Ground Control Won't Run on Mac Mini

@bar I decided to try moving on to pip install pyserial, which was successful. So I downloaded the master from Github and double clicked main.py - is that how I’m supposed to launch it?

The ONLY other thing I can think of is that I’m using an application called Duet that allows me to use an iPad as a second (or in this case primary) monitor. I wonder if there’s some weird display thing that’s preventing ground control from starting up? There’s only one way to find out… I need to head to the shop and grab the monitor that I have there!

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Excellent! We’re making progress. I am not a mac user so we’re getting a little bit out of my depth. Do any of our other Mac users have advice?

The error: command 'cc' failed with exit status 1 makes me think it might have something todo with needing a c compiler like gcc installed, which would mean xcode? I might be way off base there also, let me do some searching to see what I can learn

Trying the other monitor sounds like a good thing to test

Almost! You have to do it from the command line. You can move around by using the command cd to enter a directory or the command .. to go back up a level. Once you have navigated to the folder which has the file main.py in it you type the command python main.py which will launch the program. It’s a bit of a hassle which is why we bundle everything up into an installer :roll_eyes:

AH so close.

Ethans-Mac-Mini:GroundControl-master ethan$ python main.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "main.py", line 6, in <module>
from kivy.config                import Config
ImportError: No module named kivy.config
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So close! I think the only hangup is when we did sudo USE_OSX_FRAMEWORKS=0 pip install kivy and got that error

It looks like you are not the only one who has run into this on High Sierra, here’s someone with a similar issue. Thier solution was the command pip install --user --verbose https://github.com/kivy/kivy/zipball/master Let’s give it a go?

It worked!!! Now on to launching GC: It STILL won’t load, but at least now I have a viable error message to share:

[CRITICAL] [Window ] Unable to find any valuable Window provider.

and

[CRITICAL] [App ] Unable to get a Window, abort.

Here’s a full screenshot:

I should be able to try the monitor swap out this afternoon and will report back!

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Excellent work!

I think that trying the monitor is a good idea because it looks like the issue has to do with the window manager which is responsible for making the window show up on the monitor

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Not sure if this helps. Digged on the sdl2 - RuntimeError: Failed creating OpenGL pixel format and found this:
sdl2 - RuntimeError: Failed creating OpenGL pixel format
How old is the MacMini?

I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! IT WAS DUET ALL ALONG.

Edit: Duet is an app that allows you to use an iPad as a secondary monitor on a Mac or Windows computer:

GroundControl is running more than fine on this 2011 Mac mini.

Okay sorry for the shouting. I’m so excited! I now have a dedicated Mac Mini ready to go for my Maslow. No more dust in my expensive MacBook Pro! :raised_hands:t3:

Thank you especially to @bar, @gero and @bee for sticking this through with me. At least now I know how to run a program from source in Terminal :laughing:

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FANTASTIC!! Good trouble shooting to try the monitor, and now we know what the issue was for the future :grinning:

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Now my next question is, how do I move all the calibration info from my MacBook Pro over to this MacMini? Is it possible to skip calibration?

Not that I would know, but I would try to copy the groundcontrol.ini and if that not does the trick, I would try ->Actions ->Advanced ->Calibrate chains Calibrate Chain Length Manual’

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So would I replace the groundcontrol.ini found in the home folder of my Mac mini …

With the one from the MacBook Pro (where I’ve previously calibrated my machine)?

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It’s worth a try is my guess. Most (or all by now?) of the setting are in there.

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Yes, that’s the trick. Pretty simple… You know, I think I’ve been bitten byu that Dual window issue recerntly myself, and never figured out what was causing it - thanks for the insight!

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Still wondering what the issue was and what the fix is :thinking: Please enlighten me.
Planing to have the MacMini as a secondary test system to Linux.
Kind regards

Duet (I mis-spelled above) is a program to use your iPad as a second screen. It hooks into the graphics and could easily cause problems with something like the graphics used by Kivy

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Thank @blurfl. And I thought he was referring to him and Bar…:joy:

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Lol! Yeah, I should have been more clear in my post (I just edited it for posterity).

Duet is an awesome app that lets you use an iPad as a second monitor. My issue was that I was using it as my sole monitor and it clearly had some conflict with GroundControl.