This was passed up to me by Craig Besinque. He says that VASSAL freezes up and he can’t move pieces after the module has sat idle for a few hours. It seemed to be happening with a module I designed for him, but after some experimentation, it seems to be happening with other mods as well. He said he’s running iMac Mi 21.5 (serial C02HT0P4Q6X3), Ventura 13.4.1. 16 GB memory.
Any ideas I can pass along to him?
Thanks!
Joel Toppen
It would help to have an error log from a run that locked up.
Hi uckelman,
I am not conversant in this stuff but:
the chat bar is also locked up so I cannot use that method.
I looked for the error log under ~/Library/Application Support/VASSAL. There were lots of other subfolders there but nothing for VASSAL.
I found this under ~/Library/Application Support/CrashReporter/DiagnosticMessageHistory,plist
occurring in the time period where the freeze-up occurred.
| bplist00⁄a | |
|---|---|
| e VCanaryZAutoSubmit_AutoSubmitVersion_MainConfigInvestigationID_PreviousSetPreferences_LastCleanupCalled_eThirdPartyDataSubmitVersion_LastFileSubmissionCalled_LastFileSubmissionSuccess_ThirdPartyDataSubmit | _$08cbdb15-192b-40ec-990a-148dae7d8ca9°‘UvalueZpreferenceVdomainTuser–_ASPCarryLog_tasking\com.apple.daTroot3A∆ÖWÖÚå3A≈—≥ &îF3A≈—≥fi:nn $/C_xå™≈·¯˘˙¸#%.4?FKLbot}àë í |
Maybe that will help.
If not, please tell me how to access the error log via command line, remembering that I am not at all familiar with this stuff.
Thanks Craig
uckelman,
FYI:
This particular freeze happened in the Conquest and Tragedy 3.0j module.
The map and units are frozen.
I can move the cards in my Card Hand window but it will not resize.
I can move the game module window but the map will not resize.
I cannot type or get a cursor in the chat bar.
Craig
Hi Craig,
I also use a Mac. May I just check how you are looking for the Vassal log? I can locate errorLog from the Go menu in Finder, using Go to Folder…
That gives me a popup, into which I pasted the path: ~/Library/Application Support/VASSAL
That displays Vassal folders and files and one of the first files shows is errorLog.
Please can you do that (again?) and paste back here a screenshot of that window, if you don’t see a file called errorLog?
Apart from this one symptom, the rest would be experienced if you had a popup window - perhaps in the background that is blocking Vassal. If so you’d need to move Vassal windows out of the way until you can find that Popup and dismiss it. I can’t think how that would be time related though, except…
I don’t think that system message is anything to do with Vassal directly but it does seem curious. Do you know if you might have some network management client software installed on your Mac? Something from these guys, perhaps?
Is it only the Vassal mod windows that are affected?
How do you normally recover from this situation?
Finally, C&T Version 3.0j doesn’t seem to be published. Which other mods does this happen with?
The problem here is that you’ve looked in: /Library/Application Support. The directions on the help page say to look in: ~/Library/Application Support/VASSAL, and the Library folder in your home directory is hidden. Your Finder settings are very unlikely to show it by default.
The tilde (~) character at the front is crucial. It substitutes for the path to your home folder.
“VASSAL freezes up after sitting idle for a few hours”
This happens to me too. I don’t mean my Vassal, but me personally. So hard getting up any more.
Doesn’t look like it. Did you find an error log? If you did, open the log in a text editor, select all the text and copy it into a reply on here. Use the </> button on the entire log text to avoid losing any text.
How’s this:
2024-12-11 15:57:47,741 [3519-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - Starting
2024-12-11 15:57:47,755 [3519-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - OS Mac OS X 13.4.1 aarch64
2024-12-11 15:57:47,755 [3519-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - Java version 23.0.1
2024-12-11 15:57:47,756 [3519-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - Java home /Applications/VASSAL.app/Contents/MacOS/jre
2024-12-11 15:57:47,756 [3519-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - VASSAL version 3.7.15
2024-12-11 15:57:50,453 [3519-AWT-EventQueue-0] INFO VASSAL.launch.ModuleManager - Manager
2024-12-11 16:16:32,240 [3519-SwingWorker-pool-1-thread-2] INFO VASSAL.launch.AbstractLaunchAction - Loading module file /Volumes/M1 4TB ExtSSD/ C&C/VASSAL CnC Module JOEL/ VASL CnC JOEL/CnC 1.0 GameLogs/ConquestAndConsequences_v1.vmod
2024-12-11 16:16:33,812 [3519-SwingWorker-pool-1-thread-2] INFO VASSAL.launch.TilingHandler - No images to tile.
