Freezes - Critical Nyquist files not found

[lgmarques]

I am using OSX Mavericks 10.9 with Audacity 2.0.5.

When it opens, it freezes with this warning dialog box:

Critical Nyquist files could not be found. Nyquist effects will not work.

The app freezes and I can’t click on anything after that.

That is the first time I open the app.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

[steve]

You’ve not installed Audacity correctly. This usually occurs if you try to run Audacity directly from the dmg rather than installing it.
Ensure that you install Audacity according to the instructions here: http://audacityteam.org/download/mac

[lgmarques]

That did it. Sorry to bother on such a stupid mistake.

[happywaffle]

I found this via Google after making the same mistake. I registered just to ask: can’t the user experience be improved for what seems to be a very common and understandable user error?

Not hanging the app would be a bonus, but a much simpler fix would be updating the dialog text to indicate the probable cause.

[Gale_Andrews]

@happywaffle

I found this via Google after making the same mistake. I registered just to ask: can’t the user experience be improved for what seems to be a very common and understandable user error?

The Mac download page has explicit “installation instructions”. There is an “Install.txt” file in the DMG and that says how to “install”.

Audacity doesn’t freeze for me on Mavericks if I run it from the DMG so I don’t even know how to reproduce the freeze. This is when I run as admin. Are you running as standard user (but you know the admin password)?

@happywaffle

Not hanging the app would be a bonus, but a much simpler fix would be updating the dialog text to indicate the probable cause.

The “Critical Nyquist files not found” message would also occur if you had correctly copied the audacity folder to /Applications, ejected the DMG but then deleted or renamed Audacity’s “nyquist” folder.

The developers hate verbose messages so it’s not an option.

I think the solution is to supply only zip files or make an installer with a button to press that does not show you the audacity folder at all. Also the installer could have an option to reset Preferences. I’ve already discussed this with an Audacity developer but he has hit snags using Apple’s new packaging tool. I’ll ping him to see where he has got to with this.


Gale

[happywaffle]

@Gale Andrews

The Mac download page has explicit “installation instructions”. There is an “Install.txt” file in the DMG and that says how to “install”.

That doesn’t mean that users aren’t going to behave in the same predictable way they have for decades—ignore the installation instructions.

@Gale Andrews

Audacity doesn’t freeze for me on Mavericks if I run it from the DMG so I don’t even know how to reproduce the freeze. This is when I run as admin. Are you running as standard user (but you know the admin password)?

Just reproduced the issue again. No, I’m an admin user. I’m running it from the HD, not the DMG.

1. Drag Audacity.app from /Applications/Audacity into /Applications
2. Open Audacity.app

@Gale Andrews

@happywaffle

Not hanging the app would be a bonus, but a much simpler fix would be updating the dialog text to indicate the probable cause.

The “Critical Nyquist files not found” message would also occur if you had correctly copied the audacity folder to /Applications, ejected the DMG but then deleted or renamed Audacity’s “nyquist” folder.

The developers hate verbose messages so it’s not an option.

But the current dialog text—“Critical Nyquist files could not be found. Nyquist effects will not work.”—doesn’t help with that use case either. I’d prefer something like “Critical Nyquist files could not be found. Check for the ‘nyquist’ folder inside the Audacity folder” which would provide a useful hint regardless.

@Gale Andrews

I think the solution is to supply only zip files or make an installer with a button to press that does not show you the audacity folder at all. Also the installer could have an option to reset Preferences.

That’s all possible, but avoiding the hang and improving the helpfulness of the dialog are the best, most direct solutions.

[largelies]

I am encountering the same problem on Mavericks with 2.0.5 with admin account.

I did this:
Installation instructions (.dmg files):

Double-click the downloaded .dmg to mount it.
Copy the “Audacity” folder from the newly mounted .dmg to /Applications (or any other location of your choosing).
Eject the .dmg at bottom left of Finder, then launch Audacity.app from the “Audacity” folder that you copied.

The nyquist warning pops up and freezes the app, requiring force quit.

Any suggestion?

thanks
L/

[largelies]

Correction - I assumed the “.app” was to be copied according to the instructions, and missed the word “folder”. I now copied over the entire folder content and problem is solved, thanks.

