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Mac app problems

Most Mac app trouble comes from macOS permissions or from the hosting engine, the small virtual machine that runs your apps. The app repairs a lot on its own; here is what to do when it does not.

"Obacht is damaged and can't be opened"​

Cause: The app was unpacked from a zip with the Terminal unzip command. That breaks the signed update framework inside the app, and macOS refuses to start it.

What to do: Delete the broken copy and install from the disk image instead: download Obacht.dmg, open it and drag Obacht to Applications. If you must use a zip, unpack it in Finder by double-clicking, or with ditto in Terminal.

"Local Network access needed"​

Cause: macOS asks before an app may talk to other machines on your network. The hosting engine needs that permission.

What to do: Click Open Local Network settings in the message and turn on Obacht. The notice in the app clears itself once the permission is granted. If it does not appear in the list, quit Obacht with Quit Obacht, start it again and allow the prompt.

The app asks you to open Login Items & Extensions​

Cause: Obacht installs a small helper that macOS has to approve under Login Items & Extensions. Without it the hosting engine cannot start.

What to do: Click Open Login Items & Extensions in the app and switch the Obacht helper on. Come back to the app; it continues on its own.

"storage device attachment is invalid"​

Cause: A previous hosting engine process (ObachtVM) did not shut down cleanly and still holds the storage file. The new one cannot attach it.

What to do: Normally nothing. The app notices the leftover process and clears it. If the message stays:

  1. Open Activity Monitor, search for ObachtVM, select it and quit it.
  2. In Obacht, click Restart hosting engine under Settings.

"Storage is filling up" or "Storage is almost full"​

Cause: The hosting engine has a fixed amount of space, 32 GiB by default. Apps, their data and downloaded images share it.

What to do: Under Settings → Storage click Expand storage and pick a larger size. The hosting engine restarts briefly to apply it. Storage can grow but never shrink. Alternatively remove an app you no longer use.

Apps are not reachable after the Mac was asleep​

Cause: After sleep the hosting engine sometimes comes back in a bad state, or a web address on the Mac does not pick up again.

What to do:

  1. Open the app and check the status in the panel. Paused means you paused it; click Resume.
  2. Otherwise click Restart hosting engine under Settings. Your apps restart within a minute.
  3. If that does not help, Restart everything.
  4. Turn on Keep this Mac awake while hosting to avoid the problem.

Something else, and you want to send us details​

Under Settings click Export logs for support. The app collects its logs into one file. Keep it ready and open a request in the webapp under Support with category Device Support, see Plans and support. We tell you where to send the file.

info

Sign-in trouble ("Your session ran out") and offline status are covered on Device shows offline. Installing the app from scratch is on Mac with the Obacht app.