Running SMART Notebook 11.4 on OS X Yosemite

Ironically, SMART is one of the dumbest, least likeable tech companies around, but unfortunately I’m responsible for quite a few of their interactive whiteboards.

So when they decided to force everyone to upgrade to their not-smart subscription-licensed “SMART Notebook 14” by leaving the previous version broken on OS X Yosemite, I was in a bit of a pickle.

Thankfully, a bit of determination (a.k.a. trawling through crash reports and Google results for “yosemite ruby 1.8 HALP PLZ”) was all it took to figure out that getting Notebook 11.4 working on Yosemite is as easy as copying Ruby 1.8 from a Mavericks machine over to Yosemite.

It’s in /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/. I just tar’d the 1.8 folder up and copied it over.

You’re welcome.

88 thoughts on “Running SMART Notebook 11.4 on OS X Yosemite”

  1. Hi, could you post steps for those of us who are not tech savvy enough (yet) to do this? Trying to work around this, because I upgraded to Yosemite before I knew it wouldn’t work with smart notebook 11.4. Thank you!!

  2. Hi – I happened upon this page while searching endlessly for solutions from the whole mac/yosemite/notebook fiasco that is soooo annoying – thank you so much for posting this. What is the current status of this potential fix? I have already upgraded to yosemite and already downloaded the free notebook 14 extended trial just to keep functioning but keep running into issues when I try to share files I have created with others who are not on 14 – even though they say you can it is not really working consistently. If I wanted to try any of the mentioned fixes below what would the step by step directions be (I am scared I will accidentally mess up my computer or my notebook files and would love to know if anyone has successfully done this)

    1. The solution works but the toolbar disappears and you have to use the menu bar at the top to switch between pen, select, eraser, etc. So it’s not an ideal solution as you use functionality. But I’m getting used to using the menu at the top now so I don’t lose too much time but it’s still not ideal. Hopefully someone will come up with a full fix soon.

      1. FIX TO TOOLBAR (have not tried it but it should work):
        Download Smart notebook 14 mac trial version. Open the tools from that package.

        1. How do you open the tools only from that package? Do you mean the “Lesson Activity Toolkit” ? Are there any other updates we can install from v15.1 trial that won’t require an updated license?

  3. We have used the patch on our new iMacs but now we can’t open any of the notebooks made previously or import any downloaded from other sources. Notebook opens up but will not load any downloaded notebook files. Is anyone else having this problem?

    1. I am having a smilier problem. Last night I downloaded this version so it would work again on my mac. I created a smart board document. Now I cannot reopen it. How do I fix this?

  4. Just wondering if anybody has found a fix for the toolbar?!

    Thanks for this workaround but until I have the toolbar, I fear that I will be spending more time navigating than getting my lesson plans done!

  5. Thanks for the installer. Although not having the toolbar is not ideal it works and I did not think too cumbersome. All the other functions I tried on my computer screen as well as attached to the Smartboard were functioning. Can add functions to the floating tool bar as well.

  6. Thanks so much for this fix! We’ve had numerous teachers who updated their Macs and then couldn’t use Notebook 11 any more. You must have touched a nerve, because Smart disabled comments on their blog on the OS X Yosemite issue with Notebook 11.4!

  7. Same issues here. No toolbar and can’t get anything previously created in Notebook to open. Any luck finding a fix for this?

    1. i had the same issue it wont open existing file old or new, i notice in the version folder change the current alias is pointing to the 2.0 so i recreated the current alias to point to 1.8 folder and it works but the programs still crashes alot

      1. I am having a smilier problem. Last night I downloaded this version so it would work again on my mac. I created a smart board document. Now I cannot reopen it. How do I fix this?

  8. Haveblue, your installer worked perfectly to resuccitate Notebook onto Yosemite, but I’m still unable to open older files. Grrrrr, Smart. Yay, LukeArms and the broader community of helpful people.

    1. I had the same issue but I’m able to work around it using the following method:
      1: Open Notebook and go to File-New so you have a blank new presentation.
      2: Drag and drop and existing presentation onto the blank canvas area, and it will open !
      3: Save with a new file name.

      For some reason, if you try and double click or try and open old files from File-Open, they just won’t work. Once you open them this way and re-save them, they seem to work fine. No idea why

  9. How do I download Ruby 1.8? is there a tutorial for this? I’m not the most computer savvy person and am currently having a real hard time trying to figure this out. Thank you in advance!

