Running UD Mobile on an M1 Mac

[chris.com]

I was delighted to discover that I can download UD Mobile from the App Store and run it on my M1Pro MacBookPro. The app launches and I can configure it to sync with my ISY. That is wonderful!!!

I have a very extensive set of favorites that I have configured on my phone. I was successful in using UD Mobile's backup and restore functionality to copy all these favorites to my wife's phone and to a family iPad.

When I attempt to do the same thing while running UD Mobile on the Mac there are problems. The configuration file seems to import and I get the dialog which tells me to restart the application. But when I do, the application crashes. Any attempts to launch the app after that results in the app crashing. If I delete its config files, I can launch the app but it's (naturally) in an unconfigured state. I realize that I'm probably trying to do something that's unsupported, but if it were possible to make it work without a tremendous amount of effort, it would be a real boon.

Javi, if you're interested, I can open a ticket and send you the crash log.

I'm super-grateful for all the work you're doing on UD Mobile. It continues to get better and better! Thank you!

[Javi]

Hi @chris.com,

Thanks for the report, as of today I only have intel Macs so the app has not been thoroughly tested on M1.  Apple reports a handful of Macs running the app but no crash reports.  It may take a few days for me to get the reports, so I'll keep checking. 

In the meantime please open a ticket and reference this thread.  Thanks!

[Mayben]

Hey @Javi, I need to get a new MBP, so I'll help with testing as well. Care to help toward the cause of procuring the new one? LOL

Usually, Apple has special pricing for first responders, usually mirroring the Education discount, however, it's not currently showing.

[Javi]

@chris.com,

I acquired a M1 Mac Pro over the weekend and was able to produce a few crashes.  I'll push fixes as soon as possible, although likely at least few weeks before it will be in beta.

Hi @Mayben,  

Any additional testers will be helpful. Procurement is difficult even when paying full price. As luck would have it, there was a single M1 Max with the specs I needed about an hour down the freeway. Wait time for in store pickup at our local Apple stores or home delivery was the middle of May.

Being a windows user most of my life the price of any high end Mac hardware is hard to justify. Currently I use a i7 mac mini for development, the hardware is great. The Mac Pro M1 max appears just as good at double the cost.  Both are the best hardware I've ever owned, although both cost almost double what I would have paid for a windows PC with similar specs.  Aesthetically the Macs win.

More than half of the professional software I use on Mac is inferior to Windows versions, however that appears to be a development issue not related to hardware as there is software which works great on both platforms. I don't remember Android Studio crashing anytime in the last two years on either platform, xCode crashes at least once a week and needs to be restarted at least once a day.  QuickBooks on mac is almost unbearable and fails to record transactions, crashes or needs restart at least a few times every day, the PC versions has been great for the last 17 years without a single crash.

[Mayben]

@JaviI was looking last night, I can get the MBP M1 Max today at a couple of the local Apple Stores. I'm trying to decide whether I really NEED the M1 Max or if the M1 Pro would suffice, basically $3499 vs $2699.  I like the jump to 32GB ram and the graphics upgrade sounds great as well.  BUT, I'm trying to justify as I wasn't planning on upgrading yet, but my 2016 MBP w/ Touch Bar's screen stopped working, I believe due to FlexGate, and a new screen is not worth it.

[Javi]

@Mayben, I was forced into the M1 Max for the 32GB,  a memory upgraded for the M1 Pro was one of the middle of May options.  The M1 Pro/Max difference was less than $300 after memory and hard drive upgrade so the M1 max may be a better investment a few years down. I have both a 64GB and a 16GB Mac mini. The 16GB has a slight performance lag, but barely noticeable until I run android/iOS emulators. I think I would have been good with the 16GB version if emulation was not a requirement. 

[Mayben]

@Javithat is great information. I do upload and edit raw photos, which makes the upgrades appealing, albeit, I've been lazy and avoiding shooting with my rig and just accepting iPhone shots, lol. So, there's the pickle!

[Mayben]

@JaviI've got the new Mac. I installed UD Mobile, logged in, and went to restore from backup. Upon restart of the app, I've been unable to open the app since.

[Javi]

Backup restoration was the OP's issue as well and it has been replicated.  I think it may have to do with the global preference open to favorites tab and that the app data is not deleted when uninstalled on the M1.  There are a few other crashes observed but this appears to be the only one that prevents the app from opening.

To fix Delete the "UD Mobile" folder from "Documents"  on the Mac M1 and launch the app.  For an import make sure the backup has a default launch setting on your iPhone.  Then swipe away the app, this is only needed to clear a working database as sometimes database writes are still in queue.  If you open the app on your iPhone and it is not directed to favorites create a backup, and import the new backup onto the M1.

Notes and M1 Issues:

Setting launch preference to Favorites tab on the M1 will prevent the app from opening.

