OpenCPN 5.6 failing to initialize

[AndyMarine]

Hi all

I have spent many hours trying to update my version of OpenCPN from version 4 (working) to version 5.x and ultimately the most recent version of 5.6.

I'm getting the error reported by a few other users "Failed to initialize the user interface", followed by "Failed to initialize the user interface. OpenCPN cannot start. The ncessary configuration files were not found. See the log file...". However, the log file is blank or has only a few 0/1's in there, so I've not been able to chase any leads. I have also created blank configuration files with various names to no avail.

I am running MacOS Monterery, version 12.2, which does fall out of the list of supported operating systems on the OpenCPN website, however, other users have reported success in running the software. OpenCPN version 4 continues to work fine, but there seems to be an issue with version 5.6. I have searched extensively but not got anywhere.

I wondered if any users on the forum have experienced similar issues and may have workarounds.

Thanks in advance

[bcn]

macOS 12.1.2 I would suppose?


Here on macOS 12.1 all is running smoothly.
OCPN 5.6


What we usually do - as we are testing beta versions - is to install parallel versions of OpenCPN. They will run with the same configuration file.
To get a parallel version just edit the name of the OpenCPN application.
The next install will be plain "opencpn" again.



Where is your log file? In the 5.x. series it should be at {replace renate by your user}

/Users/renate/Library/Logs/opencpn.log
And the conf at
/Users/renate/Library/Preferences/opencpn/opencpn.ini

[AndyMarine]

Thanks bcn for the swift reply.

My MacOS version is 12.2, I just checked now and there is a 12.2.1 update for install in Software Update via System preferences. So I may attempt the new update later.

I am running OpenCPN version 4 in parallel with 5.6 as you mention by renaming.

Log file is in the location you note, if I run OpenCPN version 4 the file is populated with some lines that make sense (--- Starting OpenCPN --- etc). If I run OpenCPN version 5.6, nothing of note is added except a signular integer usually a 1 but I have seen some zeros. If I delete the log file and run version 5.6 again, the file is created and a single integer (1) is appended to the file only, no other content.

I've deleted the configuration file, and the configuration folder from the location you mention to hopefully trigger a new config creation, but no avail.

As you are running fine, I wonder if there is something spectific to my machine creating the issue (Intel MacBook Pro, 2018 or thereabouts).

Thanks

[bcn]

Updated to 12.2.1 now - and everything running as before.


So what is special in your case???


Just one user or Admin/User accounts for example? Or some AntiVirus software running?

[AndyMarine]

That’s a good question!

No AV running and only a single user account.

However, you just gave me pause for thought. I will create a new user account to see if it is something to do with my current account.

[AndyMarine]

OK, so creating a new user account on the Mac allowed me to run 5.6 successfully, this tells me that there is a specific issue with my user account. I am digging through to see if I can fix this as I now have (from the test account) a opencpn.log that includes some file paths that I can explore to see if there is a corruped file inside.

[nohal]

All you will probably have to do is get rid of your configuration file (/Users/<USERNAME>/Library/Preferences/opencpn/opencpn.ini) created by the ancient OpenCPN version under your main account.

[AndyMarine]

Thanks nohal, your suggestion was one of the first things I tried. On the working and newly created test account, both v4 and v5.6 co-exist happily.

On my main user account that runs v4 but not v5.6, v4 works. I've removed the configuration folder and I've tried copying the working configuration folder from the working test account to my account to no avail.

There is something happening very early on in the program, i.e., prior to the writing of the configuration and the log file, but after the initial creation of both the configuration folder (empty bar two files: _OpenCPN_SILock and startcheck.dat). I have searched my entire machine for files matching *opencpn* to see if there is a corrupted file or something blocking the start. Could be a permissions issue but it is creating the folder and those two files, and writing a single integer to the log file.