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Mac OS X

XBMC for Mac specific FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions for Mac OS X and Mac hardware.

1 General FAQ

See also: XBMC all platforms FAQ for FAQs that apply to all versions of XBMC.

1.1 Requirements

Shortcut: #requirements

XBMC v12 Frodo and later will require Mac OS X 10.6 and only run on Intel Macs. For the Apple TV 1 you will need to use a Linux-based OS to run XBMC v12.

XBMC v11 Eden runs on Mac OS X 10.4.x (Tiger) and later on both Intel and PPC Macs (G4 and above), as well as the Apple TV 1 (silver).

Apple TV 2 (black) does not run XBMC for Mac, it runs XBMC for iOS.

1.2 How to install and/or update XBMC

Shortcuts: #install, #update

Main page: HOW-TO:Install XBMC for Mac

Simply download XBMC from http://xbmc.org/downloads/ and copy XBMC.app to your Applications folder to install XBMC
Do the same to update XBMC. All your settings and files will be preserved as they are located in a different place in the userdata folder. Be sure to make a backup of the userdata folder when doing updates in case something goes wrong.

1.3 XBMC for Mac version

Shortcuts: #Release_version, #Version

The current stable version of XBMC for Mac is v12.1 Frodo. This is the same code that all of the other platforms (Linux, iOS, Windows) are using.

1.4 What version/nightly build/beta of XBMC am I running?

Shortcuts: #Current_build, #XBMC_Version

XBMC main menu > System > Lower submenu > System info. Note the build date.

1.5 Programs and tools to help with XBMC

Shortcut: #Tools

For a list of programs and tools to help with XBMC, such as renaming files, managing media, file sharing, and more, see Supplemental tools/Mac OS X

2 Remote controls

2.1 What remotes can be used with XBMC

Shortcut: #remotes

Apple Remote (both white and silver version)
- How do I bring up the context menu? - Press and hold MENU
- How do I bring up the OSD during playback? - Press and hold SELECT
Logitech Harmony remotes can be used. See #Harmony
Any Keyboard such as wired, wireless, bluetooth. This includes "keymotes" such as the Rii or Boxee remote.
Web interfaces, including add-on interfaces.
XBMC smartphone and tablet remote apps.
Other IR remotes can be used with IR receivers such as the Flirc.

2.2 Starting XBMC with the Apple Remote

Shortcut: #Apple_remote_start

The Apple Remote can be set to start XBMC instead of Front Row or iTunes.
Go to Settings -> System -> Input devices and select "Allow start of XBMC using the remote".

2.3 Using a Logitech Harmony remote

Shortcut: #Harmony

XBMC can use a Logitech Harmony remote using the normal Apple IR receiver that is built into some Macs.
Go to Settings -> System -> Input devices and change "Apple remote" to "Universal".
On the Logitech Harmony remote, select the Plex profile.

2.4 Can't wake a sleeping Mac using the Apple Remote on 10.7

Shortcut: #Remote_wake2

See #Remote_wake

2.5 iTunes and/or system volume is taking over when using the remote

Shortcuts: #itunes_takeover, #remote_volume

Possible solutions:
- Install the free IR driver Candelair
  1. Make sure your remote is not paired in OS X under System Preferences -> Security & Privacy -> General
  2. Make sure your remote is not paired in iTunes under iTunes -> Preferences -> Devices
  3. Make sure the remote is still able to control XBMC (with or without the volume issue)
  4. Install Candelair
  5. If needed, set the remote to either Apple or Logitech Harmony (see the #Harmony section above)
- Install this free patch: http://www.thebitguru.com/projects/iTunesPatch
- Still have problems? Try this: http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=121137&pid=1002261#pid1002261

3 Troubleshooting

XBMC FAQs
	XBMC FAQ - Intro FAQ for new users ; All platforms - Applies to all OSes Android - Android OS and hardware ; iOS/ATV2 - iDevices & Apple TV 2 (black) ; Linux - Linux-based OSes ; Mac - Mac OS X & Mac hardware ; Windows - Windows OSes ; XBMCbuntu FAQ - OS/XBMC bundled install ; ; v12 (Frodo) - Upgrade FAQ for v12 ; Raspberry Pi - XBMC on R-Pi ;

3.1 General

3.1.1 Getting more help with XBMC for Mac OS X

Shortcuts: #Help, #Forum, #IRC

XBMC for Mac OS X specific help forum
#xbmc or #xbmc-osx IRC chat channel on irc.freenode.org. You might want to try the general channel first, even if your issue is Mac specific, simply because that channel is more active.