2024-12-11 16:16:33,813 [3519-SwingWorker-pool-1-thread-2] INFO VASSAL.launch.AbstractLaunchAction - Loading module Conquest & Consequence
2024-12-11 16:16:33,817 [3519-SwingWorker-pool-1-thread-2] INFO VASSAL.tools.io.ProcessLauncher - launching /Applications/VASSAL.app/Contents/MacOS/jre/bin/java -Xms512M -Xmx512M -Duser.home=/Users/craigbesinque -Duser.dir=/Applications/VASSAL.app -cp Contents/Resources/Java/Vengine.jar -Xdock:name=Conquest & Consequence -Xdock:icon=/Applications/VASSAL.app/Contents/Resources/VASSAL.icns VASSAL.launch.Player --load – /Volumes/M1 4TB ExtSSD/ C&C/VASSAL CnC Module JOEL/ VASL CnC JOEL/CnC 1.0 GameLogs/ConquestAndConsequences_v1.vmod
2024-12-11 16:16:34,471 [3611-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - Starting
2024-12-11 16:16:34,480 [3611-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - OS Mac OS X 13.4.1 aarch64
2024-12-11 16:16:34,480 [3611-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - Java version 23.0.1
2024-12-11 16:16:34,480 [3611-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - Java home /Applications/VASSAL.app/Contents/MacOS/jre
2024-12-11 16:16:34,480 [3611-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - VASSAL version 3.7.15
2024-12-11 16:16:34,480 [3611-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.Launcher - Player
2024-12-11 16:16:35,220 [3519-ProcessLauncher-2] WARN VASSAL.tools.logging.LoggedOutputStream - 2024-12-11 16:16:35.220 java[3611:108105] Failed to query the family name from a normalized font descriptor NSCTFontDescriptor <0x6000028af9c0> = {
NSFontNameAttribute = “MT-Extra”;
}
2024-12-11 16:16:36,604 [3611-AWT-EventQueue-0] INFO VASSAL.build.GameModule - Conquest & Consequence version 1.0
2024-12-11 16:16:53,644 [3519-ProcessLauncher-2] WARN VASSAL.tools.logging.LoggedOutputStream - 2024-12-11 16:16:53.644 java[3611:108037] +[CATransaction synchronize] called within transaction
2024-12-11 16:17:01,196 [3611-Thread-0] INFO VASSAL.build.module.GameState - Loading save game /Users/craigbesinque/Desktop/Marten JPNStrikes/28 JPN Fall 43.vlog, created with module version 1.0
2024-12-11 16:36:45,067 [3519-ProcessLauncher-2] WARN VASSAL.tools.logging.LoggedOutputStream - 2024-12-11 16:36:45.067 java[3611:108037] +[CATransaction synchronize] called within transaction
2024-12-11 16:36:47,854 [3611-AWT-EventQueue-0] INFO VASSAL.build.module.GameState - Loading save game /Users/craigbesinque/Desktop/Marten JPNStrikes/28 JPN Fall 43.vlog, created with module version 1.0
2024-12-11 16:37:04,742 [3519-ProcessLauncher-2] WARN VASSAL.tools.logging.LoggedOutputStream - 2024-12-11 16:37:04.742 java[3611:108037] +[CATransaction synchronize] called within transaction
2024-12-11 16:43:24,859 [3611-AWT-EventQueue-0] INFO VASSAL.tools.io.ProcessLauncher - launching /Applications/VASSAL.app/Contents/MacOS/jre/bin/java -classpath Contents/Resources/Java/Vengine.jar -Duser.dir=/Applications/VASSAL.app VASSAL.launch.ModuleManager --update-game /Users/craigbesinque/Desktop/Marten JPNStrikes/29 USA Fall 43 Moves.vlog
2024-12-11 16:47:28,501 [3519-SwingWorker-pool-1-thread-3] INFO VASSAL.launch.AbstractLaunchAction - Loading module file /Volumes/M1 4TB ExtSSD/ C+T/ C+T VASSAL Module JOEL/C+T v3 Module Joel/C&T v3-0j.vmod
2024-12-11 16:47:30,010 [3519-SwingWorker-pool-1-thread-3] INFO VASSAL.launch.TilingHandler - No images to tile.
