Why My Cursor App Broke on macOS Catalina (10.15) and How I Got It Running Again

Just the other day, I ran into a real headache. My favorite AI code editor, Cursor.app, suddenly quit on me. I was using macOS Catalina (10.15.7), and when I tried to reopen Cursor, I got this nasty error:

“You can’t use this version of the application ‘Cursor.app’ with this version of macOS. You have macOS 10.15.7. The application requires macOS 11.0 or later.”

Ugh. My workflow came to a screeching halt. Upgrading my OS wasn’t an option, so I had to find another way to get Cursor running again. Here’s what I did.

The Real Issue: Catalina Compatibility

That error message made it clear: the newest versions of Cursor are designed for macOS 11.0 (Big Sur) and up. My trusty Catalina machine? It just couldn’t cut it.

I thought, “Okay, I’ll just grab an older version.” So I headed to the official downloads page and tried a bunch of releases. No luck. Every single one demanded macOS 11.0 or later.

Even when I managed to force an older version to install, the AI chat feature kept bugging me to upgrade. It was basically useless for my AI projects.

What Didn’t Work (And Why)

My first idea was simple: find an older version of Cursor that still works on Catalina. I went to the downloads page and tried every release I could find.

But each one had the same problem. They all required macOS 11.0 or later. Why? Well, it turns out the Cursor team stopped supporting older versions. They’ve made API changes and bug fixes that rely on newer systems. Plus, their cool AI features need modern macOS versions.

Upgrading my Mac wasn’t in the cards. My hardware just couldn’t handle it. So I had to get creative.

The Fixes That Actually Worked

After a bit of research, I found some solid workarounds. They let me run Cursor without upgrading my Mac’s OS. Here’s what I tried:

• Dual-Booting Linux: This ended up being my favorite fix. I partitioned my hard drive and installed Ubuntu. Now, I just boot into Linux when I want to use Cursor. It’s surprisingly smooth. Here’s how I did it:
• Backed up everything with Time Machine (safety first!).
• Made a bootable Ubuntu USB using BalenaEtcher.
• Used Disk Utility to shrink my macOS partition and free up space for Linux.
• Booted from the USB, installed Ubuntu, and set up Cursor.
• Virtual Machine Option: I gave VirtualBox a shot. It’s free and pretty straightforward. I installed Lubuntu (a lightweight Linux) inside the VM and ran Cursor there. Performance was okay for coding, but it might slow down older Macs.
• Remote Solutions: For cloud-based work, I grabbed a cheap Linux VPS from DigitalOcean. Then I accessed it via SSH. This is great if you need Cursor available anywhere. Or, if you just need it temporarily, a bootable Linux USB stick works too. Just plug it in and boot without installing anything.

I avoided sketchy solutions like OpenCore. They can brick your Mac, and I didn’t want that risk. These alternatives are much safer.

What Worked for Me

Stuck on Catalina? Don’t stress. Dual-booting Linux was the winner for me. It gave me full access to Cursor without any hiccups.

Sure, it’s frustrating that older versions of Cursor aren’t supported. But I get it: the team has to keep up with API changes and security updates. That means dropping support for old macOS versions.

Before you try any OS changes, back up your data! And don’t be afraid to try alternatives. I’m back to coding with Cursor, and it feels great.