PixInsight 1.8.3 Ripley: New Mac OS X Distribution

[Gerry Doyle]

MBP OS X 10.9.5

I've followed the download and unzip instructions for the new distribution carefully.  When I unzip the download into the /Applications folder, I don't get the 'Pixinsight' folder created on its own - I get another folder - same title as the download - with the 'Pixinsight' folder inside that, and the executable inside that again. 

But when I try to run the program, I get a message: 'The PixInsight Core Application has been launched from a directory that does not meet the requirements of a valid PixInsight distribution.  Either the PixInsight executable has been moved or the distribution has been damaged for some reason.  PixInsight cannot be executed. Please reinstall the application.'

I've tried running from within the nested folders, I've moved the 'Pixinsight' folder up to the top level of the applications folder, and I've tried moving the executable to the dock - same result each time. 

Am I missing something obvious?  I'm not a programmer/developer and don't really understand OS X systems folders...

Gerry

[Sean]

Hi Gerry,

I just installed the update on Mac OSX Yosemite (10.10) and it went smoothly.

After the download completed, I expanded the Zip in the Downloads folder. I then just dragged the PixInsight folder (and hence everything in it) to the Applications folder. OSX warned me that an there was an existing folder with the same name (because I had already installed the earlier 1.8.3 version), and I replaced it. Launched PI from the Dock where I already had an Icon, and the new version came up fine.

Make sure that you expanded the entire Zip (you should just need to double click it) and make sure that you drag the top-level PixInsight folder to Applications.

I hope this helps.

Sean

[Gerry Doyle]

Thanks - working now.  I'd used a 'Zipeg' app to unzip the download - this time round I used the embedded OS X utility and it unzipped properly.  Then I did the reboot that others have recommended and it works now!  Not sure if it was a glitch in Zipeg, or the reboot that fixed it, but either way, thanks

Gerry

[Juan Conejero]

Hi Gerry,

Glad to know it works. It was Zipeg for sure. No reboot is necessary on Mac OS X; that's a Windows-specific idiosyncrasy.

[Physicist13]

Worked fine for me! New file format looks good too!
Patrick

[GaryP]

Perhaps this will save someone else a couple of hours. Some users of PixInsight may have a minimal understanding of command lines and a few may have none. Mine is pretty minimal and very rusty.

I tried several times to install PI-macosx-x86_64-01.08.03.1123-20141118-c.zip on OS X 10.9.3 Mavericks, sometimes by extracting it in Zipeg and saving the extraction files into /Applications, other times by saving the zip file first to the Downloads folder and then extracting, or by saving to /Applications and then extracting. I tried rebooting after extracting and waiting overnight to ensure that the download completes. The result was always the same, a small window with the message:

“The Pixinsight Core application has been launched from a directory that does not meet the requirements of a valid PixInsight distribution.”

I noticed that Gerry Doyle in Reply #18 on this thread said: “I'd used a 'Zipeg' app to unzip the download - this time round I used the embedded OS X utility and it unzipped properly.” I noticed that J.C. supported this method. I didn’t know what utility Gerry was referring to. The only relevant one that appears in my utilities folder is Zipeg. So I guessed he must have referred to the unix utility unzip or maybe zcat. Following an OS X manual, I opened the terminal program and tried zcat and failed to get results. I browsed online and found a recommendation to type “unzip” into the terminal and then drag the .zip file to the terminal window, drop it on the line, and hit return. This produced the desired results. I located the new PixInsight folder, dragged it to Applications, dropped it in, and as I type this, fifteen upgrades are downloading from within PixInsight.

[Juan Conejero]

Hi Gary,

I don't understand why OS X users insist in using applications such as zipeg to decompress .zip files. ZIP compression/decompression is supported natively by the OS X operating system. To uncompress a PixInsight distribution package on OS X, simply double click it. It works perfectly; nothing else is necessary.

[GaryP]

Juan,

I guess we persist in using Zipeg because we weren't aware of another way. I was still not aware of it until your most recent reply. Zipeg comes with the OS, so double clicking on the zip file brings up Zipeg. Those of us who don't spend much time researching how our OS works have been conditioned to believe that is the natural order of things, but apparently it is just a form of product placement. Thanks for the information. I will dump the Zipeg.

[pfile]

?? Zipeg does not come with OSX. apple has their own unzip utility. when you double click a .zip file, by default OSX runs the application in /System/Library/CoreServices/Archive\ Utility.app .

apple is one of the few companies that does not install any, and i mean any, 3rd party software on their computers or mobile phones. so no product placement... you must have installed Zipeg at some point, and then it took over the ".zip" file extension in Finder.app.

rob

[Adam_Corbett]

Sorry if this has nothing to do with this particular thread, but since the last update I have lost my work spaces along the bottom and have no stretch functions across the top, no preview selections either?

Another silly Mac user...

[GaryP]

@Rob/pfile, no dispute, but some puzzlement as to why I might have installed it, since the Apple unzip works so well.

[sfertig]

I just downloaded the trial version of PixInsight for Mac OS X.  I'm using Sierra on an iMac, commercial OS version which came out today.  I'm getting the dread message:   'The PixInsight Core Application has been launched from a directory that does not meet the requirements of a valid PixInsight distribution.  Either the PixInsight executable has been moved or the distribution has been damaged for some reason.  PixInsight cannot be executed. Please reinstall the application.'

Have tried re-downloading, and all the suggestions (Terminal, etc.) in the forum, to no avail.  What's curious is: since it didn't seem to work on my iMac, I tried installing it on my MacBook Air.  It works fine on the laptop.  But where I want it is my iMac, and I can't get it to work there.  Please help!

-stan in Brooklyn

[pfile]

this is probably due to a new feature in sierra: although you store your applications in /Applications, when they get executed, they are executed in another (random) directory. this prevents malware from trying to modify files in the application bundle, as there's no way to guess what the randomized pathname is.

there's a little bit of info in this article, midway down the page.

http://arstechnica.com/apple/2016/09/macos-10-12-sierra-the-ars-technica-review/6/

notably if the application existed prior to the upgrade to sierra, it looks like it still works the old way. but installing PI from scratch on sierra results in the directory randomization.

i'm afraid juan is going to have to make changes to the way PI works to support sierra...

rob

[Juan Conejero]

Rob has nailed it. The current version 1.8.4 of PixInsight does not work on macOS 10.12 Sierra precisely because GPR (Gatekeeper Path Randomization) changes the installation path dynamically, which does not allow the PixInsight Core application to find any installed modules, scripts and support files.

I am trying to get this problem fixed as soon as possible with a new version for OS X, but please understand that the solution is not easy. I have to make deep changes to the application's distribution, including the update system. For now, we don't support macOS 10.12, so you'll have to stick with OS X 10.11 until the next release is ready.

[Juan Conejero]

I have a new version of the core application almost ready, which should work without problems on macOS 10.12 Sierra. However, I need some users to test it on their machines before an official release. Any volunteers?