.14.4 and start iTunes 12.9.4 from that disk. That works without having to boot from the external disk.
In case anybody wonders why I need to use 12.6.5.3: I read A LOT on my two iPads (continuing thousands of ebooks, PDFs and documents) and I need to modify tags very frequently, which I can now do with the Books app. Unfortunately Books does not allow me to manually transfer books from my Macs to my iPads. I think it can do some sort of syncing of books bought from the Appstore but I only have maybe a hundred of those. Also I hate syncing (I also have over 200GB of music that I've always managed manually). So my options with Mohave 10.14.4 is to first modify tags with the Books app and then transfer them using iMazing (excellent app by the way, I recommend it unconditionally).
iTunes 19.6.5.3 allows me to do both, so it's a better option. So much in fact that I will not install the forthcoming macOS10.15 (another reason for this is the abandoning of 32 bit apps)
Here is what I've done:
- moved the iTunes 12.6 app created with the above scripts to ~/Applications (/Users/bogdan/Applications/ it can be any other folder, use copy-paste not drag&drop)
- reinstalled 10.14.4 using the Combo Update https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1996
Now I have iTunes 12.9.4 in /Applications/ for Apple to update as it pleases and iTunes 12.6 is running fine from the other folder.
Opening iTunes 12.9.4 will break the iTunes 12.6 library. If you want to run iTunes 12.9.4, just create another library (hold Option/Alt/⌥ while opening iTunes) or, even better, create another user account.
This should be future proof, at least for a while, and should solve the problems raised by efecanarar, mathewgx, Mitja and Mr Todhunter
- moved the iTunes 12.6 app created with the above scripts to ~/Applications (/Users/bogdan/Applications/ it can be any other folder, use copy-paste not drag&drop)
- reinstalled 10.14.4 using the Combo Update https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1996
Now I have iTunes 12.9.4 in /Applications/ for Apple to update as it pleases and iTunes 12.6 is running fine from the other folder.
Opening iTunes 12.9.4 will break the iTunes 12.6 library. If you want to run iTunes 12.9.4, just create another library (hold Option/Alt/⌥ while opening iTunes) or, even better, create another user account.
This should be future proof, at least for a while, and should solve the problems raised by efecanarar, mathewgx, Mitja and Mr Todhunter
Thanks bogdanw, I will try it with an external ssd I have for testing. I'm sure it will work as you said.
From what you've posted, it looks like you'd just want to have one library for 12.6.5.3 and one for 12.9.4, but have both pointed to the same "iTunes Media" folder, or would simply running 12.9.4 make the "Mobile Applications" folder inside of the shared media folder get deleted?
After OS 10.14.4 broke iTunes 12.6.5.3 again, I went through the process to patch it and reinstall it and let MacOS install a copy of iTunes 12.9.4, as suggested, moving 12.6.5.3 into the same location as our resident script genius (seriously, thank you!)…
—only this time, it could no longer see my backups and could no longer perform a new one. "An error occurred." It can read the .itl file just fine, but claims ignorance about /Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup.
So I purchased iMazing—which can see and read those backups just fine. (sigh)
—only this time, it could no longer see my backups and could no longer perform a new one. "An error occurred." It can read the .itl file just fine, but claims ignorance about /Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup.
So I purchased iMazing—which can see and read those backups just fine. (sigh)
So with my iMac running Mac OS X High Sierra and iTunes 12.6.5.3, when I plug in my iPad Mini 5 I keep getting noticed that I need a software update to connect to my new device.
However, if I dismiss the alert message, then it goes ahead and connects to the Mini 5 and is sync'ing my iPad Air 2 backup onto the new Mini 5.
However, if I dismiss the alert message, then it goes ahead and connects to the Mini 5 and is sync'ing my iPad Air 2 backup onto the new Mini 5.
I’m expecting my new iPad Mini 5 sometime next week. I hope I won’t have the same problem, or worse ( running 12.6.5.3 on Mojave) trying to sync also from an iPad Air 2.
The iTunes 12.6.5.3 still went ahead and sync'd everything to the Mini 5 after I declined the software update to iTunes 12.9.x.
The only issue I see with using iTunes 12.6.5.3 on the iMac with High Sierra, with the Xs Max and Mini 5, is that the devices do not have a thumbnail picture icon of the device next to their name when I'm on the iPhone sync page.
