Inkscape keeps crashing when I'm editing images. The notice I get is:

This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way.
Please contact the application's support team for information.

What should I do?

KJW

I forgot to add the even though autosave is on, and the doc has been open long enough for it to autosave, when Inkscape crashes, as described above, I get a message telling me that autosave failed.

KJW

Does it crash no matter what tool or process you use? Or can you spell out the exact steps that cause a crash every time? If it's reproducable every time, then it can be reported as a bug. And if so, probably there will be another way to do what you want without crashing -- probably. But if it crashes no matter what you do, then I'm thinking a reinstall might be in order. Sorry, I wish I could be more help. But the more info you can provide to use, the better chance we have of solving the problem.

It usually crashes after I've been on it a while, (seems to give me enough time to get so absorbed with what I'm doing that I forget to manually save every few minutes ) but I don't think it's a consistent time period. Editing nodes - moving, joining, reducing, combining paths, etc, seems to be the trigger and once it goes belly up, it will keep doing so no matter how many times I restart Inkscape. The crashes happen quicker once the first one occurs, so I don't get a chance to do much before having to restart Inkscape and because autosave fails even though it's on, if I don't save before it dies, I lose what little I was able to achieve. I feel like I'm chasing my tail.

Hope this helps!

KJW

Oh yes, it always good to include details when asking for help in a forum

I'm guessing the image you're working in is either huge, and/or has a lot of layers, gradients, paths, nodes. Or maybe you just have the canvas packed full of several smaller things? Does it get real slow before it crashes?

Are you flush with RAM or just the minimum? I'm wondering if the autosave, which from what I understand can be a big resource hog, is somehow causing the overload?

But before I go on, let's confirm that it's a resource issue, instead of something else.

Other possible causes would be using Filters or Extensions. Actually, in my experience, I've crashed just by using one filter. I always, always, always save after every single click if I'm working with a filter or extension. I don't really know why it happens, but no one seems to be alarmed about it

But it's sounding more like a resource issue to me, what do you think?

kjw wrote:Editing nodes - moving, joining, reducing, combining paths, etc, seems to be the trigger and once it goes belly up, it will keep doing so no matter how many times I restart Inkscape.

Besides the issues brynn already mentioned, it might be worth-while to look at these two bug reports:

a) if this is triggered when working with pattern-filled objects:
Bug #463602 in Inkscape: “crash when node-editing pattern-filled object”

b) if you use Inkscape on a Windows platform: there's an issue with one of the libraries Inkscape uses (with PangoCairoWin32Font) that leaks GDI objects and causes Inkscape to crash as soon as it has more then the limit (10'000) in use (Windows reports 'Fault Module Name: libcairo-2.dll' - which is misleading as the crash is not caused by cairo itself).
Bug #221712 in Inkscape: “Inkscape's Vanishing Act (the disappearing program) - updated” (see some of the newer duplicates on how this crash is reported by Windows)

I'm guessing the image you're working in is either huge, and/or has a lot of layers, gradients, paths, nodes.

Other possible causes would be using Filters or Extensions.

“crash when node-editing pattern-filled object”

It's black and white, no layers, gradients, filters or extensions, but has huge number of nodes and paths. Also, no pattern-filled objects.

I'm taking black and white drawings (craft patterns and such), scanning them as jpegs, opening them in Inkscape and using the "trace bitmap" function to turn them into editable svg's. I've already set my Inkscape Preferences and "trace bitmap" options to reduce the nodes and I combine paths when possible.

“Inkscape's Vanishing Act (the disappearing program) - updated”

I've never had this one happen.

KJW

kjw wrote:no layers, gradients, filters or extensions, but has huge number of nodes and paths.
(…) and I combine paths when possible.

Are you hit by bug #495483 “0.47 very slow or freezes when combing complex paths (ctrl + k)”?
I'd propose you test to combine less and to use (nested) groups and/or layers instead to organize paths split into several segments.

Beside the known bug when combining paths in Inkscape 0.47 (already fixed in 0.47+devel), large paths with a huge number of nodes can cause performance (memory) and rendering (screen artifacts varying with zoom level) issues.

Are you hit by bug #495483 “0.47 very slow or freezes when combing complex paths (ctrl + k)”?

I was thinking that the slow responses I've been having were just happening to me - I didn't realize that there might be more to them then that.

I'd propose you test to combine less and to use (nested) groups and/or layers instead to organize paths split into several segments.

Don't know a thing about nested groups, but I'm going to do some reading....

large paths with a huge number of nodes can cause performance (memory) and rendering (screen artifacts varying with zoom level) issues

Thought the artifacts with zoom were, once again, just something going on with me!
In case anyone hasn't guessed by now, I'm just a doodler and still a HUGE novice when it comes to computer graphics and such, so I always think that if something weird is going on, it's because of something I did and shouldn't have, or didn't do and should have.

Many thanks for all the info and suggestions!