2024-12-11 16:47:30,011 [3519-SwingWorker-pool-1-thread-3] INFO VASSAL.launch.AbstractLaunchAction - Loading module Conquest & Tragedy
2024-12-11 16:47:30,012 [3519-SwingWorker-pool-1-thread-3] INFO VASSAL.tools.io.ProcessLauncher - launching /Applications/VASSAL.app/Contents/MacOS/jre/bin/java -Xms2048M -Xmx2048M -Duser.home=/Users/craigbesinque -Duser.dir=/Applications/VASSAL.app -cp Contents/Resources/Java/Vengine.jar -Xdock:name=Conquest & Tragedy -Xdock:icon=/Applications/VASSAL.app/Contents/Resources/VASSAL.icns VASSAL.launch.Player --load – /Volumes/M1 4TB ExtSSD/ C+T/ C+T VASSAL Module JOEL/C+T v3 Module Joel/C&T v3-0j.vmod
2024-12-11 16:47:30,411 [3683-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - Starting
2024-12-11 16:47:30,420 [3683-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - OS Mac OS X 13.4.1 aarch64
2024-12-11 16:47:30,420 [3683-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - Java version 23.0.1
2024-12-11 16:47:30,420 [3683-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - Java home /Applications/VASSAL.app/Contents/MacOS/jre
2024-12-11 16:47:30,420 [3683-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.StartUp - VASSAL version 3.7.15
2024-12-11 16:47:30,420 [3683-main] INFO VASSAL.launch.Launcher - Player
2024-12-11 16:47:31,164 [3519-ProcessLauncher-2] WARN VASSAL.tools.logging.LoggedOutputStream - 2024-12-11 16:47:31.164 java[3683:120803] Failed to query the family name from a normalized font descriptor NSCTFontDescriptor <0x600001559f20> = {
NSFontNameAttribute = “MT-Extra”;
}
2024-12-11 16:47:33,004 [3683-AWT-EventQueue-0] INFO VASSAL.build.GameModule - Conquest & Tragedy version 3.0j
2024-12-11 16:47:41,127 [3519-ProcessLauncher-2] WARN VASSAL.tools.logging.LoggedOutputStream - 2024-12-11 16:47:41.127 java[3683:120738] +[CATransaction synchronize] called within transaction
2024-12-11 16:47:47,840 [3683-Thread-0] INFO VASSAL.build.module.GameState - Loading save game /Users/craigbesinque/Desktop/MarcJPNSTRKS/35 Jap Spring 43 combat.vlog, created with module version 3.0j
2024-12-11 16:49:16,037 [3519-ProcessLauncher-2] WARN VASSAL.tools.logging.LoggedOutputStream - 2024-12-11 16:49:16.035 java[3683:120738] +[CATransaction synchronize] called within transaction
Think I got it all.
Craig
This suggests that the +[CATransaction synchronize] called within transaction message comes from bug in MacOS which was fixed by 13.6. The version you’re running, 13.4.1, isn’t current. Maybe try upgrading.
uckelman,
OK upgrading to 13.7.
Thanks much, appreciate your amazing expertise.
VASSAL rocks!
Will get back to you with result of upgrade.
Best Craig
Thanks uckelman.
That seems to have worked.
Left overnight, no freeze.
Much appreciated. Doing some PBM games, now much easier.
Craig
I’m glad it’s working now.
Other things being equal, it’s best to troubleshoot with all of your software up-to-date, so that you’re not fighting bugs which have already been fixed.