Any success running TCS/FrameMaker on M1 Mac?

[Alan Houser]

Just sending this flare as I continue to work on the issue...

Have any of you successfully run TCS or even just FrameMaker on an M1 Mac? Here's the situation I'm encountering:

• Microsoft no longer provides a Windows 10 image for ARM-based processors. You can only install Windows 11 (BTW, which Microsoft claims provides full backwards application compatibility with Windows 10).
• It's no longer possible to install Internet Explorer on Windows 11. Only Microsoft Edge is supported.

Here's what I'm seeing thus far (in a Windows 11 VM under Parallels):

• The TCS installer initially terminated on launch, with message "Your browser or operating system is no longer supported. You may need to install the latest updates to your operating system". Applying the Adobe registry modifications for bypassing the IE 11 requirement appeared to fix this problem.

• FrameMaker terminates on launch with "The code execution cannot proceed because atmlib.dll was not found. Reinstalling the program may fix this problem". I've also searched for a copy of 'atmlib.dll' on my Windows 10 filesystem, without success. (I've attempted multiple re-installs from both the TCS and stand-alone FrameMaker installers).

If anybody can report success and/or provide a path forward, I would be grateful to learn of it!

-Alan Houser

[Alan Houser]

I'm still running FrameMaker 2019 on my Windows 11/ARM system (installed via the FrameMaker installer, after doing the registry hack and copying atmlib.dll from a Win10 system).

The FrameMaker 2022 installer terminates when it detects Windows 11/ARM (the error message says that the installer file is damaged). True still for the Update 1 released a few days ago.  I reported this to Adobe, and got back "Support for ARM Processor is in our current roadmap and should be available later this year."

I'll try installing FM2022 on a Win 10 system and copying over the installed folders when I have time. 🙁

BTW, I don't see anything in the FrameMaker system requirements that flags the lack of ARM processor support: https://helpx.adobe.com/framemaker/help/fm_system_requirements.html

[pdeitel]

Just checking if you were able to run the 2022 installer. Thanks!

[Wim iDTP]

Hi Alan, can you confirm that you're able to edit content using FM 2020? I've alao managed to install FM and run it, but as soon as I start editing structured content FM crashes. Do you see the same?

Wim

[Alan Houser]

Hi @Wim iDTP - I can edit structured content. Except for the Extendscript Debugger and PDF workflows, my FM 2020 on Win11/ARM has been stable and useable.

Maybe try re-copying "C:\Windows\System32\atmlib.dll" from Windows 10 to the same location on Windows 11? (Be sure to copy atmlib.dll from "System32", not the version in "SysWOW64").

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

Are you using a "stock" content model, or are you using a custom structapp?

If using a custom structapp, are you able to use a stock model like DITA successfully?

[Wim iDTP]

No, Fnm crashes as soon as I try to insert an element. But my license has expired, I'm waiting for a new one. Not sure if that's related ......

Wim.

[Craig W. Carlson]

Is it true that Adobe still does not have a supported way of running Framemaker on as M1/M2 Mac?

[Alan Houser]

Maybe a pedantic distinction, but Adobe will never claim to provide a supported way to run FrameMaker on a MacOS platform. But many in the community (including some from Adobe) have done it successfully for years; running FM in a Windows virtual machine running on MacOS.

But ... Only Windows 11/ARM will run on M1/M2 MacOS virtual machines. And Framemaker is not supported on Windows 11 for ARM processors. In my testing, the FM2022 installer terminates when it detects Win11/ARM. 🙁

Adobe says that FM support for Windows 11/ARM is on the roadmap.

-Alan Houser

[Craig W. Carlson]

What you are saying is true, but at least there was a supported path "Windows VM -> Framemaker" to run on the Intel macs.  I've been doing it for years.  It sounds like the only path on M1/M2 macs requires "tricking" the software to run/install (via copying fies or registry changes).  Since I'm using Framemaker for professional reasons (i.e., I get a paycheck from it), I'm hesitant to use a "hack" to get this running on the M1/M2.  Hopefully, there will be a supported path sometime down the road.

[Dan Phillips @Korg]

Yes - because of Frame's lack of support on modern Macs, I've reluctantly had to switch to InDesign. InDesign is inferior in some important respects; specific pain points are the lack of printable/usable change bars, conditional text limitations, and bizarre inability to support text over graphics in anchored frames (important for multi-language support; one shared, captionless graphic file, with captions provided in the translated documents). Due to FrameMaker's increasing marginalization, our normal translator now insists that we pay for his license ("not much call for that around these parts"). It seems that Adobe has decided on a limited future for FrameMaker, which is a great shame in my opinion.

[diver314]

Thanks so much for the clarity in you message!

I am using parallels 18 on Apple M1. The Parallel emulates windows 11 for ARM (the license is from windows 11 inside) and it runs nicely office 365, and almost all Adobe programs. I am also running Framemaker on a pc win 64 (no arm) and win 10. However, I cannot install framemaker under parallel as it tells me I have a corrupt installer.

Can you specify in summary what do I need to do to make it work under this setting in terms of atmlib porting , IE inhibiting and so on that was recommended so its clear to all of us?

