Skip to content
Helper Tool Installation Failed
Got a problem with Viscosity or need help? Ask here!
Fresh install on macOS 13.0.1 (Viscosity 1.10.4).
I got the prompt to install the helper tool. After installing it the app doesn't open unfortunately:
"Viscosity was unable to install its helper tool and must now quit. Please reopen...".
I uninstalled Viscosity with the instructions from an older forum post here and restarted my mac. Still didn't work unfortunately.
I was recording the system events with Console.app and filtering them for "Viscosity". It shows a bunch of stuff that looks normal-ish, and then like 50 entries of type "fault" with the message "This method should not be called on the main thread as it may lead to UI unresponsiveness.". The messages also say "Subsystem: com.apple.runtime-issues" and "Category: Security":
Any ideas?
I got the prompt to install the helper tool. After installing it the app doesn't open unfortunately:
"Viscosity was unable to install its helper tool and must now quit. Please reopen...".
I uninstalled Viscosity with the instructions from an older forum post here and restarted my mac. Still didn't work unfortunately.
I was recording the system events with Console.app and filtering them for "Viscosity". It shows a bunch of stuff that looks normal-ish, and then like 50 entries of type "fault" with the message "This method should not be called on the main thread as it may lead to UI unresponsiveness.". The messages also say "Subsystem: com.apple.runtime-issues" and "Category: Security":
Code: Select all
I'm not using any firewall, virus scanner or similar invasive apps on my mac. Just Lingon to see auto-starting apps more easily, but I don't suspect this interferes.default 18:27:08.410480+0100 Viscosity Received configuration update from daemon (initial)
default 18:27:08.412504+0100 Viscosity CHECKIN: pid=904
default 18:27:08.425093+0100 Viscosity CHECKEDIN: pid=904 asn=0x0-0x4f04f foreground=0
default 18:27:08.429346+0100 Viscosity FRONTLOGGING: version 1
default 18:27:08.429548+0100 Viscosity Registered, pid=904 ASN=0x0,0x4f04f
default 18:27:08.432565+0100 Viscosity BringForward: pid=904 asn=0x0-0x4f04f bringForward=0 foreground=0 uiElement=1 launchedByLS=1 modifiersCount=1 allDisabled=0
default 18:27:08.432625+0100 Viscosity BringFrontModifier: pid=904 asn=0x0-0x4f04f Modifier 0 hideAfter=0 hideOthers=0 dontMakeFrontmost=0 mouseDown=0/0 seed=0/0
default 18:27:08.433666+0100 Viscosity Current system appearance, (HLTB: 2), (SLS: 1)
default 18:27:08.435156+0100 Viscosity No persisted cache on this platform.
default 18:27:08.436400+0100 Viscosity Current system appearance, (HLTB: 2), (SLS: 1)
default 18:27:08.436902+0100 Viscosity Post-registration system appearance: (HLTB: 2)
default 18:27:08.471808+0100 Viscosity Registering for test daemon availability notify post.
default 18:27:08.471937+0100 Viscosity notify_get_state check indicated test daemon not ready.
default 18:27:08.472054+0100 Viscosity notify_get_state check indicated test daemon not ready.
default 18:27:08.472172+0100 Viscosity notify_get_state check indicated test daemon not ready.
default 18:27:08.476592+0100 Viscosity SignalReady: pid=904 asn=0x0-0x4f04f
default 18:27:08.477183+0100 Viscosity SIGNAL: pid=904 asn=0x0x-0x4f04f
fault 18:27:08.489511+0100 Viscosity This method should not be called on the main thread as it may lead to UI unresponsiveness.
(more of the same entries here....)
fault 18:27:08.490345+0100 Viscosity This method should not be called on the main thread as it may lead to UI unresponsiveness.
default 18:27:08.490394+0100 Viscosity TrustSettingsUseXPC is enabled (via feature flags)
fault 18:27:08.492362+0100 Viscosity This method should not be called on the main thread as it may lead to UI unresponsiveness.
(more of the same entries here....)
fault 18:27:08.495512+0100 Viscosity This method should not be called on the main thread as it may lead to UI unresponsiveness.
default 18:27:08.497908+0100 Viscosity Legacy service: <private> status: 1
fault 18:27:08.498354+0100 Viscosity This method should not be called on the main thread as it may lead to UI unresponsiveness.
