Restore the Desktop Discord Client on OS X 10.9 - macOS 10.12

[Jazzzny]

It should be noted that for me, I had the following situation:

* I have macOS Sierra (10.12.6).
* I attempted to install node-v18.16.0.pkg for the required Node.js installation; however, it failed because I was "using a node version which was compiled for macOS 10.15" (quoted from elsewhere on the internet). So I attempted to download node-v10.0.0.pkg, and that worked until I ran into issues trying to install Asar. The command prompt told me it requires a version of Node.js that is 10.12.0 or newer. So ultimately, I installed "node-v10.12.0.pkg" and that allowed me to complete the entire process successfully.

I hope this helps someone with their issues.

The releases of my patcher embed a prebuilt Asar binary compatible with 10.7 and newer. Did you run it from source or patch Discord manually?

 

[UltimateKuriboh]

The releases of my patcher embed a prebuilt Asar binary compatible with 10.7 and newer. Did you run it from source or patch Discord manually?

Sorry, idk what you mean by that, so I'm going to explain the long way.

What I did was: download your zip file from GitHub, unzipped it, then navigated to the unzipped folder via Command Prompt and executed "python3 Discord\ Legacy.py".

With node-v10.0.0 installed (which apparently includes up to node-v10.10.0 in my testing here), I got this:

---

Running locally
✅ Node.js 10.10.0 installed
✅ Node Package Manager 6.4.1 installed
CANNOT RUN WITH NODE 10.10.0
asar requires Node >=10.12.0.
❌ Asar library is not installed! Please install it by running 'npm i @Electron/asar'.[/CODE]

---

[192iscord-Legacy-main UltimateKuriboh$ npm i @Electron/asar
npm WARN saveError ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '/Users/UltimateKuriboh/Downloads/Discord-Legacy-main/package.json'
npm WARN enoent ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '/Users/UltimateKuriboh/Downloads/Discord-Legacy-main/package.json'
npm WARN Discord-Legacy-main No description
npm WARN Discord-Legacy-main No repository field.
npm WARN Discord-Legacy-main No README data
npm WARN Discord-Legacy-main No license field.

+ @Electron/asar@3.2.4
updated 1 package and audited 27 packages in 0.796s
found 0 vulnerabilities

---

If I tried to execute "python3 Discord\ Legacy.py" afterward, I just got a repeat of the first output, telling me that "Asar library is not installed". So, I downloaded Node v.10.12.0, and that allowed me to proceed without any problems. (I forget what happened when I tried again after downloading/installing Node v.10.12.0, and I can't replicate it because "@Electron/asar 3.2.4" is already installed on my computer now. All I know is that I didn't have any roadblocks after that.)

 

[Jazzzny]

Sorry, idk what you mean by that, so I'm going to explain the long way.

What I did was: download your zip file from GitHub, unzipped it, then navigated to the unzipped folder via Command Prompt and executed "python3 Discord\ Legacy.py".

With node-v10.0.0 installed (which apparently includes up to node-v10.10.0 in my testing here), I got this:

---

Running locally
✅ Node.js 10.10.0 installed
✅ Node Package Manager 6.4.1 installed
CANNOT RUN WITH NODE 10.10.0
asar requires Node >=10.12.0.
❌ Asar library is not installed! Please install it by running 'npm i @Electron/asar'.[/CODE]

---

[192iscord-Legacy-main UltimateKuriboh$ npm i @Electron/asar
npm WARN saveError ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '/Users/UltimateKuriboh/Downloads/Discord-Legacy-main/package.json'
npm WARN enoent ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '/Users/UltimateKuriboh/Downloads/Discord-Legacy-main/package.json'
npm WARN Discord-Legacy-main No description
npm WARN Discord-Legacy-main No repository field.
npm WARN Discord-Legacy-main No README data
npm WARN Discord-Legacy-main No license field.

+ @Electron/asar@3.2.4
updated 1 package and audited 27 packages in 0.796s
found 0 vulnerabilities

---

If I tried to execute "python3 Discord\ Legacy.py" afterward, I just got a repeat of the first output, telling me that "Asar library is not installed". So, I downloaded Node v.10.12.0, and that allowed me to proceed without any problems. (I forget what happened when I tried again after downloading/installing Node v.10.12.0, and I can't replicate it because "@Electron/asar 3.2.4" is already installed on my computer now. All I know is that I didn't have any roadblocks after that.)

Yeah, you're running from source code. The releases from https://github.com/Jazzzny/Discord-Legacy/releases/tag/1.3-1 should have the Asar binary built in, if you want to try.

 

[KatCerise]

Hey, so I am NOT tech savvy at all but managed to get through downloading and running your patched version of discord - thank you so much, I was losing my mind trying to get it working and I appreciate what you've done.

