'Simulate run on older OS X version

How can simulate a run on a older OS X version ?

Right now my app works on 10.7 and 10.8 but I want to make it compatible with 10.6. Since I'm using some new apis I'm still compiling with the 10.8 base SDK, I can only change the deployment target.

So on my OS X 10.8, how can I simulate a run on OS X 10.6 ? (If it's possible)

Thanks



Solution 1:[1]

TheZ mentions virtual machines. Lots of hoops to jump through with licensing.

My personal "path of least resistance" was to use an old PPC Mac Mini and an almost-as-old intel-based. PPC runs 10.4 for old app testing; Intel mini boots various OS versions with which to test. All install images are disposable and can be restored from a network volume for a clean environment no matter what I do to it.

If you don't care about PPC, then just get a used Intel Mac Mini, partition it for the older OS versions and use it exclusively as a test environment.

2022 Update: Apple has relaxed their stance on virtualization. Today I use VMWare (Parallels works too).

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