[GNC] longtime user suddenly unable to open gnucash

Jacob Wegelin jacobwegelin at fastmail.fm
Sun Aug 10 20:46:41 EDT 2025 

Based on the instructions at 
https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/GnuCash_on_the_Command_Line,

I tried running GnuCash with the --debug option. 
What I got is at

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/8r7r81vel2sqfvbfwd82f/2025-08-10-174154-GnuCash.zip?rlkey=lsiivihasa8tpq4by5526qb5d&st=dzjr42fy&dl=0

The text file does not show my earlier attempts; I have them recorded also.

How does this look?

I do have Xcode; I had to install it to use perl, I think. But is the above attempt the right way to do it?

Thank you again

Jacob Wegelin

On 2025-08-07 Thu 19:34, John Ralls wrote:
> Crash it then look immediately. They used to hang around for a while but one of the recent Sequoia updates seems to have taken to purging them almost immediately, first to the Retired (within a few minutes) subfolder and then gone.
>
> You can get an excruciatingly detailed trace file by running GnuCash from the command line with the —debug option. There might be something useful in the last few lines.
>
> Finally if you have Xcode or command-line developer tools installed you can run GnuCash in the debugger and crash it and get a stack trace.
>
> Regards,
> John Ralls
>
>> On Aug 7, 2025, at 19:22, Jacob Wegelin <jacobwegelin at fastmail.fm> wrote:
>>
>> John,
>>
>> Here is what I find (no file):
>>
>>> find  ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/ -iname '*gn*'
>> /Users/qg/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/
>>> find  ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/ -iname '*gn*' -type f
>>> find  ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/ -iname '*ips'
>>>
>>
>> What else can I do?
>>
>> Jacob
>>
>> On 2025-08-07 Thu 17:22, John Ralls wrote:
>>> Jacob,
>>>
>>> Unfortunately neither is useful. The trace file has only the notice from the DBI backend that the file isn’t a SQLite one (because GnuCash checks for that before checking if it’s an XML file). No indication of any error.
>>>
>>> The diagnostic file you shared isn’t a crash report: A crash report will be named gnucash-<timestamp>.ips. “gnucash” may be capitalized and it might be in ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Retiired/.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> John Ralls
>>>
>>>
>>>> On Aug 7, 2025, at 16:00, Jacob Wegelin <jacobwegelin at fastmail.fm> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> John,
>>>>
>>>> Here are 2 files, zipped up to preserve timestamps, on dropbox.
>>>>
>>>> It had been a couple days since I tried to run GnuCash. The "ralloldtrace", I got first. It has at least something in it.
>>>>
>>>> I think I tried to find the 2nd file, i.e., the Crash Report, and found
>>>> none.
>>>>
>>>> Then I again tried to open GnuCash.
>>>> Subsequently, the trace file was empty, i.e., zero bytes.
>>>>
>>>> But I got a crash report. But it seemed to have too early of a
>>>> timestamp; I attempted to open GnuCash within the past hour and the
>>>> crash report seems to be from 25-Aug-07 12:27.
>>>>
>>>> https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ngg75sp4ezqolklrrvhau/rall.zip?rlkey=cuwi3jcffu2vf4zjlnq5ko6zx&st=x9k2ny6y&dl=0
>>>>
>>>> https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6gkueee1qdfz87sedb94b/ralloldtrace.zip?rlkey=m1910nx2f763ds3qb66gydsu3&st=rtaqg3ox&dl=0
>>>>
>>>> Do these files look like I found the right files?
>>>>
>>>> Thank you again. Let me know what next I should do.
>>>>
>>>> Jacob Wegelin
>>>>
>>>> On 2025-08-05 Tue 10:07, John Ralls wrote:
>>>>> Let’s find out where it’s crashing. Please open a bug report at https://bugs.gnucash.org/enter_bug.cgi and attach (as files using the attach box, don’t paste them in to the description) the trace file (https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Tracefile) and macOS Crash Report (https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Stack_Trace#macOS).
>>>>>
>>>>> Regards,
>>>>> John Ralls
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> On Aug 5, 2025, at 8:34 AM, Jacob Wegelin <jacobwegelin at fastmail.fm> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> My computer is MacBook Pro. Chip Apple M4 Pro. MacOs Sequoia 15.6
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I have now done the following:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> rm JAW.gnucash *LCK
>>>>>>
>>>>>> open /Applications/Gnucash.app
>>>>>>
>>>>>> dialogue box says
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The file/URI /Users/qg/u/Household/GnuCash/wip/JAW.gnucash could not be found.
>>>>>> The file is in the history list, do you want to remove it?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> click yes
>>>>>>
>>>>>> then I get "Unsaved Book -- GnuCash" with nothing in it.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> File, Open and I get a dialogue box with nothing in it. It does not show the backup files, although they all end in *.gnucash.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Then I try an earlier backup than the most recent:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> cp -p JAW.gnucash.20250803162946.gnucash JAW.gnucash
>>>>>>
>>>>>> and we see it now in the dialogue box. The type is listed as "unknown,"
>>>>>> size 2.1MB. I click that file in the dialogue box, click open, and
>>>>>> GnuCash goes away. The application is no longer open.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Repeat the procedure, this time using JAW.gnucash.20250802200000.gnucash
>>>>>> from 1st August. Again, GnuCash goes away as soon as I try to open the
>>>>>> file.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Repeat using JAW.gnucash.20250730234537.gnucash, from 30 July, same
>>>>>> result.  GnuCash was working just fine back then.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> How can I fix this?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Jacob Wegelin
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 2025-08-05 Tue 01:55, pete hopkins wrote:
>>>>>>> What type of MAC do you have - is it running an ARM chip or an Intel chip as you have installed the ARM version.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I am  running v5.12 on MACos 15.5.  I run the ARM version as my MAC has an M1 chip.  I don’t see the problems you are reporting?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Pete