I understand this may be more work, but dropping a suggestion: I wonder if there is any reason not to package the .app with all necessary files, in one or several distro as is generally done, especially with an automated build system?

Thanks, and keep up the great work.
L/

[Gale_Andrews]

@happywaffle

@Gale Andrews

The Mac download page has explicit “installation instructions”. There is an “Install.txt” file in the DMG and that says how to “install”.

That doesn’t mean that users aren’t going to behave in the same predictable way they have for decades—ignore the installation instructions.

If users ignore the instructions to turn the ignition key then they will never start the car.

@happywaffle

@Gale Andrews

Audacity doesn’t freeze for me on Mavericks if I run it from the DMG so I don’t even know how to reproduce the freeze. This is when I run as admin. Are you running as standard user (but you know the admin password)?

Just reproduced the issue again. No, I’m an admin user. I’m running it from the HD, not the DMG.

1. Drag Audacity.app from /Applications/Audacity into /Applications
2. Open Audacity.app

I can reproduce the hang and the “Critical Nyquist files…” message that way in Audacity 2.0.5, but not by running Audacity from the DMG or by renaming the “nyquist” folder (both of which give the same message).

In 2.0.4 there is no hang when dragging Audacity.app from /Applications/Audacity into the root of of /Applications, which suggests the “splash screen” when Audacity 2.0.5 starts (or changes we made in that version to defer load of Audio Units) could be something to do with it. Can you confirm if you run Audacity 2.0.4 ( http://audacity.googlecode.com/files/audacity-macosx-ub-2.0.4.zip ) with Audacity.app moved out of its folder that it doesn’t freeze? Also please confirm if you are on Mavericks or some other OS X.

All that said, it is obvious that separating an app from its application contents would confuse an application. The developers would say that was user deliberately shooting themselves in the foot. Also the freeze when you do that separation may not even be the same freeze that you personally receive when you run Audacity from the DMG. Unless we can reproduce that freeze, we don’t know. I’ll test some more with different Audacity settings. When you ran Audacity from the DMG was that the first time you ever ran Audacity?

@happywaffle

@Gale Andrews

@happywaffle

Not hanging the app would be a bonus, but a much simpler fix would be updating the dialog text to indicate the probable cause.

The “Critical Nyquist files not found” message would also occur if you had correctly copied the audacity folder to /Applications, ejected the DMG but then deleted or renamed Audacity’s “nyquist” folder.

The developers hate verbose messages so it’s not an option.

But the current dialog text—“Critical Nyquist files could not be found. Nyquist effects will not work.”—doesn’t help with that use case either. I’d prefer something like “Critical Nyquist files could not be found. Check for the ‘nyquist’ folder inside the Audacity folder” which would provide a useful hint regardless.

The developers would not stand for it, citing evidence that the longer the message, the less it is read or understood.

And even your suggested message would not cover all the bases.

• Some of the individual files in the “nyquist” folder could be missing.
• Everything could be present, but the user (or Mac) has denied read permission to the folder.
• The user has moved Audacity.app outside its folder.
  
  
  

@happywaffle

@Gale Andrews

I think the solution is to supply only zip files or make an installer with a button to press that does not show you the audacity folder at all. Also the installer could have an option to reset Preferences.

That’s all possible, but avoiding the hang

The developers cannot do that unless they can reproduce the hang. I have just reproduced a hang now following your suggestion, but in a different situation to the one where you first got your hang.

@happywaffle

improving the helpfulness of the dialog

See above. I’m already planning to add a Frequently Asked Question for what to do if this "Critical Nyquist… " error occurs, but first we need to know more about why Audacity freezes on some Macs if you run it from the DMG and not on others.


Gale

[Gale_Andrews]

@largelies

Correction - I assumed the “.app” was to be copied according to the instructions, and missed the word “folder”. I now copied over the entire folder content and problem is solved, thanks.

Thanks for confirming. When you got the freeze was this your first ever use of Audacity?