Unfortunately, the main thing I use discord for is streaming to my friends, and when I attempted to stream on this version of discord it said that sharing audio requires MacOS 10.15 or higher - the newest OS my Mac will run is 10.12

Do you have any kind of work around or advice for how I can get discord to share audio while streaming?

 

[JordanSparkes]

Hi, any news on 10.9 and why it displays a black screen?

 

[Jazzzny]

Hey, so I am NOT tech savvy at all but managed to get through downloading and running your patched version of discord - thank you so much, I was losing my mind trying to get it working and I appreciate what you've done.

Unfortunately, the main thing I use discord for is streaming to my friends, and when I attempted to stream on this version of discord it said that sharing audio requires MacOS 10.15 or higher - the newest OS my Mac will run is 10.12

Do you have any kind of work around or advice for how I can get discord to share audio while streaming?

I'll take a look at this once I get the time. Might be fixable, though we'll see.

Hi, any news on 10.9 and why it displays a black screen?

Discord seems to have finally killed the 10.9 client, which isn't all too surprising (as it uses a version of Chromium from 2019). I'll see if I can revive the client, but it isn't looking good for 10.9. For now, stick with the web version

 

[Leth4l]

Hello everyone, as you may or may not know, Discord's Desktop client no longer supports the following operating systems:
- OS X 10.8 (Dropped in 2016?)
- OS X 10.9 (Dropped in 2019)
- OS X 10.10 (Dropped in 2020)
- OSX 10.11 (Dropped on April 3, 2023)
- macOS 10.12 (Dropped on April 3, 2023)

Fortunately, the last-supported Desktop client versions still function perfectly after disabling the updater:
View attachment 2184025 View attachment 2184023 View attachment 2184024

To make the process of restoring Desktop client functionality very easy, I've written a small Python program (10.9+, no need to use a newer operating system to install!) that downloads the last-supported version of Discord, applies the required changes, and creates a new disk image containing the fixed Discord client, which installs normally.

You may want to use the Desktop client instead of the web client for better integration into macOS, providing features such as Push to Talk, enhanced push notifications, and custom theming through OpenAsar's CSS editor.

The patched Discord client should be perfectly safe to use, as the Discord app is loading the up-to-date Discord website and sending up-to-date API requests. I've tested the patched clients on 10.9-10.12 and they all function very well. Using outdated clients only becomes problematic when outdated API requests are sent (e.g. using a very old Android/iOS app).

Download here:
https://github.com/Jazzzny/Discord-Legacy

UPDATE (APRIL 7, 2023):
I've added OpenAsar support to my patcher through OpenAsar-Legacy (An OpenAsar fork with support for 10.10+). OpenAsar offers greatly enhanced performance (noticeably faster on my 2012 MBA and custom CSS theming support.

can you do a step by step instruction
i am trying to install this on OS X 10.9.5
i installed the zip file from the give link
i unziped it
and i dono what to do next
can you please replay as soon as possible
and somehow i cant open the web version it says it crashed

 

[Jazzzny]

can you do a step by step instruction
i am trying to install this on OS X 10.9.5
i installed the zip file from the give link
i unziped it
and i dono what to do next
can you please replay as soon as possible
and somehow i cant open the web version it says it crashed

Discord seems to have broken the 10.9 client by using incompatible JavaScript. For now, if you need Discord on 10.9, I suggest using Chromium-Legacy.

 

[rampancy]

So I've tried opening the app that I downloaded from GitHub and it just dies with an "Illegal Instruction 4 / Broken Pipe" error. Is there something I've done wrong? I even tried putting Discord Legacy in /Applications and it just doesn't work.

(Oh yeah, I'm running 10.11.6 on my machine...)

 

[wicknix]

You can grab my patched version here. It's for 10.11.

 

[VideoBeagle]

Ok, I think I might be the dumbest person in macdom. I can't figure out how to run the patcher.
I've found screenshots, so I know what it's supposed to do, but when I run it, either from the finder or terminal, I just get some terminal error messages and zilch.

Illegal Instructions: 4

On 10.11.6 (El Capitan). Both in a previous install and a brand new complete erase and reinstall of the os.

I suspect I'm in the area of "if you don't know how to do this, you shouldn't be doing it" but I'm always one for pushing the big red button.

 

[rampancy]

Ok, I think I might be the dumbest person in macdom. I can't figure out how to run the patcher.
I've found screenshots, so I know what it's supposed to do, but when I run it, either from the finder or terminal, I just get some terminal error messages and zilch.

Illegal Instructions: 4

View attachment 2210617

On 10.11.6 (El Capitan). Both in a previous install and a brand new complete erase and reinstall of the os.

I suspect I'm in the area of "if you don't know how to do this, you shouldn't be doing it" but I'm always one for pushing the big red button.

I've had this issue too, and all of the various tinkering I've done seems to not do anything.

I also downloaded @wicknix's patched Discord installer for 10.11 linked upthread, but just seems to result in windows that are heavily graphically corrupted, leaving them unusable.

