OpenCPN 5.6.0 Released

[kevinvh]

Originally Posted by kevinvh

Hi Dave - I spoke too soon. Continuing Issues With OpenCPN And macOS Monterey. For the sake of completeness and for the benefit of others, I have repeated some information you already know.

I have OpenCPN 5.6.1 installed on a new User Account on my MBP and I have named the application file OpenCPN561.app. I have a second installation on another User Account and it is called OpenCPN524.app. This allows me to keep the OpenCPN preference files seperate and specific to each version of OpenCPN for testing. I have been having issues with 5.6.1 where the installed charts randomly "disappear", and they have to be deleted from Options/Charts/Chart Files, and then reinstalled.

Here is what happened this morning:
1. I opened OpenCPN5.2.4 and the Chart failed to display, and a message briefly displayed on the screen saying that the ESRI chart group was empty.
2. Went to Options/Charts/Chart Files and all my installed charts were listed.
3. Went to Options/Charts/Chart Groups and checked each Chart Group - all were empty.
4. Tried "Scan Charts and Update Database", "OK" - still no charts.
5. Tried "Force Full Database Rebuild", "OK" - still no charts.
6. Removed each chart under Options/Charts/Chart Files and clicked "OK", then closed and reopened OpenCPN524 to save opencpn.ini.
7. Opened Options/Charts/Chart Files and "Add Directory" for each chart file.
8. Clicked OK and the charts were installed and displayed on the screen.
9. Quit OpenCPN524 to save the opencpn.ini file and went to Options/Charts/Chart Groups. All my Chart Group headings were still present, but each group was empty.
10. Populated each Chart Group and clicked "OK" to exit Options.
11. Control-clicked on screen and confirmed that Chart Groups was working.
12. Quit OpenCPN524 to save the opencpn.ini file and reopened OpenCPN5.2.4 - everything working normally again.

(Note: If I don't close and reopen OpenCPN to save the ini file, then it often crashes and I lose my changes.)

Now, I logged out of the current (5.2.4) User Account and logged into my new OpenCPN561 User Account. To my surprise, when I opened OpenCPN561.app, the charts were also missing. I had to follow the same procedure described above to get OpenCPN561 working properly again.

I have never had this issue with OpenCPN 5.2.4 prior to installing OpenCPN 5.6.1 (and 5.6.0 prior). I don't know how one installation could effect the other, considering each app has a different name and the config files are isolated by each User Account.

Log files and config files are enclosed in the attached zip file for OpenCPN561. xxxx_00.xxx signifies config files prior to failure, and xxxx_01.xxx signifies the files after failure.

My MBP details are:
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018)
2.6 GHz 6-Core Intel Core i7
16 GB 2400 MHz DDR4
Intel UHD Graphics 630 1536 MB
MacOS Monterey V12.1

Zip file would not upload, so renamed the extension to .pdf. You will need to download the file and rename the extension to .zip in order to extract the contents.

[bdbcat]

Kevin...


Interesting. In the failing logfile I see this:

09:02:44.754 MESSAGE chartdbs.cpp:1208 Chartdb: Chart directory list follows
09:02:44.754 MESSAGE chartdbs.cpp:1227   Chart directory #0: /Users/opencpn560/Documents/Charts/cm93_2015
09:02:44.754 MESSAGE chartdbs.cpp:1227   Chart directory #1: /Users/opencpn560/Documents/Charts/MBT_KVH_Nav
09:02:44.754 MESSAGE chartdbs.cpp:1227   Chart directory #2: /Users/opencpn560/Documents/Charts/MBT_KVH_ESRI
09:02:44.754 MESSAGE chartdbs.cpp:1227   Chart directory #3: /Users/opencpn560/Documents/Charts/MBT_KVH_GE
09:02:44.754 MESSAGE chartdbs.cpp:1227   Chart directory #4: /Users/opencpn560/Documents/Charts/MBT_KVH_Bing
09:02:44.754 MESSAGE chart1.cpp:2474 GPS Watchdog Timeout is: 6 sec.
09:02:44.755 MESSAGE chartdb.cpp:1148 Creating new chart
09:02:44.755 MESSAGE chartdb.cpp:1265 Initializing Chart /Users/opencpn560/Documents/Charts/cm93_2015/
09:02:44.755 MESSAGE cm93.cpp:4613 CM93Composite Chart Root is /Users/opencpn560/Documents/Charts/cm93_2015/
09:02:45.153   ERROR file.cpp:228 can't open file '/Users/opencpn560/Documents/Charts/cm93_2015/CM93OBJ.DIC' (error 1: Operation not permitted)

Questions:
1. Cm93 fails, OK. But do the other chart directories show?
2. Please check the permissions of the file: /Users/opencpn560/Documents/Charts/cm93_2015/CM93OBJ.DIC


Note: Please do not worry (at this point) about the chart groups. OCPN "scrubs" the chart group entries on startup. If a chart directory in a group is not readable, then that directory is automatically removed from the group. So this problem will fix itself when we figure out why the chart files themselves get "error 1: Operation not permitted".


