* MacBridge for RootsMagic

[gerrynuk]

(Hope this is the correct part of the forum for this post!)

I have just read in Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter that Roots Magic has launched a piece of software called MacBridge which allows the Windows version of RootsMagic to run on a Mac without the need to load the Windows OS. This is a link to the article and the video explaining how it works

http://bit.ly/1rvf43a

Would something similar be possible for Family Historian and Ancestral Sources?

[tatewise]

A better link is http://www.rootsmagic.com/mac/ directly to the RootsMagic site.

There is already the ability to use Crossover or Wine to run FH and AS without a Windows OS.

See how_to:install_family_historian_with_crossover_wine|> How to Install Family Historian with Crossover and Wine for details.

Calico Pie have said they want to get this set-up working even better, so I am not sure this needs to be a Wish List request.

[gerrynuk]

Thanks for the direct link, Mike.

The advantage of the Macbridge software seems to be that there is no need to acquire (buy in the case of Crossover/download in the case of Wine) additional software and does away with the present complicated setup process for Wine/Crossover, which does required more than just a basic knowledge of computer software. Perhaps Calico Pie are working on similar lines? It would open up a large and growing market for FH on the Mac platform.

So I would certainly vote for this if it could be a Wish List item.

[tatewise]

You do have to acquire and install the MacBridge software which is not free.
The regular price is $14.95 but for a limited time, you can get it for only $9.95.

Crossover costs a little more at £25 to £38 per copy depending on the amount of support. Wine is free.
Once a Crossover CrossTie has been created, then Crossover installation of FH and AS should be straightforward as the CrossTie automates the complicated bits. Some other FHUG members were contemplating creating the CrossTie.

[Jane]

I have not been able to find "MacBridge" as a product, so my guess would be it's some sort of "Wine Bottle" wrapped around the Roots Magic exe, similar to what can be done with CrossOver in developer mode.

[tatewise]

See http://www.rootsmagic.com/mac/FAQ/ How does MacBridge for RootsMagic 6 work?

MacBridge for RootsMagic 6 is based on the popular CrossOver Mac and Wine projects which run select Windows applications on Mac OS X without requiring Windows.

Unlike CrossOver Mac, MacBridge for RootsMagic 6 runs only RootsMagic 6 and offers a streamlined setup process. It comes preconfigured to give you the best experience running RootsMagic 6 on your Mac.

Check out What RootsMagic 6 features will work on the Mac? for a list of features that don't work on Mac.

So there you go ~ much the same as FH and AS on Crossover with a CrossTie.

There already is Wish List Ref: 193 Mac Version that you can vote for.

I am now even more certain this does not warrant a new Wish List entry, because all three criteria in Please Read Before Posting Wishes (6176) have already been met.

[mjashby]

The fact is that RootsMagic is already a doddle to install on a Mac or under Linux using Wine at no cost, taking no more than 5-10 minutes; and works fully. Whereas, installing Family Historian is, by comparison, a relatively complex process which still leaves a few irritating operational niggles, but delivers a lot more user flexibility than RootsMagic unless you are an SQLite/SQL programmer : For anyone who is unaware, SQLite is used by RootsMagic for its database functionality. And, of course, RootsMagic has no substitute for the functions and consistency of input provided by Ancestral Sources.

Mervyn

[tatewise]

Mervyn, could you clarify some points.

If it so easy to install RootsMagic with Wine for free, why is MacBridge (costing $10 - $15) needed at all?

Under MacBridge the following RootsMagic6 features are not available:

• Burning the Shareable CD to CD (files are created and must be burned manually)
• GenSmarts integration
• Backup to CD
• Backup to Dropbox & Google Drive
• Save to DropBox
• RootsMagic To-Go
• Mapping

Are these 'irritating operational niggles' avoided under Wine?

As I said before, once a CrossTie for FH and AS is created, their installation in Crossover will not be complex.
I am not sure if something similar is possible for Wine.
My guess is that Calico Pie are already looking at these.

[mjashby]

I haven't got a clue why they are charging that price but they see obviously see a market as an interim measure while they continue to develop their native Mac version of RootsMagic. The package being sold from every aspect of its description is simply a free standing Wine Wrapper (some call it a Bottle) for the end user to install their own software in.

I can make one for RootsMagic in about 5 minutes and a Family Historian Wrapper in about about 10 minutes (double that if you want to run Ancestral Sources in the Wrapper because of the need for .NET Frameworks).

I would be more more than happy with £5 each. But instructions cost nothing!

Because this is essentially the same end product the non-functional elements of the application are the same. That's basically because Windows applications running in Wine packages operate in self-contained environments and can't communicate with each other in the same way that full Windows/Mac OS X installations can, hence GenSmarts can't be made to function because it is an entirely separate Windows application. Nor can a Windows App that's packaged using Wine communicate directly with external Mac apps/utilities therefore you can't use the direct backup to Dropbox/Google Drive or write directly to CD facilities. You can of course overcome the DropBox/Google Drive issue to a significant extent by simply setting RootMagic to use a synced folder for its normal Backups, just as you can with Family Historian.

Mervyn

[tatewise]

So, the answer seems to be that if an FHUG member who has a Mac with Crossover &/or Wine was prepared to spend a few minutes producing a Crossover CrossTie &/or Wine Bottle Wrapper for FH & AS then these could easily be installed and offer almost full functionality.
Even the FH Plugins that did not initially run are now either already working or a solution is on its way.

[Valkrider]

Mike

I am busy building a couple of websites at the moment, one is particularly complex. Once I have finished these if no one else has done it I will have a go at the Crosstie.

[jimlad68]

for info: http://blog.eogn.com/2014/09/09/genealo ... ootsmagic/
From his other reviews/ comments I suspect Dick Eastman is both a Rootsmagic and Mac user, but I don't think his article adds anything else to what has been said. I use neither, but I was tempted by Rootsmagic until I discovered FH, why had I not heard of it!!