Bugzilla – Bug 2437
Mac: "Open with" fails when Audacity is running
Last modified: 2021-02-19 09:40:58 UTC
If Audacity is running, double click on another project file (.aup) does not open the project. I'm uncertain if this is a recent regression, but I don't think it has always been like this (and we had a similar bug on Linux in bug 202) hence a regression.
However on W10 you can use "Open With" from Windows Explorer with 2.4.1 when that app is already running Audacity opens up a new project for it and imports the audio file Or Audacity opens the project if you click on an .aup file. You can even try using Open With > Audacity 2.3.3 while Audacity 2.4.1 is already running. Audacity opens up a new project for it and imports the audio file - but it is 2.4.1 NOT 2.3.3 (but that's what I'd kind of expect)
Testing on macOS 10.15.4 with 2.4.1 The project opening from an aup file is not a regression on 2.3.1 - and that is the furthest back I can test - as Catalina will not run 320bit Audacities And the same appears to be true with audio files. So I have changed the regression marker to "?" And note >Mac: "Open with" fails when Audacity is running "running" doesn't just mean running with an active window - it also means the passive "still running" state, little black dot under the app icon, in the tooldock after all Audacity windows have been closed
Nor can I open an Audacity project or audio file by dropping it on an already running app icon in the tooldock for any Audacity 2.4.1 - 2.3.1 But really odd is that I can seem to get two different versions of Audacity "running" simultaneously. 1) Launch 2.4.1 2) Open Finder > Applications 3) drag an audio file onto Audacity 2.3.3.app 4) Observe it open in 2.3.3 5) Observe both Audacity app icons 2.4.1 and 2.3.3 have the active little black dot - and indeed both appear to be running when I test this time for the steps. But previously I could close the 2.3.3 - but the 2.4.1 was not closable, not by right clicking on the app icon in the toolbar, rather I had to force quit. This looks like very dodgy behavior to me.
I cannot reproduce this on macOS 10.14.5 and Audacity 2.4.1. With Audacity running, double-clicking an AUP file (or any audio file that has been associated with Audacity using the "Open With" setting in the Get Info for that file type) results in the project or file being opened by Audacity, regardless of whether there is a) no project window open, b) an empty project window open, or c) a non-empty project window open.
(In reply to Peter Sampson from comment #3) Do I need to log the two different versions running as a separate new bug ?
(In reply to Bill Wharrie from comment #4) >I cannot reproduce this on macOS 10.14.5 and Audacity 2.4.1. Thanks Bill - so this suggests that this may be just a Catalina issue.
(In reply to Peter Sampson from comment #3) 1) I can drop an AUP file or audio file onto the running 2.4.1 icon in the dock and Audacity will open the file. macOS 10.14.5. 2) Audacity 2.4.1 does not use the "lock file" system to prevent multiple versions from running simultaneously. So you can launch any pre-240 version of Audacity while any 240-or-later version is running. However you can't launch any 240-or-later version when a 233-or-earlier version is running.
(In reply to Peter Sampson from comment #6) Yes, I can confirm this bug on Catalina 10.15.4. When 241 is running and I double-click an AUP or audio file, I see a second Audacity icon flash and bounce briefly in the dock, and the file is not opened in the running Audacity. It does not matter if there is no project window or if an empty project window is open. Also cannot drag-drop an AUP file or audio file onto the dock icon. The icon "lights up" as if it will accept the file, but nothing happens. The bug also occurs on Catalina with 233. The only difference is I don't see the second Audacity icon flash and bounce in the dock. Double-click an AUP file or audio file launches Audacity if not running and opens the file.
(In reply to Peter Sampson from comment #5) > Do I need to log the two different versions running as a separate new bug ? No. This is a known limitation of the fix for Bug 2052.
Raising this to P2 - this attracts more visibility due to the Unitary Project UP-3.0.0 And I set the Quickfix-requested flag
This looks like a close cousin of Bug #2510
Another complaint on the forum: https://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=113193&p=405415#p405389
Fixed at e343bf556bfd3ae3771bf950f73cbefe80ccc70b
Note about verifying the fix: It might not work for you if there is more than one copy of Audacity on your computer, and Finder invokes an old copy. That's the case on my computer, but I verified my fix using "Open With..." and specifying the path to my own new build of Audacity.