Dave

[bdbcat]

Kevin...
And another test:


I think this may be a permission problem with the per-user Document file system used on MacOS. That is to say, eventually user "OpenCPN 561" cannot access the files in

" /Users/opencpn560/Documents/Charts"


You might like to try copying all the charts into the Documents directory owned by "OpenCPN 561".


Dave

[kevinvh]

Originally Posted by bdbcat

Kevin...


Interesting. In the failing logfile I see this:

09:02:44.754 MESSAGE chartdbs.cpp:1208 Chartdb: Chart directory list follows
09:02:44.754 MESSAGE chartdbs.cpp:1227   Chart directory #0: /Users/opencpn560/Documents/Charts/cm93_2015
09:02:44.754 MESSAGE chartdbs.cpp:1227   Chart directory #1: /Users/opencpn560/Documents/Charts/MBT_KVH_Nav
09:02:44.754 MESSAGE chartdbs.cpp:1227   Chart directory #2: /Users/opencpn560/Documents/Charts/MBT_KVH_ESRI
09:02:44.754 MESSAGE chartdbs.cpp:1227   Chart directory #3: /Users/opencpn560/Documents/Charts/MBT_KVH_GE
09:02:44.754 MESSAGE chartdbs.cpp:1227   Chart directory #4: /Users/opencpn560/Documents/Charts/MBT_KVH_Bing
09:02:44.754 MESSAGE chart1.cpp:2474 GPS Watchdog Timeout is: 6 sec.
09:02:44.755 MESSAGE chartdb.cpp:1148 Creating new chart
09:02:44.755 MESSAGE chartdb.cpp:1265 Initializing Chart /Users/opencpn560/Documents/Charts/cm93_2015/
09:02:44.755 MESSAGE cm93.cpp:4613 CM93Composite Chart Root is /Users/opencpn560/Documents/Charts/cm93_2015/
09:02:45.153   ERROR file.cpp:228 can't open file '/Users/opencpn560/Documents/Charts/cm93_2015/CM93OBJ.DIC' (error 1: Operation not permitted)

Questions:
1. Cm93 fails, OK. But do the other chart directories show?
2. Please check the permissions of the file: /Users/opencpn560/Documents/Charts/cm93_2015/CM93OBJ.DIC


Note: Please do not worry (at this point) about the chart groups. OCPN "scrubs" the chart group entries on startup. If a chart directory in a group is not readable, then that directory is automatically removed from the group. So this problem will fix itself when we figure out why the chart files themselves get "error 1: Operation not permitted".


Dave

1. None of the chart directories show on the screen.
2. The permissions file is unlocked and the permissions show that opencpn560 (the administrator), staff and everyone has Read & Write privilege.

[kevinvh]

Originally Posted by bdbcat

Kevin...
And another test:


I think this may be a permission problem with the per-user Document file system used on MacOS. That is to say, eventually user "OpenCPN 561" cannot access the files in

" /Users/opencpn560/Documents/Charts"


You might like to try copying all the charts into the Documents directory owned by "OpenCPN 561".


Dave

I have moved the charts into Macintosh HD/Users/opencpn560/Documents (bypassing Charts) and I will now reinstall the charts from their new location. Could the problem be caused by having too many levels of folders under each chart directory?

Can’t understand why everything works ok, and then at some random time, all the charts are lost.

[bdbcat]

Kevin....
Usually, "Operation not permitted" is a sure sign of permission problems. I would be very much interested in what happens when the charts are all in a directory clearly owned by the current user. I use "~/Charts" instead of the Documents folder. But I also do not use multiple user accounts.


Dave

[bdbcat]

Kevin...
If you are using "Users/opencpn560/Documents", they may not be accessible by user "opencpn 561".


Dave

[kevinvh]

Originally Posted by bdbcat

Kevin....
Usually, "Operation not permitted" is a sure sign of permission problems. I would be very much interested in what happens when the charts are all in a directory clearly owned by the current user. I use "~/Charts" instead of the Documents folder. But I also do not use multiple user accounts.


Dave

Ok, I moved the charts into Documents and all working ok for now.

I will do as you suggest and put the charts in Users/opencpn560/Charts.

Keep you posted.

[bdbcat]

Kevin...
1. Could the problem be caused by having too many levels of folders under each chart directory?
Nope, don't think so.

