macOS 10.14 Mojave - Beta Issues

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  • pent
    Visitor
    • Jun 2018
    • 3

    macOS 10.14 Mojave - Beta Issues

    It appears that Beyond Compare 4.2.5 (build 23088) isn't fully compatible with macOS 10.14 beta (18A293u), causing app crashes. Will the BC dev team be investigating / releasing beta updates anytime soon?
  • Chris
    Team Scooter
    • Oct 2007
    • 5523

    #2
    We've had one other customer report crashes on macOS 10.14 Mojave beta and we are investigating.

    macOS 10.13 beta also caused BC to crash due to debug code in the beta. The crash was fixed on Apple's end when 10.13 was officially released without the debugging code enabled.

    For the crashes you're seeing, is BC crashing on startup, or is it crashing during specific actions?

    If an error message or crash information is displayed, please post it here or email it to [email protected].
    Chris K Scooter Software

    Comment

    • Chris
      Team Scooter
      • Oct 2007
      • 5523

      #3
      I discussed it with our Mac developer. Because the crashes are specific to a beta OS version, it's unlikely we'll release a bug fix. If there are still crash issues when 10.14 is officially released, then we'll release a fixed version of BC. If it's like 10.13 beta, then the official release of 10.14 might fix the crash without requiring code changes on our end.
      Chris K Scooter Software

      Comment

      • pent
        Visitor
        • Jun 2018
        • 3

        #4
        Originally posted by Chris
        For the crashes you're seeing, is BC crashing on startup, or is it crashing during specific actions?
        Still occurring with macOS 10.14 beta 2 (18A314h)
        Crash occurs during usage. ex. folder compare then view differences between files.

        Details:
        Code:
        Exception Type:        EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV)
        Exception Codes:       KERN_PROTECTION_FAILURE at 0x00000000bf7ffff8
        Exception Note:        EXC_CORPSE_NOTIFY
        
        Termination Signal:    Segmentation fault: 11
        Termination Reason:    Namespace SIGNAL, Code 0xb
        
        Application Specific Information:
        *** CFRelease() called with NULL ***
        
        Thread 0 Crashed:: Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread
        0   com.ScooterSoftware.BeyondCompare	0x0003854c 0x10000 + 165196
        1   com.ScooterSoftware.BeyondCompare	0x000aa7d4 0x10000 + 632788
        2   com.ScooterSoftware.BeyondCompare	0x000251af 0x10000 + 86447
        3   com.ScooterSoftware.BeyondCompare	0x000347fc 0x10000 + 149500
        4   com.ScooterSoftware.BeyondCompare	0x000250e7 0x10000 + 86247
        5   com.ScooterSoftware.BeyondCompare	0x000250e7 0x10000 + 86247
        6   com.ScooterSoftware.BeyondCompare	0x000250e7 0x10000 + 86247
        7   com.ScooterSoftware.BeyondCompare	0x000250e7 0x10000 + 86247
        8   com.ScooterSoftware.BeyondCompare	0x000250e7 0x10000 + 86247
        9   com.ScooterSoftware.BeyondCompare	0x000250e7 0x10000 + 86247
        10  com.ScooterSoftware.BeyondCompare	0x000250e7 0x10000 + 86247
        11  com.ScooterSoftware.BeyondCompare	0x000250e7 0x10000 + 86247
        12  com.ScooterSoftware.BeyondCompare	0x000250e7 0x10000 + 86247
        13  com.ScooterSoftware.BeyondCompare	0x000250e7 0x10000 + 86247
        14  com.ScooterSoftware.BeyondCompare	0x00034f75 0x10000 + 151413
        15  com.ScooterSoftware.BeyondCompare	0x00011825 0x10000 + 6181

        Comment

        • Chris
          Team Scooter
          • Oct 2007
          • 5523

          #5
          Thank you for sharing the crash information. It's unlikely we'll release a fix for macOS 10.14 beta. If the issue persists in the official release of 10.14, we'll issue a fix at that time.
          Chris K Scooter Software

          Comment

          • ericvan76
            Visitor
            • Jun 2018
            • 4

            #6
            Originally posted by Chris
            Thank you for sharing the crash information. It's unlikely we'll release a fix for macOS 10.14 beta. If the issue persists in the official release of 10.14, we'll issue a fix at that time.
            Disagree!! At least you guys should do some investigation and figure out why it's crashing.

            I'm going to request a refund, if you're not issue a fix on this, because it stop functioning anymore, and I can't work around it.

            Comment

            • Aaron
              Team Scooter
              • Oct 2007
              • 15920

              #7
              As Chris mentions above, we know why it is crashing: MacOS beta debug code which conflicts with BC4, which also happened last time there was a MacOS beta.

              Unfortunately, during the beta period, this code frequently changes, which causes it to break again each time. The frequent updates required to workaround the debug code changes, where last time we kept up with the beta changes it required full time work, preventing other bug fixes and enhancement work. On top of that, there is also a decent amount of downtime for users, since re-implementing the workaround of debug code takes time, and still requires QA and Release workflow, sometimes not quick enough to keep up with the next code shift. This also lead to user frustration, since we had releases that "supported MacOS beta" that then also wouldn't work later, which also varied depending on if the user was updating the MacOS beta build and BC4 concurrently.

