I am very sorry about the issues people have been hitting with Snow Leopard and MultiClutch – especially given the silence on this blog and the lack of updates for MultiClutch. As many of you have noted in the comments, InputManagers don’t work in 64bit apps and since Snow Leopard is (mostly) 64bit, MultiClutch doesn’t work on Snow Leopard. MultiClutch relies on InputManagers, so unfortunately there is no way to fix this short of a total rewrite of MultiClutch. I’m currently looking into how (and if) this might be possible, and I will update this blog with any progress I make.
In the meantime, you can keep MultiClutch working by running your apps in 32-bit mode. For example, to use it in Safari, use the Finder to ‘Get Info’ on Safari and then check the “Open in 32-bit mode” box as shown.
Thanks for all the kind words and supportive emails.
Update: User Prashant has a fork of MultiClutch running in SnowLeopard using SIMBL. I have not tested this but several users have commented that it works as intended in 64-bit apps. Thanks, Prashant! SIMBL has all the limitations as input managers plus you have to install the thing, so I’d still like to see a version that doesn’t use SIMBL. I’ve made some progress to that end, but no promises and nothing to report yet.
September 1, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Please do share whatever discoveries you make regarding alternatives to InputManagers. Agile Web Solutions had a good roundup, but it was a little short on details.
http://www.switchersblog.com/2007/08/the-end-of-th-2.html
I’m particularly interested in the possibility of installing a bundle into the system dynamic library path; finding it hard to locate any good documentation about this, however.
September 3, 2009 at 4:45 am
God. Didn’t know how much I used it until it was gone…
Let us know if there’s anything anyone can do! I’d be willing to donate if you could work on a Snow Leopard version.
September 3, 2009 at 5:50 am
Same here, i am just waiting for this function to come back to the mac and make my fingers happy as being lazy again.
September 3, 2009 at 9:28 am
Haven’t upgraded to Snow Leopard yet, and the lack of Multiclutch is the number one thing I’m NOT looking forward to. Wish you the best of luck figuring this out!
September 3, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Hi Will,
I can’t believe they stopped 64-bit apps using input managers! I’m not too hot on the subject but maybe this is a route you could go down:
http://rentzsch.com/mach_inject/
http://rentzsch.com/share/DynamicallyOverridingMacOSX.pdf.tgz
Hope that helps!
- Javawag
September 3, 2009 at 1:42 pm
please will,
i´m desperately waiting for a SL capable version of multiclutch. this tool made my workflow so much easier, i hope there is a way to rewrite the code. let me know if i can help somehow. despite that, i will donate for sure!
September 3, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Upgraded to Snow Leopard, and looks like MultiClutch may have poo-pooed my computer. Not 100% sure if it is MultiClutch but the whole 64/32 bit issue seems to fit. My machine will just hang and beach ball and sometimes not even boot properly. If anyone can tell me how to COMPLETELY remove MultiClutch that would be awesome. It’s such a shame because I absolutely loved it.
September 4, 2009 at 7:16 am
Hi Will,
As another user wishing to encourage your efforts.
The good bit:
I have just noticed that my Mutliclutch settings for “Pages”, and “Numbers”, have been retained following Snow Leopard installation with no need to launch these application in any special way.
The not so good bit:
I regret that Safari has not behaved so nicely and I am demoted to the dreaded pinch gesture for zoom. Map zooming in Safari is back to uncontrollable, ultra fast, zooming at the slightest touch of the trackpad. Presumably no one at apple uses maps?
It is a very disorienting feeling going back to the defaults of the trackpad. it is surprisingly difficult to remember the defaults and nowhere near the degree of fine control is available in comparison to my customised Muticlutch variants.
An update of Multiclutch for Snow Leopard will be greatly appreciated.
September 4, 2009 at 8:17 am
Add me to the list of devout Multiclutch users! I’ve never understood why Apple went through all the trouble of inventing and integrating multi-touch, and then not enable people to use it in a efficient and productive manner! Multiclutch fills this hole splendidly, and I cannot imagine using a trackpad without having the added functionality that Multiclutch offers!
So please, let us donate to the cause! I know there’s no guarantee that a new version will see the light of day, but I’ll gladly donate for everything made possible with the previous version.
September 5, 2009 at 5:44 pm
I want my multiclutch!