 

[Jazzzny]

The illegal instruction crash seems to be an issue with my packaging solution requiring SSE4. I'll see if I can produce builds that do not rely on the instruction.
Regarding the video corruption issue, I'll see if I can fix the corruption, I think I know the cause.
Stay tuned

 

[wicknix]

I also downloaded @wicknix's patched Discord installer for 10.11 linked upthread, but just seems to result in windows that are heavily graphically corrupted, leaving them unusable.

Strange. I use that same file on various different machines running 10.11 / 10.13 and 10.15. No issue on any of them.

 

[AdamAnt316]

I applied the patch to 0.0.273 back when Discord stopped working on 10.11.6 in April, and it worked fine for a couple of months. Just today, I started the program, it went through its usual motions, then right when the main screen with the "Did You Know" trivia pops up, it immediately switches to an error saying that it "Looks like Discord has crashed unexpectedly...", and the 'Reload' button is ineffective. Version 0.0.275 still works properly on one of my other Macs (running 10.14.6 Mojave), so I know it's not Discord in general. Also, I've tried deleting and re-patching the program several times, with no luck. Hopefully something can be done to get around this.

 

[Gidoza]

Hello everyone, as you may or may not know, Discord's Desktop client no longer supports the following operating systems:
- OS X 10.8 (Dropped in 2016?)
- OS X 10.9 (Dropped in 2019)
- OS X 10.10 (Dropped in 2020)
- OSX 10.11 (Dropped on April 3, 2023)
- macOS 10.12 (Dropped on April 3, 2023)

Fortunately, the last-supported Desktop client versions still function perfectly after disabling the updater:
View attachment 2184025 View attachment 2184023 View attachment 2184024

To make the process of restoring Desktop client functionality very easy, I've written a small Python program (10.9+, no need to use a newer operating system to install!) that downloads the last-supported version of Discord, applies the required changes, and creates a new disk image containing the fixed Discord client, which installs normally.

You may want to use the Desktop client instead of the web client for better integration into macOS, providing features such as Push to Talk, enhanced push notifications, and custom theming through OpenAsar's CSS editor.

The patched Discord client should be perfectly safe to use, as the Discord app is loading the up-to-date Discord website and sending up-to-date API requests. I've tested the patched clients on 10.9-10.12 and they all function very well. Using outdated clients only becomes problematic when outdated API requests are sent (e.g. using a very old Android/iOS app).

Download here:
https://github.com/Jazzzny/Discord-Legacy

UPDATE (APRIL 7, 2023):
I've added OpenAsar support to my patcher through OpenAsar-Legacy (An OpenAsar fork with support for 10.10+). OpenAsar offers greatly enhanced performance (noticeably faster on my 2012 MBA and custom CSS theming support.

Hi there Jazzzny,

I downloaded your patch and installed the Discord for the version I require for 10.9.5. However when I open said Discord, it's just a black rectangle and nothing happens. Any idea what to do about this?

Thanks!
-G

 

[wicknix]

I don't know if its related, but discord just updated their client to the latest electron again. In the meantime i'd suggest using discord-lite or the web version (discord.com/app) via chromium-legacy, pale moon, or sealion browsers.

 

[Jazzzny]

Hi there Jazzzny,

I downloaded your patch and installed the Discord for the version I require for 10.9.5. However when I open said Discord, it's just a black rectangle and nothing happens. Any idea what to do about this?

Thanks!
-G

10.9 has been broken for a few months because Discord removed some legacy Electron version-specific Javascript functions. I've tried to patch them back in but hasn't yet worked. Use the web client for now on 10.9, 10.10+ are unaffected.

 

[Gidoza]

10.9 has been broken for a few months because Discord removed some legacy Electron version-specific Javascript functions. I've tried to patch them back in but hasn't yet worked. Use the web client for now on 10.9, 10.10+ are unaffected.

Hi there.

Thanks for the tip to use the browser client - I had completely forgotten that that existed! The browser client suits my current needs just fine.

I appreciate the reply. Take care,
-G

 

[AlanKeaveney]

Hi Jazzzny,

Thank you very much for building the Discord Legacy patcher.
I have a 2009 4.1 (5.1) Mac Pro running Mojave.

It was hard to track you down, I tried X.

I want to buy you a coffee etc.
Have you any facility for that?

I have been to Toronto, my grand-aunt lived in London Ont.

Thanks again,

Alan.
Ireland.

 

[Jazzzny]

Hi Jazzzny,

Thank you very much for building the Discord Legacy patcher.
I have a 2009 4.1 (5.1) Mac Pro running Mojave.

It was hard to track you down, I tried X.

I want to buy you a coffee etc.
Have you any facility for that?

I have been to Toronto, my grand-aunt lived in London Ont.

Thanks again,

Alan.
Ireland.

Hey there,

I really appreciate it, though its really the great open-source projects that make the patcher possible.

Enjoy the Discord client

Cheers from Toronto