Betaflight-configurator: macOS Big Sur crashes

[AndreaCCIE]

1. Describe your problem;
   After having upgraded to macOS Big Sur, the configurator is very unstable.
   Is does crash often while on the PIDs tab, but it happens even on other tabs

2. Include ways to reproduce the problem;
   Open the configurator, go to the PIDs tab and play with sliders/drop down

3. Provide as much information as possible about your hardware and software, including:

4. what hardware / software you are using;
   MacBook Pro 13 2018 (irrelevant)

• the version of all the software used;
  macOS Big Sur 20B29
  Betaflight Configurator both stable 10.7.0 and 10.8.0 v202011041226

[Martivip]

i have the same issue with random crashes

[mikeller]

Hmm, I can't reproduce the crashes with MacOS 11.0.1 and Betaflight configurator 10.7.0 on a VM, which is all that I have at the moment. Somebody with actual Apple hardware will have to see if they can reproduce / fix.
It _could_ also be a case of simply having to wait for the next release of NW.js, which should include fixes for any instabilities in MacOS Big Sur.

[ljholland]

I'm having the same problem. It seems you can eventually get in and make changes but BF crashes or locks up.

Update - version 10.7.0 of Betaflight
Macbook Pro 2013

It usually crashes immediately on startup. After a few restarts, it will stay alive. Same with connect - it crashes after connecting and also during many actions. However, I've seen that the changes made are saving to the quad.

[Alex-g-by]

Same problem. Betaflight configurator 10.7.0 crashes after macOS update.
Mac mini (Late 2014), Big Sur 11.0.1

[sn0opy]

Found this line in an nwjs Helper diagnostic report:

Wakeups: 45001 wakeups over the last 92 seconds (491 wakeups per second average), exceeding limit of 150 wakeups per second over 300 seconds

The moment this appeared, BFC just locked up and didn't let me do anything anymore. I doubt a full stacktrace would help here, but it looks like it's caused by nw.js not being fully compatible with Big sur yet. So basically what @mikeller said.

[sn0opy]

There's a possible workaround as I was not able to reproduce the issue anymore after running the following command

codesign --remove-signature /Applications/Betaflight\ Configurator.app/Contents/Frameworks/nwjs\ Framework.framework/Helpers/nwjs\ Helper\ \(Renderer\).app

VScode is suffering from a very similar issue. Someone posted the above (for Vscode though) workaround fixing the issue.
https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/105446

[McGiverGim]

If all of you can confirm this workaround, we can add it to the Mac OS notes while we find a better fix.

[ljholland]

@McGiverGim - confirmed. I'm not seeing any more crashing after running that command.

[McGiverGim]

If it matters, what I see in internet is that some parts of our nw framework have it's own signature, that is invalid. The above command removes them.

The perfect solution will be replace this signature by our own, but at this moment we don't have a certificate for that.

[mikeller]

@McGiverGim: I guess another way to work around this will be to remove the signature on NW.js as part of the build process.
Still no appetite to pay Apple money for their protection racket - if they start giving out free certificates for community driven non-profit open source projects like Betaflight I am all on board.

[McGiverGim]

Good idea. I don't have a Mac to test it.
I suppose we need to run the codesign command before building it and test if it works. If it works we can add it to the pipeline or to the gulpfile.

[sael17]

After having upgraded to macOS Big Sur, my VS Code C++ compiler stopped working. I can not run any of my recent or old projects and files. The problem occurs every time I try to Run Build Task or just Run.
macOS Big Sur 11.0.1 in MacBook Pro(2020)

I attached some images for easier comprehension, sorry if I didn't explain it well, I'm just a beginner :D

[AndreaCCIE]

There's a possible workaround as I was not able to reproduce the issue anymore after running the following command

codesign --remove-signature /Applications/Betaflight\ Configurator.app/Contents/Frameworks/nwjs\ Framework.framework/Helpers/nwjs\ Helper\ \(Renderer\).app

VScode is suffering from a very similar issue. Someone posted the above (for Vscode though) workaround fixing the issue.
microsoft/vscode#105446

I still have random crashes after this command.

[AndreaCCIE]

Actually, nwjs still runs even after the configurator crashes or gets closed:

[mikeller]

@sael17: This is an entirely unrelated problem, and not pertaining to configurator at all. Please open a new issue at https://github.com/betaflight/betaflight/issues.

[Autocrit]

Betaflight Configurator is also unstable on an M1 MacBook Air (it can crash on opening, closing or when running, but is still usable some of the time). As it's running Big Sur it could be the same problem and could be NW.js related. Kiss GUI has also crashed with the report showing nwjs.