    1. did you have to copy the ruby 1.8 for the version 10 to work?
      which version 10 works? i have some old CDs with version 10 but they are from august 2008. on the smarttech website you don’t have any links for version 10 anymore…
      can you point where to download this working version 10?
      thank you.

    2. Hi! How do you download Notebook 10? It doesn’t seem to exist on the Smart Tech website? Is there something I’m missing?

  10. Hi having major problems with this and really need some help. I found the file in systems, library, framework but i am not sure what ‘ I just tar’d the 1.8 folder up and copied it over’, means. Sorry, not that computer confident, can anyone help?

  11. I’m trying to understand what to do : I have installed notebook 11.4, I have run the “yosemite Patch”, I have copied the ruby.framework 1.8 from a maverick os to my mac – Notebook keep crashing before it even opens. I try to understand how this forum works as I can see many others have asked this question but I can’t manage to find answers. Can somebody help please ? It is even more frustrating to see that some of you seem to have a working solution but not being able to make it work on my machine !! Thanks a lot :)

    1. It seems to me that there are two solutions that people are dealing with in this thread. 1) People are attempting to tar and copy Ruby 1.8 onto Yosemite and are having problems with a Notebook crash. 2) People are downloading haveblue’s packaged installer (see post above) and do not have the toolbar and cannot open old Notebook files.

      For me the packaged installer worked. I cannot open files from Finder, but if I drag the file onto a blank Notebook document, they open. I also do not have a toolbar, but it is a manageable problem – far better than not having access to Notebook.

      1. Hi Whaler, thanks for the update. For me the packaged installer didn’t work. I probably did something wrong. Could you explain exactly what to do as it is not very clear to me. I first tried to install the Patch only (I had previously removed Notebook from my Mac). Nothing happened. I then downloaded and installed Notebook 11.4, and tried to run the Patch again. I didn’t get more luck. When I try to open the Patch, something seems to be installed but I don’t find any changes in my Applications folder and Notebook still doesn’t work. Do I need to install the Patch in a specific location?? Any help would be greatly appreciated… Thank you !

  12. How is this not a violation of their EULA?

    Our software is licensed, not sold. Unless applicable law gives you more rights you may only use our software as expressly permitted in this agreement. In doing so, you must comply with and not attempt to circumvent any technical limitations in the software that allow you to activate or use it in only certain ways.

    1. The software installs without complaint, and this workaround doesn’t touch the SMART application–it simply provides a legacy dependency so the application will run. No EULA violation I can see.

  13. Hi everybody.
    The Patch from “haveblue works”. I just installed the patch on my airbook with “El Capitano” installed. Does anyone has a patch to get the toolbar back?

  14. @haveblue and all other users: I have notebook 11.4 and upgraded to El Capitan foolishly. I have tried installing the Patch again and all I get is “installation failed” each time. Any work-around anyone has found yet for this issue? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

  15. To copy Ruby 1.8 in El Capitan you must disable SIP (prevents changes to the system).
    Boot your Mac with Command-R to load to recovery mode. Select Language. Open Terminal. Type the following command: csrutil disable
    Restart. Copy Ruby. Repeat the above procedure but use the word enable instead to reactivate SIP.

    1. Hi! guys, some can run SMART 11.04 in El Capintan OS. The install Its Ok but when I click on SMART Notebook Symbol it just show a Critical Message and it desn´t launch

  16. if you do use this work around on Yosemite or El Capitan don’t allow the software to start up at log in, as this runs in the background and as you are using an older version it really eats into the battery as its really eating into processing power – use the activity monitor if you’re sceptical. An yes if you do run El Capitan you will have to disable SIP in the command line. What a nightmare just wish there was an alternative to this mess.

    1. tried haveblue package but installation failed.

      why the hell is ‘smart’ (puke) so fucking useless? I am running el cap but could never get notebook working with old versions either on a mac.

      tossers.

  17. I’m trying to use Notebook 11 on El Capitan. When I try to open it, I get a message that is can’t be opened. Can someone help please, and I’m not a computer savvy person.

    1. Try this patch. I found it while searching for the patch from haveblue that was mentioned in the earlier messages of this thread. I foolishly updated to macOS Sierra and after the update Notebook 11 would not open. I tried downloading the patch from haveblue listed earlier, but that link is dead. Here is the patch I found and I now have Notebook 11 working in Sierra.

      https://www.gcsdstaff.org/roodhouse/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/patch.pkg_.zip

      1. How did you get on when running, does the toolbar load? Ive done the patch but still have the issue of no toolbar and crashing opening some files.

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