September 6, 2009 at 12:16 am
Put me down for a donation for a 64-bit SL compatible version.
September 6, 2009 at 5:53 am
I will gladly donate to the cause, this app should be part of OS X.
September 6, 2009 at 11:17 am
>> God. Didn’t know how much I used it until it was gone…
Damn you’re right. Im so missing Multiclutch :/
Greetings
September 6, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Multiclutch makes OS X So much more useful and was the defining reason for me purchasing my first macbook pro, when the new trackpad came out. Having it just vanish with SL made me think about how much I use it and made me decide to donate. What a great program, hope it makes it to snow leopard!!
September 7, 2009 at 5:17 am
it’s a shame, that apple offers no solution for customizing the multi-touch gestures. i really hope, that you’ll find a solution for this. acutally i’ve switched all 10.6.-apps to 32 bit mode :-/
September 7, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Is it possible for you to set up a newsletter or something so we know what the progress is? If so, please subscribe me!
September 8, 2009 at 11:08 am
Could it be implemented using the same technology as the new SIMBL manager is using? Or could it be redone as a SIMBL plugin and avoid having to duplicate the loading mechanism altogether? I believe they are going along the lines of an OSAX view so that Cocoa apps will load it, but I think that requires an app to support scripting and I don’t think Carbon apps will load it. Not sure.
September 9, 2009 at 6:01 am
Could anyone that has upgraded to Snow Leopard (I haven’t yet) answer a quick question? MultiClutch supports two kinds of gestures mapping: Global and Application. I understand the situation in Snow Leopard as regards the latter, namely that an Application mapping will work only if you run the relevant application in 32-bit mode. Of greater interest to me is the status of Global mappings. Do they work in Snow Leopard? If not, any idea why and if this aspect can be fixed independently of the whole Input Manager replacement thing. Thanks in advance.
September 9, 2009 at 7:35 am
Don, this isn’t a definitive answer, nor is in complete. I’ve set a global shortcut in MultiClutch on Snow Leopard. Despite being global, the shortcut will only work if an application running in 32-bit mode is currently holding the active focus.
September 9, 2009 at 8:11 am
Thanks for the update Will. I look forward to a version of MultiClutch that works under Snow Leopard. Despite the fact that I have a 10.6 CD sitting in my house, I’m probably going to wait until I know I’ll have that functionality post-upgrade. I’m so dependent on mouse gestures on my desktops, it’s possible I might not have even bought my first Mac last fall if it wasn’t for the existence of MultiClutch. Please count my donation as a “pre-order” for the new version.
September 9, 2009 at 3:08 pm
It seems that Input Managers was perceived as a security threat by Apple and have been slowly clamping down on it since before Leopard. Now they have totally dropped its official support and made it unusable in 64-bit mode.
I found some potential alternative ways to achieve code injection into other app binaries but not sure if this would really help you out for MultiClutch for its ability to apply gestures for any app, but perhaps it will at least allow users to individually apply gestures to chosen apps:
http://www.cocoabuilder.com/archive/message/cocoa/2009/9/4/244296
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1338978/inputmanager-plug-ins-in-snow-leopard-os-x-10-6
http://www.switchersblog.com/2007/08/the-end-of-th-2.html (same link Kevin Yank found)
Modifying the “system Dynamic library path so that your bundle gets loaded into all applications that load” does seem promising. I found my dynamic library path here on my system:
$ cat ~/.macosx/environment.plist
DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH
/opt/subversion/lib
$
http://www.culater.net/software/SIMBL/SIMBL.php (they now have Snow Leopard support)
Hope this helps get you to a re-written MultiClutch version sooner which supports 64-bit apps! I miss MultiClutch!
September 9, 2009 at 8:00 pm
you are awesome will. thanks for the update.
September 10, 2009 at 7:14 am
Thanks for letting us know where Multiclutch stands. Use it literally for everything on my computer. Keep up the good work!
September 14, 2009 at 12:19 pm
I’ve bought Snow Leopard, and have the disk in my hand… But reading the wikidot compatability list for multiclutch has stopped me dead in my tracks….
Seriously I’d pay around £20 (say $30 or so) for a fullly Snow Leopard compatible version, and I wonder how many other people would be prepared to do the same? Just trying to think from Will’s point of view… Lots of people wanting an update – which Will has already said will mean a massive rewrite, and therefore heaps of time and effort… And for what?
