Scrivener for macOS doesn't yet function with new macOS 10.15 beta (19A471t)

This is not a bug note, per se, since it relates to OS software that is in developer beta; but I thought I would note that the current beta of the new macOS 10.15 (release 19A471t) appears not to work at all with the Scrivener app for macOS. I provide this note to the coders at L&L that some work will obviously be required; as well as a small notice to any writers using Scrivener who may (like me) also be a beta tester for Apple, to be forewarned not to install the new macOS beta on your system unless you’re willing to go without Scrivener for a while.

More details: When opening a project in Scrivener, the app loads and appears to open the project file, but the resulting app window, whilst divided into binder / editor / information panes, displays no content within any of them and simply results in a hung blank screen from which it is not possible to do anything other than close the window (see attached screenshot of this in action). This happens the same way whether opening an existing Scrivener project, or creating a new one (the File > New Project interface works in the new macOS beta, but the same result comes with the new project).

Again, this isn’t a complaint as the app can’t be expected automatically to work with a brand new OS release, but I provide this as notes for the programmers at L&L; and if I can provide any assistance in testing out the porting of an updated app into the new macOS, please just let me know.

(For reference, this is as tested on Scrivener for maxOS, v. 3.1.2. (10882) on a MacBook 12".)

I’m not a Mac guy, so I may be mistaken, but I believe they’re already discussing that here: [url]https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/scrivener-not-working-on-macos-10-15-catalina-beta/45821/1]

Best,
Jim

Pleased to say that this issue seems to have been resolved in the latest Developer Beta of the new macOS; upon upgrading to it this afternoon, i find I am able to open and edit my Scrivener project files without problems.

I am super glad that you posted your results with the new beta. I downgraded my system back to Mojave after not being able to live without Scrivener for a whole week or two :wink:. Glad to see it’s working for you now. Might give me the courage to try it again.

Do be advised, of course, that you are prone to run into plenty of other bugs / issues with the macOS beta, especially at this developer stage. There will be some even with the soon(ish) public beta, but at this point there are many — it is early days — and the whole OS runs rather slowly.

Unless you have a great developer need to use it, I would certainly stick with the previous instalment of the OS for the time being. My notes on Scrivener’s functioning within the beta are due chiefly to the fact that I am doing development on the new OS, at the same time as finishing the latest book — so the two things have coincided!

All the best, T.

…for example, Scrivener’s Dropbox sync is not working correctly or reliably with the newest macOS developer beta (19A487l), despite the fact that the Scrivener app itself now works (which wasn’t true with the previous beta) — though this appears not to be an issue with Scrivener’s functionality in the OS, but a problem with Dropbox integration at this stage in the broader OS beta (it doesn’t trigger updates to files correctly, so things quickly go out of sync without manually exiting the Dropbox system in macOS and restarting it, forcing a fresh sync).

As I say, this appears to be an issue with Dropbox and macOS at this stage (and surely will be fixed), rather than an issue with Scrivener per se; nevertheless, it makes Scrivener quite challenging to use at the moment with the developer beta, if you sync between the macOS and iOS Scrivener apps (which I do) — so again, I would be very cautious about upgrading to the beta!

T.

To be honest I really don’t have a developer need to run the beta (though I do pay for the developer program as I want to learn/am learning). I like to figure out how things work or don’t work and always run the betas. I have a second machine that I keep on a stable release. :slight_smile: I guess I’m a sucker for punishment when it comes to this kind of stuff. I’m one of the ones that likes to find the bugs. :wink:

I do appreciate your thoughtful responses. Keep everyone posted on your book. I’d love to read it when it hits the published stage.

Please to pass along the note that the laters developer beta (#3) of ios13, ipad13 and macOS appear to have resolved the Dropbox sync issues that have prevented cross-platform syncing within Scrivener since the betas began.

At this stage, all appears to be working on each platform and in sync.

It is now October 9th and 10.15 no longer Beta but an official Apple launch, however I can not get Dropbox to sync with my iPad. Any suggestions please?

Look in the Scrivener for iPad forum!

Ah yes, I should have been more specific. What I meant to say was that when I make changes to a project on my iPad and sync with dropbox, since I changed to Catalina 10.15 on my desktop Mac, Scrivener does not seem to sync with dropbox. The changes I made on my iPad do not show up in the desktop version. This has only happened since updating yesterday. As this had been mentioned as a problem with the beta version, but apparently solved, I wondered if I was doing something wrong or whether it was still the system update which was the problem?

Have you made sure that your dropbox app is up to date? The older versions didn’t do automatic updates, so you might be having trouble because you have to manually download the software from dropbox.com and install it again.

I have auto download on and my current version is 82.4.155 which as far as I can see is the latest version. Also it was working fine until I changed to masOS 10.15