3.1.2 Userdata folder and logs

Shortcuts: #Userdata, #Logs, #logs, #debuglog, #xbmc.log

See How-to:Submit a proper bug report for bug reporting details and here for instructions on reporting an issue to the forums

Userdata folder: /Users/<your_user_name>/Library/Application Support/XBMC/userdata
Debug log: /Users/<your_user_name>/Library/Logs/XBMC.log
Console log: /Library/Logs/Console/501/console.log
CrashReporter: /Users/<your_user_name>/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/CrashReporter.log

3.1.3 I am seeing double or ghost files for some videos

Shortcuts: #Appledouble, #AppleDouble, #Ghost_files

When Mac OS X touches files that are saved on a non-Mac-formatted drive (HFS+) it will save metadata in what are often called AppleDouble files. They often show up looking like ._filename.ext or .DS_Store. On a native Mac formatted drive (HFS+) the metadata is written in such a way that it does not create these files, which is why you don't see them there.
Normally these files appear invisible on some computers, but will still get picked up by some programs such as XBMC.
You can prevent Mac OS X from creating these files on a network share by using a program such as TinkerTool or by opening Terminal.app and running the following command:
```
defaults write com.apple.desktopservices DSDontWriteNetworkStores true
```
To remove the files you need to make them visible (again, you can use TinkerTool to make them visible, but remember to re-enable invisible files afterwards to protect certain system files) and drag them to the trash can and delete them.

3.1.4 Remote issues

Shortcut: #Remote_issues

See #Remote controls

3.1.5 Add-ons downloaded from the internet are not in zip format or will not install

Shortcuts: #Add-on_zips, #Old_add-ons

There are two main possibilities for an add-on to not install when you use "Install from zip". One is that it isn't in a proper zip format, the other is that the add-on is for an older version of XBMC that isn't compatible with the version you are using.
Very commonly the Safari web browser is being used to download these add-ons, and by default will unzip the files leaving you with a folder that won't work with the "Install from zip" option. You can turn this feature off by going into Safari's preferences, under "General" and unchecking "Open 'safe' files after downloading". If you wish to keep this feature on, you should be able to find the original zip file in the Trash can. Just drag the file out and use it instead of the folder for "Install from zip".

3.1.6 Can't see UPnP sources/servers

Shortcut: #UPnP

See If you are unable to see UPnP sources or servers inside of XBMC it could be due to a conflicting UPnP service running on your Mac or network. One known conflicting server is EyeTV, which runs a UPnP server in the background, even if EyeTV itself is not running. Uninstalling EyeTV or forcing all EyeTV processes to quit in Activity Monitor should fix the issue.

3.1.7 Audio issues and/or slow video playback

Shortcut: #Audio

See also: Settings/System#Audio output

If you hear sound only coming from the left side of speakers/headphones then you probably need to change your audio settings from 2.1 to 2.0.
Make sure that your audio settings are correct. Wrong audio settings will have severely negative effects on video playback.

Check to see if your speaker setup is really correct
If passthrough: make sure you only enable the audio codecs your receiver supports.
Select the correct audio output device for analog and passthrough.

Gapless playback for music isn't working.
AAC to AC3 transcoding is broken for the time being, which means no multichannel support for AAC.
All sorts of hickups during music track transitions (gets worse with activated crossfade).
Music output lacks "audiophile" support (output is resampled to the setting from audio midi setup for all tracks)
Not actually an issue with XBMC: Apple does not provide support for HD-audio passthrough in their audio API, CoreAudio.

3.2 Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion and most likely 10.8 Mountain Lion) issues

3.2.1 SMB (Windows Sharing) isn't working when sharing files

Shortcut: #SMB

Update to XBMC v12.1 or higher for compatibility with the new SMB server in OS X 10.7 (and up).

3.2.2 Userdata folder and logs are hidden

Shortcuts: #Lion_userdata, #user_library

By default, Mac OS X 10.7 hides the user's Library folder, which is where XBMC's userdata folder and logs are stored. There are a few ways to get around this:
- While in the Finder, click on the "Go" menu and hold down ⌥ Option, then select Library.
- You can use programs such as TinkerTool to change the visibility of all or some hidden files/folders.
- To permanently reveal the ~/Library folder, open up Terminal and run this command:
```
chflags nohidden ~/Library
```
Note: Anytime there is an OS X update (e.g. from version 10.7.3 to 10.7.4) you will have to run this command again as the folder will be hidden again.

3.2.3 Can't wake a sleeping Mac using the Apple Remote

Shortcut: #Remote_wake

Apple changed how energy saving settings work on Mac OS X 10.7/10.8 and by default the Apple Remote will not wake a sleeping Mac. This can be fixed by changing the "darkwake" flag on Mac OS X, but do this at your own risk.

3.2.4 Strange sound when movie is paused after updating to 10.7.4

Shortcut: #Paused_sound

Are you getting strange sounds when you pause some movies after updating Mac OS X to 10.7.4? Apple changed some OS-level code that has affected several programs, including XBMC, Plex, ProTools, and others. It has been reported that upgraded Mac OS X to 10.7.5 or 10.8 (Mountain Lion) fixes this problem. For more info see this forum post: Forum:131305.

XBMC for Mac specific FAQ

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