              And once the full release was available and all of the MacOS beta debug code is removed, BC4 resumed working.

              To reiterate: we know why it is crashing, but the fix is not quickly deployable to keep up with the shifts present in the MacOS beta release. We're tracking it, anticipate it will resolve itself, while also having a patch ready for the Release Candidate once that is made available. If you need to use BC4 during this time period, please use the most recent release of MacOS instead of the beta.
              Aaron P Scooter Software

              Comment

              • ericvan76
                Visitor
                • Jun 2018
                • 4

                #8
                Originally posted by Aaron
                As Chris mentions above, we know why it is crashing: MacOS beta debug code which conflicts with BC4, which also happened last time there was a MacOS beta.

                Unfortunately, during the beta period, this code frequently changes, which causes it to break again each time. The frequent updates required to workaround the debug code changes, where last time we kept up with the beta changes it required full time work, preventing other bug fixes and enhancement work. On top of that, there is also a decent amount of downtime for users, since re-implementing the workaround of debug code takes time, and still requires QA and Release workflow, sometimes not quick enough to keep up with the next code shift. This also lead to user frustration, since we had releases that "supported MacOS beta" that then also wouldn't work later, which also varied depending on if the user was updating the MacOS beta build and BC4 concurrently.

                And once the full release was available and all of the MacOS beta debug code is removed, BC4 resumed working.

                To reiterate: we know why it is crashing, but the fix is not quickly deployable to keep up with the shifts present in the MacOS beta release. We're tracking it, anticipate it will resolve itself, while also having a patch ready for the Release Candidate once that is made available. If you need to use BC4 during this time period, please use the most recent release of MacOS instead of the beta.
                It's too funny, you don't have to make an official release on a beta OS. Why not release a beta though?

                "during the beta period, this code frequently changes, which causes it to break again each time."
                ^^ and if that happens each individual beta update, it sounds like technically you're doing something wrong. Don't try to find an excuse for the laziness.

                Most of your customers are software developers, and most of us are working with Beta products all the time, because we need to keep the development moving closely with high compatibilities with all other products. A product should be kept development and updating all the time, that is how a modern software development should be, unless you want to retire your product.
                Last edited by ericvan76; 03-Jul-2018, 01:04 AM.

                Comment

                • xiaolongs
                  New User
                  • Jul 2018
                  • 1

                  #9
                  Originally posted by ericvan76
                  It's too funny, you don't have to make an official release on a beta OS. Why not release a beta though?

                  "during the beta period, this code frequently changes, which causes it to break again each time."
                  ^^ and if that happens each individual beta update, it sounds like technically you're doing something wrong. Don't try to find an excuse for your laziness.

                  Most of your customers are software developers, and most of us are working with Beta products all the time, because we need to keep the development moving closely with high compatibilities with all other products. A product should be kept development and updating all the time, that is how a modern software development should be, unless you want to retire your product.
                  Agree.

                  Comment

                  • Aaron
                    Team Scooter
                    • Oct 2007
                    • 15920

                    #10
                    We're working on a permanent solution to avoid this scenario, but we'll work on if there's anything else we can do to work around the current beta issue.
                    Aaron P Scooter Software

                    Comment

                    • macandrice
                      Journeyman
                      • Mar 2016
                      • 14

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Aaron
                      To reiterate: we know why it is crashing, but the fix is not quickly deployable to keep up with the shifts present in the MacOS beta release. We're tracking it, anticipate it will resolve itself, while also having a patch ready for the Release Candidate once that is made available. If you need to use BC4 during this time period, please use the most recent release of MacOS instead of the beta.
                      You act like it's a choice. Do you know who makes up your user base? I don't, but my semi-educated guess is that it includes a lot of software developers. Who need to update their products for Mojave. And therefore have to run the beta. And on that machine, they need their tools. Including BC.

                      The whole thread shows a lack of understanding of several things that ought to be clear to any developer.

                      First, what an OS beta is for, and who the predominant users of that beta are. The primary reason is for the OS vendor to find and fix bugs, but the secondary reason is for the vendor's developers to find and fix bugs in their programs prior to the OS' release. And the secondary reason supports the primary reason; the more developers hitting on the beta, the more things they'll exercise and find bugs for that can be (hopefully) fixed, (hopefully) prior to GM. That means every developer has to be running the beta, or they're not doing their job.

                      Those software developers (which should include you) are fixing problems before the final OS release. I'm not running the Mojave beta, but I've already had several of the programs I use updated to fix problems with the beta. Those developers are doing what they're supposed to be doing — running the beta and fixing problems in their programs. Might they have to fix more at final release? Absolutely. But their (other developer) users have to be able to use their programs in the meantime.

                      Second, it shows a lack of understanding of both BC as a product and its users. BC isn't a game, where it doesn't matter whether it works before the final release. It is a tool, one used extensively by developers. You're acting like it's the former, when it's clearly the latter.

                      Ultimately, the attitude expressed here, i.e. the lack of interest in helping your users, is disturbing.

