Rosetta (software)

For other software products or projects named "Rosetta", see Rosetta Stone (software) and Rosetta (disambiguation).

Rosetta
Developer(s)Apple Inc.
Operating systemMac OS X 10.4.4–10.6.8 (Intel)
macOS 11.0–present (ARM)
Linux guest[1]
TypeBinary translation, emulation
Websitehttps://support.apple.com/en-us/102527

Rosetta is a dynamic binary translator developed by Apple Inc. for macOS, an application compatibility layer between different instruction set architectures. It enables a transition to newer hardware, by automatically translating software. The name is a reference to the Rosetta Stone, the artifact which enabled translation of Egyptian hieroglyphs.[2]

The first version of Rosetta, introduced in 2006 in Mac OS X Tiger, was part of the Mac transition from PowerPC processors to Intel processors, allowing PowerPC applications to run on Intel-based Macs. Support for Rosetta was dropped with the release of Mac OS X Lion (10.7) in 2011.

Rosetta 2, introduced in 2020 as a component of macOS Big Sur, is part of the Mac transition from Intel processors to Apple silicon, allowing Intel applications to run on Apple silicon-based Macs.[3]

  1. ^ "Running Intel Binaries in Linux VMs with Rosetta". Apple Inc. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  2. ^ Norr, Henry (January 27, 2006). "Core Duo iMacs debut speedy new chips". Macworld.
  3. ^ Warren, Tom (June 22, 2020). "Apple is switching Macs to its own processors starting later this year". The Verge. Retrieved June 22, 2020.