SmartSDR wont start on Mac using parallels

Pat Hayes

Multiple failure boxes when launching SmartSDR - this has been working prior. I decided to sell my macbook a year ago and stuck to windoze for quite a while and I still use it in the shack - works perfectly. I recently bought another one as I'm just more productive in my other hobbies (photography) sadly all apps I use run so much better on a mac. 

Flex-6500

Now to the issue at hand - version 3.1.12 is my current release - windows 10 1809 - error/s below - when traveling I would love to be able to use this on the road. I'm sure its something simple I'm missing - anyone?

Mark_WS7M

So most of these errors are .NET framework errors which perhaps tell me that whatever version of .NET you have installed may have issues.

I don't know the .NET version that SmartSDR is requiring.  Perhaps someone here will know.

This link:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/migration-guide/how-to-determine-which-versions-are-installed

Will help you to determine what .NET version you have installed.   I would try downloading the targeting pack for that version and uninstall/install or repair if possible.

I have successfully used SmartSDR 2.x on VMWare Fusion.  I never had great luck with Parallels for anything.  Not that it is bad, I just had better luck with Fusion.

Mark - WS7M

Alan

I have been running Parallels, W10, and Smart SDR for a year with no problems.

The beauty of Parallels is how easy it is to build a new virtual W10 machine.  Skip all of the W10 troubleshooting stuff.  Why not just open up a new Parallels file, download a new W10 image to the file, transfer your licensing information to W10, and install a fresh copy of Flex Smart SDR?  Depending on your internet speed, this is a 30-minute task and you have a fresh, new, out of the box W10 machine running on your Mac.

Windows 10 download:   https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO , or click on the "Get Windows 10 From Microsoft" on the Parallels "Create New window.

Install the image to a new make a new virtual W10 Machine:





Alan
Wa9WUD

Pat Hayes

Did this already! I think the other person is right.... .NET = **** - Does anyone know what the .net requirement is for version 3.1.12?

Alan

Pat....sorry if I was confused.   After re-reading your post, it looks like you are now using a Windows Machine rather than a Mac.   Sorry for the confusion.

Alan
WA9WUD

Pat Hayes

I am using a mac running parallels *trying to run smartsdr on the road* at home I am using a windows machine with no issues - the odd part of all this? A brand new VM does the same thing after installing 3.1.12 so I'm at a loss here, very strange. Version 2.4.9 ran fine the last time I used the VM (about a year ago) Pat NX9S

Pat Hayes

I am using a mac running parallels *trying to run smartsdr on the road* at home I am using a windows machine with no issues - the odd part of all this? A brand new VM does the same thing after installing 3.1.12 so I'm at a loss here, very strange. Version 2.4.9 ran fine the last time I used the VM (about a year ago) Pat NX9S

Pat Hayes

Thanks Mark - I have both actually, same issue with both. .NET is up to date, verified this. I'm at a loss on this one

Mark_WS7M

As a medical device developer we use .NET all the time each and every day.

Yes there is a very old saying from the early DOS and Windows days, and yes I've been developing software for that long, actually back into the punch card days of FORTRAN.  The saying is:  "DLL ****".

I think .NET is "better" but definitely not perfect.  It is still 100% possible in Windows to include your own copies of certain DLLs that really should be part of the .NET system.  Our app does it all the time as part of the build process.

I will say that from a development stand point the concept of .NET is quite cool.   Multiple languages compile down to one intermediate language (IL) that is compiled at runtime to run on whatever machine you choose, and they are getting close to making some of that a reality with .NETCore.

.NET itself at the developer level is very full featured and offers lots of very cool programmer tools and functionality.

Like many others before it, where .NET begins to fall apart is at the UI level.  Everything below the UI is pretty cool and while yes it suffers from "DLL ****" at times, once you cross over into UI land it is very difficult to create cross-platform apps.  That is why SSDR doesn't just run natively on a Mac.  Well there are other reasons too.   But .NETCore would run just fine on a mac and they have it running right now.  But the UI is way way behind.

Our company uses UWP (which I hate), and I feel like we have go back to the pre-windows days writing our GUI in a markup language (XAML).  The preview editor doesn't work and crashes all the time!   There are massive bugs in UWP XAML and it is probably one of the most frustrating things about Windows development.   

So while this is off topic, .NET actually is very cool at a certain level.   At other levels it fails badly.

henrylance

I am just wondering why, Mac users don’t just use BootCamp to access Windows.  I have used Parallels guess it’s OK but or some reasons I found out that just going to Windows via boot camp seemed to cause me less issues.  Simple enough to boot into. 

Pat Hayes

Thats an easy one - because I use my mac at the same time. This issue happens in VMWare's fusion as well - an oddity for sure

Jean_Luc F5JRC

BootCamp is great but in my side I am using a Flex6500 with Parallels most of the time, and in this case I am also using MacloggerDX which is certainly one the best logging software you can imagine! Coherent Mode (not sure of the translation!) three screens et voilà, the best of the two worlds! 73 Jean-Luc

Alan

Each person has their own use case.  I considered boot camp, but that just turns my Mac intro an expensive Windows-only PC.

More importantly, for me, I like using Parallel's "Coherence" view mode.  This allows me to have both Mac OS and Windows 10 OS apps running together on the same desktop.