[doublepost=1554436941][/doublepost]Also - some info I found out recently:
In the past, if you had previously been syncing with iTunes then if you initiated a backup restore from a cloud backup you could finish the app and media restore on the computer, by simply plugging it in and choosing sync all your media and apps from iTunes. iTunes would interrupt the app and media WiFi download and use USB to load everything back onto the device. I assumed with iTunes 12.6.5.3 that behavior would still be the same.
But Apple changed all that at some point - I find that now when you start a restore from a cloud backup, regardless of the iTunes version you're using, you have to finish the restore that you started from the cloud, and sync after it is done downloading all apps, music, and movies. iTunes cannot take over and finish like in the past years, until all your purchases on the cloud have been downloaded via WiFi first! Then your first sync installs everything else that was not purchased (ripped CD or movies).
I learned my lesson 2 weeks ago when I restored a 7+ from my Xs Max iCloud backup, and iTunes refused to take over the restore and sync the rest of my media and apps to the 7+ until after the iCloud restore was done. So the 7+ downloaded almost 230 GB of data, media, and apps over WiFi.
I did not want to turn off WiFi to abort the restore until I could head out the next day to use Apple's or Starbucks WiFi, being the middle of the night, so I elected to just let the restore finish so I would not corrupt my restore process or have to start over. This put my Xfinity data usage at 1127 GB and they would have charged me $10 for each 50 GB used over the 1 TB cap ($30 total) if not for 2 grace periods per year.
WHY DOES APPLE NOT UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF US HAVE MULTIPLE IPHONES AND IPADS IN THE HOUSEHOLD WITH A 1 TB DATA CAP on WIFI, AND WE CANNOT WASTE THE BANDWIDTH TO UPDATE 40-50GB OF APPS ON EACH INDIVIDUAL DEVICE x 7-8 devices, nor DOWNLOAD 200-250 GB EVERY TIME WE RESTORE A DEVICE FROM ICLOUD?
I just checked on how much data my iOS app updates use up when I update all my apps in iTunes 12.6.5.3, and between March 10th and today March 4th I have archived 84 GB of old apps that were updated with newer ones using iTunes!
I do realize that the 84GB of updates in a month is representative of my entire library of 1410 purchased apps over 10 years, and not the subset of the 250-300 apps that I keep on my devices (some for "just in case").
But if I could not download that 84GB to my iMac once, so as to install them multiple times on as many iPhones and iPads as we own, I would have to offload over half the apps on my iPhone and iPad so they would not need to update. Then I would only download them when I have to use them, but that could be an issue for apps over 150MB if using cellular data.
SYSTEM PREFERENCES > SHARING > CONTENT CACHING: My internal hard drives are too full to implement a large enough sharing cache for iCloud and Shared data on the network. I'll have to dedicate a portable hard drive on the iMac to a shared cache, by unplugging my Super Drive to free up a USB port. I only use it 2-3x a month to rip a CD from Amazon into Apple Lossless Audio Codec files.
Hopefully, then after I download an app update on one iDevice, my next iPhone will pull it from the cache instead of the cloud - that still won't help with restoring an iCloud backup of a device with over 200GB of media and apps on it, or will it?
Thank you HeadphoneAddict for your detailed info. I feel your pain. Fortunately I have a 200/200 fibre connection without data cap so the problem it's not as big for me, though I have 3 iPhones and 2 iPads in use.
I wouldn't sweat the little things like this if I didn't have a WiFi data cap of 1 TB.
Comcast sucks in the fact that I've been on an Xfinity TriplePlay package with Internet, Voice, and TV for about 8 years, and using their X1 platform since 2013; but a few years ago the package price went down without anyone telling me I could change to the new plan. So I've been paying the same old price for 5 years for an older 250 mbps internet/TV/voice package, which is $60/mo more than the current price for 986 mbps internet with TV and voice.
So, if I overpaid for 3 years that's like $1800 I threw away with them, and they want to nitpick me $10-30/mo additional fees for going a little over the 1 TB data cap. I complained to them about this and the best I could get was a $35 account credit.
[doublepost=1554515561][/doublepost]
So, according to WikiPedia "In October 2016, Comcast announced that bandwidth caps would be implemented in the majority of its markets (outside of New York and the northeast) beginning November 1, 2016.[52] The data usage plan does not currently apply to the Gigabit Pro tier of service, Business Internet customers, customers on Bulk Internet agreements, and customers with Prepaid Internet.[53]"
My new plan, signed up for last week to save $60/mo, says I now have the Gigabit Internet, but doesn't say Gigabit Pro. I should call Comcast and find out if I do or don't have a data cap anymore.
