Mac - XQuartz11/Inkscape is freezing machine suddenly

[txheart0711]

Hi y'all,
I use a Die-cut machine and have been using Inkscape, via XQuartz11, on my Mac OS 10.12.5. I've been using it for several months with zero problems, other than the huge learning curve.

I broke my wrist a few weeks ago so I havent been doing alot of anything (including apostrophes!) the last couple of weeks. I opened Inkscape today, the same way that I've always opened it, from the Inkscape icon that I moved to my dock, and it took a few seconds (not unusual) and then opened fine. I imported an image, played with it for a few minutes and then shut it down, again, the same way I always do. An hour-ish later, i re-open the new svg from my image and start using the bezier pen to cut out pieces of it to make layers. It quit - just shut down - about 15 minutes into my work, which bites when it takes so long because I have to use my off-hand. I shut down XQuartz and clicked the Inkscape icon to reopen. I got a black screen, which I later learned was XQuartz, and then Inkscape finally opened. But now I am unable to switch screens, moving my cursor to the dock doesn't reveal the dock, moving my cursor to the "hot zone" which minimizes the active screen so that I can choose another application only re-maximizes Inkscape.

I have uninstalled and reinstalled both applications, but when I restarted my machine the first time (after deleting the programs), an update was performed on my Mac. Reinstalling is giving me the same problem. It's like XQuartz has forgotten what it's supposed to do, or got stuck, or something. FYI, When I deleted the two apps, I also deleted any other after market apps that I didn't really need, thinking maybe something I've downloaded recently was the problem. I don't see how it could be though, because I get into OCD mode and have been working on my Cricut and Inkscape pretty much exclusively until I broke my wrist. I'm at a loss over what to try next. Help?

[brynn]

Welcome to the forum!

Not being a Mac user, I'm pretty much at a loss for specific suggestions.  But I'm guessing there must be a way to either output an error log, or find an error log somewhere on the system.  I mean, it sounds like it was a serious system hiccup there, so there's probably some info you could find about it.  Maybe that would give a clue?

The only error log which Inkscape provides is related to using extensions.  So Inkscape's error log won't help.  But what's probably available on your system should be helpful.

As for Inkscape being the cause of the hiccup, I'm not sure.  I haven't heard of anything like that, caused by Inkscape.  My best guess is that you were coincidentally using Inkscape at the time it happened.  Although again, I'm just guessing.  Because Inkscape certainly does crash at times.  I've just never heard of a proven case of an Inkscape crash cascading through the whole system.  Well, not on modern systems anyway, with current versions of Inkscape.

I'd probably focus on XQuartz errors first.  Is there a way to perform a diagnostic routine on XQuartz?

By the way, which version of Inkscape were you using?  Also, have you restarted the computer, since all this happened?  Often it seems restarting the computer can reset to normal operations.

Let us know what you find.

[txheart0711]

Thank you for your reply. I am a lifelong Windows user, new to Mac, but I'm sure I could find some sort of something online telling me where to find the error logs. As for the versions of Inkscape, it's the latest stable version for OS, .91, and the XQuartz is 2.7.11. Without someone being able to decipher said error logs and apply them to my Mac though, I'm not sure how even posting them would help?

I have restarted my machine about three times so far, but the one thing I have NOT done is remove the icon from my dock. Wouldn't it remove when the app was deleted? I dunno, maybe that's an option. Also, I forgot to mention in my previous thread that I am unable to "x" out, minimize or otherwise alter the appearance of Inkscape on my machine.

[brynn]

We do have some Mac users here, but they don't visit every day.  But I wasn't suggesting to post the logs.  Just that you could look at them, and maybe get a clue.  I can't decipher Windows' logs either.  But just finding out which program or which feature was involved.  Often I'll see just a word or 2, and it will lead me in the right direction.  Or sometimes there's an error code I can look up.

However, you could try a couple of other ways, to get help with Inkscape on a Mac.  There's a user mailing list (which is mostly advanced users and developers), who could probably help.  Find the link to subscribe here:  https://inkscape.org/en/community/mailing-lists/ 

And there's also an IRC channel https://inkscape.org/en/community/discussion/.  You might have to try a few times on IRC, until someone who is familiar with Macs is available.

Either way you go, just explain that you're new to Macs, and you're not sure if this is a Mac issue or if Inkscape is involved.  I'd probably try IRC first, since you don't have to deal with the mailing list.  But the list is there too, if needed.

Regarding uninstalling Inkscape - I'm not sure.  I have uninstalled programs before when the shortcut was not removed from the desktop.  I don't remember whether it happened with Inkscape or not.  I don't think so.  But Macs are different, and I don't know.  Who knows, maybe that's the key?  It won't hurt to delete the icon, because it's just a shortcut, and when you reinstall, the shortcut will be added again.

For the very last question, about closing or minimizing.  Is that only Inkscape where that's happening?  Do any other programs which use XQuartz behave like that?