[GNC] longtime user suddenly unable to open gnucash

Sherlock sh025622 at gmail.com
Sun Aug 10 21:26:49 EDT 2025 

Jacob,

Try:

/Applications/Gnucash.app/Contents/MacOS/Gnucash --debug

The file generated should be:

$TMPDIR/gnucash.trace

Regards,

Sherlock


On 8/10/25 5:46 PM, Jacob Wegelin wrote:
> 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
>>>>>>>>>>>> To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe:
>>>>>>>>>>>> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user
>>>>>>>>>>>> -----
>>>>>>>>>>>> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
>>>>>>>>>>>> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> -- 
>>>>>>>>> _________________________________
>>>>>>>>> Richard Losey
>>>>>>>>> rlosey at gmail.com
>>>>>>>>> Micah 6:8
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>> gnucash-user mailing list
>>>>>>>>> gnucash-user at gnucash.org
>>>>>>>>> To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe:
>>>>>>>>> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user
>>>>>>>>> -----
>>>>>>>>> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
>>>>>>>>> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>> gnucash-user mailing list
>>>>>>>> gnucash-user at gnucash.org
>>>>>>>> To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe:
>>>>>>>> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user
>>>>>>>> -----
>>>>>>>> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
>>>>>>>> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> gnucash-user mailing list
>>>>>>> gnucash-user at gnucash.org
>>>>>>> To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe:
>>>>>>> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user
>>>>>>> -----
>>>>>>> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
>>>>>>> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
>>>>>>
>>>>
>>
>>

More information about the gnucash-user mailing list