Pima County Geographic Information Systems

Using Autodesk MapGuide with Macintosh and UNIX

Unfortunately, Internet Explorer on Windows is the best environment for using the MapGuide Viewer. However, Macintosh and UNIX users may be able to view the MapGuide maps using the Java Edition of the MapGuide Viewer. Macintosh and UNIX users of the Java Edition MapGuide Viewer do not get all of our site's features as some features only work with Internet Explorer on Windows. Macintosh users may also be able to run Windows (along with Internet Explorer and the MapGuide Viewer) to have the same optimal MapGuide Windows environment as explained below. We are working to implement new web mapping technology that will be browser and operating system neutral but can't specify a timeframe at this time. Read more about using other web browsers besides Internet Explorer.

Options for Macintosh Users

1. Macintosh web browsers do not support all our site's map features and maps do not appear as intended. The MapGuide Viewer Java Edition 6.5 may work with Safari and other web browser on Macintosh. In these cases "works" means a map displays and some of the map features do not work. To try this, simply acknowledge the "unsupported" warning pop-up and wait a bit longer than you usually might for the map to display. If the MapGuide map does not display for you in these unsupported browsers, then it's not likely we can help.

2. A good option for Mac users is to actually run Windows and Internet Explorer by booting Windows or using virtual machine software on your Mac. Virtual machine software allows you to install and use the MapGuide Viewer ActiveX Control (not the Java Edition MapGuide Viewer) with all features using Windows in a virtual PC environment. Or, find a Windows PC when you need to use MapGuide.

   Examples of related software for Intel-based Macs include Boot Camp from Apple, VMware Fusion from VMware, or Parallels Desktop for Mac. Boot Camp allows you switch between booting Mac OS X and compatible versions of Microsoft Windows on an Intel-based Mac. VMware Fusion and Parallels enable you to run Windows as a virtual machine under Mac OS X with Windows appearing in a separate window on your Mac OS X desktop. Our users have reported good results using VMware Fusion.

3. Find or borrow a Windows PC to use. The MapGuide Viewer doesn't require a powerful PC. That old Windows computer from your closet or your friend's closet may be all you need as long as it can connect to the Internet. You should also be able to use the computers at the Pima County Public Library.

4. The officially supported Macintosh platform uses the MapGuide Java Edition Viewer version 6.5 and only works on Macintosh OS X with Internet Explorer 5.x as the web browser. This option is no longer practical as Internet Explorer 5.x for Macintosh is no longer available from Microsoft and may not work with current versions of OS X.
   • Autodesk stated the requirements as Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x with Java Plug-In on Macintosh OS X Version 10.2.8. You need to have the Java 1.3.x virtual machine installed. (Presumably, later editions such as 1.4.2 available from Mac OS X Software Updates will also work.) Macintosh OS X requires the MapGuide Viewer Java Edition version 6.5. You may find our Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Java Edition Manual Install or Uninstall page helpful.

   If you can find Internet Explorer 5.x for the Mac, it's the preferred browser on OS X for MapGuide. Most say that version 5.2.3 is the latest Mac version but we've seen references to version 5.5 for the Mac. We see that Pure Mac and OldApps.com have Internet Explorer 5.2.3 for Mac available for download.

UNIX Supported Platforms

The Java Edition of the MapGuide viewer is supported on the following UNIX platforms:

• Netscape Communicator 4.7 on Sun Solaris 2.6 or 2.8

• Netscape Communicator 4.7 or Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.x on Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 98 SE, or Windows NT 4.0 (SP6a). While it's technically possible to run the MapGuide Java Edition Viewer on Windows, it doesn't make sense to do so. Use the ActiveX Control or Plug-in version instead of the Java Edition Viewer.

Downloading and Installation

Read the material above to see if you have a supported Macintosh or UNIX configuration.

Generally, the Java Edition MapGuide Viewer downloads dynamically like any other web file and no special installation is required. You may want to try to do a manual installation of Java Edition if you are already a Java Edition user and want to speed up starting your MapGuide map initial display.

If you have a supported Macintosh or UNIX configuration and want to try a manual install see Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Java Edition Manual Install or Uninstall.

Autodesk's installation web pages look at your current operating system and web browser. Therefore, it's best to download from the same system that will run the MapGuide Viewer. We recommend trying the automatic installation first and then the manual installation if that doesn't work.

If you get the message "Do you want to trust the signed applet distributed by 'Autodesk, Inc.'", pick the "Always trust content from Autodesk, Inc." option. Otherwise, when loading our maps you may get a message like "Security violation requesting dynamic map layers...". This may also appear as "JavaScript or a Java Applet from 'Autodesk,Inc.' is requesting additional privileges." in which case check "Remember this decision" and pick "Grant".

Things that work differently with the Java Edition

The MapGuide Java Edition Viewer has a few features that work differently. See About the Java Edition of Autodesk MapGuide Viewer. Also, if you have a one button mouse, remember to use Control-click to "right-click" in the MapGuide map.