imported>Hawkrives: fix strange grammar

2025-06-27T01:37:47Z

fix strange grammar

New page

{{Short description|Program used to emulate Motorola 68000-based Macintosh programs}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox software
| screenshot = Executorbrowser.jpg
| caption = Executor's "browser" Interface
| developer = Clifford Matthews
| released = 1990
| latest_release_version = 2.1
| latest_release_date =
| operating_system = [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[Linux]], [[Mac OS X]] ([[x86]])
| discontinued = yes
| programming language = [[C (programming language)|C]]
| genre = [[emulator|Emulation]]/[[Compatibility layer]]
| license = [[MIT license]]
| website =
}}

'''Executor''' is a software application that allows [[Motorola 68000]]-based [[classic Mac OS]] programs to be run on various [[x86]]-based [[operating system]]s. Executor was created by ARDI (Abacus Research and Development, Inc.). Executor development was indefinitely postponed in 2005, and it was published as [[open source software]] in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=ARDI website|url=http://www.ardi.com/ardi.php|accessdate=February 24, 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090401132132/http://www.ardi.com/ardi.php|archivedate=April 1, 2009}}</ref>

==Overview==
Executor was originally developed to run Mac programs on the NextStep platform.<ref>Dan Lavin, "Macintosh emulation nears", Nextworld EXTRA, September 1991</ref> and other MC680x0-based Unix systems like SunStation.<ref>"Cloning The Mac", Macworld, January 1992, page 107</ref> During that time, two other similar products also existed for Unix systems: Liken from Xcelerated Systems Inc, and Equal from Quorum Inc.<ref>"Mac Software Invades Alien Computer", Macworld, July 1993, page 87</ref>

Unlike true Macintosh emulators, Executor requires no startup [[Read-only memory|ROM]] images or other Apple intellectual property.<ref>{{cite web|title=Setting up Executor For Windows|url=http://emaculation.com/doku.php/executor_setup|publisher=E-Maculation |accessdate=August 30, 2010 |date=January 2009}}</ref> Executor, much like [[Wine (software)|Wine]] for running Windows applications on Unix-like platforms, translates [[Macintosh Toolbox]] API calls and [[QuickDraw]] routines into equivalent Win32 or [[POSIX]] API calls. The MS-DOS version of Executor runs using the [[CWSDPMI]] [[protected mode]] [[DOS extender]].

Executor translates 68k [[Endianness|big-endian]] binary code into x86 little-endian binary code.<ref name="Emulate Mac OS on your Linux box">{{cite news|title=Emulate Mac OS on your Linux box|url=https://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/05/05/emulate.mac.idg/index.html |publisher=[[Cable News Network|CNN.com]]|accessdate=February 24, 2009 | first=Pawel | last=Leszek | date=May 4, 2000}}</ref> Executor can only run Macintosh programs designed to run on [[Motorola 68000|68000]]-based Macintosh hardware. Executor can mimic either Macintosh [[System 7|System 7.0.0]], or [[System 6|System 6.0.7]] for older applications that are incompatible with System 7.0.0.

Due to the [[graphical user interface|GUI]]-oriented nature of classic Mac OS applications, Executor has its own GUI environment known as Browser. It mimics the classic Mac OS desktop and the [[Finder (software)|Finder]] application without having features such as the trash can or Control Panels.<ref name="Emulate Mac OS on your Linux box"/> The default Apple menu also does not exist in Browser but is replaced with a rough equivalent; running Mac applications will have Apple menu functions available. Executor does not have support for [[computer network|networking]] of any type, including [[AppleTalk]] support. Executor also lacks the ability to run components (such as extensions or control panels) that are highly integrated with classic Mac OS versions.<ref name="Emulate Mac OS on your Linux box"/> Due to the differences between the actual MacOS ROM and the emulation provided by Executor, other compatibility issues exist.<ref>{{cite web|title=Open source ROM replacement? in Mini vMac FAQ|url=http://minivmac.sourceforge.net/faq.html|accessdate=August 30, 2010}}</ref> For example, ''[[Heinz Heise|heise Magazine]]'' reported issues with installation of many programs, and running early versions of [[StarOffice Writer|StarWriter]] and [[Adobe PageMill]]. However, once installed, [[Microsoft Word]], [[Microsoft Excel|Excel]] and [[BBEdit|BBEdit Lite]] are usable.<ref>{{cite web|title=Executor - using Mac applications under Linux (The Executor)|publisher=[[Heinz Heise|heise Magazine]]|url=http://www.heise.de/ix/artikel/The-Executor-505290.html|first=Stefan|last=Kühnel|accessdate=August 30, 2010}}</ref>

The Unofficial Macintosh Emulation Pages reports successfully running Executor with 24MB of RAM on Windows 95.<ref>{{cite web|title=Executor/DOS under Win32|publisher=Unofficial Macintosh Emulation Pages|url=http://www.reocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/9359/w95.htm|accessdate=August 30, 2010}}</ref>

After considering an [[Open-source software|open source]] release of the [[source code]] for some time, Matthews released the source code for the <code>executor</code> and <code>syn68k</code> applications on October 5, 2008, under a very permissive MIT-style license.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060315025329/http://www.ardi.com/executor.php ARDI - Executor website]
*[https://github.com/ctm/executor GitHub - Executor project site]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20091026192959/http://geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/9359/w95.htm Unofficial Mac Emulation: Executor/DOS under Win32]
*[http://emaculation.com/doku.php/executor_setup E-Maculation's Executor setup guide]
*[https://github.com/autc04/executor Executor 2000 (actively maintained fork)]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Executor (Software)}}
[[Category:Compatibility layers]]
[[Category:Classic Mac OS]]

Executor (software) - Revision history

imported>Hawkrives: fix strange grammar