Audacity Forum

I just downloaded and installed Audacity version 1.2.6 on a G4 PowerMac running MacOs 10.4.10. I launched and opened an existing audio file without incident. I then downloaded vst-bridge 1.1, and moved the file vst-bridge.so to the Audacity plug-ins folder. Attempting to launch Audacity resulted in a few bounces in the dock, an Audacity window appearing and disappearing, and a message that "The application Audacity has quit unexpectedly".

After removing the vst-bridge plug-in from the plug-ins folder Audacit again launches properly, and returning it to the folder results in the same crash.

Any idea what is going on?

<<<Audacity version 1.2.6 on a G4 PowerMac >>>

It might be said you're running the wrong Audacity. My very similar machine is running 1.2.5 and Lame and Bridge all work famously. If you run the wrong Audacity the program doesn't fail, it's the plugins and add-ons that fail.

Koz

Nope. That's not it. I just checked the other machines and they're doing what you're doing.

Still, how did you install Audacity? When I uncompressed Audacity, I pulled all the files and folders over to a fresh, new Audacity folder on my desktop and dumped the whole folder into /Applications. I did not install it the way the instruction tell me to. I seem to have far fewer troubles with plugins and add-ons than other people.

Koz

I installed by creating a new folder directly in the Applications folder, and dragging the files there.

I tried dragging it out to the desktop and back to Applications, but that didn't help. When I get back from dinner I will do a clean install using your method. What files are generated or moved to places other than the Audacity folder (preferences, etc.)?

You don't necessarily need to reinstall Audacity. Just dump the preference file.

Close Audacity and drop this file into the Trash.

SystemDrive/Users/koz/Library/Preferences/audacity Preferences

When you re-open Audacity, it will be at first birthday (and will make a new file).

Do you remember all the things you changed back when you first installed it? Audacity wakes up in Mono.

There is one other thing that drives Audacity nuts. External Stuff. Disconnect everything external to your machine. External drives, external sound devices, thumb things, etc. Launch Audacity and see if it's much better behaved.

Koz

Koz,

Trashed preference file and re-launched. It asked me for my language preference and crashed.

I trashed the Audacity folder (preferences were still gone), re-downloaded the 1.2.6 .dmg file. This time I created the folder on the desktop, copied the files, and then moved it to the Applications folder. Copied a fresh copy of VST-bridge.so into the plug-in folder before first launch. Same crash.

All of this has been done on a G5 PowerBook with no external devices (power only).

I would be happy to try anything else you would like in order to narrow down the issue. However, I downloaded the 1.3.3 beta, and it does not have the same problem. I will go ahead and use the beta unless I run into too many problems with it. I am all set.

Thanks!

<<<I will go ahead and use the beta unless I run into too many problems with it. I am all set.>>>

OK.

I will tell you that repeated crashing on a Mac is most unusual and having a known good stable program do it is especially worrying. How full is your hard drive?

Koz

I have about 16 GB free on an 80 GB drive. Also, this crash occurs on launch rather than during a recording session where substantial disk space would be consumed.

Are there any reports of interactions with installations of other audio software? I logged in as a different (clean) user and confirmed the same crash, so it doesn't seem to be a corrupted user preference.

You're really close to Stump The Band time. Crashes like that happen when Audacity fails on launch system inspection. That, in turn, happens when it sees a hardware device it hates.

To recap, you have no external "things" connected? No USB Turntables, thumb drives, microphones, etc?

Restart the machine. Go to Apple, System Preferences, Hardware, Sound, Input. If you select the Internal Microphone and talk, do you get flashing lights?

Koz

I went back too far. You said you got the 1.3.x to work.

The systems people are busy pushing 1.4.x out the door, so you're having troubles at a particularly messy time.

If you got 1.3.x to work enough to get by, it's probably best to just stick with it.

Koz