2. Can’t understand why everything works ok, and then at some random time, all the charts are lost.

Nor do I. Lots of MacOS security stuff introduced in BigSur is opaque to me. But the charts are not "lost", just not accessible to the running OCPN instance.


Dave

[kevinvh]

Originally Posted by bdbcat

Kevin...
1. Could the problem be caused by having too many levels of folders under each chart directory?
Nope, don't think so.

2. Can’t understand why everything works ok, and then at some random time, all the charts are lost.

Nor do I. Lots of MacOS security stuff introduced in BigSur is opaque to me. But the charts are not "lost", just not accessible to the running OCPN instance.


Dave

Yes - and annoying when you have to keep reinstalling them. Doesn’t take to long to reinstall the charts now that I have a procedure working.

I will keep the 2 installations running to help with your investigations. Hopefully, you will soon find the cause and fix the problem. Otherwise, I will return to a single installation of 5.2.4 which seems reliable running by itself under Monterey.

Just ask if you need me to do anything else.

[kevinvh]

Originally Posted by kevinvh

Ok, I moved the charts into Documents and all working ok for now.

I will do as you suggest and put the charts in Users/opencpn560/Charts.

Keep you posted.

OK, I created:
- Users/opencpn560/Charts for OpenCPN 5.6.1; and
- Users/kevinhiscox/Charts for OpenCPN 5.2.4,
and placed my charts in each folder.

So far, so good - no loss of charts with 5.2.4 or 5.6.1.

Interesting to note that the permissions on the two new Chart folders is:
Administrator - Read & Write
Staff - Read Only
Everyone - Read only

Permissions on the Documents folder is:
Administrator - Read & Write
Everyone - No Access
But, when the Charts folder was inside the Documents folder, it had permissions:
Administrator - Read & Write
Staff - Read Only
Everyone - Read only

It should have made no difference because I was running OpenCPN as an Administrator with full Access Rights.

You may prove right that there is a problem with permissions with Monterey - wait and see.

[bdbcat]

Kevin...
What we need for a test is a single installation of O561, installed. All charts reinstalled to the Documents directory belonging to the user which is currently logged in. Stay logged in as one user. No switching of users allowed. Rebuild chart database after installation of charts.

This should prove or disprove the theory of user-related permissions problem.



Can we do that?
Thanks
Dave

[kevinvh]

Originally Posted by bdbcat

Kevin...
What we need for a test is a single installation of O561, installed. All charts reinstalled to the Documents directory belonging to the user which is currently logged in. Stay logged in as one user. No switching of users allowed. Rebuild chart database after installation of charts.

This should prove or disprove the theory of user-related permissions problem.



Can we do that?
Thanks
Dave

Understand - will get started on it tonight.

[CarCode]

Problem is the lack of computer knowledge. macOS is a Unix operating system for multiuser use. So the harddisc volume usually called "Macintosh HD" for Macs has several folders like Applications, Users, Library, System, bin, sbin, usr etc. If you open the volume "Macintosh HD" with Finder and go to the folder Users you see the installed user names. Only the just log-in username is shown with a house symbol, all others are shown as normal folder symbols. All data for the log-in user is in the folder with the house symbol. He cannot access other folder usernames. To install a new user you have to go to the settings menu for Users&Groups and never only write a new name in the Users folder.

[kevinvh]

add comment

Originally Posted by CarCode

Problem is the lack of computer knowledge. macOS is a Unix operating system for multiuser use. So the harddisc volume usually called "Macintosh HD" for Macs has several folders like Applications, Users, Library, System, bin, sbin, usr etc. If you open the volume "Macintosh HD" with Finder and go to the folder Users you see the installed user names. Only the just log-in username is shown with a house symbol, all others are shown as normal folder symbols. All data for the log-in user is in the folder with the house symbol. He cannot access other folder usernames. To install a new user you have to go to the settings menu for Users&Groups and never only write a new name in the Users folder.

Understand all this. That was how I created User OpenCPN560.

I deleted the User OpenCPN560 and removed it from my HD. I also removed OpenCPN524 and its associated config folders from my normal User Account and did a clean install of OpenCPN 5.6.1.
My Charts are in ~/Charts and after 6 - 8 hours or working with OpenCPN 5.6.1, everything is performing as advertised.
The first time I started 5.6.1 I got the dreaded Screen Recording message. I selected System Preferences and allowed OpenCPN.app to assess Screen Recording. I have not had the Screen Recording message reappear.
Been here before only to be disappointed, but hopefully the chart disappearance issue was resolved by creating and referencing ~/Charts.

Thanks for the tip Dave.