What's the recomended hardware to test MythTV on OSX?

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paulh
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What's the recomended hardware to test MythTV on OSX?

Post by paulh »

Anyone have some suggestions what a good, cheap system would be to use for testing MythTV on OSX?

Don't suppose anyone has any old hardware collecting dust they want to donate to the cause :lol:

I've also seen some mention of running OSX in a VM is that possible without owing an OSX machine though ( I think I've read you need a working OSX system to be able to clone it or something like that) ?
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pvr4me
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Re: What's the recomended hardware to test MythTV on OSX?

Post by pvr4me »

New or used?

Do you want to test building Myth or running it?

BTW, I'd suggest you don't go the Hackintosh route. It is possible to assemble a machine from off-the-shelf hardware and install macOS on it. (Apple rebranded the operating system from "OS X" to macOS a couple of years ago.) These work for some people but there are enough glitches that you would never know if a problem was with Myth code or the Hackintosh.

Assuming used, an Mac Mini or iMac from the last 5 or so years would be completely capable of running Myth (frontend and backend). A system with more CPU cores, more RAM and/or more SSD will perform better, obviously.

If you want to run Myth, a Core i5 Mini (2014) might be a decent choice:

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_ ... specs.html

Small, pretty much silent, very low energy use.

An iMac alternative might be a Core i5 (2015):

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/imac ... specs.html

I believe either of the above systems can run the latest macOS release.

NOTE: used Mac systems hold their value a lot more than machines from other brands because they're generally made with high-quality parts throughout and maintain compatibility with current OS releases much longer than a typical Windows machine. So you may get some 'sticker-shock' at the asking price for a machine that is several years old.

Craig
(My daily driver is still a Core i7 MacBook Pro...from 2011!)
Formerly the MacPorts guy.
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paulh
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Re: What's the recomended hardware to test MythTV on OSX?

Post by paulh »

pvr4me wrote:
Sun May 10, 2020 2:01 pm
New or used?
Definitely used. I wouldn't spend what Apple wants for any new hardware. :roll:
Do you want to test building Myth or running it?
I need it for both compiling and running MythTV but I've also been asked to create a OSX build of MythQML so I'm looking for the cheapest solution to test whether it's feasible to run MythQML on OSX.
BTW, I'd suggest you don't go the Hackintosh route. It is possible to assemble a machine from off-the-shelf hardware and install macOS on it. (Apple rebranded the operating system from "OS X" to macOS a couple of years ago.) These work for some people but there are enough glitches that you would never know if a problem was with Myth code or the Hackintosh.
That's a fair point but the price of a Hackintosh is compelling ;)
Assuming used, an Mac Mini or iMac from the last 5 or so years would be completely capable of running Myth (frontend and backend). A system with more CPU cores, more RAM and/or more SSD will perform better, obviously.

If you want to run Myth, a Core i5 Mini (2014) might be a decent choice:

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_ ... specs.html

Small, pretty much silent, very low energy use.

An iMac alternative might be a Core i5 (2015):

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/imac ... specs.html

I believe either of the above systems can run the latest macOS release.
Yeah I was looking on ebay for a Mac Mini but even 2014 systems are ridiculously expensive for what they are :( Might get lucky on an auction!
NOTE: used Mac systems hold their value a lot more than machines from other brands because they're generally made with high-quality parts throughout and maintain compatibility with current OS releases much longer than a typical Windows machine. So you may get some 'sticker-shock' at the asking price for a machine that is several years old.
I've seen enough "Right to repair" YouTube videos to know the hardware isn't always using high-quality parts (expensive != high-quality) :roll: but let's not go there.
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pvr4me
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Re: What's the recomended hardware to test MythTV on OSX?

Post by pvr4me »

If you want the machine to do development, I would think you want a quad-core (or better). You also probably want more RAM than you'd put in a typical Linux desktop. macOS is much snappier when it has sufficient RAM; the virtual memory system is not as efficient.

Re cost versus life, keep resale value in mind. You can buy a machine, use it for a while and then re-sell it. As you've seen, even older Macs still have value. If you start with a more recent Mac (or new), you can either keep it longer or resell it for a higher price. People get hung up about the lack of upgradability. Trade up when needed. There is a ready market of people buying and selling Macs so it really isn't hard.

Craig
Formerly the MacPorts guy.
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jhoyt
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Re: What's the recomended hardware to test MythTV on OSX?

Post by jhoyt »

So I'm running and compiling on a 14" Macbook Pro - 2015 early edition. I have 4 cores and 16GB of RAM and seem to have no major issues. Basically, if I can do this on a 5 year old computer, pretty much anything newer will work.

If you elect to go the Hackintosh route, this site has build guides and tools to get you up and running:https://www.tonymacx86.com

There are reports that getting everything up and running in something as cheap as an Intel Nuc.

If you go the VM route, I am using Virtualbox on my mac laptop. There are guides out on the web to help you install on non-MacOS environments (you'll have to modify some of the configuration files or install like the VM is a Hackintosh).
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