KJW

I too have been having issues with inkscape in windows 7. After a while it will crash and turn off. So then I open back up again and will last for a while but then crash again (luckily I've gotten used to saving every time I make an edit). The file is kinda big though so that could be a factor. Is it possibly the newest version has at least a small bug that causes this?

Well good. Then I don't need to file a bug report..? I presume that a bug report has been filed? I too have this problem and it is not just with 32 bit Windows. It is also in 64 bit Linux.

This is inopportune and a little frustrating. I am currently learning to use Inkscape and am interested in learning to use patterns... sad.

I know there is a way to scale and color patterns but I haven't figured it out yet... any hints?

Okay, nevermind... I guess I didn't zoom out enough to see the controls for the editing. I turned on the node tool but I didn't see the controls on the drawing. I zoomed out and there they were. I then moved the controls within the object so I can find them the next time.

Additional info -- I just managed to compile Inkscape 0.48-pre1 on my 64 bit Linux box and tested the rather consistent bug. I got no crash! Seems the bug was identified and fixed.

erroneus wrote:Additional info -- I just managed to compile Inkscape 0.48-pre1 on my 64 bit Linux box and tested the rather consistent bug. I got no crash! Seems the bug was identified and fixed.

You never told what bug you mean nor how to reproduce it - but since you somehow mention patterns in your first comment above, I assume you are talking about Bug #463602 in Inkscape: “crash when node-editing pattern-filled object” (earlier mentioned in this topic). This one is indeed fixed in the current 0.48 prerelease version.

use outline mode (>View >Mode >Outline or Ctrl+ Keypad 5) and only display layers you are requiring for the current object.
or
Break your work into two documents, when you create the new items create a new document with minmal layers copy pasted items (no copy/paste of layers is allowed between docs) from the original.
-
If you want to see the object in Normal mode Zoom out to 50% - 90%. Inkscape rendering code is part of what is causing the crashes, so you have to think of ways to back off of the code. and make it easier for inkscape to show your work..

vwanweb wrote:Inkscape rendering code is part of what is causing the crashes, (…)

I am curious - which crash are you referring to, reproducible with which Inkscape version on which platform?

I had gotten this advice from a forum referencing FILTERS slowing down editing time in inkscape. An extreme example is one that has a big array of objects with them all FILTERED. The Inkscape rendering that occurs to display the objects on the canvas gets bogged down and ends up in placing the user in a situation where editing is almost impossible to manage, hence the work arounds. IMHO there is only so much TAX a given user can place on the inkscape rendering engine and the new 0.47 FILTERS is one example of how inkscape can cross a rendering threshold - causing a problem as outlined in this posts...

vwanweb wrote:I had gotten this advice from a forum referencing FILTERS slowing down editing time in inkscape

… which to me is not the same as "Inkscape rendering code is part of what is causing the crashes" and not related to this topic: KJW confirmed the issue like this:

kjw wrote:It's black and white, no layers, gradients, filters or extensions, but has huge number of nodes and paths. Also, no pattern-filled objects.

Sorry for insisting on the clarification, but IMHO these discussions where everything is thrown in and called 'inkscape crashes' are not helpful to users looking to solve specific issues, more so if adding valuable advice without referring to what problem it tries to solve or workaround.

Performance issues due to filter effects are AFAIU not related to either of the mentioned problems above:

• kjw: editing paths with many nodes (possibly improved with the new node tool for 0.48?), rendering artifacts (hopefully solved once Inkscape switches to cairo for rendering on-canvas)
• Rocky: "After a while it will crash and turn off" - likely known windows-specific issue (crash due to leaking of GDI objects) FIXED for 0.48
• erroneus: not specified, but likely known bug with pattern fills (crash when dragging pattern handles) FIXED for 0.48

the FILTER reference was only to outline an extreme example of Inkscapes slow response times when there are large amounts of data, be it filters or path nodes in the file.

The suggestions I have posted are to help the reader understand there are possible work- arounds to inkscapes slow edits when there is a complexity to the objects within the canvas.

Oh, I actually wanted to say "Sorry for having insisted" instead of "Sorry for insisting"!

~suv (trying hard to always have the last word - apologizing again and sincerely thanking vwanweb for time and effort he spends here and in Questions for Inkscape at the Launchpad site.)

I need to turn on whatever switch or flag that automatically subscribes me to and notifies me in email of a reply to a thread.

In any case, the bug was well described here:

Steps to reproduce:
1. Create object... more reliably, a compound object where they are joined to a single path.
2. Use pattern fill to fill the object
3. Go to the node editor and start moving nodes around.
4. Crash hard

Versions known affected: Windows 32 bit 0.47 and Linux 64 bit 0.0.47.

As stated previously, this does not occur in 32 bit Windows 0.48pre1 and does not occur in 64 bit Linux 0.48pre1. The problems seems to have been resolved in version 0.48pre1. I have not tested this in 32 bit Linux nor in 64 bit Windows. I have access to a MacOSX machine to test this on but have not tested Inkscape on it at all as my wife has Illustrator and does not want Inkscape on there. "Don't need!" she says.