1.3.11 won't open

[Gale Andrews]

I'd attack the problem in a different order:

1) If you don't want to use AU and VST effects in Audacity, edit/create audacity.cfg as outlined below, and remove any VST effects (<filename>.vst) from the Audacity "plug-ins" folder (it's actually lower-case on Mac).
This avoids the bear-trap of renaming system folders. On my system, I cannot rename the user VST and Components folders, but I can rename the user Plug-Ins folder, and I can rename the system VST and Components folders and the system Plug-Ins folder. This may be different on other systems. And I just discovered that I can rename the user Library folder! Yikes! I shudder to thing what would happen if I did that!

2) If you do want to use AU and/or VST effects in Audacity, you need to identify the offending effect(s). Unfortunately any offending effects must be removed from the system effects folders and will not be available to other programs. Then provide step by step instructions, including the creation of appropriately-named folders on the desktop to hold the effects that are being removed.

I agree "don't want these effects in Audacity" should be first - that ranking was implicit in my steps too, but I had the "renaming folders" trick on top as the theoretically easiest option for both cases. I've never really liked that trick although I've seen it suggested a lot on the forum, so I'm glad we agree there.

I think case 2) - if user is happy to lose the offending effects for all apps - should be largely common sense for both Windows (VST only) and Mac, once user is pointed to the system folders and told the procedure. If user wants VST in Audacity, has identified the offending VST effects but wants them for other apps, these steps should work:

1 Cut the offenders from the special VST desktop folder you created to the desktop root
2 Cut the remaining system folder contents to the special desktop folder
3 Copy the desktop folder contents to the Audacity plug-ins folder
4 Set Audacity to rescan for VST and restart it
5 Cut the offenders from desktop root to the special desktop folder
6 Copy the desktop folder contents to the system folders
7 Test with other apps then delete the special desktop folder

Possibly that does want "step by step" ? I can't see any workaround for AU - we want that "plug-in manager" asked for on Feature Requests to disable individual plug-ins and system folders.

At the moment my feeling is the title of the FAQ should probably be "Why is Audacity freezing or crashing when I start it?" Then say the main reason on Mac is likely to be VST/AU. On Windows the reason could be a plug-in, it could be a sound card problem, or it could mean you have an old Beta where the project window got hidden, On Linux I guess it could be a sound device problem or it could be an old Beta (e.g. that problem when the .aup file got corrupted h pos values). Are there any other Linux reasons apart from very occasionally, a plug-in?

I already have some "troubleshooting" text on the Audio Units Wiki page though not explicitly for VST. It might be feasible to just link to those Wiki pages for the location of the system folders in order to keep the FAQ details limited.

No naive OS X user will have a clue what "The folder path specified by the VST_PATH environment variable" means.

Well, if the offending effects are there and they want VSTs in Audacity they will have to understand. I think the VST Wiki page would be the place for any explanations.




Gale

[billw58]

I think case 2) - if user is happy to lose the offending effects for all apps - should be largely common sense for both Windows (VST only) and Mac, once user is pointed to the system folders and told the procedure. If user wants VST in Audacity, has identified the offending VST effects but wants them for other apps, these steps should work:

1 Cut the offenders from the special VST desktop folder you created to the desktop root
2 Cut the remaining system folder contents to the special desktop folder
3 Copy the desktop folder contents to the Audacity plug-ins folder
4 Set Audacity to rescan for VST and restart it
5 Cut the offenders from desktop root to the special desktop folder
6 Copy the desktop folder contents to the system folders
7 Test with other apps then delete the special desktop folder

Mac users are not generally used to the "cut/copy/paste" method for moving files between folders. Most are more comfortable with drag and drop. I'll write up a step by step for this when I get a chance to actually do it on my machine.

billw58 wrote:

No naive OS X user will have a clue what "The folder path specified by the VST_PATH environment variable" means.

Well, if the offending effects are there and they want VSTs in Audacity they will have to understand. I think the VST Wiki page would be the place for any explanations.

I'm not sure that Mac even has the VST_PATH environment variable. Executing "printenv" in the Terminal does not show it in the list, and "printenv $VST_PATH" prints an empty line. Am I missing something?

-- Bill

[Gale Andrews]

I think case 2) - if user is happy to lose the offending effects for all apps - should be largely common sense for both Windows (VST only) and Mac, once user is pointed to the system folders and told the procedure. If user wants VST in Audacity, has identified the offending VST effects but wants them for other apps, these steps should work:

1 Cut the offenders from the special VST desktop folder you created to the desktop root
2 Cut the remaining system folder contents to the special desktop folder
3 Copy the desktop folder contents to the Audacity plug-ins folder
4 Set Audacity to rescan for VST and restart it
5 Cut the offenders from desktop root to the special desktop folder
6 Copy the desktop folder contents to the system folders
7 Test with other apps then delete the special desktop folder

Mac users are not generally used to the "cut/copy/paste" method for moving files between folders. Most are more comfortable with drag and drop. I'll write up a step by step for this when I get a chance to actually do it on my machine.

OK. That would be handy as I don't know the difference between mouse copying and cutting on Mac.

I'm not sure that Mac even has the VST_PATH environment variable. Executing "printenv" in the Terminal does not show it in the list, and "printenv $VST_PATH" prints an empty line. Am I missing something?

It's not likely to exist unless a user or a specific VST effect has created it, but it is supported on Mac :

Code: Select all

 // Check for the VST_PATH environment variable
   wxString vstpath = wxGetenv(wxT("VST_PATH"));
   if (!vstpath.IsEmpty()) {
      wxGetApp().AddUniquePathToPathList(vstpath, pathList);
   }

in VSTEffect.cpp is not ifdeffed for WXMSW (Windows).



Gale