How to install a system framework required for MacOS application

Question

Years of my software development are worth nothing when it comes to MacOS, I need your help guys.

Say, I have an application bundle brought to fresh MacOSX Lion, and it complains that Metal Framework is not found. Indeed, the otool shows a dependency on Metal. I don't even ask how a dependency on a framework could be described in a bundle for now! First please help me to understand: how do I install a missing Apple's System Framework to the given MacOS manually? And, if this makes sense at all:

• What are the constraints?
• Are all frameworks available on all MacOS (OSX) versions?
• How to get rid of a certain dependency, if it beaks compatibility with an old MacOS release?

Answer 1

how do I install a missing Apple's System Framework to the given MacOS manually?

You don't. System frameworks are exactly that - frameworks distributed with the system. They're not standalone packages that you can mix and match. There are surely complex interdependencies between the frameworks and the core OS, and the different frameworks themselves.

The different system frameworks comprise the macOS API for that version of the operating system. You can't simply take the Metal framework and install it on an older OS - it depends on myriad other parts of the system.

Are all frameworks available on all MacOS (OSX) versions?

No. See the OS X Frameworks documentation, specifically the section "System Frameworks" which details all system frameworks and when they became available.

How to get rid of a certain dependency, if it beaks compatibility with an old MacOS release?

Do you have the source code for the application? Rewrite the feature to use an alternative (and available on your distribution target) technology. In your example, that would be OpenGL instead of Metal.