Mac Users - FAQ - Helpful info for Mac users

[Ignignokt]

This post is designed to clear up some confusion surrounding Frets On Fire for Mac OS X. Please note that I am in no way connected with the development team, I am just passing along information as I play the game.

1. Does the latest version of FoF work for Mac OS X? Sadly, no. Both 1.2.438 and 1.2.451 have bugs that prevent them from completely starting up. The most current version that works on Mac OS X is 1.1.324, and can be found here. Based on console.log and CrashReporter logs, it appears the bugs are different in the PPC and Intel portions of the Universal Binary.

2. Does RogueF's mod work with FoF for Mac OS X? Yes and no. The mod as made by RogueF only works on Windows. Mods that change major portions of the game using ".pyo" files likely all need to be compiled for each platform (Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.). Syberdave has done that with RFMod for Mac OS X, which you can download here.

3. Where are the songs stored in the Mac OS X version? They are stored inside the application package. To find the folder, do the following: Highlight FoF, right-click and select "Show Package Contents", then go to "Content/Resources/data/songs". Any songs you put inside this folder will show up in the game.

4. The location of the songs folder is really annoying, is there any easier way to store my songs? Yes. I would strongly suggest downloading the following contextual menu item: SymbolicLinker. This will let you make "symlinks" to folders, which is basically the UNIX version of Mac "aliases". The advantage here is just about any program will treat symlinks exactly the same as a real folder, unlike aliases. With the CM item installed, make a symlink by right-clicking on the "songs" folder and pick "Make Symbolic Link". Now move the original "songs" folder anywhere else, and rename the "songs symlink" to "songs". Why do this? It makes it easier to get at the songs folder, but more importantly you won't accidentally delete all your songs if you delete the Frets on Fire app or replace it with a newer version! When you upgrade, you simply make a new symlink and replace the "songs" folder in the app.

5. Can I use any of the various PS2/XBox 360 Guitar Hero controllers with Mac OS X? Yes. For a PS2 guitar you need PSX-to-USB adapter, which can be found at a variety of online stores and eBay for around $5. For a XBox 360 guitar, you just need these drivers.

6. Is there an easy way to get the labels for all my songs? Yes, download this Mac app that makes it simple to use ThatJon's script.

This post will be updated with new information as needed.

[mmsven]

Pinned

[poiklpu]

Finally some mac help around here

[justinm1]

So is it correct to assume that no one using the osx version can use the backspace key? It looks like that was a bug fixed in 1.2.438, but apparently we can't use that version. The bug prevents me from creating any custom songs...

[The X]

It should be pointed out here too, that RogueF's mod does not work with Intel. Though it seems to work on PowerPC.

[Ignignokt]

It should be pointed out here too, that RogueF's mod does not work with Intel. Though it seems to work on PowerPC.

The latest version linked in the thread does.

[whatakevin]

lol its soo funny that mac is always advertising how much simpler, easier, better it is then PC

[Ignignokt]

Apparently, I can no longer edit my own post....

Anyway, a new addition to the FAQ:
6) Is there an easy way to get the labels for all my songs? Yes, download this Mac app that makes it simple to use ThatJon's script.

[poiklpu]

lol its soo funny that mac is always advertising how much simpler, easier, better it is then PC

i think it is simpler, exept for gaming. No viruses, my macbook pro is really fast, and i have much more important things to do on a computer than gaming. pc lovers are always talking about how gaming sucks for the mac. but i didnt buy my mac for gaming. fof is the only game i have. i didnt buy a console, i bought a computer. ???

[Ignignokt]

*Updated with new link for new version* (I sure wish we could edit posts for more than 5 minutes...)

6) Is there an easy way to get the labels for all my songs? Yes, download this Mac app that makes it simple to use ThatJon's script.

[JSvejk]

is there any way of fixing the backspace bug?
it is particularly annoying that you cant change the hi score name

[poiklpu]

is there any way of fixing the backspace bug?
it is particularly annoying that you cant change the hi score name

not just that, i can't adjust the delay, because i cant delete the zero. So it all ends up being 0-100. it keeps saying that is not a number. i have about 15 new songs that have bad delay.

[merlik]

I hope more people start developing for the Mac version. It is definitely playable which is great, but I would love to be able to use the latest version. The backspace issue was also a bit annoying. Thanks fro the great FAQ.

[Ignignokt]

is there any way of fixing the backspace bug?
it is particularly annoying that you cant change the hi score name

While I don't know of a fix for the backspace bug, I do know of a way to change the hi score name before you start the game.

Frets on Fire keeps an .ini file in a hidden folder in your User folder (why? beats me!). You can find it by picking "Go:Go To Folder" (apple-shift-G) and then typing "~/.fretsonfire/" (without quotes).

Simply open the file with TextEdit, find "[player0]" near the bottom and change "name = xxx" to "name = whatever you want". You can also set the names for other players here in the areas above for "[player]" and "[player1]". I would recommend making an alias of the file and keeping it in the same folder as Frets on Fire. Simply open the file and change the name when you want to let someone else play.

Not optimal, but that's all that can be done for now.

[poiklpu]

wow thanks! now if we could just find a way around the delay problem.