In Coherence, I run Smart SDR because I prefer the User Interface.  I run the Mac OS version of WSJT-X and JT Bridge because I prefer the quicker response and easier on the eyes user interface.  I have a collection device apps, such as PST-Rotor, W2 Wattmeter, SMORF SWR meter, and HF-Auto which only run on W10 OS.  I can arrange all of these apps, running together, on my single Mac desktop (two large monitors).

I also run a "Time Machine" backup of my entire SSD.  With regards to Windows, if something bad happens overnight from a W10 OS update, I just ask Time Machine to back the clock up to "whenever",  before the update, use the "before update" virtual W10 machine, and now I am back online.

Alan
WA9WUD

Ted VE3TRQ

I routinely run SSDR under Parallels. As long as you set up bridged networking, it seems to work great. Have run with both Win7 and Win10. Still running v2 SSDR.

Neil D Friedman N3DF

What exactly is bridged networking?

Ted VE3TRQ

Parallels gives you a few networking choices - you can have the Win o/s on a separate network, or on the same network as your Mac. You want to be on the same network, so in the same IP range and in the same collision domain (i.e. you see broadcasts).

henrylance

Thanks for the comments.  Each of you guys are using Mac OS and Windows at a much higher level than I do.  I got into Mac in 2009 to get away from all the Microsoft ****, and never regretted it.  Didn’t get back to any Windows till about 3 yrs ago to be able to use the radio(s) and a computer for digital modes. 

If I use the Mac it’s with my 7300.

I’m glad I’m not the only one that sees that the Mac keys faster that Windows.

You all gave me some ideas to think about.  I do like the idea of using Time Machine to do it all.  Use it now just on the Mac drive, and back up Windows on another drive.

Lance  L  k4wh

 

Pat Hayes

Still nothing - anyone? This occurs in both platforms, VMWare Fusion & Parallels. Ive tried creating a new machine on both - same outcome. I've tried older versions of win10, fully patched etc... Every possible scenario i could think of I have tried - .NET is up to date as well. I'm at a loss

Ted VE3TRQ

What version Parallels and what version MacOS? (You may have mentioned that, but it is critical info). Many of us are very successfully doing what you appear not be able to do.

Alan

Pat

I will build a new W10 virtual machine, load Smart SDR and upload it to iCloud.  I will give you a link so you can download the same.

You can run the unlicensed W10, I think with some Microsoft restrictions, to test your setup.  You can add licensing later if you want.

Please provide your e-mail so I can send you the link and in view, this forum is dying soon.

Alan
WA9WUD

Pat Hayes

Mac OS = Catalina 
Latest version of VMWare fusion and Parallels 
MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)

No need to build me a VM - Greatly appreciated however - I'm an IT Engineer (senior I might add) so this one has me stumped - I'm tempted to downgrade to 2.4.9 an test that. I've also tried different hardware settings, cpu, memory, graphics, resolution etc.. Tried both graphics cards as well... This is very odd - Like I said earlier in this post it HAS worked before with 2.4.9 

Alan

OK.  You out-rank me as I am a non-IT person.  (retired Nuclear Engineer)

  BTW, I am running the exact hardware and software with no problems.  I had some strange things happen when I tried using the "gaming" computer configuration in Parallels.  I found through experimentation that the "productivity" configuration worked best for me when running Smart SDR.

Alan
WA9WUD

Ted VE3TRQ

I think this may be one of these cases where staying on old software works better. I am running High Sierra, although the latest Parallels, with SSDR v2.4.9. If it works, leave it alone. Besides that, I have too many 32-bit only applications that will choke on Apple's insistance on killing 32-bit. I was annoyed enough when they dropped G5 emulation :-(

Pat Hayes

I hoped it would be that easy - here is the latest 

Jean_Luc F5JRC

Pat, have you tried hanging the firewall on your MacBook Pro?
I was having trouble using Parallels, but after doing all the upgrades, everything works fine here.

Jean-Luc
F5JRC

MacOs Mojave
Latest version of Parallels
SmartSDR 2.6.2
iMac 27 Retina late 2015, 16GB RAM

Pat Hayes

FW is disabled at this point

Ted VE3TRQ

Another thought - are you using Coherence? I do not.

Alan

It appears you have fresh copies of Parallels, W10, and Smart SDR all on a new virtual machine.  It could be a Mac hardware or OS problem.

At this point, I would eliminate any questions about the Mac OS being corrupted by restarting the Mac into the "Restore" mode and selecting the option to re-load the Mac OS.  I have done this on several occasions and I end up with a fresh OS and all of my other stuff on the MAC intact.

Alan
WA9WUD

Pat Hayes

just got the mac a week ago - nothing else on it cant see it being hardware or OS related - I would like some feedback from Flex if they even watch these forums.... 

Pat Hayes

I am not

Pat Hayes

Here is the error from the app eventlog

Faulting application name: SmartSDR.exe, version: 3.1.12.51, time stamp: 0x5eb469aa

Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 10.0.18362.815, time stamp: 0x67005c2a

Exception code: 0xe0434352

Fault offset: 0x00114402

Faulting process id: 0x1d48

Faulting application start time: 0x01d64eeb43a119ee

Faulting application path: C:Program FilesFlexRadio SystemsSmartSDR v3.1.12SmartSDR.exe

Faulting module path: C:WINDOWSSystem32KERNELBASE.dll

Report Id: fb09e1eb-dcb1-4c83-977e-22fb1e87640b

Faulting package full name: 

Faulting package-relative application ID: