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macOS Catalina Java and PSX problems FYI

Started by JohnH, Thu, 14 Nov 2019 11:04

JohnH

I spent most of yesterday clean installing macOS Catalina on my iMac. I reinstalled Java ver 8 update 231I. When I try to run AerowinxStart.jar it doesn't start but another file called AerowinxStart.jar.cpgz is created. When you right click AerowinxStart.jar open with, jar is not an option? I checked under Security & Privacy, General, Allow apps downloaded from,, however Java is not an option. I will continue to look for a solution as this is more of an FYI for this considering updating to Catalina.

John

Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers

Thanks, John.

It smells very heavily as if another program, most likely an unzipper, has taken over the .jar extension and your computer no longer has .jar associated (run on click) with the Java interpreter. The "cpgz" for Unix folks immediately triggers "cp gz" as in copy and GNU Zip associations. This is unlike anything Java and probably the result of a desperate attempt of something to treat the .jar as a normal archive, which in a sense it is.

We should be able to find out which sequence of app installs ruins the Java .jar association. Alternatively we should be able to figure out how to restore this. On Windows, there is that option "Open With..." that inside, allows you to mark "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file." I bet Apple has the same kind of option, but probably, eh, shall I say, "friendlier?" On Windows, next to the list of "available" programs to "open with," there is the possibility to browse to whatever binary you want. Maybe Apple has the same?


Hoppie

JohnH

Thankyou for the reply. When I right click on AerowinxStart.jar I don't get an option for Jar? I tried running jar -version from the terminal and get the message "To use the 'java' command-line tool you need to install a JDK. I checked on google and it seems to be a common problem with the new Catalina update. It seems to be a problem with macOS Gatekeeper, this article explains the possible problem.

https://www.imore.com/how-open-apps-anywhere-macos-catalina-and-mojave

John

Martin Baker

I am running PSX from Catalina with no problem. If I select AerowinxStart.jar in the finder, click Apple + I to bring up the information box and look at the "Open with:" area, "Jar launcher (default)" is what I see. Do you see the same?

M

JohnH

Hi Martin,

No I don't see that option only Archive Utility (default) this is very strange?

John

Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers

Quote from: JohnH on Thu, 14 Nov 2019 11:31
When I right click on AerowinxStart.jar I don't get an option for Jar?
This means Java was not installed properly. It is the only thing that can make Java appear as an option on .jar files, and it did not happen correctly.

QuoteI tried running jar -version from the terminal and get the message "To use the 'java' command-line tool you need to install a JDK.
This states exactly the same.

QuoteNo I don't see that option only Archive Utility (default) this is very strange?
And this states the same again.

Java is not installed properly. Or, at least, the association of .jar with the Java interpreter has not propagated to all relevant .jar files.

QuoteI checked on google and it seems to be a common problem with the new Catalina update. It seems to be a problem with macOS Gatekeeper, this article explains the possible problem.
https://www.imore.com/how-open-apps-anywhere-macos-catalina-and-mojave

What is considered the "app" here? The "java" interpreter (which truly is an app)? Or the .jar file (which isn't an app as it cannot run by itself, it is a data file, but the line between data and executable is very blurry at this moment)?

On Windows, this .jar hi-jacking is a well-known problem, see also:
https://johann.loefflmann.net/en/software/jarfix/index.html
Is there a like program for MacOS, maybe?


Hoppie

JohnH

Hoppie

I tried reinstalling Jav put unfortunately get the same problem. I am looking for Jarfix for macOS.

John

Martin Baker

Quote from: JohnH on Thu, 14 Nov 2019 11:42
Hi Martin,

No I don't see that option only Archive Utility (default) this is very strange?

John

Archive Utility is another option for me if I click on the box that says "Jar launcher (default)" - are you sure that the Jar launcher isn't an option for you?

M

JohnH

If I select Archive Utility (default) it creates a file called AerowinxStart.jar.cpgz

John

Martin Baker

Yeah you definitely don't want to select that. Your mac thinks it is the default prog for opening a .jar file, so you need to select the Jar launcher instead.

JohnH

Thanks for your suggestions, I am going to go shovel some snow, then reinstall Catalina

John

Ton van Bochove

QuoteUsing Java SE on macOS Catalina

Changes introduced with macOS 10.15 (Catalina) cause certain Java applications to behave incorrectly. Therefore, we cannot certify any JDK version on macOS 10.15 yet. If you still want to install and test the JDK or JRE on macOS 10.15, then this document covers what you will experience as you install the JDK or JRE.


John, this is what Oracle says about the Catalina problem. I installed the JDK and everything works fine. The previous Java 8 version should work too.
Ton

martin

Moi,

to escape all this hassle with hijacked file associations: why not simply start PSX from a command line?
First,
     cd /..../Aerowinx
then
    java -jar AerowinxStart.jar
(Don't omit the .jar at the end.)

A bit inconvenient in the long run, but good enough for testing. At least it will determine if Java and PSX per se are OK.
(Also, Real Men don't need no friggin' GUI. Or mice...  ;D )

Cheers,
Martin

JohnH

After reinstalling Catalina, PSX, P3D, ExternalSim, Bacars, Java 8 update 111 everything seems back to normal.

John

Hardy Heinlin

Update 111? That might be too low for the new METAR download https website; they introduced a new SSL certificate that has been added in a later Java 8 update. PSX will work normally, but the METAR download may fail.


|-|ardy

JohnH

Thanks Hardy, I have updated to Java 8 update 231 and everything is working ok

John