New Mac Mini, downgrade OS plan!...?

[Sime66]

Hi

I have a late 2012 Mac Mini running Yosemite - perfect, excellent etc. Also running Pro Tools 12.7 if it helps.

I would like to buy a 2019 Mac Mini... but not upgrade my software. Just to have a better machine doing the same stuff.

So my question is: Can I get a Mojave Mac Mini, wipe it, and install a Time Machine backup of my 2012 machine on it?
Or, option 2: Make a partition on the new Mojave machine, and install a Time Machine backup of the Yosemite machine on that partition?

(More info - some of the software I use will not work with Mojave, some is an unknown. Everything works great with Yosemite. I'm only concerned about the 2012 Mini hardware crapping out one day. Also it'd be great to have a better CPU.)

Current machine: 2.3 GHz Intel Core i7, 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3.

Thanks!

 

[Honza1]

You cannot run old OSX version on new Mac, the lowest version the new Mac can run is the version it came with., No drivers...

 

[garevans]

You cannot run old OSX version on new Mac, the lowest version the new Mac can run is the version it came with., No drivers...

Can confirm, you’ll get a big ole no entry symbol

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204156

Also, any hack you may encounter that gives you a glimmer of hope will be shut down hard by the t2 chip

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT208862

Would using migration assistant to transfer the apps and documents into Mojave work or does pro tool only work on Yosemite?

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204350

Good luck!

 

[Sime66]

Can confirm, you’ll get a big ole no entry symbol

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204156

Also, any hack you may encounter that gives you a glimmer of hope will be shut down hard by the t2 chip

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT208862

Would using migration assistant to transfer the apps and documents into Mojave work or does pro tool only work on Yosemite?

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204350

Good luck!

Thanks guys! Garevans - it'd involve a bunch of expensive upgrades to 3rd/4th party software so I was trying to avoid that, but thanks for your help...

 

[Honza1]

Thanks guys! Garevans - it'd involve a bunch of expensive upgrades to 3rd/4th party software so I was trying to avoid that, but thanks for your help...

Well,
there is a solution which may be cheaper than upgrading lots of expensive software. Bit stupid, though.
You can run virtual machine in Parallels (or other VM software) with OSX version you want. I have test virtual machines with other versions of macOX/OSX to test software compatibility. This way you can run "mac" within "mac". Parallels (may be even other VM systems) will run your old OSX version just fine.
Now, since the new Mini is much faster than the old Mini, you may see quite reasonable performance even within this ugly setup. You would need to buy VM software license, though. And probably get bit more memory (16Gb at least). With some luck one may be able to clone existing drive to image and run VM from that, but I have never done that.

I did not say it's pretty...

 

[Sime66]

Well,
there is a solution which may be cheaper than upgrading lots of expensive software. Bit stupid, though.
You can run virtual machine in Parallels (or other VM software) with OSX version you want. I have test virtual machines with other versions of macOX/OSX to test software compatibility. This way you can run "mac" within "mac". Parallels (may be even other VM systems) will run your old OSX version just fine.
Now, since the new Mini is much faster than the old Mini, you may see quite reasonable performance even within this ugly setup. You would need to buy VM software license, though. And probably get bit more memory (16Gb at least). With some luck one may be able to clone existing drive to image and run VM from that, but I have never done that.

I did not say it's pretty...

It's ugly but it's interesting! New Mini would be 32Gb so that part's OK. Will investigate. Thanks...

 

[Fishrrman]

A 2018 Mini cannot boot any OS older than Mojave.
No way around that.

You -could- install "virtual machine software" (such as VMWare Fusion or Parallels), and -try- to run your old software that way using an older version of the OS. But it would probably be clunky if it worked at all. I understand ProTools can be finicky about such things.

Unless you're willing to upgrade your software, perhaps it's best to just keep using the 2012 Mini as long as it continues to run...

 

[Sime66]

I understand ProTools can be finicky about such things.

it certainly can... I'll stick with my 2012 until I have the resources for a major hardware/software upgrade. 100+ tracks on a 7 year old, second-hand computer can't be bad!