[mikeller]

@AndreaCCIE: Looks like code signing is a red herring - the NW.js apps that we are using are not signed in the first place:

mikeller@iMac betaflight-configurator % git checkout 10.7.0
Note: switching to '10.7.0'.
mikeller@iMac betaflight-configurator % rm -r apps
mikeller@iMac betaflight-configurator % yarn gulp apps
yarn run v1.22.5
$ gulp apps
[...]
[12:47:13] Finished 'apps' after 57 s
✨  Done in 59.11s.
mikeller@iMac betaflight-configurator % for file in ./apps/betaflight-configurator/osx64/betaflight-configurator.app/Contents/Frameworks/nwjs\ Framework.framework/Helpers/*.app; do codesign -d ${file}; done
./apps/betaflight-configurator/osx64/betaflight-configurator.app/Contents/Frameworks/nwjs Framework.framework/Helpers/nwjs Helper (GPU).app: code object is not signed at all
./apps/betaflight-configurator/osx64/betaflight-configurator.app/Contents/Frameworks/nwjs Framework.framework/Helpers/nwjs Helper (Plugin).app: code object is not signed at all
./apps/betaflight-configurator/osx64/betaflight-configurator.app/Contents/Frameworks/nwjs Framework.framework/Helpers/nwjs Helper (Renderer).app: code object is not signed at all
./apps/betaflight-configurator/osx64/betaflight-configurator.app/Contents/Frameworks/nwjs Framework.framework/Helpers/nwjs Helper.app: code object is not signed at all
mikeller@iMac betaflight-configurator % 

[Autocrit]

Rebuilding with nw.js version 0.50.1 and node.js 15.3.0, as well as doing codesign --deep --force --remove-signature betaflight-configurator.app for good measure, the app seems to open, PID sliders work, and it closes without crashing so far. Big Sur with M1.

[TahoeEd]

MacBook Air 2019 Big Sur 11.0.1 I am having similar issues however when going into the Setup tab I get this graphic and the program locks up.

[9dc]

Even after doing what @Autocrit said, i still get random crashes :/

MacBook Pro M1 Big Sur

[SPCORRIV]

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
Big Sur
Issues.

1. Disconnects and reconnects randomly
2. Screens freeze cant disconnect.
3. Screen freezes random images on setup page
   Thanks

[SebastianKumor]

Hello, I get this error when running configurator.

[mikeller]

@SebastianKumo: This is normal if you used a development version of configurator, and then switched back to the stable version running on an older version of NW.js. Delete your NW.js application settings at ~/Library/Application Support/betaflight-configurator and you'll be fine.

[SebastianKumor]

@mikeller the newest master with updated NW.js works for me on macOS big sur without crashes or any other glitches I experienced on 10.7.0

[mikeller]

Thanks @SebastianKumor for the feedback!

[SebastianKumor]

@mikeller just had a friend with M1 chip mac confirm that the fix works on M1 big sur mac as well

[9dc]

Thanks! Its working perfectly again.

[kenthinson]

Hello @mikeller is the new version with nwjs update available as a built binary or do I need to build it? Thanks! Right now on my M1 Mac I get crashes and nwjs is using 200% CPU in a left over zombie process after the crash. I assume the merge you did is related.

[Asizon]

@kenthinson you can download binaries here:
https://github.com/betaflight/betaflight-configurator-nightlies/releases

Use only for testing

[kenthinson]

@Asizon Thanks it's been working great for a few hours now! :)

[Nalkhashab]

Hello friends .. I'm having the same issue .. and i'm new I don't know what to do .. Betaflight 10.7 on Big Sur (MacBook Air 2020)

how to deal with this issue? please help .. I have too many crashes .. I can't setup my quads !!

thanks

[AndreaCCIE]

how to deal with this issue?

1) read the posts above
2) install the 10.8 beta from https://github.com/betaflight/betaflight-configurator-nightlies/releases

[TahoeEd]

Mine does the same.  The guys here are making progress.  You just have to be patient.  I have been able to set my quads up but it may take several restarts to do it.

Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

On Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 7:34 AM, Nalkhashab [e-mail] wrote:

Hello friends .. I'm having the same issue .. and i'm new I don't know what to do .. Betaflight 10.7 on Big Sur (MacBook Air 2020)

how to deal with this issue? please help .. I have too many crashes .. I can't setup my quads !!

thanks

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[Autocrit]

You just have to be patient.

I hope you won't mind if I disagree with waiting for the next release when there are nightly builds with the necessary NW.js version update.

You could even build 10.7.0 with NW.js v0.50.2 if you were concerned about changes since that point.

[Nalkhashab]

You just have to be patient.

I hope you won't mind if I disagree with waiting for the next release when there are nightly builds with the necessary NW.js version update.

You could even build 10.7.0 with NW.js v0.50.2 if you were concerned about changes since that point.

how to do this? i mean NW.js ??

[AndreaCCIE]

As already written:

1. read the posts above
2. install the 10.8 beta from https://github.com/betaflight/betaflight-configurator-nightlies/releases

[Autocrit]

Yup, as AndreaCCIE says. If you're interested in the source, the NW.js version is specified in gulpfile.js and instructions on how to build Betaflight Configurator are in the README.md.