Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina [SOLVED]

About SheepShaver, a PPC Mac emulator for Windows, MacOS X, and Linux that can run System 7.5.3 to MacOS 9.0.4.

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Ronald P. Regensburg
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

adespoton wrote:Could we be looking at a security model change on Apple's part, that doesn't show up for some of us due to how we've got our Gatekeeper preferences and extended attributes set?
If that would be the cause, wouldn't it happen always for those who experience the issue? Users either see the issue never or they see the issue mostly but not always. Some described in this topic that launching in full-screen mode worked occasionally
Last edited by Ronald P. Regensburg on Wed Dec 25, 2019 7:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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almeath
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by almeath »

Ronald P. Regensburg wrote:
adespoton wrote:Could we be looking at a security model change on Apple's part, that doesn't show up for some of us due to how we've got our Gatekeeper preferences and extended attributes set?
If that would be the cause, wouldn't it happen always for those who experience the issue? Users either see the issue never or they see the issue mostly but not always. Some described in this topic that launching in full-screen mode worked occasionally
I agree. Was just throwing some ideas out there, as I am otherwise still completely stumped. I remember someone mentioning earlier on that all those security patches for various Intel chips might have had an effect, and perhaps accounts for the varying behavior across different machines. Those patches came in around the time of 10.14.4 and 10.14.5 and that is precisely when I first started noticing the problem. However, I generally would have expected odd behaviors from other apps and not just SheepShaver.
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

Just a thought. Did you try to launch SheepShaver full-screen after safe restart and/or safe login on the host?
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by almeath »

Ronald P. Regensburg wrote:Just a thought. Did you try to launch SheepShaver full-screen after safe restart and/or safe login on the host?
I tried that, and the freeze up occurred again. I used the key command to force quit SheepShaver and this time I got a dialog box with a crash report. The output is saved here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4pdx6c1exp61s ... g.rtf?dl=0

I am not that experienced at interpreting crash reports, but it at least confirms that I was getting an unresponsive process when launching in full screen mode.
kanjitalk755
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by kanjitalk755 »

I don't know if the problem can be solved because it doesn't reproduce in my environment, but try the following code.

https://github.com/kanjitalk755/macemu/tree/unlock_test
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

A test build from this code is available here: https://www.emaculation.com/sheepshaver ... k_test.zip

(The app is not notarized, so you will need to use right-click (or control-click) to open it the first time.)
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by almeath »

kanjitalk755 wrote:I don't know if the problem can be solved because it doesn't reproduce in my environment, but try the following code.

https://github.com/kanjitalk755/macemu/tree/unlock_test
I have not had time to try it in safe mode for a full crash report, but I am experiencing the same results as noted in my previous posts - intermittent black screen with pinwheel and CPU spike until force-quit. Windowed mode works normally.
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by kanjitalk755 »

To identify the location of the busy wait, try commenting out SheepShaver/src/Unix/sysdeps.h#L377.

Code: Select all

//while (testandset(lock));
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by Gandulf78 »

Hi Ronald,
About the full screen, I've always wondered why the "full screen" icon on the upper left corner has always been kept grey. If it were possible to enable the full screen button manually from this button, it would be nice, solve the issue and be more compliant with the MacOS X GUI. What do you think?
Thanks for the good job.
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

These applications are non-standard in many ways and it is a miracle that they can be made to run in modern macOS at all. It not possible to make SheepShaver (and BasiliskII) use the green button. But otherwise, when you use the Control-Return toggle instead, both emulators hook into most of the same full-screen possibilities that macOS offers. The emulators in full screen mode occupy their own space just like other apps in full screen and you can swipe between apps and/or the desktop.

Why some encounter the full screen problem in Mojave and Catalina, that this topic is about, is a mystery. Interestingly, it does not happen to any of those who are involved in developing or building. This makes it difficult to find the cause.
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by Gandulf78 »

I didn't know the CTRL+Return trick. It makes the job with Catalina, thank you !
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

It is in our setup manual: https://www.emaculation.com/doku.php/sh ... creen_mode
There is a lot more to learn from the manual. If you happen to be a long time SheepShaver user, you will also find descriptions of new features there.
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by estecklow »

Hi. I am having the same problem. I was running sheep shaver just fine but on OS X Yosemite and always ran it on full screen. But then this weekend I had to update to catalina to get another app to work. Now the same issue the other person is describing started happening - whenever I switch to full screen and start it up the spinning beach ball never goes away and I have to force quit. I have a MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014). Hoping there might be some solutions to this problem now?
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

No solution, but an easy workaround for those who encounter this issue:
Set SheepShaver prefs to start up in window mode. Then use the Control-Return key combo to toggle between window mode and full screen mode.

BTW: Which SheepShaver build (version and build date) do you use? In Catalina best use my latest build (version 2.5, 15 March 2020).
Last edited by Ronald P. Regensburg on Sun Jun 28, 2020 6:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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estecklow
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by estecklow »

Thanks for the quick reply!

I tried pressing control return and it doesn't toggle to full screen. In fact, in the Window menu, the "Toggle Full Screen" option is disabled.

That said, I don't think I'm using your version of that app but I'm happy to switch. I got the SheepShaver wrapper version from a coloumbia university web page. I'm not exactly well versed in this space so if you could point me to your version I'd be happy to test it.

