FFS why is Rosetta2 still a dependency to install NTKdaemon?

kninja · 2025-02-22T02:35:47+00:00

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it's 2025. Apple Silicon users should not still be finding themselves coerced into installing rosetta2 when the software they want to run is supposedly now updated to run natively…

I have been unable to run any of my NI software since upgrading to an M3 macbook, despite the fact that all the actual software now runs native on apple silicon for no other reason than NTKdaemon has a hard dependency on installing rosetta2. Why is this STILL the case when even it runs natively now….

I get that there are some legacy software/plugins which will need rosetta2 to install/run, but why force rosetta2 to be installed up front instead of waiting until a user actually tries to install such a plugin? This situation is beyond ridiculous…

No, I don't care if rosetta2 runs smoothly, or whether it takes up resources or not. I simply don't want it installed AT ALL. I didn't fork out thousands of dollars for a new machine with a new CPU architecture to run legacy software through an emulator.

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Comments

victorp.sg

On my M2 MacBook according to macOS System Information, NTKDaemon is a Universal application at currently version 1.23.0, and as such, it is running natively.

Most likely the Installer app and scripts for NTKDaemon is written for Intel, so Rosetta 2 is required during installation only.

kninja

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/212558#Comment_212558

Well that is my point… NTKdaemon doesn't actually require rosetta2 to run, so why force it to install up front instead of waiting until a user tries to install something that actually needs it?

mykejb

As @victorp.sg said above, NTKDaemon doesn't need Rosetta, but the installer does. So Rosetta has to be installed for the installer to run.

BIF

I have never heard of Rosetta causing any kind of performance problem on any M series Mac.

Yes, it's 2025, but it's also only 4 years on from the first M1 Mac becoming available. Sometimes things take time to migrate off of an old technology. Yeah, I know it can feel like it's clutter on your Mac by now, but it's "vendor clutter", not your clutter. Ask me again in 2030; if Rosetta is still around when we're all on M9 silicon, then maybe I'll get upset.

I'm just happy we're not still messing around with 1998 sound cards that use FM synthesis to approximate sound effects and musical instruments! 😏

Skijumptoes

Not sure what the big deal is about installing Rosetta 2 really, but it's a personal choice that should be respected.

I would suggest that it should be added to the System Requirements page, or Apple Silicon page that links off that. As if it's needed for install then it's a system requirement.

No-one could complain about it post purchase then.

Kesara

When you install rosetta 2 there's no easy way to uninstall it.

Also when rosetta 2 is installed any new app that requires rosetta will silently work without notifying the user.

NigelP

There's really no reasonable excuse for requiring Rosetta 2 in 2025. This should be prioritised so that people who choose not to install it on their Mac's are not forced to choose between installing Rosetta 2 or falling further and further behind NI updates.

I will certainly not be installing Rosetta 2 for reasons outside of my use of NI software. Please respect people's right to choose and support them by removing this requirement asap.

expora

Is there a way to install manually and avoid the need for Rosetta 2? I'd love to install Reaktor, which is native, and avoid having to install Rosetta.

Scott Frost

what’s the problem, use it to install then uninstall it. First world problems

mykejb

Uninstalling it isn't straightforward unfortunately. But if it's not being used it doesn't take any resources, so I just allowed it to install and ignored it totally after that.

expora

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/220653#Comment_220653

Uninstalling is not trivial, you need to boot into Recovery Mode, disable System Integrity Protection… it's a whole thing. People like me, not in the first world, actually care about system pollution as we'd like our machines to last longer than your average first world user.

Skijumptoes

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/220675#Comment_220675

Then Rosetta should be embraced as it allows you to use older software for longer. It's not going to have the opposite effect of reducing the longevity of that machine - how an earth could it?

By not using it, you've already reduced the ability of what your hardware can run. Your choice, though.

Maciej Repetowski

I’m a Mac person and all that, but, for the life of me, I can’t understand the resentment towards Rosetta. It’s a binary translator, it does not take up resources, it does not run in the background. What’s the problem?

expora

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/220743#Comment_220743

It's not that this piece of software in particular will reduce its longevity, it's just system pollution in general, I would like to avoid it. I don't think I've reduced any abilities really as my current setup only uses native applications. No need to run older software. This would be the only thing left and but I guess there's no other option. I appreciate your comments though.

MapleGuitar

I just retired my iMac Pro and got a new Mac Studio. Over the past couple days, I have installed the plug-ins I own from at least a dozen different vendors. Not Once was I asked to use Rosetta until trying to install Native Access. Is there really no way to install NI Kontakt — which I have paid for, and which supposedly is native Silicon — without having to use Rosetta for Native Access? In April 2025? The other issue of note is that almost all other vendors I work with (Waves, UVI, PSP, Motu, EastWest, etc.) make it easy to contact support. Most have readily accessible Chats or email/forms. But NI wants me to jump through 100 hoops with auto-bots and gives no email address that I can find.

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