I don't care about and will not use iTunes 12.9
I was just trying to offer some suggestions for others that might need it.iTunes 12.9 makes the file iTunes Library.itl unreadable for iTunes 12.6, but didn't delete anything from the iTunes Media folder.
Probably it's the same problem reported by wagonfixin "our encrypted backups fail since the "chain of trust" has been interrupted." #169
Latest rumors suggest the end of iTunes - Apple May Be Planning to Break Up iTunes With New Music and Podcast Apps for Mac https://www.macrumors.com/2019/04/05/apple-music-podcasts-apps-macos/
The same MobileSync/Backup problem happened to me.
After (without thinking) I allowed Mojave to update to 10.14.4 and iTunes 12.6.5.3 stopped working, I patched iTunes 12.6.5.3 using bogdanw's script (thanks!), moved it to my user "~/Applications/" folder, and reinstalled 10.14.4 from the combo installer, thus getting back iTunes 12.9.4 in "/Applications/". This still didn't allow iTunes 12.6.5.3 to work, I also had to copy "iPodUpdater.framework" from iTunes 12.6.5.3 to iTunes 12.9.4, as explained in: https://www.reddit.com/r/OSXBeta/comments/8vd45t/bugs_itunes_1264_the_one_with_the_apps_section_is/
Finally, to have iTunes 12.6.5.3 read the "~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/" directory, I had to go to Mojave's System Preferences -> Security & Privacy -> Privacy -> "Full Disk Access" and added iTunes 12.6.5.3 to it. This solved the "backup" part of syncing with iTunes 12.6.5.3.
However, after all this, iTunes 12.6.5.3 still can't access/sync photos in the iPhoto folder!
Any time I attempt to synchronize the iPhone in iTunes 12.6.5.3, I eventually get the message "iTunes cannot sync photos to the iPhone (my iphone's name) because your iPhoto Library is not yet available. Please try again later."
Additionally, iTunes 12.9.4 won't even start anymore, even after reinstalling Mojave 10.14.4 from the combo installer. Not that I need to use it, but it's weird that it won't start anymore: instead, it fails without any error.
If I try starting iTunes 12.9.4 from command line, e.g. directly, I get this error:
> cd /Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/MacOS/
> ./iTunes
objc[10125]: Class AMSBag_DeviceOffers is implemented in both /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/CommerceKit.framework/Versions/A/CommerceKit (0x7fff8f8b4420) and /Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/MacOS/./iTunes (0x10958e010). One of the two will be used. Which one is undefined.
2019-04-08 20:29:53.961 iTunes[10125:360819] .sdef warning for attribute 'rawData' of class 'artwork' in suite 'iTunes Suite': 'raw data' is not a valid type name.
Any ideas, anyone?
So you've managed to get iTunes 12.6.5.3 to see old backups, which is great. Even iMazing requests being added to the suite of "Full Disk Access." Could the solution to your photos be as simple as maybe letting Photos have full disk access?
Thank you for suggesting this... it's an interesting idea, but alas no, as it's iTunes 12.6.5.3 needing access to the photo library. There doesn't seem to be any way in the Privacy Settings to add iTunes 12.6.5.3, nor any other arbitrary app, to the list of apps that are allowed access the photo library.
Just in case, I tried as you suggested, both with Photos and with iPhoto, but it didn't make any difference: iTunes 12.6.5.3 still can't access/sync photos in the iPhoto folder.
BTW, just as I still use iTunes 12.6.5.3, I also still use iPhoto 9.6.1 (instead of Photos) in Mojave, for similar reasons: functionalities have been removed from the newer Photos app, that continue to work (for now) quite fine in iPhoto 9.6.1 under Mojave, such as photo events (a separate concept from photo albums).
Thanks a lot to bogdanw and to you Mitja: I had to disable SIP before it worked, thanks to your suggestion.
Anyway I'm so grateful that there is always someone helping to fix what Apple is breaking
Thanks bogdanw.
But I have some problems when i installed itunes.pkg,there are no error and no warning and not success.
- Mac OS 10.14.4
- SIP is disable
Can you help me? Or need more other info?
######
But I have some problems when i installed itunes.pkg,there are no error and no warning and not success.
- Mac OS 10.14.4
- SIP is disable
Can you help me? Or need more other info?
######