Perhaps if enough people were prepared to commit to an actual price, then Will could see if it would be worth the effort?
Just a thought!
September 14, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Totally missing my gestures here as well.
Hey, Will, maybe just turn on the Donation button for the mutliclutch repo on github, and see what happens? People are offering you money, and that is an easy way to accept it.
Thanks again for all you have done for us, making the trackpad useable!
September 15, 2009 at 9:36 pm
I too would be willing to pay for a Snow Leopard compatible version of MultiClutch. I am so much less productive without it. The gestures had become a second nature to me, so much so that I am considering reverting to plain ‘ol Leopard…
Put me down for $50. Who else is with me?
September 17, 2009 at 9:57 am
Well if I’m going to pay 29€ for the upgrade to SL I’m definately ready to pay at least as much for anything that actually lets me properly configure the multitouch-gestures. So, yes, count me in.
Before and around the time SL came out there was a lot of hype about the new’n’shiny multitouch framework. I just somehow thought this would make possible exactly what MultiClutch has done thus far and maybe even more. (And with less need for dirty hacking and a proper API for developers to use.) But maybe that was just a personal delusion of mine?
Aynways, great work and hope you get the SL-compatible rework done!
September 17, 2009 at 9:25 pm
This is one of the best apps I use since i got MBP 6 months. Using it now with 32-bit mode but I’m happy to pay to get 64-bit version. I panicked for about an hour after upgrading to Snow…. until 32-bit option was found. Though Safari crashed on me couple of times already (32bit mode in Snow), it hasn’t crashed once before upgrade. I would prefer to run it in native (64bit) mode.
September 19, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Now that William works at Apple (congrats on the job!) I wonder if there’s a possibility that he can rewrite this without violating his employment agreement. That’s the real issue. Most Silicon Valley companies require explicit approval for working in any or certainly adjacent activities.
September 21, 2009 at 3:05 am
@Mike P thats a good point, hopfully they will let him write it into mac nativly support for multitouch shortcuts akin to keyboard shortcuts would be a great thing to see in 10.6.2
September 21, 2009 at 4:26 pm
I think this is a slightly more detailed account of the solution used by 1Passwd for SL:
http://kevin.sb.org/2009/09/02/1password-extension-loading-in-snow-leopard/
September 22, 2009 at 9:45 am
Anyone else having their apps crashing uncontrollably since they are being run in 32bit mode? My safari and Mail crash alll the time. Trying in 64bit (though it’s hard to use these apps without multiclutch) to see if they still crash
September 22, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Jon,
Have you upgraded to 10.6.1? My Safari in 32bit mode (I can’t live without Multiclutch) crashed couple of times in 24hrs after upgrading to Snow. But then after 10.6.1 update it never did again.
September 23, 2009 at 12:14 am
I think my 32bit SL Safari just crashed once, and it was some webpage fault (very complicated, flashy, untidy page)
September 23, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Count me in with the donation. I love this app. I’m using it with the Safari 32 bit mode but i would love for it to be more compatible with other applications.
September 24, 2009 at 6:49 am
Hey all, this should be feasible . . .
I just took a quick shot at converting the InputManager code over to a SIMBL module using the new 0.9..6c release of SiMBL. It managed to get injected into the test application and it responded to the gestures.
However, there is an issue with the keyboard shortcut management not working because some of the previous Carbon calls aren’t there in 64-bit mode. The original source for this functionality “shortcutrecorder” is being reworked, so when that is done I suspect it can be incorporated here and work as well.
So, don’t give up hope, but I don’t have anything to offer at this point as a real solution other than to say that it can probably be done. I will keep poking at it, but it is a low priority in my current stack of work.
September 24, 2009 at 11:18 am
Is MultiClutch open source? I only ask because I haven’t seen much response from Will in all this discussion. Which is understandable. This was a volunteer project of his. If he has moved on, since there’s clearly huge interest in continuing MC, it would be nice to let others carry on the work…
September 24, 2009 at 4:34 pm
SteveP: I have done something similar:
http://blog.prashantv.com/2009/multiclutch-x64-simbl-plugin/
You are required to install the usual 32 bit multiclutch and my plugin on top for SIMBL, as I didn’t port the preference pane, but the actual plugin itself is now compatible with x64. Since it uses SIMBL, the target applications will need to be added manually to the Info.plist. The build I put on my page is compatible with Safari (as that is the main thing I wanted it working with).
