Tech Tip: Failure to start after XQuartz upgrade (2.7.10 or 2.7.11)

Article Title:	Failure to start after XQuartz upgrade (2.7.10 or 2.7.11)
Article Name:	MAC_OSX_4
OS Platforms:	Mac OS X
Last Updated:	11/07/2016

TOPIC:

After upgrading XQuartz to version 2.7.10 or 2.7.11 on a Mac, RiverTools 4.0 fails to start up. XQuartz starts and appears in the dock, the RiverTools 4.0 icon is briefly active in the dock and the splash screen appears, but then the RiverTools Main Window does not appear.

DISCUSSION:

RiverTools 4.0 uses an X11 server called XQuartz that runs on top of Mac OS X. XQuartz starts running when you launch RiverTools 4.0, but you can also start the XQuartz app directly, from within the /Applications/Utilities folder. When XQuartz is running, it should appear in the dock. If you select it in the dock, you will have the option to choose "About X11" in the XQuartz menu at the top of the screen. This opens a small dialog that says "The X Window System", where the XQuartz version number is also displayed (e.g. 2.7.9). Just below "About X11" in the XQuartz menu, there is another option labeled "Check for X11 Updates...". After updating XQuartz in this way to version 2.7.10 or 2.7.11, RiverTools 4.0 may fail to start. XQuartz starts and appears in the dock, the RiverTools 4.0 icon is briefly active in the dock and the splash screen appears, but then the RiverTools Main Window never appears.

This problem is caused by the XQuartz update changing a library file called libXt.6.dylib, located in the /opt/X11/lib folder. Fortunately, XQuartz itself provides an alternate version of this library file in a subfolder with the somewhat unusual name: /opt/X11/lib/flat_namespace. The problem can therefore be fixed as follows, but you will need administrator privileges on your Mac.

1. Open a Terminal window and change directories.

First open a Terminal window. The Terminal app can be found in the /Applications/Utilities folder. At the prompt in the Terminal window, type:

 
    cd /opt/X11/lib
    ls -l libXt*

You should see a library file called libXt.6.dylib. There is another library file in the same directory with the similar name libXtst.dylib which you can safely ignore.

2. Hide the incompatible DYLIB file.

To do this, rename the old DYLIB file by typing

 
    sudo mv libXt.6.dylib libXt.6.dylib.HIDE

in the Terminal window. Use of the "sudo" command requires that you have administrator privileges on your Mac. Always take extra care when using the "sudo" command. Do not close the Terminal window yet.

3. Replace the incompatible DYLIB file.

Now copy the alternate version of the DYLIB file into the current directory by typing the following commands in the Terminal window:

 
    sudo cp ./flat_namespace/libXt.6.dylib .
    ls -l libXt*

Don't forget the "." at the end of the first line, which refers to the current directory. Also, do not make any changes to the other files that start with "libXt.". Note that "flat_namespace" is not a placeholder for something else, but is the actual name of the subfolder that has the alternate DYLIB file for XQuartz.

After completing these 3 steps, you should be able to launch RiverTools 4.0 normally.

If you have any additional questions or comments, please contact Rivix Technical Support for assistance.