MacBook Air - Mid 2012 - Issues installing the new client

[matitaccia]

Dear all,

until Thursday I have been using the older client on my Mac Book Air Mid 2012 running on macOS High Sierra, Version 10.13.6. Since the experience with the new client 7.5.1 on my PC has been great, I decided to install the new version also on my MacBookAir. I did not take any particular precautions, just downloaded the zip file, extracted the package and installed it (I also wanted to test if something wrong could happen by simply installing the new client without uninstalling the older version first).

After the installation was completed without particular errors it was not possible to load the client. Accessing from the browser would not work, as it would try to connect without finding the client, while if I tried to start FAHControl it would fire up, but I could not do anything, since the client was not detected. Worse, the UserEventAgent and the launchd daemons were clogging my CPU, fans spinning fast, notebook getting hot, batteries being emptied ultr@fast. On Friday I took some time to understand a little bit better what was going and soon realised that by uninstalling the client the correct way (using the supplied uninstaller) I could solve the issue related to the UserEventAgent and Launchd, with both going back to normal CPU loads.

I did try to install the 7.5.1 client a second time without success, with the same issues regarding UserEventAgent and Launchd: also this time, uninstalling the software with the uninstaller would solve the issue.

I have the feeling that my Security & Privacy settings are interfering with the installation of the client, but I do not know how to correct the situation: usually, if I try to install software which is downloaded outside the apple store circuit, the installation stops and I am asked to confirm my decision (of installing such a software) by inserting the administrator password. But this time, it does not happen, I do not get any warnings and in Settings>Security & Privacy, where I usually find the blocked applications, there is nothing to unlock.

Does anyone have any suggestions that could help to install the new client on my Mac?

Thank you!

matitaccia

[Joe_H]

I haven't moved to High Sierra yet, so don't know of any particular issues with that. However if you installed the folding client initially on an OS older than Sierra you might need to always first uninstall the F@h client first before updating to a later version on Sierra of High Sierra. There was a change on how Apple handled the background FAHClient process. The installer may not handle the change properly all of the time.

If the pervious versions was installed on High Sierra or Sierra, then I don't have an idea what might have caused the problem you ran into. What I do know is that Apple introduced a number of changes, was hearing from about problems updating to High Sierra from the IT person at my university who supports laptops we lend. We wanted to update all of the Apple laptops to High Sierra over the Summer, ran into problems a few weeks ago and he is still researching a fix.

[matitaccia]

Hello Joe,

thank you for the quick answer.

Maybe during the summer holidays I might have some time to format and reinstall the whole OS. The notebook is quite old now and I never did a fresh install: coming from Windows this is quite a record! Of course there also are more (little) issues which are plaguing me every now and then not only the F@H Client one.

Or, another possibility, could be to try to install the old client... let me see if that works.

Thanks,

matitaccia

[matitaccia]

Re-installing version 7.4 works.

The browser is not capable of connecting to the client, but if I open the software "by hand" it opens. And it had all of my preferences already set. Probably the fact that I did not uninstall correctly in the first place is responsible for that? Maybe if I uninstall everything now, also installing the new version would work?

matitaccia

[Joe_H]

It has been a while since I used the uninstaller on OS X, but I recall then it did not have a remove data option. Probably better than 90% of the time that is not necessary, but might be needed for your installation to upgrade properly.

If you decide to update again to 7.5.1, here is what I would suggest. First finish any WU in progress. Then run the Uninstaller for the OS X F@h client. Use Activity Monitor and check that no Fah* processes are left running, if any are run the Uninstaller again.

The data files for the OS X folding client are stored in the system Library folder. Look in it for the Application Support folder and within that for the FAHClient folder. You may want to save a copy of the config.xml file elsewhere, and possibly the log files. The config.xml copy can be used for copying and pasting your username, team and passkey information to a new install.

Remove the FAHClient folder, you will probably be prompted for an Admin password to move the folder to the Trash. Then install the new version.

One thing I have run into, about 2/3 of the time I need to let the web control count down and then a reload of the page will connect to the client process.. This is using Safari, haven't gotten around to trying in other browsers.

[bruce]

It has been a while since I used the uninstaller on OS X, but I recall then it did not have a remove data option. Probably better than 90% of the time that is not necessary, but might be needed for your installation to upgrade properly.

I doubt this will be a problem -- but if it is, please report what happened.

Since you'll be upgrading from V7-x-x to V7.y.y you won't need to worry about that. The "data" consists mostly of the current WUs (which will be gone if you complete a FINISH), the current Config.xml (which is unlikely to change), and some historic data (previous logs/configs/etc.)

I do remember one upgrade in which the format of the internal db was upgraded ... and that happened automatically ... but it did become a problem only if you decided to go back to the older version.

[matitaccia]

Dear all,

I have tried to install the new version once more.

I followed the instructions as suggested, but there has been no difference.

In the end I uninstalled once more the new client, useragent and launchd stopped acting crazy, and I was able to install the old client again. Starts like a charm. (I have to thank bcavnaugh for asking where older versions are to be found, I used his post and the following answers a lot during the past days: viewtopic.php?f=106&t=30861).

Thank you very much for the help. If I can help debugging somehow I'am available.

ciao,

matitaccia