trashing the plist was the first thing I tried when I got the crashes - did not help.
Okay, the next thing to try is creating a new user account on your computer (for testing) and trying to run Scrivener from there. This will determine whether the issue is account-specific or computer-wide. (The crash log indicates that the crash is coming from Growl inside Scrivener, by the way, which is very odd.) Also, try running both the 10.6 and newer and the 10.4+10.5 versions of Scrivener on this page:
literatureandlatte.com/download_mac.php
(The 10.4+10.5 one will run on 10.8, but you will need to ctrl-click on it and select “Open” from the contextual menu in order to run it, because of GateKeeper.)
There are different versions of Growl in the different builds, so I’m interested in whether that will make any difference.
done that before - doesn’t help.
Actually, I have done all the typical debugging procedures before I mentioned the bug here in the forum. I am an experienced user (with my first Mac bought in 1984 indeed), so I am familiar with the things that might cause a program to crash.
Just to clarify, you have definitely done the following things:
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Created a brand new, fresh user account on your machine and tried running Scrivener from it.
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Trashed the 10.6+ version of Scrivener and tested the 10.4 + 10.5 version on our site, opening it using Ctrl-click.
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Trashed the com.literatureandlatte.scrivener2.plist file from ~/Library/Preferences.
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Completely uninstalled Growl, ensuring all its files are wiped from your system, and tried running Scrivener.
I understand you are an experienced user, but as such you’ll understand that it’s important I double-check all of this. As you are the only user with this crash, it seems that there must be something unique on your machine causing this.
One other thing to try is to go into Growl’s preferences and try turning all of the notifications off, then try running Scrivener again.
All the best,
Keith
yes
no, that is not necessary because the previous version (2.3.1) runs perfectly on my Mac with 10.8.2. I recovered it from the trash after installing the new version, and it ran without problems. I also recovered it from my TimeCapsule to see if it would somehow be different, but it also ran with no problems.
yes. Actually the first time I did it, there were two plist files with different names in that folder, and I trashed both. Only one was created afresh when I re-ran the recovered old program version. Unfortunately I do not remember the name of the second file that did not come back.
yes. Neither inactivating Growl notification altogether, nor for Scrivener alone,nor completely uninstalling Growl, did the job. Of course I did restarts after uninstalling Growl, and at several other points of my debugging effort.
yes, maybe. It may be some incompatibility with some other program installed on my system.I know that these bugs are the hardest to find, and I’ll do what I can to help you track it down, but please understand that I do not have the time to uninstall and re-install programs on a “might be this, might be that” basis. I need my computer for work, it’s not a hobby.
as said above, this does not work either.
Could you please try this anyway? The reason I ask is that the 10.4 + 10.5 version of Scrivener 2.4 contains a different version of Growl to the 10.6+ version.
Thanks,
Keith
ok, done - and it actually does solve the problem. I can now start 2.4 (build 22541) without crashing. So, it indeed seems to be related to Growl, as we initially thought.
Great, thanks. This gets curiouser and curiouser, since 2.3.1 had the same version of Growl in it as 2.4. When you rolled back to 2.3.1, where did you download 2.3.1 from (our version history page perhaps)? I’m curious now as to which build of 2.3.1 you were running. Could it possibly be that you were using the version of 2.3.1 for older systems - have you upgraded from 10.5 to 10.8 in the past year, or could it be that you were using the 10.4-10.5 version of 2.3.1 at all?
Thanks and all the best,
Keith
no, I just recovered the previously working (pre-update) version from the trash, where it was put during the update process. I also once tried to recover it from my TimeMachine backup. Both (identical, of course) versions worked perfectly well.
the recovered build of 2.3.1 is 20025
I did in fact upgrade from 10.6.8 to 10.8.0 on 31/07/2012; However, Scrivener was installed later, on 17/10/2012. I therefore rule out that it is an OsX-upgrade issue.
Whether I used the legacy version of Scrivener, I don’t know (I guess you’ll see it from the build number given above), but if at all I was conscious when I downloaded/installed it, I think I didn’t chose the legacy version…
No, that’s the regular version and not the legacy version. Very strange.
Okay, here’s one more thing I’d like you to try, if you don’t mind. You’ll need both 2.3.1 (20025) and the non-legacy build of 2.4 (the 10.6+ version):
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In the Finder, ctrl-click on Scrivener 2.3.1 (20025) and select “Show Package Contents”.
