[Tutorial] How to install MWS on a Mac

Mandy · Joined: 30 Mar 2010 Posts: 14

Disclaimer: As far as I know this only works on Intel-based Macs. There is a way to get Wine to work on PPC's, but this requires a long, difficult, workaround which I will not be covering.

How to install and play MWS on a Mac:

Step 1: Download

You’re going to want to go to Kronenberg. Now this site seems to go down frequently, so if the sit doesn’t load it’s not because I typed the URL wrong, it’s because the server is flooded, and inevitably crashed.

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Step 2: Install

You know the drill here; I’ve already installed this so no photo for you here. If you really need to know how to install a program on OSX I’ll add to this guide.

Step 3: Download MWS

Refer to the instruction for step 2; hopefully you’re not that computer illiterate.

Step 4: Make MWS not crash when you try and run it

Now OSX doesn’t come installed with all the default fonts as a PC does, so we need to have Wine install those fonts for us. To do this, after you’ve installed wine, you should notice a little wineglass on your top navigation bar.

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You’re going to want to click this little wine goblet and select “Winetricks”.

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Now we simply need to install the “corefonts” package. Type “corefonts” in the search, then check it and hit apply.

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Now you should have MWS downloaded already. Install the .exe file, and it should run just like on Windows.

Following this installation, it will ask you if you want to install shortcuts, I keep them so that they are easy to access. After clicking on the shortcut you should have the following prompt.

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After you click go you should be set.

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Please post with any questions or difficulties. I’m a busy student at the University of Miami, but I’ll try my best to get back to everyone in a timely manor.

SaTiVa · Level 1 Judge Joined: 09 Jun 2005 Posts: 283

if this works and everything and is up to standards it should be stickied i know ppl with macs that avoided m-l because they couldnt get mws to work

don't got a mac my self so of no help to me tho >.<

gypsy · Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 1671

how to run mws on a mac,

install windows on mac allowing you to choose which OS you want to use when the computer boots up. install mws while running windows. voila

Mandy · Joined: 30 Mar 2010 Posts: 14

gypsy · Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 1671

bilo · Joined: 23 Mar 2009 Posts: 17

i have installed wine and mws.

Now i have 2 Problems:
1.
when i want to start mws following error occurs: "Critical Program Settings not found in registry. Reeinstall Magic Workstation."

When i try to install that fonts u mention, it says : "Prefix creation exited with error"

2.
Im able to start MWSPlay but it says "invalid file format" when i want to load a deck, although i got the latest masterbase.

any suggestions?

Mandy · Joined: 30 Mar 2010 Posts: 14

bilo · Joined: 23 Mar 2009 Posts: 17

Nope. It doesnt install it in that version as well. same error.

Mandy · Joined: 30 Mar 2010 Posts: 14

Alright, one last suggestion. Download Xquartz found here:
http://xquartz.macosforge.org/trac/wiki

For your appropriate version of OSX and restart your computer. See if that works.

bilo · Joined: 23 Mar 2009 Posts: 17

wth is that? Very Happy

what does it do? i dont really understand the description in the link.

Mandy · Joined: 30 Mar 2010 Posts: 14

It's just a replacement for the X11 client that is used to run Wine.

bilo · Joined: 23 Mar 2009 Posts: 17

and thats easy to undo if something goes wrong? it says something about conflicts that may happen when osx updates. i got all the orginal cds of my mac.

Sry if im being overcareful here, but i dont like doing stuff blindly without understanding it. and im new to macs.

Mandy · Joined: 30 Mar 2010 Posts: 14

I'll give you the textbook definition (courtesy of Wikipedia):

The X Window System (commonly X or X11) is a computer software system and network protocol that provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for networked computers. It provides windowing on computer displays and manages keyboard and pointing device control functions. In its standard distribution, it is a complete, albeit simple, display and human interface solution, which also delivers a standard toolkit and protocol stack for building graphical user interfaces on most Unix-like operating systems and OpenVMS, and has been ported to many other contemporary general purpose operating systems.

Xquartz is simply an light weight X Window System that was made to 'talk' to the existing X11 System.

I don't blame you for being cautious; obviously any idiot with a keyboard and half a brain can trick you into downloading malicious software.

Personally, I haven't had any conflicts, but that's most likely because when you update OSX X11 is generally updated by default. Obviously there can be a conflict if X11 is updated and Xquartz hasn't been, so you'll want to check on updates (fortunately Xquartz auto-checks for updates).

You should be fine going along with this process. As a precaution I always have Time Machine enabled and keep an external HDD, but as I said, I haven't had any issues in the months I've been using XQuartz and Wine.

Black_Dog · Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 175

1: Mandy, nice work at figuring this out and posting a tutorial.

2: I've gotten MWS to work and not crash. Was simple with WINE. Problem I'm having though is that it's not playable.

example: ctrl+i to roll a dice (or even if I select the command through the menu) doesn't work. The window for the d20 comes up, but then nothing happens when I click 'roll'

example 2: When I click on a card to put into play, I cannot see the card on the playing field. I can select it but I can't actually see it. Same problem when I draw a new card. I can't see the card at all.

I'm wondering if theirs any other winetricks you'd recommend installing to make this work. As of now I've only installed the font's one you mentioned in your tutorial.

And for reference I'm running an intel 2.53 ghz with 10.5.8 OS X

Any ideas?

Mandy · Joined: 30 Mar 2010 Posts: 14