A Mavericks Sandbox?

[supuhee]

Being addicted to Rosetta, I still use 10.6.8 on Partition X of my Mini (2011), but have installed 10.9.4 on partition Z. Thoughtlessly, I let Migration Assistant copy my Home Folder, Applications, etc. on Z. Now I have 2 sets of everything on my machine, and will forever have to synchronize them. It would be much better to have only System 10.9.4 on Z, along with a full set of symbolic links to the user files on X (not OS 10.6.8, of course). Here is a tentative plan.

1. Make a 10.6.8 Sandbox on Z, while erasing its present content

2. Update 10.6.8 on Sandbox to 10.9.4.

3. Run the Mini from either a conventional 10.6.8 sandbox (on partition B) or from the 10.9.4 sandbox (on Z)

Will this work? Or is there a better way? I suppose I should put the latest versions of Apple software (Safari, Mail, Preview, etc,) in a separate folder on Z and trash the symlinks to their older versions. On the first of every month I should reconsider whether to keep this bizarre arrangement or ditch 10.6.8. and switch entirely to Mavericks.

[dnanian]

I really think it would be unwise to try to Sandbox 10.9.x from 10.6. The "local" data -- and even the file system -- isn't fully compatible. You'd be asking for trouble that you would inevitably receive, eventually.

I think it might be time to let Rosetta go, you know? Or maybe create a small, bootable volume you run Rosetta from when you really have to (which should be outrageously rarely)...

[supuhee]

I need to look carefully at my files, apps, and modus operandi to decide which one to let go: Snow Leopard or Mavericks. At this point it is not obvious which would be the greater loss. But thanks for your advice.

[dnanian]

Remember that Apple isn't even providing security updates for 10.6 any more. It will be four major versions back when Yosemite ships: that's basically like running Windows 98 (well, Windows ME, but whatever).