@largelies

I understand this may be more work, but dropping a suggestion: I wonder if there is any reason not to package the .app with all necessary files, in one or several distro as is generally done, especially with an automated build system?

Audacity is already packaged with all necessary files if the user keeps them together .

If you mean Fink or MacPorts, I think it would create difficulties for users. Fink or MacPorts will assume an experienced, tech-savvy user.


Gale

[Gale_Andrews]

@Gale Andrews

I’m already planning to add a Frequently Asked Question for what to do if this "Critical Nyquist… " error occurs, but first we need to know more about why Audacity freezes on some Macs if you run it from the DMG and not on others.

Actually Steve already started that FAQ (mentioning the issue of running Audacity from the DMG) so it will be there for 2.0.6 release.

That FAQ does not mention the possibility of a freeze or other reasons that the “Critical Nyquist…” error might occur.


Gale

[largelies]

[quote=“Gale Andrews”]

@largelies

Correction - I assumed the “.app” was to be copied according to the instructions, and missed the word “folder”. I now copied over the entire folder content and problem is solved, thanks.

Thanks for confirming. When you got the freeze was this your first ever use of Audacity?
[/quote]

You’d think indeed… But I have been using it for months. Worse still, all that time with the Nyquist warning at each start of the program, even though the solution was trivial. It’s a great program

[quote=“largelies”]
I understand this may be more work, but dropping a suggestion: I wonder if there is any reason not to package the .app with all necessary files, in one or several distro as is generally done, especially with an automated build system?
[/quote]

Audacity is already packaged with all necessary files if the user keeps them together > > .

Absolutely. Still, most apps out there simply require either copying a single .app file (ie, an app package on mac) which folds within all of its necessary files without external references, or provide an installer that does the copy automatically.

Note that is not a complaint ; just pointing out a bit of friction at install time compared to what one might be expecting. And i write code for a living

Best,
L/

[Gale_Andrews]

@largelies

[quote=“Gale Andrews”]

@largelies

Correction - I assumed the “.app” was to be copied according to the instructions, and missed the word “folder”. I now copied over the entire folder content and problem is solved, thanks.

Thanks for confirming. When you got the freeze was this your first ever use of Audacity?

You’d think indeed… But I have been using it for months.
[/quote]

OK.

I dragged Audacity.app from the 2.0.6-alpha DMG to /Applications, and there was no freeze when running it. Audacity had no Nyquist plug-ins but there was no message box about that - the only warning about it is in the log, as per what happens on Windows. And Audacity still runs OK without Nyquist files even if I eject and trash the DMG . So I can only assume it’s reading the rest of what it needs from folders I have in /Applications for other versions of Audacity.

So there is still lots of variability here. Perhaps the fact that I have other versions of Audacity may be part of the reason that I don’t get a freeze when running Audacity from the DMG. If you are able to find situations where Audacity does and doesn’t freeze when run from the DMG, feel free to post.

@largelies

most apps out there simply require either copying a single .app file (ie, an app package on mac) which folds within all of its necessary files without external references, or provide an installer that does the copy automatically.

I think an Audacity developer looked at such a “single app file” package several years ago in response to suggestions made along those lines. The conclusion appeared to be that it would require significant moving around of the Audacity internals given so much of it relies on dependent files and folders being in the same folder as the app.

The quickest solution to most of these problems would appear to be an installer that has a button to do the file copying.


Gale

[Gale_Andrews]

@Gale Andrews

1. Drag Audacity.app from /Applications/Audacity into /Applications
2. Open Audacity.app

While I can reproduce the hang and “Critical Nyquist files…” message using that method in Audacity 2.0.5, I cannot reproduce it in the current 2.0.6-alpha (whether audacity.cfg is empty except for “NewPrefsInitialized=1” or not, or whether other audacity versions are in /Applications or not). So in the current Audacity 2.0.6-alpha code I have no cases where I can get the hang.

Can you please try the 2.0.6-alpha from http://www.audacity.homerow.net/index.php?dir=mac%2Faudacity-nightly-2013.12.08-03.15%2F . Trash all your other Audacity versions first. Try steps 1 and 2 above and also try running Audacity from the DMG.

Thanks for your help.


Gale