REAPER on OSX Lion, 3.76 crash workaround and fix

[schwa]

OSX Lion 10.7 appears to come with an improper installation of Python 2.7. Because of this, REAPER will crash immediately when opening the Actions window. (Or if REAPER was saved with the Actions window open, it will crash immediately on startup.)

We will release REAPER version 3.77 soon that disallows Python 2.7 on OSX and falls back to 2.6 (which is also shipped with OSX Lion), and REAPER 4.0beta16 will have the fix as well. We will also add a user preference to prevent REAPER from even looking for Python/Perl.

In the meantime, the workaround is inconvenient but will prevent the crash.

1. Open the file /Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/REAPER/reaper.ini. Clicking the file should open it in TextEdit.

Annoying note! OSX Lion makes it much harder to access <username>/Library. By default, that folder will not appear in the Finder. The "official" way is to open the Finder, open the Go menu, then hold down the Option key. Alternatively, open Applications/Utilities/Terminal and type "chflags nohidden ~/Library". This Lion behavior will cause all sorts of inconvenience for advanced REAPER users who are familiar with the REAPER inifiles.

2. In the reaper.ini file, locate the line that contains just the word "[REAPER]". Immediately below that line, insert the line "pythonlib=libpython.2.6.dylib".

When you restart REAPER, it should not crash.

--------

Technical details:

As far as we can tell, the problem is simply a faulty installation of Python 2.7. The Python dylib loads fine and gives out function pointers, but on the very first call to Py_Initialize() it crashes within Python giving "IOError: invalid Python installation". Hopefully Apple will fix this in a future Lion update.

For expert users, if the Python 2.7 installation gives you other problems that are not related to REAPER, you can open a terminal and run "sudo ln -sf /usr/lib/libpython.2.6.dylib /usr/lib/libpython.dylib" to make 2.6 the default Python install on your machine. But please don't do this unless you have a good understanding of what it means.

[timlloyd]

Originally Posted by schwa

Annoying note! OSX Lion makes it much harder to access <username>/Library. By default, that folder will not appear in the Finder.

Arg @ Apple. Thanks for the Terminal tip - will do that if/when I "upgrade".

[airon]

This is almost something to brag about.

I shall do my very best to refrain from gloating about Reaper working on Lion within days.

[Ollie]

I'm still using my release day avatar (sorry that's the only lion pic I had)

[axel_ef]

Originally Posted by schwa

In the reaper.ini file, locate the line that contains just the word "[REAPER]". Immediately below that line, insert the line "pythonlib=libpython.2.6.dylib".

Thank You, it works. Now I can open Action List without crash.

[Tale]

Lion, Python... seems like a regular zoo!

Anyway, thanks for the heads up. I think I will wait at least a couple of weeks before upgrading, just to be safe.

[Banned]

Originally Posted by Ollie

I'm still using my release day avatar (sorry that's the only lion pic I had)

Lol... been using that one for lulz too:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/876736/OS%20...20Facepalm.png

Maybe it could do with a caption now: "That python did not taste very well."

[LMO]

I haven't had any problems on Lion, I suspect because I have EDP Python 2.7.2 installed as the default. When I upgrade, will Reaper disallow 2.7.2 or does it check for the Apple version, which is 2.7.1?

It's not an issue for me at the moment in any case.

[kumar]

allow loading of OSX GRM plug-ins version 3.1.1 or higher


Regards,
Kumar
www.natarajmasala.com

[touch33]

Is Reaper working ok with 10.8.1?

[joesacco]

Reaper crashes for me when I click on New/Load ReaScript in Actions. Any ideas here?

EDIT: Found solution. Downloaded latest Mac version of Python.

[KRUNKA]

Hello.

My Reaper runs in my MBP (2010) where I installed Mountain Lion 10.8.2 but it runs well only with the Built-in audio interface.

Instead with my Tascam US-144 mkII (the driver is updated to ML !!!) I hear clicks and so on.

So what can I do ?

I am waiting for an update of Reaper cause I think this issue is because Reaper 4.261 is at 10.7 (Lion) !

Do You know when Reaper will be updated ?

Usually Reaper is always updated but not now. Why ???

[octa]

Apple has provided two simple ways to change the default python on OS X 10.6, 10.7, 10.8
It's all detailed in the Apple man page for python(1):

#
# temporarily change version
#
$ export VERSIONER_PYTHON_VERSION=2.6
$ python -V
Python 2.6.6
$ unset VERSIONER_PYTHON_VERSION
$ python -V
Python 2.7.1
#
# persistently change version
#
$ defaults write com.apple.versioner.python Version 2.6
$ python -V
Python 2.6.6

[mwelker]

I found a fix that worked for me. I need Python 2.7.x for work, didn't want to deal with upgrading 2.7.1 to 2.7.latest or 3.x

Go to:

Preferences -> Plugins -> ReaScript

Enable ReaScript/Python [√]
Custom path to dll directory [/usr/lib/]
Force python to use dylib [libpython2.6.dylib]

Best-
mwelker

[Goofball Jones]

Quick question: Are people still using Lion? This thread was started 10 years ago, is this still a problem on modern versions of macOS (was still OS X back then). Enough to warrant a "sticky"?