                      Comment

                      • ericvan76
                        Visitor
                        • Jun 2018
                        • 4

                        #12
                        Originally posted by macandrice
                        You act like it's a choice. Do you know who makes up your user base? I don't, but my semi-educated guess is that it includes a lot of software developers. Who need to update their products for Mojave. And therefore have to run the beta. And on that machine, they need their tools. Including BC.

                        The whole thread shows a lack of understanding of several things that ought to be clear to any developer.

                        First, what an OS beta is for, and who the predominant users of that beta are. The primary reason is for the OS vendor to find and fix bugs, but the secondary reason is for the vendor's developers to find and fix bugs in their programs prior to the OS' release. And the secondary reason supports the primary reason; the more developers hitting on the beta, the more things they'll exercise and find bugs for that can be (hopefully) fixed, (hopefully) prior to GM. That means every developer has to be running the beta, or they're not doing their job.

                        Those software developers (which should include you) are fixing problems before the final OS release. I'm not running the Mojave beta, but I've already had several of the programs I use updated to fix problems with the beta. Those developers are doing what they're supposed to be doing — running the beta and fixing problems in their programs. Might they have to fix more at final release? Absolutely. But their (other developer) users have to be able to use their programs in the meantime.

                        Second, it shows a lack of understanding of both BC as a product and its users. BC isn't a game, where it doesn't matter whether it works before the final release. It is a tool, one used extensively by developers. You're acting like it's the former, when it's clearly the latter.

                        Ultimately, the attitude expressed here, i.e. the lack of interest in helping your users, is disturbing.
                        They're hopeless. I'm going to switch to other product, money wasted.

                        Comment

                        • Zoë
                          Team Scooter
                          • Oct 2007
                          • 2663

                          #13
                          To everyone frustrated by our response to this issue:

                          You're right. We screwed up. We're working on a 4.2.6 release that will have the crash fixed and are planning on getting it out as soon as possible.

                          This is ultimately a failure on my part, and it doesn't represent our official policy, now or going forward. It does, unfortunately, highlight an uncomfortable position that we're currently in. To put it bluntly, yes, we're doing something that we aren't supposed to. We did it the way we did because of architecture decisions made well before we started the macOS port, and at the time we released v4, it looked like the solution we used was officially supported. The approach we took has been slowly breaking. We've worked around the breaks so far, but a proper fix requires a major overhaul of our codebase. That overhaul is in progress and we're working it as fast as possible, but it's not usable yet, even as a beta.

                          The workaround requires significant effort to redo if/when it breaks, and any time we spend on that is time we aren't spending on a proper fix. During the High Sierra beta we fixed the workaround for each release, but the rate of releases meant many customers weren't able to use the fix, and in the end the stable release reverted the changes that broke BC, rendering the effort wasted. We incorrectly thought that that's what was happening again, and Aaron and Chris's responses were based on that. Right now we're also working on updating BC to Cocoa and 64-bit, and we don't know when Apple will kill 32-bit support entirely. We just don't have the resources to chase transient fixes that might break a release later and definitely won't be used long term.

                          Fortunately, in this case, further research showed that the crash was caused by something else and we can fix it quickly.

                          We know and respect that you need Beyond Compare on whatever OS you're using. We try to fix crashes quickly, even if they're introduced in a beta. This is an unusual crunch for us to be in, made worse by some unexpected personnel issues that have slipped the schedule. BC is a tool you rely on, and we don't take that responsibility lightly.
                          Last edited by Zoë; 05-Jul-2018, 12:17 PM.
                          Zoë P Scooter Software

                          Comment

                          • dempson
                            Enthusiast
                            • Apr 2008
                            • 44

                            #14
                            Originally posted by Zoë
                            Right now we're also working on updating BC to Cocoa and 64-bit, and we don't know when Apple will kill 32-bit support entirely.
                            At the 2018 developer conference, Apple clearly stated that next year's new version (probably macOS 10.15 in late 2019) will not run 32-bit code at all. They also gave two years warning at the 2017 developer conference, so the timeline has not changed. Both announcements were in the Platforms State of the Union presentation. For the most recent statement, jump to just after 0:19:40 in the 2018 presentation.

                            macOS 10.14 will run 32-bit code "with compromises". The compromises have not been explained in public documentation, and details may change during the beta anyway.

                            Thanks for the explanation of the issues, and the update coming soon.

                            Comment

                            • Zoë
                              Team Scooter
                              • Oct 2007
                              • 2663

                              #15
                              Originally posted by dempson
                              For the most recent statement, jump to just after 0:19:40 in the 2018 presentation.
                              Thanks for the info. We were aware of the "with compromises" bit, and have been assuming 10.15 was going to be the hard cutoff, but it's good to have concrete facts. We have been working on the Cocoa 64-bit build since 2016, and I've been trying to get rid of the thing we're doing wrong for even longer, but it's taking a lot more time and effort than we'd like. BC is a relatively large codebase, with a lot of low level code to do things our development environment wasn't designed for, so it doesn't change directions quite as easily anymore.
                              Zoë P Scooter Software

                              Comment

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