Cura 21.08 won't open in the new M2 macs

[LDG-CO 0]

Cura 21.08 will not open on a new mac M2 chip computer.  You get python errors and request to changing  "Info.plist" which specifies the python location and version.  I have read countless forums on Python and it's not their problem.  I have read you do not support older versions and appreciate that but I just want to install it.

 

I like Cura 21.08  because on a few older Lultzbot Taz, this version has all the default settings for the older printers.  Unfortunately the new Lultzbot Cura and the newer Ultimaker Cura do not have and options to select and load the older printers with their multitude of default settings.  As anyone knows - for some reason occasionally (after 10 years I've found) Cura will wipe out the many printers and settings you have  set them up all over again. If you have a whole bunch of printers as I do, even the default setup is very time consuming.   I have too many printers to sit and manually plug in all the info into the new program versions. 

 

So my question is how can I be able to open and use cura 21.08 on the new mac m2?  After that I get you won't want to support issues or questions.  I've tried downloading Python 2.7 which it was designed to use back then and can't download that on the new M2.  I tried rewriting or editing or duplicating the "Info.plist" from the newer "Info.plist" for the Lultzbot Cura 3.6.37 but nothing works.

 

Any help would be most greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

Edited April 4, 2023 by LDG-CO
bad english

[ahoeben 1,953]

You are going to have to ask Lulzbot, not Ultimaker. The 21.08 version is based on a version of Cura that Ultimaker stopped developing in 2016. Also Lulzbot have been making fairly major changes to the original Cura code since 2015, so it is hardly recognizable anymore. Finally that version just depends on too many 3rd party components that are no longer working on a modern Apple computer, such as Python 2.7 (as you already found out).

 

If you want to keep using Lulzbot Cura 21.08, you are probably going to have to do so on an older computer.

[LDG-CO 0]

I did ask the Lulzbot support team since I'm certain that I'm not the only one that would still like to use 21.08.  Unfortunately they were not helpful. (See attached) Ever since the Lultzbot company was sold they do not seem to care about their earlier models or their very long time supporters. They also do not seem as helpful as the when the company was in Colorado pre-sale.  I got a too bad response without any direction as how to solve the issue.  So trying to get any kind of solution I ask if I could load the printer as a TAZ 5 and tweek it but got no real help there either.  I have since also put this issue on the Lultzbot Community board and have yet to get any insight as to how to fix this.

 

As an FYI - to correct your statement above, actually Cura 21.08 works fine on Python 2.7 which comes preinstalled on the older macs.. Cura  21.08 works just fine on a mac using the OS High Sierra 10.13.6.  Apparently the new M2 does not come with python installed so I had to download the new Python which I did.  I now need some direction as to how to "edit' the "Info.plist"  to tell Cura how to use it.  This requires someone with the right knowledge which I've yet to find.  I am not familiar with the inner workings or how to edit the file. Certain someone out there has the right knowledge to get the answer for many out there.

 

-Or - Alternatively --- Is there a newer version that 21.08 Lultzbot Cura that lets you set up a printer selecting a Buddaschnozzle as the extruder  on a Taz 3 or 4.  These settings will also be for the z rods before the upgrade on Taz 5. Thanks

Edited April 5, 2023 by LDG-CO

[LDG-CO 0]

Why does the Ultimaker Cura not give the option to load a Lultzbot printer machine when they offer so many other printers? That would be another work around?

[ahoeben 1,953]

I am not aware of any changes in info.plist files making ancient versions of Cura and Python work on modern Apple processors. I do know that all Windows and Mac OS versions of Cura come with their own "baked in" version of Python (2.7 for legacy Cura, 3.5-3-10 for newer Cura), so installing a version of Python on your system doesn't really change anything as far as Cura is concerned.

 

Ultimaker only creates and maintains profiles for Ultimaker printers. All other printer definitions and profiles are created by other manufacturers (like Lulzbot) or community members. An effort to get Lulzbot printers included in Ultimaker Cura is underway here:

https://github.com/Ultimaker/Cura/pull/10232

Edited April 6, 2023 by ahoeben