GIS Education Center

Welcome Mac users. This page describes how to install ArcGIS on a Mac Intel-based computer. This means you will have to configure your Mac to run a Windows Operating System (XP, Vista, or Windows 7) before you can install ArcGIS. In addition, you will need Mac virtualization software (BootCamp, Virtualbox, Parallels, or VMWare Fusion) that allows another operating system to run on your Mac, either in its own partition on your computer's hard drive or as a self-contained file on your hard drive. (Note: this page was created by Rick Kos (Mac user) and Mono Simeone (not a Mac user) with help from other web sources - so be kind to us if things don't work out exactly as we have written them. If something is incorrect then let us know so we can improve this documentation. Thanks!)

***Most of our students get ArcGIS running on a Mac using a virtual environment without a hitch. However, that doesn't mean you won't. And in case your one of the unlucky few just remember ArcGIS is not supported by Mac so ESRI isn't going to help you; and it's unlikely neither Windows or Mac will help you if the virtualization is being stubborn . We will try our best to help you out by providing our own expertise, perhaps some tissues or a shoulder to cry on if it comes to that, but obviously we're not the Geek Squad so be prepared and proceed at your own risk***

Getting Started

Let's take a look at the basic requirements to get this done:
1. MAC OS X 10.5 "Leopard" or higher
2. Virtualization Software: BootCamp (free), Sun VirtualBox (free), Parallels, VM Fusion,
3. Microsoft Operating System: Windows XP or Windows 7 (we recommend Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit)
4. ArcGIS Desktop 10 DVD

So, we assume you have item # 1 and # 4 which is why your reading this page.

Windows XP, VIsta or Windows 7

1. Microsoft plans to phase out XP over time, but you can still purchase the OS on a number of web sites.  Many GIS users prefer XP over Vista.
2. Vista should be avoided since the release of Windows 7
3. Windows 7 is now available, appears to be stable, well liked, and ArcGIS 10 is stable on it. Windows 7 comes in three flavors: Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate. Home Premium is sufficient for using ArcGIS Desktop.

Windows 7 System Requirements:
• 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
• 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
• DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

Deciding which Microsoft OS to use is up to you and which ever one you can get your hands on. We recommend Windows 7. However, if you have a XP installation disk and you don't want to purchase Windows 7, then  you can certainly use XP.

Virtualization

Virtualization software will allow your Mac to run two operating systems. This is accomplished by the virtualiaztion software creating a new partition on your hard-drive, then installing the Microsoft OS on this new partition. We recommend using VirtualBox over BootCamp because it allows you to run both Operating Systems simultaneously....or in other words you can run Windows while working in your Mac environment.

KEY NOTES:
1. We (GISEC guys) recommend you give yourself enough space on the Windows OS section to fit multiple applications and data. A comfortable number is 30-50 GB of space. Consider the disk space requirements for:
Windows 7: 16gb
ArcGIS 9.3.1: 3gb
2. Place your GIS data on Windows OS section.
3. Format your Windows OS hard-drive section as NTFS. Boot-Camp may tell you FAT32. Ignore this and format the drive as NTFS.
4. If you're going to invest this much time installing and configuring Windows OS then you should make a back up copy.

Virtualization Software

We'll start with Boot-Camp as it's native to Mac OS. Technically, you can still run BootCamp on 10.4 "Tiger" but it's not recommended. Boot-Camp comes with 10.5 "Leopard" and 10.6 "Snow Leopard" so there's no need to download the application.

What is BootCamp?

BootCamp 4.0 is the latest update to the utility that assists users in installing Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 on Intel-based Macintosh computers. Boot Camp guides users through non-destructive re-partitioning of their hard disk drive. In other words, the end result of this process is the dividing of your hard-drive space so that the Mac OS operates on one section while Windows OS operates on the other section.

The key thing to remember about BootCamp is that it allows the user to run EITHER Mac OR Windows on your computer, not both simultaneously.  If you wish to run both operating systems simultaneously, then you should use VirtualBox; or purchase VMWare Fusion or Parallels (approximately ).

With BootCamp, the method by which you choose the operating system to run is to holding the OPTION key at startup.  This reveals the Boot Manager, which allows you to choose the right OS for your needs.  When using a non-Apple keyboard, the ALT key usually performs the same action.  The boot manager can also be launched by holding down the “menu” button on the Apple Remote at startup.

Using Boot Camp you will have to reboot your Mac each time you want to change OS. If this is a big deal then you'll want to use VirtualBox or purchase either Parallels or VMware Fusion (links below).

Go to BootCamp

Here's a decent tutorial we found online for installing Windows 7 via BootCamp.

BootCamp Requirements

• An Intel-based Mac with the latest firmware
• A Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard installation disc or Mac OS X Disc 1 included with Macs that have Leopard preinstalled for installation of Windows drivers
• 5 GB free hard disk space (16 GB is recommended for Windows 7)

A full version of one of the following Operating Systems:
• Windows XP Home Edition or Professional with Service Pack 2 or higher (32-bit editions only)
• Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate RTM or higher (both 32-bit and 64-bit editions)
• Windows 7 (Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate) both 32 & 64-bit

Bootcamp support
http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/

Sun VirtualBox (Thanks to Randy)

VirtualBox is a free, open-source virtualization application that works with Windows, Mac, Linux, and Solaris and supports the latest Microsoft Operating Systems. By all accounts, this seems to be an easy alternative if you don't want to use BootCamp and it allows you to run both simultaneously.

You'll also want to install the Guest Additions which enable more usability, like full screen mode.

Go to VirtualBox.

Parallels Desktop for Mac vs. VMware Fusion

Remember with Boot Camp that you have to reboot each time to you want to switch OS's. These products make the switch between OS's seamless (meaning that you don't have to reboot) . In fact, you can run Windows in your MAC desktop as a separate window. Both products will set you back approximately but it may be worth it if you plan on doing a lot of work in Windows environment. Overall, it seems like you get good performance and usability out of both products. Below are links that may help you decide which product to buy.

Parallels Desktop for MAC (http://www.parallels.com/)
VMware Fusion (http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/)

Comparison opinions
http://theappleblog.com/2008/11/11/vmware-fusion-2-vs-parallels-desktop-4-lets-dance/
http://www.mactech.com/articles/mactech/Vol.25/25.04/VMBenchmarks/index-001.html

Virtualization Back-Up!

You should make an image of your windows partition once everything is setup. This way you can you always restore if something goes wacky. VirtualBox, Parallels, and Fusion allow users to create images or back-ups while BootCamp does not.

What about performance or limitations?

Using virtualization software will require some processing power so if you're using a Mac with minimal processing or battery power you may want to avoid Parallels or VMware Fusion.  In terms of ArcGIS, from what we've seen the performance issue is not huge for basic GIS functionality. However, intensive 3D viewing may be a concern since only so much video card memory can be allocated.  As mentioned above, the more RAM your computer can accommodate, the better.  Fortunately, RAM is cheap nowadays.  Consider purchasing the maximum that your Mac can accommodate.

How can I get the right click options?

Connect a PC mouse via USB port.