September 24, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Prashant: I recompiled the prefpane as 64bit, and found the modified ’shortcutrecorder’ code that is meant to be 64bit compatible, but it’s still not quite right, and I will be working on it in my spare time.
I largely used it with a swipe action to switch spaces. It works fine in 32bit and 64bit apps except in a few apps (like XCode) that must grab the swipe action themselves in some way that doesn’t allow the override, and I can’t find a way to tell XCode not to do it.
It wouldn’t take much to modify the code used to install the inputmanager into something to install the SIMBL plugin, but I suppose you would also have to check for SIMBL and install that as well.
I don’t know what the status of the code is, it would be best to get official permission to fork it and put it up on GoogleCode or SourceForge to allow community work on it.
September 24, 2009 at 8:10 pm
I’m also a devoted user and will absolutely donate for a 64-bit version. Multiclutch had changed my life and now I feel empty.
September 25, 2009 at 9:03 am
Prashant, you are my hero! Right now I’m using Safari in 64bit mode + Multiclutch. This is SO great! Thank you!
September 25, 2009 at 9:34 am
nice work, Prashant. Big win. Multi-win…
My gratitude to you, SteveP, and anyone else working on Snow solutions.
I can snow swipe between tabs again… sigh. My muscle memory is no long frustrated….
Thank you.
I agree, it seems like the status of the code, where to find these updates, etc. should ideally be consolidated somewhere. The bottom of a long comments thread on a month old post is an obscure place to update the MultiClutch faithful.
Will: Please chime in here with your thoughts, if for nothing else than to let us know you’ve let go of the project. I only suggest that as a possibility because you’ve been quiet since the original posting.
September 25, 2009 at 5:58 pm
I agree that it would be nice to see some official comments from Will on the status of Multiclutch, so we can either fork the project, or can maintain patches till he releases a new version.
I made a small update so it loads for all applications (not just Safari) and should also work for 32 bit applications without requiring the old input manager.
http://blog.prashantv.com/2009/minor-multitclutch-update/
September 25, 2009 at 11:34 pm
I really needed it for Mail in addition to Safari. So if Prashant’s latest release does work with Mail I’m ready to try. Do I remove existing Mulitclutch? I don’t see SIMBL folder under ~/Library/Application Support, should I just create it?
September 26, 2009 at 1:18 am
Greg: You still need multiclutch installed (As it uses the same preference pane etc). You also need the latest version of SIMBL installed:
http://www.culater.net/software/SIMBL/SIMBL.php
Once you get SIMBL, you can copy the plugin, and it should then work fine.
September 26, 2009 at 7:45 am
Wow – that worked. Great stuff. I got Safari and Mail in 64 bit mode. I didn’t notice any speed difference but feels better…
September 26, 2009 at 7:46 am
hi, i installed SIMBL but i still didn’t see the ~/Library/Application Support/SIMBL/Plugins folder anywhere. already have MC in my preferences loaded. is there something wrong? tried reinstalling SIMBL 3 times and it says installed fine. what gives?
September 26, 2009 at 10:33 am
You can also put the bundl in /Library/Application Support/SIMBL/Plugins
September 26, 2009 at 5:54 pm
ottid888, i had the same problem. If you installed it for all users (default) then look for it not under user but your root. In my case it was Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/SIMBL.
September 26, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Allright Greg! you really made my day. thanks! now how do i configure customized swipes and gestures?
September 26, 2009 at 9:41 pm
@ottid888 you still NEED the multiclutch prefpane to be installed.
September 27, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Andrew, i installed the multiclutch prefpane, but it doesn’t seem to do anything much. now, my firefox 3.5.3 sometimes crashes after awhile when i do the 2 finger scrolling. even restarting it doesn’t seem to cure it. short of rebooting the whole system. all the rest of the programs are ok. Safari’s ok with the 2 finger scrolling but i can’t invoke the pinch to enlarge / reduce the page…. weird..
September 27, 2009 at 10:54 pm
@ottid888 hmmmm most likely sounds like a bug which needs to be worked out. Oh and I also have the same problem in Safari with the pinch zoom function. I suppose its only a matter of time before these things get fixed.
September 28, 2009 at 4:38 am
My Firefox also crashes but everything else works gr8!