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Drill down into Scrivener.app/Contents/Frameworks.
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In a separate Finder window, do exactly the same with the non-legacy build of Scrivener 2.4 (the version that crashes for you).
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Drag the Growl.framework folder from the Scrivener.app/Contents/Frameworks folder of Scrivener 2.4 and drop it into the Trash.
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Now copy the Growl.framework from inside Scrivener 2.3.1 into the Frameworks folder in Scrivener 2.4.
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Now try running Scrivener 2.4 again and let me know if it still crashes.
Both 2.3.1 and 2.4 contain the 1.3.1 version of the Growl framework, but this will determine whether there is some strange minor difference that has crept in between versions.
Thanks and all the best,
Keith
Transplanting the growl.framework from 2.3.1 to (non-legacy, crashing) 2.4 does not help, 2.4 still crashes.
Also transplanting growl.framework from (non-legacy, crashing) 2.4 to 2.3.1 does NOT make the old version crash.
Okay, I’m now officially baffled. I’ve just fired up the 2.3.1 code base to look at what has changed regarding Growl, and there is nothing. 2.3.1 and 2.4 use the same version of Growl and the same code calling on it. Moreover, the crash log seems to indicate that the crash is coming from the Growl framework rather than from Scrivener itself.
Apologies if you mentioned this already, but what is the exact computer are you running Scrivener on?
Also, after you completely uninstalled and re-installed Growl, did you re-download Growl or install it from a backed-up version? (Yes, I’m clutching at straws here.)
Thanks and all the best,
Keith
Just experienced a crash in RapidWeaver. The report was sent to Apple and I saved a copy in my MacJournal software. A long, long, long report. Where do I send this or is it even necessary?
I was working with blocks and attempted to enlarge one of three blocks of texts, making it wider. The spinning wheel of crash appeared and I had to force quit the software program.
Yesterday I updated to OS 10.8.2 and maybe that has something to do with it. I do not know. I repaired permissions after I upgraded to OS 10.8.2.
Hi Penner,
I’m a little confused when you say you experienced a crash in RapidWeaver - is this related to Scrivener, or are you just asking how you can send the crash log to the RapidWeaver folks?
All the best,
Keith
I posted on the wrong forum. Ignore that post.
Phew - at least it’s not a crash in Scrivener! 
yes, it looks like it comes from the growl framework.
I’m running (and crashing…) it on a 13" MacBook Pro, mid 2009, with MacOS X 10.8.2
I re-downloaded and installed Growl via the Apple App Store, where I had bought it.
updated to 2.4.1 - but still crashes upon start.
I recommend sticking with the “legacy” 10.4+ version for now. The features are identical, the only difference being that it doesn’t contain the Retina display graphics (which you don’t need on your MacBook anyway) and you have to use the workaround the first time you open it to bypass GateKeeper. Clearly there is something very odd going on with Growl on your machine, but to be honest I don’t really know how to troubleshoot this next (I don’t think I’ve said that before…). Because the crash is coming from inside an external framework (Growl) and not from inside Scrivener, and because we don’t have a single other user with this same crash, it is very difficult to guess at the cause of this. The only difference I can think of between 2.3.1 and 2.4 - given that they incorporate the same Growl framework and the same code invoking Growl - is that 2.3.1 was, I think, built on Lion, whereas 2.4 was built on Mountain Lion. I can’t think of a reason that would make a difference, though. I’ve been scouring Google trying to find crashes like yours, and there are a few (with Growl in general, not in Scrivener), but with no resolution other than updates to the Growl framework, and yet you are using the latest. Do you have another computer at all? I am positive that if you test on another machine, you’ll see that the crash doesn’t happen. Just one more check - have you double-checked that there are no other versions of the Growl framework, older versions, lurking in the root /Library/Frameworks folder, or somewhere similar?
All the best,
Keith
That’s what I will do as a solution for the time being.
yes, it looks like a rare thing, but I have not installed anything fancy that would interfere with Growl.
I do have another computer, but it’s still on 10.6.8 because it cannot run 10.8. - so I think that won’t really help.
sure, otherwise it would be easier to reproduce for you.
I’ll have a look and tell you later. I actually HAD growl installed before it was updated and went to the App Store. Even though I thought I deinstalled everything, I’ll have a (more thorough) look again. Anyway, no other program gave me any problems with Growl…