(more of the same entries here....)
fault 18:27:08.503386+0100 Viscosity This method should not be called on the main thread as it may lead to UI unresponsiveness.
default 18:27:14.548599+0100 Viscosity NSApp cache appearance:
-NSRequiresAquaSystemAppearance: 0
-appearance: (null)
-effectiveAppearance: <NSCompositeAppearance: 0x600000512100
(
"<NSDarkAquaAppearance: 0x600000511f00>",
"<NSSystemAppearance: 0x600000500980>"
)>
default 18:27:14.608813+0100 Viscosity SetFrontProcess: asn=0x0-0x4f04f options=1
default 18:27:14.650413+0100 Viscosity order window front conditionally: 75 related: 0
default 18:27:14.659487+0100 Viscosity SetFrontProcess: asn=0x0-0x4f04f options=1
default 18:27:14.685985+0100 Viscosity order window front conditionally: 76 related: 0
default 18:27:14.699995+0100 Viscosity order window front conditionally: 76 related: 0
default 18:27:14.717022+0100 Viscosity AggregateDictionary is not supported on this platform
default 18:27:17.810376+0100 Viscosity order window: 76 op: 1 relative: 75 related: 0
default 18:27:17.810559+0100 Viscosity order window: 75 op: 0 relative: 0 related: 0
default 18:27:17.841453+0100 Viscosity order window: 75 op: 0 relative: 0 related: 0
default 18:27:17.841521+0100 Viscosity order window: 76 op: 0 relative: 0 related: 0
default 18:27:17.841630+0100 Viscosity Entering exit handler.
default 18:27:17.841656+0100 Viscosity Exiting exit handler.
Any ideas?
Hi timotgl,
The helper tool installation is handled entirely by macOS itself. When the helper tool fails to install it typically points to a SMJobBless/PrivilegedHelperTools permissions issue on the machine. I’ve included some suggestions below:
1. Try restarting your machine. macOS checks the permissions of many system directories at boot and typically resolves any helper permissions issues.
2. If you are still seeing the same error, uninstall Viscosity and the ViscosityHelper using the instructions in the following article, and then reinstall Viscosity. Do not follow the steps to remove your Preferences or connection data.
https://www.sparklabs.com/support/kb/ar ... osity-mac/
3. If the above fails, I recommend completely removing the /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools and /Library/LaunchDaemons directories and reboot to let the OS recreate them on the affected machine. You may want to check what else is using these directories before removing them so any other tools can be reinstalled if needed.
4. Make sure you don't have any AntiVirus, endpoint security software, or endpoint management software, that could be interfering with the installation of the helper. Please try temporarily uninstalling or otherwise disabling any such software and try again.
Cheers,
James
The helper tool installation is handled entirely by macOS itself. When the helper tool fails to install it typically points to a SMJobBless/PrivilegedHelperTools permissions issue on the machine. I’ve included some suggestions below:
1. Try restarting your machine. macOS checks the permissions of many system directories at boot and typically resolves any helper permissions issues.
2. If you are still seeing the same error, uninstall Viscosity and the ViscosityHelper using the instructions in the following article, and then reinstall Viscosity. Do not follow the steps to remove your Preferences or connection data.
https://www.sparklabs.com/support/kb/ar ... osity-mac/
3. If the above fails, I recommend completely removing the /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools and /Library/LaunchDaemons directories and reboot to let the OS recreate them on the affected machine. You may want to check what else is using these directories before removing them so any other tools can be reinstalled if needed.
4. Make sure you don't have any AntiVirus, endpoint security software, or endpoint management software, that could be interfering with the installation of the helper. Please try temporarily uninstalling or otherwise disabling any such software and try again.
Cheers,
James
Web: https://www.sparklabs.com
Support: https://www.sparklabs.com/support
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sparklabs
Support: https://www.sparklabs.com/support
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sparklabs
Thanks for the instructions James, my issue was solved.
The Tool "Lingon X" turned out to be the cause. It had a checkbox "Run at startup and when saving" that needed to be checked apparently. The viscosity helper was installed properly, but Lingon X interfered with launching it apparently.
The Tool "Lingon X" turned out to be the cause. It had a checkbox "Run at startup and when saving" that needed to be checked apparently. The viscosity helper was installed properly, but Lingon X interfered with launching it apparently.
3 posts
Page 1 of 1