(In reply to Paul L from comment #13) Tested on macOS 11.0.1 Big Sur with Audacity 3.0.0 742134c This now appears to work fine on my Macbook Pro I tested a) by double-clicking on an AUP3 b) using Open With Thanks for fixing this one Paul - we've had a lot of complaints about this on the Forum
This fix is not working for me with macOS 10.15.7 on a 27" iMac (2019) with Audacity 742134c running and double-clicking an AUP3 file or using "Open with". I get the Finder animation of the icon "zooming open" but no response from Audacity. I tried it with a virgin CFG and it still fails. I noted Paul's comment #14 and renamed the app to "Audacity 74213c", started that copy of Audacity (the only 3.0.0 copy on my machine), used "Open with" to specify that copy. No response from Audacity.
REOPENED on the basis of Bill's failed testing reported in Comment #16
(In reply to Bill Wharrie from comment #16) I used 10.15.6 and it worked for me. Peter says it works on 11. Are you sure there was no mistake? Are you sure you didn't have multiple project windows, one of them hidden behind another?
(In reply to Paul L from comment #18) Start Audacity 74213c. Audacity opens with an untitled project window. Switch to Finder. Right-click on an AUP3 file and choose "Open with" then "Audacity 74213c". No joy. Audacity doesn't even come to the front. Tried this with several different AUP3 files.
(In reply to Bill Wharrie from comment #19) When it works, I see a fleeting second Audacity icon on the launch bar. Do you see that?
(In reply to Paul L from comment #20) When it doesn't work I don't see the fleeting second icon in the Dock. Now, this *did* work for me a couple of times, then stopped working consistently. When it did work I saw the second icon. But it also caused the project window to zoom to full size (but not full screen). I have not been able to reproduce that.
Aha! I could reproduce the problem with my Release builds, but not with Debug builds, which suggested a timing problem, and I was right. This should fix it: a675b5907f5fa7bba2537c249a84f73cabe5937c
(In reply to Paul L from comment #22) Retested on macOS 11.0.1 Big Sur with Audacity 3.0.0 a675b59 This still works on my Bug Sur Macbook Pro I will not close this until Bill retests this and finds it ok on his Mac - see Comment #16
Audacity a675b59 on macOS 10.15.7 0) After unzipping the a675b59 build, rename Audacity to "Audacity a675b59" 1) Start Audacity a675b59 *for the first time* 2) In Finder, right-click on an AUP3 file and choose Open with ... Audacity a675b59 3) Project opens 4) Audacity window zooms to a larger size 5) Audacity window zooms again to fill the screen (but not "full screen" - menu bar and dock remain visible) 6) Resize window to normal size 7) Quit Audacity 8) Start Audacity a675b59 9) In Finder, right-click on an AUP3 file and choose Open with ... Audacity a675b59 10) Project does not open
REOPENED on the basis of Bill's test - see Comment #24
Using build 0bd21e on MacOS Mojave, 10.14.6, I cannot duplicate Bills (comment 24) finding. All projects open normally.
Testing on macOS 11.0.1 Big Sur with Audacity 3.0.0 0bd21e1 I do NOT observe the behaviors that Bill reports in Comment #24 At Step 3 the project opens (as it does for Bill) I do not get the zooming behaviors that Bill describes in his Steps 4 & 5 At Step 9 the project opens properly So WORKS-FOR-ME
(In reply to Bill Wharrie from comment #24) Commit 64b066f6556d4a51f34440035bfbec886de90c98 may cure the failures still reported by Bill
(In reply to Paul L from comment #28 I cleaned my Macbook (10.15.7) of all previous versions of Audacity (moved to trash and emptied) then restarted the Macbook. Started Audacity then double-clicked an AUP3 project. Still the same behaviour as reported in comment 24. I seem to be the only one seeing this, but I'm seeing the same behaviour on both my machines (both running 10.15.7). Strange. Can we get wider testing on this?
Maybe commit 57134d93d677dc61e0ac033d6ec7dd8f4b706a1a fixes it for Bill
(In reply to Paul L from comment #30) Sorry, no joy with 4cb9bb1
All seems good on MacOS Mojave, 10.14.6, Commit# 9a0753. Tested with the Steps to Reproduce and also Bill's in comment 24. All's good here.
On my iMac 27" (2019) with Catalina 10.15.7, and Audacity 5ddf6d0 I still see the behaviour from my comment #24. There is no problem on my Macbook Air (2017 - intel) with Big Sur 11.1. Since all is OK with Cliff and on the Macbook, this must be a weirdness with my iMac.