Thank you again for your help!
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by estecklow »

Actually never mind - should've thought about this myself. I dug around here and I think I found the app you were talking about. Working again! Thank you so much for all your help!

Am I correct in you're the developer? If so really appreciate it. Is there a donation page? Happy to contribute. this has made it possible for me to relive a lot of mac games I loved during my childhood.
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by emendelson »

estecklow wrote:Thanks for the quick reply!

I tried pressing control return and it doesn't toggle to full screen. In fact, in the Window menu, the "Toggle Full Screen" option is disabled.
Control-Option-Return does what you're trying to do, not Control-Return.
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by 364owen11 »

I'm having this exact same problem with the spinning beachball or lollipop but I can't switch back to window mode.
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

As described above in this thread: If you encounter this issue, set up SheepShaver to launch in window mode. Then you can use control-return to toggle between window mode and full-screen mode.

(But as you posted a few hours later in another thread about sound in SheepShaver, I suppose you already solved the issue.)
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by smrieck511 »

First of all. Thank you for Sheepshaver!!

I am experiencing this as well on my new MBP (16' 2019 8 core I9 - Catalina 10.15.6). It worked in windowed mode but when i set it to fullscreen...Beachball on launch every time.

It works very well on my old MBP (13" mid 2014 I5 - Mojave).

I have enabled invisible files (command-shift-period) and I definitely can find no trace of a prefs file (.sheepshaver_prefs or similar) in Catalina. If I could just get rid of that, wherever it might be, I could restart and just keep it in windowed mode.

Thanks for any help.

- Steve
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

I do not know where you looked for the prefs file. You did run SheepShaver in window mode, so the prefs file ".sheepshaver_prefs" will be in your Home folder. You can remove it and set up SheepShaver again. But you can also edit the file in a text editor. In the line that starts with "screen", replace "dga" by "win".

When SheepShaver is set to start in window mode. you can toggle full screen mode using control-return.
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by smrieck511 »

yeah its weird. I certainly opened prefs before to make it full screen, 1024mb ram etc....but the prefs file is nowhere to be found. Invisible or not. Searched for .sheepshaver_prefs and just sheepshaver.
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by smrieck511 »

I did manage to fix this problem on my computer (2019 MBP - Catalina 10.15.6)

I took the prefs file form my old macbook which had sheepsaver in windowed mode. Dropped it in the preferences folder on my new macbook pro and....

it didn't work again but when I launched it a second time, it did work!

If anyone needs a windowed prefs file, you can download it here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vgdsd8zsi6r0q ... plist?dl=0
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

Interesting finding that points us to a possible cause of the issue, but not the way you figured.

You mixed up the hidden ".sheepshaver_prefs" file that is at root level in your Home folder and the "com.emaculation.sheepshaver.plist" file that is in your ~/Library/Preferences/ folder.

I would agree that the naming is confusing. The prefs file is a Unix style settings or configuration file, not a macOS "preferences" file, and it does not reside in a Preferences folder.

All settings, among which the settings for window mode or full screen mode, are saved in the prefs file. The .plist preferences file does not contain information about settings.

Nevertheless, apparently replacing ~/Library/Preferences/com.emaculation.sheepshaver.plist solved the issue for you.

I never experienced this issue with launching SheepShaver full screen. I tried what would happen when I replaced my plist file with the one you posted. This caused the issue for me for the first time.

Then I removed the plist file. The issue was still there. When using SheepShaver in window mode, including changing settings in preferences, I noticed that this build does not write the plist file.

After placing my old plist file back, SheepShaver still had the issue with launching in full screen mode.

So now my SheepShaver is affected too. :cry:

Whatever the cause of the issue, it is apparently somehow related to the ~/Library/Preferences/com.emaculation.sheepshaver.plist file. But simply replacing the file is not a general solution. It may have solved the issue for you, but for me it has started the issue.
Last edited by Ronald P. Regensburg on Sat Jul 25, 2020 11:13 am, edited 2 times in total.
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smrieck511
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Re: Full screen problems in Mojave 10.14.6 and Catalina

Post by smrieck511 »

Yeah apologies..I may be confusing the issue. I did get it back to windowed mode yesterday. After then resetting the preferences to fullscreen (to see what would happen - couldn't resist), it went back to the beachball and today apparently the user prefs file does NOT fix the problem...but it appeared to yesterday.

I understand now that the /user/library/preferences file does not contain the settings so is probably irrelevant?

I've searched both of my macbooks (Mojave and Catalina) with invisible files enabled and can find no sign of the unix file you mention. I'm searching in system/library/preferences (rather than user/)...as well as doing a full system search. I understand the logic that it must exist but I cannot find any sign of it anywhere. Nothing called ".sheepshaver_prefs" and the only file with sheepshaver in the name at all is the app itself.

To sum it up for my computers:

Mojave (2014 13" MBP) - Fullscreen no problem - user pref file found / no system pref file found
Catalina (2019 16" MBP) - Fullscreen beachball - no user pref file found / no system pref file found.

One nice thing about classic MacOS. You always knew where the preference files were and they never disappeared!
Last edited by smrieck511 on Sat Jul 25, 2020 1:54 pm, edited 5 times in total.
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