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JMRI Install Guide: MacOS Classic (8.x, 9.x)

  1. Determine if your hardware supports Java and JMRI

    2. Minimum hardware specification for JMRI Versions up to 1.4:

    • A Macintosh with a Power PC processor running OS8.1
    • At least 32MB of memory
    • At least 8MB of disk space available
    A faster CPU, later OS version and more memory are recommended. A screen size of 800x600 or larger is strongly recommended.

    Minimum hardware specification for JMRI Versions 1.6 and later:

    • Any Macintosh with a PCI bus and a PPC603e processor or better,
    • A minimum of 64MB of RAM (96MB or greater is recommended)
    • A minimum screen size of 800x600
    OS8.6 or OS9.1 are recommended.

  2. Get and Install Java (if needed)

    3. This application should run with any recent release of the Macintosh Runtime for Java (MRJ). MRJ requires Mac OS 8.1 or later. If you don't have Java installed on your Macintosh, or even if your're not sure, download the installer from Apple at http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75097 and run it.

    You need to have the Java Swing and Java communications libraries installed. An installer can be downloaded from http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/jmri/JavaLibsInstaller-2.hqx?download. Unfortunately, its a 4MB download. You only have to do it once, however; future updates of DecoderPro will continue to use these same libraries.

    Be sure to run both of these installers before installing DecoderPro.

    Note that you will have to reinstall these if you have to reinstall the system software, or if you do a "clean install" of an OS update.

  3. Get JMRI

    4. Download a version of JMRI, either the latest production version, or a "test version". Since the version numbers change with every release, this link takes you to the general JMRI download page, where you can select whichever version you like.

    The JMRI project is continuously adding features, bug fixes, examples and tutorials to the release, and so a new "test" versions appear every couple of weeks. You may find one of these has features that you really want. These are announced in the "jmriusers" Yahoo discussion group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jmriusers/.

  4. Install JMRI

    5. To install, you just have to move the JMRI folder to where you want it on your computer.

  5. Connect your computer system to your command station hardware

    6. Generally, older Macs use a style of serial connector called "Mini-DIN-8". It looks similar to, but identical to, the ADB connectors used to connect keyboards and mice. You'll need an adapter that adapts that connector to the connector on your particular DCC system.

    More information on the wiring in these connectors is available on the page of Mini-DIN-8 page.

    If your computer doesn't have serial ports, see our page on USB adapters for more information

    You may also need to configure the Macintosh to allow the program to use the serial port, instead of the Mac using it for a printer or LocalTalk connection. For more information on doing that, see the Serial Port Configuration page.

  6. Installation is complete.

    7. Once those packages are installed, you can run the program by double-clicking on the "DecoderPro", "LocoTools", "PanelPro" or "JmriDemo" application icons in the JMRI folder.