Thanks

Isaac

[Bob_Niland]

On a tech news site yesterday, I see “Windows 11 Is Now Officially Supported on Apple Silicon With Parallels”

As usual for modern so-called journalism, it leaves out key basic details, like what Windows ISA is being supported (x86 or ARM), but it does hint at various problems that might be expected:

• $$ to Apple + $$$ to Microsoft (if they'll sell you a licence at all).
• 64-bit apps only (is all of modern FM installs 64b?)
• various subsystems & perhaps APIs not present

[Stefan-Gentz]

If it said “Windows 11 Is Now Officially Supported on Apple Silicon With Parallels” it does refer to ARM (“Apple Silicon” is ARM-based) and not x86.

[Bob_Niland]

Yes, MacOS/iARM is the host platform, but what ISA is being emulated by Parallels? Win/ARM or Win/x86. The answer may be obvious to Mac users, esp, Parallels users, but it's not clear to me.

[Barb Binder]

@Bob_Niland and @Stefan-Gentz:

Explain this like I'm five... can I now run FrameMaker on my M1 using Parallels?

https://www.computerworld.com/article/3688552/microsoft-officially-unleashes-windows-11-on-apple-sil...

~Barb

[Stefan-Gentz]

Short Answer:

No. At least not officially.

Long answer:

The article in Computerworld has a catchy, but missleading title:

Microsoft officially unleashes Windows 11 on Apple Silicon Macs

The correct title should have been: "Microsoft officially unleashes Windows on ARM 11 on Apple Silion Macs."

In fact they clarify that in the article itself later:

Parallels Desktop is finally an authorized solution for Arm versions of Windows 11 on Macs running M-series processors.

There are two versions of Windows:

Windows 11 ← Runs only on x68/x64-based processsors (usually Intel or AMD, including older MacBooks).

Windows on ARM 11 ← Runs only on ARM-based processors (like the M1/M2 processors on newer MacBooks).

The latest versions of FrameMaker officially only support "Windows", but not "Windows on Arm".

We are looking into this for a future update of FrameMaker.

[pdeitel]

When? M processors have been around for a while now and many of us run FrameMaker in VMs on Macs. My old Mac is SO UNBEARABLY SLOW that I might need to ditch FrameMaker just because Adobe still does not yet support ARM. 

[Barb Binder]

Thank you, @Stefan-Gentz. I am going to continue waiting patiently for you to change that answer to a yes. 😉

~Barb

[Bob_Niland]

So for Mac, Adobe might do:

1. Reanimate the native MacOS API port of FM, and hope that Apple stops churning the ISAs.
2. Officially support current x86 FM in a Windows/x86 VM in Parallels.
3. Port FM to Windows/ARM, and officially support that via Windows/ARM in Parallels.
4. Offer FM as a cloud service, so it runs anywhere that has a decent bandwidth and a suggested browser (with any luck, not exclusively Edge: due to various MS issues).

What platform to support next is a chronic question (Linux, perhaps?), and any single answer is going to leave a lot of potential customers unhappy.

As I recall, a couple of decades ago, Adobe had FM as running on the cloud as a demo. The main customer segment that wouldn't satisfy would be the air-gappers.

[diver314]

Thanks so much for the clarity in you message!

I am using parallels 18 on Apple M1. The Parallel emulates windows 11 for ARM (the license is from windows 11 inside) and it runs nicely office 365, and almost all Adobe programs. I am also running Framemaker on a pc win 64 (no arm) and win 10. However, I cannot install framemaker under parallel as it tells me I have a corrupt installer.

Can you specify in summary what do I need to do to make it work under this setting in terms of atmlib porting , IE inhibiting and so on that was recommended so its clear to all of us?

Thanks

Isaac

[Bob_Niland]

diver314: Can you specify in summary what do I need to do to make it work…
Me? No; sorry. I've never owned or used an Apple product, so can't even begin to guess at what double-secret tricks would be required.
And the last time I did get into such details, it was for FM7 on the XPMode VM under Window7Pro.
The existence of an {empty} ARM directory in recent FM install zips suggests that Adobe has some forthcoming additional platform plan, but it's not at all obvious what that might be, or when.

[diver314]

Thanks! I checked the latest download of FrameMaker off the Adobe site and the ARM 64 directory is empty as you wisely pointed out. This means that on M1 and M2 with Parallels ARM 64 Emulation you are at risk... until FrameMaker is autorized for ARM 64 and this folder is officially filled. By the way: the latest version of FrameMaker claims the IE dependency was removed!

[pdeitel]

But can you install the x64 version in some sort of emulation mode on windows 11 arm?

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[diver314]

The key idea is to use Parallel the emulates ARM 64 arcitecture and run WinARM on an M1, M2 to benefit from speed performance of this mode. I think (not sure) that it does not emulate X64 architecture. So untill FrameMaker does the move to move it to WinARM we are stuck with non-official hudge pudge that does not meet professional business use... at least not for for me and other users.

[pdeitel]

My understanding is that Windows ARM **can** emulate x64. But for the life of me, I can't get the x64 Framemaker to install. I don't need anything other than the ability to edit Frame files and produce PS output.