Upgrading to Mac OS X, version 10.10, “Yosemite”

Since teachers of students in Grades 6–12 and students in Grades 9–12 are “administrators” of the MacBook Air laptop that has been issued to them, these users have the ability to open the App Store application and upgrade to the latest operating system. The new version of Mac OS X (pronounced Mac O S ten) is version 10.10 (ten point ten) and is referred to by Apple as “Yosemite,” named after the National Park known for its spectacular granite cliffs and wilderness areas.

Yosemite (the operating system) is the eleventh release of Mac OS X (the first version was 10.0) and represents a major overhaul of the look and feel of the software. Many of the features of the Mac operating system are designed to interact with and complement iOS 8, the new operating system that runs the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

While there is currently no requirement to upgrade to Mac OS X Yosemite, many users may wish to do so to take advantage of the new features. So far, the operating system has been very stable and works well on Barrington 220’s network. The only application that requires a bit of additional attention is GroupWise, our email and calendar system.

Upon launching GroupWise in Mac OS X Yosemite, you will see a message asking you to install an earlier version of Java. Below you will find a set of directions to help you install the software to allow GroupWise to run in Yosemite.

1. Launch the GroupWise app.

2. Click More Info...

3. Click Download and wait for the software installer to download.

4. Look in the Downloads folder for the file JavaForOSX2014-001.dmg and double-click the file to open it.

5. Double-click JavaForOSX.pkg to open it.

6. Click Continue (three times):

7. Click Agree.

8. Click Install.

9. Type your computer’s password. Click Install Software.

10. After installation, click Close.

LATER...

Because these instructions downgrade the Java version, the Mac will ask you to upgrade Java within a day or two. Make sure to resist the urge to upgrade since it will cause GroupWise to no longer work. When you see this screen, click Skip This Version.