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On 5 Aug 2025, at 05:19, R Losey <rlosey at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> That's why I suggested shutting down GnuCash and then renaming the files
>>>>>>>> before starting it.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On Mon, Aug 4, 2025 at 10:38 PM sunfish62 at yahoo.com <sunfish62 at yahoo.com>
>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> R,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Your instructions are thorough, but do not make clear that on Macs,
>>>>>>>>> GnuCash always opens the last file it had open--even if you double click a
>>>>>>>>> different GnuCash file in Finder. Or at least, that's always how it used to
>>>>>>>>> work. And if the file is corrupt, then OP will have a difficult time
>>>>>>>>> opening GnuCash up to find an earlier good file. That's why I suggested
>>>>>>>>> opening GnuCash without a file.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Of course, by renaming the original file, you force GnuCash to open
>>>>>>>>> without the file it can no longer find, but it would be clearer to note
>>>>>>>>> that it will then be necessary to File->Open the backup.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> David T.
>>>>>>>>> On Aug 4, 2025, at 11:20 PM, R Losey <rlosey at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I run GnuCash on my Mac as well; I have an M1 Mac running Sequoia 15.5 -
>>>>>>>>>> there was a discussion here about some people having problems with 15.6 --
>>>>>>>>>> what are you running?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> When GnuCash starts, it first looks for a .LCK file; if one exists, you get
>>>>>>>>>> the error message; otherwise, GnuCash creates the .LCK file and opens your
>>>>>>>>>> data file.  When you shut down GnuCash, it closes your data file, and
>>>>>>>>>> deletes the .LCK.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> So, when GnuCash is running, there should always be a .LCK file. If GnuCash
>>>>>>>>>> is shut down, there should be no .LCK file.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> If GnuCash crashes, it doesn't go through the normal exit process, and the
>>>>>>>>>> .LCK file can stick around. The choice to "Open Anyway" is the right choice
>>>>>>>>>> when you only and always use GnuCash from one computer. (I have my data
>>>>>>>>>> files stored on a network storage device, and I can access it from multiple
>>>>>>>>>> computers, so I have to make sure that if I get the error message that I
>>>>>>>>>> really don't have it running elsewhere).
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> From what you wrote, it sounds as if your data file has something in it
>>>>>>>>>> that is causing a crash.  To verify this,
>>>>>>>>>> 1) Shut down GnuCash
>>>>>>>>>> 2) Delete the .LCK file
>>>>>>>>>> 3) Open GnuCash; you shouldn't get a warning, but Gnucash will probably go
>>>>>>>>>> away (that is, "crash").
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> This is almost certainly an issue with your data file. So...
>>>>>>>>>> 1) Delete the .LCK file
>>>>>>>>>> 2) Rename your existing data file to something - perhaps
>>>>>>>>>> JAW.gnucash-CORRUPT and then create a copy of the most recent backup file
>>>>>>>>>> and rename it to JAW.gnucash
>>>>>>>>>> 3) Open GnuCash - you should not get any warning; if GnuCash opens, you're
>>>>>>>>>> good. If it crashes, delete the lock file, and try the next oldest backup
>>>>>>>>>> file.  Repeat this until GnuCash opens without crashing. If you get to a
>>>>>>>>>> file that you KNOW was good, then there is something else going on - the
>>>>>>>>>> log files may be able to help you.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Best wishes!
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> On Mon, Aug 4, 2025 at 9:20 PM Jacob Wegelin <jacobwegelin at fastmail.fm>
>>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I have been using gnucash for about 20 years on macos for personal
>>>>>>>>>>> bookkeeping.
>>>>>>>>>>> Suddenly today, it refuses to open with the following message:
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>      GnuCash could not obtain the lock for
>>>>>>>>>>> /Users/qg/u/Household/GnuCash/wip/JAW.gnucash (which is my file which it
>>>>>>>>>>> also opens).
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>      The database may be in use by another user, in which case you
>>>>>>>>>>> should not open the database.  What would you like to do?
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> When I clicked "open anyway," the application looked like it was loading
>>>>>>>>>>> and then it went away---the application was not open.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I tried deleting gnucash.LCK and it just made another one.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I reinstalled gnucash, updated my macos and rebooted the computer.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I changed the permissions on JAW.gnucash so it is readable and
>>>>>>>>>>> writeable by everybody. Exactly the same message.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I tried reinstalling it again after the macos reboot,
>>>>>>>>>>> as follows:
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Installation
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> https://sourceforge.net/projects/gnucash/files/gnucash%20%28stable%29/
>>>>>>>>>>> click: download latest version Gnucash-Arm-5.12-1.dmg (184.3 MB)
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I made gnucash.LCK read,write,execute by everybody, but the same result.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> How do I get GnuCash working again? I use it every day.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Thank you
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Jacob Wegelin
>>>>>>>>>>> ------------------------------
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> gnucash-user mailing list
>>>>>>>>>>> gnucash-user at gnucash.org
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>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> _________________________________
>>>>>>>> Richard Losey
>>>>>>>> rlosey at gmail.com
>>>>>>>> Micah 6:8
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>>
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