FGU crashing EVERY time I try to run it on only one of my M1 Mac Minis

[Ezri Lell]

So, I have two M1 Mac mini computers in my game room. One uses a paid account, the other uses a free account. Typically, I run a game on my paid account and log into it on the free account so I can project the VTT onto my game table for players to see/use with minis, encourage planning, etc.

Periodically, the guest account machine would have some hiccup that would require me to delete FGU files, re-run the patcher, and then fire it up again. Usually after updates and so on.

Recently, however (about two weeks ago as of the time of this writing), I got a Mac OS update, and a FGU update, and since that day, the app crashes on this machine every time I try to open it.

I have used the usual tactic of deleting game files and re-patching, deleting the entire game, patcher and all, and reinstalling it from the web installer from the Smite Works site, doing disk checks, rebooting, shutting down and restarting, connecting to different networks, and everything else I can think of, but I still get a crash EVERY time I try to run the app.

The weird thing is, it is ONLY this computer. My GM station is using the same model of M1 Mac Mini, running the same OS update, and the same version of FGU, and it runs perfectly. My Intel MacBook runs it fine, my Windows machine runs it fine, My wife's Intel machine runs it fine, and all of my players who bring machines, or connect remotely all have it running fine, including at least one M1 MacBook Air on the same OS version.

It is ONLY this machine that is having the problem, and it has been happening for weeks, across multiple OS and FGU updates.

I'm at a loss, and at wit's end here.

Any assistance/ thoughts would be appreciated. I have included the crash report from apple as a txt attachment.

[LordEntrails]

Make sure you reboot your computer after you update FG. There is some issue with the new Mac o/s update that prevents some files from being updated/cleared until you reboot.

Not sure this is your issue, but timing matches.

[Ulric]

Any assistance/ thoughts would be appreciated. I have included the crash report from apple as a txt attachment.

I discovered the reboot solution. I play FG on several Intel and M1 Macs. There is an issue with M1 Macs crashing when FG has a particular type of update, ruleset and extension updates don't cause a problem. The problem seems to be caused by "Rossetta 2" not clearing FG cache after updating. When you reboot and run FG Rossetta creates a new cache. Unfortunately, the cache is in a protected system area that can not be reset by a Dev or User.

[Ezri Lell]

Thank you all for responding. Much appreciated.

So, I just tried removing game files, and re-patching (to ensure the patcher had something to do), then restarting the computer once the patcher had finished.

I tried the above in all of the following sequences and am still getting the same crash:
Patch>restart>close patcher>Run FGU directly
Patch>restart>Run FGU via patcher button
Patch>close patcher>restart>Run FGU directly
Patch>close patcher>restart>Launch patcher but don't patch>Run FGU via patcher button

Any other thoughts?

[Ulric]

You may find temporarily unlocking your secure system files and downloading the FG installer and reinstall FG using the downloaded installer my fix your problem. After you have reinstalled and everything is working you can lock your secure system files. This fixed a FG problem for me. I could not start the FG updater app from the FG main menu. I would click the update button and FG would close but the Updater app would never open. After unlocking and reinstalling and then relocking my system files the FGupdater app starts correctly. I followed the instruction located here https://iboysoft.com/news/uninstall-rosetta-2.html except the part about uninstalling Rosetta 2. Don't follow my instructions without care and understand I make no guarantees you will not messing thing up. I also backed up my FG campaigns and assets before doing the reinstall just to be safe. Please post a response if it does or does not fix your problem.

[spoonhead]

You may find temporarily unlocking your secure system files and downloading the FG installer and reinstall FG using the downloaded installer my fix your problem. After you have reinstalled and everything is working you can lock your secure system files. This fixed a FG problem for me. I could not start the FG updater app from the FG main menu. I would click the update button and FG would close but the Updater app would never open. After unlocking and reinstalling and then relocking my system files the FGupdater app starts correctly. I followed the instruction located here https://iboysoft.com/news/uninstall-rosetta-2.html except the part about uninstalling Rosetta 2. Don't follow my instructions without care and understand I make no guarantees you will not messing thing up. I also backed up my FG campaigns and assets before doing the reinstall just to be safe. Please post a response if it does or does not fix your problem.

I’m getting this problem, but I’m still on an intel Mac. Have tried rebooting, but it still happens. If I run the updater directly, it works OK.

[Ulric]

Interesting, I only play on M1 Macs but when I played on Intel I never encountered that issue. It is still probably related to file security permissions.

[Ezri Lell]

You may find temporarily unlocking your secure system files and downloading the FG installer and reinstall FG using the downloaded installer my fix your problem. After you have reinstalled and everything is working you can lock your secure system files. This fixed a FG problem for me. I could not start the FG updater app from the FG main menu. I would click the update button and FG would close but the Updater app would never open. After unlocking and reinstalling and then relocking my system files the FGupdater app starts correctly. I followed the instruction located here https://iboysoft.com/news/uninstall-rosetta-2.html except the part about uninstalling Rosetta 2. Don't follow my instructions without care and understand I make no guarantees you will not messing thing up. I also backed up my FG campaigns and assets before doing the reinstall just to be safe. Please post a response if it does or does not fix your problem.

Okay,

Sorry this took a minute, been hectic here.

So, I did as suggested, unlocked the file system, restarted, removed the app and the user files associated with the app, downloaded the web installer again and installed the game, re-patched back up to current, and..... same issue.

Next, I logged into a different user on the same computer and found I was unable to patch the game up due to lack of admin access, but saw it was already on 4.1.1 anyway, so I logged in using the same user/account that I use normally on that computer, and it worked just fine.

So it seems that whatever is wrong, is not actually in the game files, but something about the user profile on that computer and its interaction with the game files.
I have noticed that in all the uninstalling/reinstalling of the game, I have never had to log in again. It's just had my credentials in there already, so I assume that is being kept in one of the system library files somewhere, yes? Does anyone have a line on how to go delete that config/lib file? Perhaps just flush out whatever is in there and force it to log in again fresh?

[Ulric]

There is a Finder and select "GO" from the Finder menu bar. With the GO menu open press and hold the option key to reveal the "Library" selection and click that location to go to. You can look in the the "Preferences" folder and search for "smiteworks" to locate the PList files for the FG engine and Updater. These are just suggestions and not a recommendations because in my opinion it is this is "DANGER ZONE" activity. You do not want to delete or change the wrong files. I would at a minimum compare the files located here to the same files in the other "User" folder thats runs FG without any problems. There is also a "Crash" folder you can look at for insight to your problem. I hope this helps you!

[Trenloe]

Perhaps just flush out whatever is in there and force it to log in again fresh?

From the main FG launch screen click the "Settings" button, then go to the "Troubleshoot" tab of the FGUpdateEngine window and click "Clear Settings".