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How to install AirPort Utility 5.6.1 on Mountain Lion

61084 Views 76 Replies Latest reply: Nov 27, 2013 9:34 AM by woodwhisper Branched to a new discussion. 1 2 3 ... 6 Previous Next

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Level 1 (15 points)

Douglas Urner
Aug 3, 2012 4:47 AM

Just in case you'd like to use AirPort Utility 5.6.1 on Mountain Lion (and probalby Lion as well), here's how to install it: 1. Download the disk image (you can find it here: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1536). 2. Mount the disk image and drag the install package (AirPortUtility.pkg) to your desktop. 3. Fire up Terminal and prepare to show off 4. Make a temporary directory and cd into it: mkdir tmp ; cd tmp 5. Extract the Payload file from the install package with xar, here's the command: xar -x -f ~/Desktop/AirPortUtility.pkg Payload 6. The result will be a directory named AirPortUtility.pkg (just like the file, but now you can move into it to get the files you want). Inside will be a file called Payload that is a compressed archive of AirPort Utility.app. 7. So our next move is to extract the app. Here's the command: gzcat AirPortUtility.pkg/Payload | tar -xf 8. When it finished there will be three new folders Applications, Library, and System. Your nice new copy of AirPort Utility 5.6.1 will be in the Utilities folder inside of the Applications folder. Use Finder to rename it (assuming you want to keep version 6 as well) then drag it to your Applications/Utilities folder. 9. The other two folders hold the AirPort Base Station Agent and its supporting files. I'm not sure if you need/want these or not. As best I can figure the agent does two things: it checks for updates for AirPort Utility and it monitors AirPort base stations for problems. You probably already have a version running as it comes with the system and it seems to know how to talk to both versions of AirPort Utility (I got nagged about updating). 10. The final step is to launch AirPort Utility and confirm that it works. You'll probably want to go into preferences and turn off the option to check for updates. If all is good you can remove the temporary directory: cd .. ; rm -rf tmp (or drag it into the trash with Finder). That pretty much does it. I hope it helps somebody out there.
MacBook Pro (15-inch 2.4/2.2 GHz), OS X Mountain Lion, 4 GB Categories: Airport Express, Airport Extreme Tags: airport_utility_5.6.1 I have this question too (49)

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Level 1 (0 points)

volli
Re: How to install AirPort Utility 5.6.1 on Mountain Lion Aug 5, 2012 10:49 AM (in response to Douglas Urner)

great article! thanks a lot!!! minor detail: step 7 can be simplified to "tar -xvfz <filename>"

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4172563?start=0&tstart=0

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How to install AirPort Utility 5.6.1 on...: Apple Support Communities

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Level 9 (72,050 points)

Bob Timmons

Texas

Re: How to install AirPort Utility 5.6.1 on Mountain Lion Aug 5, 2012 10:57 AM (in response to volli)

It is a lot easier for most users to simply copy AirPort Utility 5.6 from another Mac or restore it from a previous Time Machine backup. Or, use Pacifist to extract the file manually from the download package.
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Level 1 (0 points)

icibaqu
Re: How to install AirPort Utility 5.6.1 on Mountain Lion Aug 16, 2012 7:13 PM (in response to Douglas Urner)

Douglas Urner, i freaking L O V E you. Thank you SO much. Bob - you can't restore an airport from time machine because you get an error message that airport utility is essential to osx so can't be modified or trashed.
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Level 9 (72,050 points)

Bob Timmons

Texas

Re: How to install AirPort Utility 5.6.1 on Mountain Lion Aug 16, 2012 7:25 PM (in response to icibaqu)

you can't restore an airport from time machine because you get an error message that airport utility is essential to osx so can't be modified or trashed.

I had no problems doing this a few weeks ago, or just a few minutes ago. Restore AirPort Utility 5.6 to the desktop, then drag it into the Utilities folder in Mountain Lion. I never post about something....unless I've done it myself first.
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icibaqu
Re: How to install AirPort Utility 5.6.1 on Mountain Lion Aug 16, 2012 7:24 PM (in response to Bob Timmons)

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4172563?start=0&tstart=0

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How to install AirPort Utility 5.6.1 on...: Apple Support Communities

5/02/14 6:09 PM

Hm. I bet the issue was that I was restoring it in the same place. Intersting. I am also running Mountain Lion (probably hence the reason I'm trying to resolve Airport Utility 6.1 limitations)

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Level 9 (72,050 points)

Bob Timmons

Texas

Re: How to install AirPort Utility 5.6.1 on Mountain Lion Aug 16, 2012 7:28 PM (in response to icibaqu)

Try restore to the desktop, as I originally posted. You will be asked for your admin password of course.

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Level 1 (0 points)

icibaqu
Re: How to install AirPort Utility 5.6.1 on Mountain Lion Aug 16, 2012 7:32 PM (in response to Douglas Urner)

it did go there. Now on the to next issue. Having it actually find my Airport Express (which appears to have vanished from all existence after a hard reset)

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Level 1 (15 points)

Douglas Urner
Re: How to install AirPort Utility 5.6.1 on Mountain Lion Aug 16, 2012 7:34 PM (in response to icibaqu)

I've seen that happen You might try a wired connection to the AirPort Express.

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Level 9 (72,050 points)

Bob Timmons

Texas

Re: How to install AirPort Utility 5.6.1 on Mountain Lion Aug 16, 2012 7:41 PM (in response to icibaqu)

(which appears to have vanished from all existence after a hard reset) The Express is now providing a default wireless network with a name like Apple
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4172563?start=0&tstart=0 Page 3 of 5

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Network xxxxxxx.
You have to log on to that network first....no password required.....then open AirPort Utility.
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Level 1 (0 points)

ritterj
Re: How to install AirPort Utility 5.6.1 on Mountain Lion Aug 19, 2012 10:33 AM (in response to Douglas Urner)

Last login: Sun Aug 19 13:20:04 on ttys000 dhcp0189:~ JoaoRitter$ mkdir tmp ; cd tmp mkdir: tmp: File exists dhcp0189:tmp JoaoRitter$ xar -x -f ~/Desktop/AirportUtility.pkg Payload dhcp0189:tmp JoaoRitter$ gzcat AirPortUtility.pkg/Payload | tar -xf dhcp0189:tmp JoaoRitter$ This is what my Terminal looks like after inserting the commands. Nothing happens. What am I doing wrong?
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ritterj
Re: How to install AirPort Utility 5.6.1 on Mountain Lion Aug 19, 2012 1:09 PM (in response to ritterj)

nevermind, got it

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Lammert van Middendorp

Re: How to install AirPort Utility 5.6.1 on Mountain Lion Aug 21, 2012 6:16 AM (in response to Douglas Urner)

Great post! Strangely enough Airport Utility 6.1 didn't discover my Airport Express (1st Gen). Version 5.6 discovers it instantly!
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markhhsp
Re: How to install AirPort Utility 5.6.1 on Mountain Lion Aug 30, 2012 7:50 PM (in response to Douglas Urner)

Great post, but I feel really nervous dipping into Terminal and I do not have any
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4172563?start=0&tstart=0 Page 4 of 5

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time machine backups where 5.6 lives, am I out of luck?

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Jack Cruikshank
Re: How to install AirPort Utility 5.6.1 on Mountain Lion Sep 3, 2012 7:51 PM (in response to Douglas Urner)

This is EXACTLY why I left Windows! I

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