macOS Catalina and 32-bit applications in Canvas

[jgalle14]

Will Canvas be changing the 32-bit applications to 64-bit so I can use an Apple computer in the near future on Canvas? 

[stuart_ryan · Accepted solution]

Hi Jeffrey,

With the exception of the Canvas Mobile Apps, Canvas itself is entirely web-based. The recent changes to Mac OS Catalina concern native apps such as the web-browsers you run on Mac itself such as Google Chrome, Firefox and so on. 

You should have no issues running Canvas in browsers on Mac OS Catalina. I do recommend Google Chrome as the best option!

Hope that helps!

Stuart

[jgalle14]

Hi Stuart, 

Thanks for your reply. I asked this question because I got a message on the ASU Canvas homepage:

"Apple has released their latest version of MacOS named Catalina. Canvas itself will work as long as you are using a supported 64 bit web browser. However, 32 bit applications, proctoring tools, stats calculators, and publisher tools may be impacted. For this reason we are recommending that you DO NOT upgrade to Catalina at this time"

So will quizzes and the like taken on Canvas not be impacted if I'm using Catalina as a student? 

[stuart_ryan]

Hi Jeffrey,

Got it! I am assuming that is a message ASU has put into their own Canvas instance (as I have not seen it come into mine).

From what I can ascertain, it sounds like ASU may be using adding with Canvas that require locally downloaded tools such as proctoring tools, stats calculators and publisher tools. There are many of these available on the market, and it sounds like they may have had some pre-warning that those add-on tools (outside of base Canvas) may have issues that the respective vendors are working to resolve.

Given that advice, you may want to hold off, you would need to touch base with ASU support to ascertain at what point you can upgrade to Catalina and which vendor tools are affected (outside of Instructure's Canvas application).

Hopefully that helps!

Stuart