The app does not appear to have the ability to read WiFi networks on mac, so it will work with a portal account or "Only Use Local Connection".

Favorites moving may not refresh correctly and show duplicates. Fix by toggling the edit button and app will refresh and remove duplicates.

Favorites will be moved on long press without the edit button, refresh will be an issue here also.

[Mayben]

@Javithat did the trick, took a couple tries, but works!

[Javi]

3 minutes ago, Mayben said:

@Javithat did the trick, took a couple tries, but works!

Great.

[chris.com]

Thank you Javi! The app works, which is wonderful. Thank you for elucidating the limitations/admonitions. Having this up and running on my laptop provides a great deal of utility. I'm assuming that running the app on the desktop OS isn't officially supported; the fact that it works at all is great and I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth. Having said that, is it likely that these limitations might be addressed in some future update? Just curious.

[Javi]

Hi @chris.com,

Thank you! All M1 issues are being tracked as app bugs. So, the issues will be addressed, with the most severe issues bumped to the top of our list.  Issues of lower severity and enhancements for larger screens have a lower priority.

[chris.com]

On 4/6/2022 at 9:15 AM, Javi said:

Hi @chris.com,

Thank you! All M1 issues are being tracked as app bugs. So, the issues will be addressed, with the most severe issues bumped to the top of our list.  Issues of lower severity and enhancements for larger screens have a lower priority.

Thank you @Javi. Being able to run UD Mobile on my M1 Macbook Pro has been absolutely wonderful. I know that developers do have the option of preventing desktop machines from installing their mobile apps. And I can appreciate that fielding bug-reports on a platform that isn't officially supported can be burdensome. So it would be quite understandable if you decided to block it on the desktop.  I just wanted to say thank you for allowing it. It has been a real boon to have this on the laptop and continuously comes in handy. I am grateful. And thank you for the continuously active development and the many improvements. ??

 

[sjenkins]

Thanks @Javi,

really nice to have it up on my M1.

For others it, like @Mayben, it took me backing up and starting from scratch twice before the default startup screen trick took hold.

 

[Javi]

Thanks @sjenkins,

I think the backup file is not saving the most recent changes (in memory database).  I've added an issue to our issue tracker.

https://github.com/UniversalDevicesInc/UD-Mobile-iOS/issues/58

[Javi]

Favorites launch type for M1 Mac should be fixed in version 0.7.9 which should be released to beta sometime this week. Still looking into SQL in memory database. In memory database backup fixed in 0.7.9.

[chris.com]

@Javi

I know that you know that you fixed it, but I just wanted to give you confirmation. :-)

I just installed 0.8.2 on both my iPhone SE3 and M1 MacBookPro. My iPhone was set to start on the Favorites tab. I exported its configuration to the files app, AirDropped it to my Mac, restored the Mac app from that configuration file, restarted the App on the Mac, and voila! I was a little worried that a slash in the file name might be a problem, but apparently it's not. Everything worked beautifully! Thanks again for all your hard work. And thanks for your engagement on this forum. It's a real privilege to have access to the actual developer of an app you use every day. I'm grateful for that and I promise not to abuse it. :-)

[dbwarner5]

On 3/31/2022 at 10:35 AM, Javi said:

Hi

Thanks for the report, as of today I only have intel Macs so the app has not been thoroughly tested on M1.  Apple reports a handful of Macs running the app but no crash reports.  It may take a few days for me to get the reports, so I'll keep checking. 

In the meantime please open a ticket and reference this thread.  Thanks!

@Javi It looks like above you developed / utilized UD mobile on an Intel Mac with later migration to M1. I have an intel MacBook Pro, and the app "isn't compatible for this device" in the App Store. AM I doing something wrong or did you eliminate the older version? thanks

[Javi]

2 minutes ago, dbwarner5 said:

@Javi It looks like above you developed / utilized UD mobile on an Intel Mac with later migration to M1. I have an intel MacBook Pro, and the app "isn't compatible for this device" in the App Store. AM I doing something wrong or did you eliminate the older version? thanks

There was never an intel version only M1. 

At the time of the quoted comment I had only run compatibility testing, no tests on a real M1. I now have an M1 mac so we can test if there are issues.

[dbwarner5]

5 minutes ago, Javi said:

There was never an intel version only M1. 

At the time of the quoted comment I had only run compatibility testing, no tests on a real M1. I now have an M1 mac so we can test if there are issues.

oh.. ok., bummer.. thanks for the quick reply. Am slowly working my way through your extensive Wiki to finally spend the time customizing UDM adn thought it might be easier on my Mac than iOS to set up..

[Javi]

Attempted to fix favorites move for Mac (M1) in Beta Version 1.0.20.  Please let me know if this corrects the issue as it appears to be an Apple Bug.  Due to debugging limitations on M1 I cannot verify if this works before production.