September 28, 2009 at 5:00 am
For people who have crashes etc, can you please read over this:
http://blog.prashantv.com/2009/multiclutch-fixes-instructions/
September 29, 2009 at 8:24 am
“SIMBL has all the limitations as input managers plus you have to install the thing, so I’d still like to see a version that doesn’t use SIMBL. I’ve made some progress to that end, but no promises and nothing to report yet.”…
@Will I was under the impression that SIMBL based inputmanagers, though requiring an extra level of installation, has some key advantages. Without SIMBL all inputmanagers are run all the time and “injected” (if that’s the right term) into all apps. With SIMBL, inputmanager developers are able to specify what apps load the inputmanager, and what apps don’t.
I don’t know if Prashant has set things up that SIMBL loads his inputmanager only when apps that have been specified in the MultiClutch preference pane are run or not.
October 2, 2009 at 4:34 pm
I love using MultiClutch and look forward to a new version for Snow Leopard soon. Thank you for all the help!!
October 5, 2009 at 12:07 pm
gestures work fine everywhere except in finder (i mean the original gestures, swipe left/right and zoom in/out) does anyone else have this problem?
or better, a solution for this?
October 5, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Finder starts before SIMBL so it isn’t injected into. If you do a “killall Finder”, it will force Finder to restart, and SIMBL will inject Multiclutch into it, and it should work fine.
October 9, 2009 at 4:45 pm
This is wicked, I just wish we had a 64bit pref pane. Any news on when that might be coming along?
I am so happy to have this working again!
October 15, 2009 at 5:11 am
For those who were asking, I finally got around to putting up changes on github. Please let me know if you’d like to contribute so that I can add you to the project.
http://github.com/prashantv/multiclutch-x64/
October 20, 2009 at 11:41 am
For those of you that want to edit the Firefox behavior of three-finger swipes, it is built in to Firefox. See http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20090710073258575&query=firefox+gestures
October 22, 2009 at 11:25 pm
Hi!
MultiClutch 64 for Snow Leopard 64 – support 64bit and 32bit apps – http://blog.prashantv.com/category/multiclutch/
AWESOME!!!
November 3, 2009 at 7:25 pm
@XcoPri
Yeah, the fix works, but it’s making iTunes, Google Chrome, and VMWare Fusion, all stop responding. This is the Console report for iTunes when it occurs:
objc[564]: Class ExtendedGesturePoint is implemented in both /Library/InputManagers/MultiClutchInputManager/MultiClutchInputManager.bundle/Contents/MacOS/MultiClutchInputManager and /Library/Application Support/SIMBL/Plugins/AirKeysInputManager.bundle/Contents/MacOS/AirKeysInputManager. One of the two will be used. Which one is undefined.
MulticlutchPlugin installed
And then..colory spinning wheel of death.
Any suggestions?
November 3, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Everyone having issues: Please *DELETE* the old input manager at /Library/InputManagers/MultiClutch*
Shayzorblade: Your probably is the same as above, my instructions say to remove the old input manager.
November 9, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Hey folk,
this guy @ http://blog.boastr.net/ managed do to exactly the same as multiclutch, only without simbl, and it works also for the magic mouse, and it is possible to customize the 4 fingers gestures..
I’m trying it right now, and it seems great!
November 18, 2009 at 10:50 am
how do i uninstall this?
November 18, 2009 at 4:04 pm
I’ve been running BTT app for a few days on my 2nd Macbook Pro – seems to be working without any problems. I haven’t tried extra gestures (4 fingers and 3 fingers taps) as not to confuse myself between different computers yet…
December 8, 2009 at 3:36 pm
to be honest: BTT brings the use of trackpad gestures on a new level.
sure, it still has some bugs sometimes, but the boastr.net-guy is constantly developing & fixing and adding new features… in combination with keyboard maestro (or quicksilver or something like that) you do can really awesome things with all those combinations and different gestures… and now BTT supports even gesture+mod-key combinations…
the boadstr.net-guy says very clearly that BTT wouldn’t have existed without multiclutch. and that’s why i’m writing here. to say again thx to you, william, for multiclutch – even though i’m not using it anymore.
February 6, 2010 at 1:21 pm
This is often a really smart read on behalf of me, Must admit that you are one of the best bloggers I ever saw.Thanks for posting this informative article.