OS X macOS Sierra There are no serial ports, or the serial library RXTX is...
Transfer disks and disk images between the Apple II and the real world
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david__schmidt
I have Mac mini with Mac Os Sierra 10.12.1 and Java 6 installed. I have also an USB to Serial adapter that has FTDI chip in it and I installed OS/X driver from here: http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm
Trying to get the ADT Pro communicating.
I am getting the pop up -message: "There are no serial ports, or the serial library RXTX is not installed or visible."
Where can I start looking for the problem? Where can I verify the drivers are properly installed. The Serial port installation was successfull according to the installation program.
I found out that the serial adapter had been installed and detected as a modem and not a usb-to-serial -adapter. I couldn't configure the adapter since the options for configuring it had the set of options meant for configuring a modem for connecting the computer to the internet. I could not re-define it manually.
Last edit: Marko Laaksonen 2016-11-20
It does sound like a problem with the USB/Serial adapter's driver. I've not seen driver installs fail this way before, but it would be instructive to view the list of available serial ports before and after install via the Mac's hardware inspector thingy (it's in the Apple menu, far left side of the menu bar).
Last edit: David Schmidt 2016-11-20
The adapter has been successfully installed and detected on my USB-hub according to the information found on my mac's device -list -information. A picture is enclosed.
Must I do the RX/TX -library-installation manually somehow? It seems a bit cryptic to me, though.
Last edit: Marko Laaksonen 2016-11-21
The adapter is seen as a modem that shows in the Mac's Network-settings.
Sorry to barge in but I am having the same issue - Same symptoms and output as Marko except using the prolific adapter. I am wondering if Marko has the same issue with the working directory. I'm not sure if the installation put the application in the correct locale (see picture of working directory location from application). I may be completely wrong on this one especially if there are symbolic links used in the application itself. I've tried changing the working directory and then rebooted the app but it appears that the change is not persistent. The full path starts with <disk name="">/private/var/....
Again, sorry if this is irrelevant. If it is I will just monitor the rest of the conversation.
I want to let you know that I finally got the connection working. I got the helpful and a working answer from a fellow Apple II Enthusiasts -Facebook group -user. Here's the answer that I got:
"There are 2 occurrences of the Java folder, One in System>Library>Java>Extensions , the other in Library>Java>Extensions .
Be sure to put librxtxSerial.jnilib and RXTXcomm.jar into Library>Java>Extension. That folder should be empty before you add those."
Under the ADTPro-2.0.2 -folder there is the lib-folder and there the rxtx-folder AND under there in the rxtx-2.2pre2-local -folder is the mentioned RXTXcomm.jar -file AND further... under the mac-10.5 -folder, there is the librxtxSerial.jnilib -file.
So as DIRECTLY and EXACTLY adviced I copied those two files (librxtxSerial.jnilib and RXTXcomm.jar) under the EMPTY directory, which (again) IS Library>Java>Extension.
AFTER that I got the ADT Pro working on my Mac mini.
Here's a video that proves it: https://youtu.be/OKyKWTbyHbI
This is the adapter I have: http://www.vscom.de/vscom-usb-com-mini.html
The adapter has FTDI-chip (I found the information elsewhere on the web) AND I installed using the driver I found here: http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm
I installed the driver marked: "Mac OS X 10.9 and above 2015-04-15 - 2.3". The direct link to the driver I used: http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP/MacOSX/FTDIUSBSerialDriver_v2_3.dmg
All the information along my journey getting ADT working on my mac from beginning of this thread.
I hope this will be helpful for some! Thanks!
Last edit: Marko Laaksonen 2016-11-21
This is very odd - you should definitely not need to move the RXTX jnilib files around. They should operate just where they are. But the fact that you have more than one java installation may be the thing that was keeping it from working properly from the get-go.
If the system had a Java-installation before me installing The Java 6, I did not know about it.
It would be interesting to restore the whole system to the situation it was before me trying to install anything AND try this whole procedure again (Except installing Java).
Last edit: Marko Laaksonen 2016-11-21
This article says Apple has disabled the old Java by default.
https://java.com/en/download/faq/java_mac.xml
Anyways, there are probably others who will end up in situations like I have.
The other reason for me installing Java was simply because I am accustomed using Windows PC -systems and there I usually always go and update the Java.
Very confusing...
This needs like a whole new level and knowledge of expertiese with the Java installation only. Even the uninstallation of Java from a Mac OS X isn't that clear. First you will have to look for a command line -method of removing it and the method is different in different versions!!!
Same issue (adt pro 2.0.2, sierra, legacy Java JRE downloaded & installed from apple)
Same fix as Marko - copy the 2 files into Library>Java>Extensions
I didn't have to jump through these hoops when I last used adt pro 2.0.1 under Yosemite or El Capitan - don't recall which, but I used it to boot an Apple IIc from bare metal.
Thanks Marko for the clear writeup. Thanks David for an awesome tool to keep old Apple's alive.