Create Classic Mac APPs with macMAKE!

[ptricky]

Hey everyone, wanted to share my latest project that looks to help bridge the gap when it comes to building apps for classic Macs, specifically PPC and 68K apps for OS 7~9. I used LLms, mostly Codex, extensively for this work.

The idea was to bring the ability of CodeWarrior to the command line. Retro68 is a fantastic tool, but I found it difficult to build anything beyond basic applications. I asked "what specifically does CodeWarrior do when it is building an app? What made it work the way that it did and how did it handle all the elements it takes to create an application for Mac OS?"

v0.1 release path builds Classic Mac OS 9 PowerPC CFM/PEF applications, validates their structure, and packages their files in MacBinary II. Earlier PowerPC versions of System 7 and Mac OS 8 are not currently supported in this version but I have been able to begin building applications for older systems in the current dev build and will release the updates soon.

The ability to utilize languages that never existed on the classic systems is also already proven. For example, I was able to use macMAKE to create an application primarily in Rust. macMAKE itself is built with Rust so it made sense to give it a shot and I have previously done some experiments with using Rust with CodeWarrior itself. This not only means the limits of CodeWarrior projects, such as large amounts of files, is no longer an issue. I have made my way almost all the way through building Classilla with its original project files. I have learned so much from Classilla and I'm forever grateful for the work Cameron put into that legendary browser.

Either way, if you are a traditional programmer or even a slop jockey such as myself, this opens the door for almost anyone to start building apps for classic Macs.

macMAKE — Build Classic PowerPC software from Linux

Build Classic PowerPC Macintosh software from Linux with macMAKE, a C-focused CFM/PEF toolchain for Classic Mac OS 9.

macmake.dev

 

[nilobject]

Great idea, and v0.1 is impressive. I built a Mac OS 9 PPC window and menu app in 0.2 s on Linux, and every PEF, MacBinary and Finder check passed. Some notes from a first try:

1. Installer: install.sh failed for me because the macMAKELibs layout didn't match what the script expected. I had to install the archive by hand and sparse-checkout the libraries. A CI test that installs from a clean machine would catch this.
2. SDK setup: finding MSL and Universal Interfaces is the hardest part. A macmake sdk fetch --minimal that pulls only what a C PPC target needs would make first builds much easier.
3. 68k: a lot of the classic Mac scene still targets 68k and System 6/7, which is where Retro68 wins today. A roadmap for 68k, even CFM-68k, would help people decide whether to switch.
4. Rust and C++: you mention Rust works. Ship a Rust sample and say what C++ supports, because the site reads as C-only.
5. CodeWarrior import: building Classilla from its own project files is a huge proof point. Write it up with the steps, and mark which CW XML features are supported.
6. Testing on a real OS: builds pass the structural checks, but an optional macmake run that boots a QEMU or SheepShaver image and launches the app would close the loop.
7. Analytics: good that it's opt-out and stated up front. Make --no-analytics work on the curl pipe too.

I'll keep Retro68 for 68k for now, but I'll use macMAKE alongside it for PPC. Looking forward to the System 7/8 builds.

 

[ptricky]

Thank you for the feedback! Going from an internal tool to a public binary for a CLI tool is definitely new to me and that helps a lot.