Re: Arduino Due vs Mac

["Jedi Tek'Unum" <jeditekunum@gmail.com>]

On Tuesday, July 7, 2015 at 4:53:54 PM UTC-5, Simon Wright wrote:
> "Jedi Tek'Unum" writes:
> > On Tuesday, July 7, 2015 at 10:31:52 AM UTC-5, Simon Wright wrote:
> >> "Jedi Tek'Unum" writes:
> >> > On Mac, device names ending in something like usbmodemfd131 are from
> >> > the Apple driver and the hex ending is related to the physical port
> >> > number. My experience has been that the Apple drivers, for FTDI at
> >> > least, are buggy. I always replace it with the driver from FTDI which
> >> > has always cleared up flaky problems for me. The driver from FTDI
> >> > names the device with the serial number of the adapter.
> >> 
> >> Giving it a try - I expect I need to reboot, cos the same old
> >> /dev/cu.usbmodem1411 shows up.
> >
> > Reboot is easiest (can unload/load).
> >
> > I think it is also necessary to disable the Apple driver. On Yosemite
> > I go into /System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns
> > and rename AppleUSBFTDI.kext directory to something else (I called
> > mine AppleUSBFTDI.kext.disabled).
> 
> You may well be right. Doesn't seem like a very well-thought-out
> installation tool that requires me to go into a system directory to
> rename/remove a system component instead of just doing it itself.

The Apple driver didn't exist prior to Mavericks.

One would have expected the Apple driver to be fully functional and reliable such that the FTDI driver would never be needed. Alas this is the state of Apple (or more accurately, the industry) these days - incomplete and unreliable.

Renaming the Apple driver creates an ongoing problem with lifecycle as future Apple updates and releases will no doubt put it back in place.

Good that Apple driver is working ok for you. I suspect it won't last :)