Author Topic: High Sierra Woes  (Read 2193 times)

Alastair

  • Calm
  • *
  • Posts: 8
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Vue. MacBook Pro / Imac High Sierra
High Sierra Woes
« on: February 26, 2018, 05:28:08 PM »
Hi All,
I am very new to the forum and this is my first post. I recently ordered up a Davis Vantage Vue with the mac version of the logging software. While waiting for my kit to arrive I have been browsing the various forums on this site (and others) and to my dismay I know I will have issues with my Mac's that are both running High Sierra.
By way of preparation I downloaded the CD image of the standard Weatherlink software (just for testing the common drivers, I know I will be purchasing Weathercat). Once downloaded, and before installation, I visited Silicon Labs website and downloaded the latest drivers. I then installed the Weatherlink software (including the depreciated Java version 6 as prompted) and this has thrown up the same issues that are well documented on the forums, albeit across multiple threads.
To summarise the situation, it appears that Apple has changed the way kernel extensions are handled in HS. If the drivers existed before upgrading to HS, they are automatically approved as part of the upgrade. However, if you upgrade to HS first and then try to install the application, I will throw an Unsatisfied Link errormessage and freeze the application. This explains why some HS users seem to be unaffected by the upgrade while others are.The source of the error appears to be an incompatability between the SL driver and the Mac OS. Reading the forums on the Davis site, Davis seem to be passing the buck and directing users to Silicon Labs. On the SL forums, the buck is being passed again to Apple. Finally, Apple are saying it is not their problem either.
My question to you guys is this: Over the last six months or so that this issue has been talked about, are we any closer to a definitive answer and a fix? Or even a work-around?
Thanks in advance, Alastair

elagache

  • Global Moderator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 6494
    • DW3835
    • KCAORIND10
    • Canebas Weather
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Pro-2, Mac mini (2018), macOS 10.14.3, WeatherCat 3
Need to check with da' boss? . . . . (Re: High Sierra Woes)
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2018, 11:33:42 PM »
Dear Alistair and WeatherCat users who are fed up with Apple saving us from ourselves . . . .  ::)

. . . .
To summarise the situation, it appears that Apple has changed the way kernel extensions are handled in HS. If the drivers existed before upgrading to HS, they are automatically approved as part of the upgrade. However, if you upgrade to HS first and then try to install the application, I will throw an Unsatisfied Link errormessage and freeze the application. This explains why some HS users seem to be unaffected by the upgrade while others are.The source of the error appears to be an incompatability between the SL driver and the Mac OS. Reading the forums on the Davis site, Davis seem to be passing the buck and directing users to Silicon Labs. On the SL forums, the buck is being passed again to Apple. Finally, Apple are saying it is not their problem either.
. . . .

Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything to resolve this impasse.  I have a reputation around here of upgrading the operating system only most grudgingly and it is issues like this that fuel my caution.  The only thing I can suggest is contacting our fearless leader (and da' boss) Stuart Ball, WeatherCat developer.  You can do that on the Trixology contact page here:

http://trixology.com/contact-us/

I'm writing this the second time today, but both were very well founded:

Repeat after me . . . . . . . "Oh how I miss Steve Jobs!" . . . . .

Oh well, . . . . . Edouard

Alastair

  • Calm
  • *
  • Posts: 8
  • Station Details: Davis Vantage Vue. MacBook Pro / Imac High Sierra
Re: High Sierra Woes
« Reply #2 on: February 27, 2018, 09:50:08 AM »
Thanks Edouard,
I'll contact da' boss as suggested.
My gut feeling is the problem lies with Silicon Labs. Reading the forums on this site, it would seem Weather Cat and WeatherLink are experiencing the same issue, the common device being the Davis Datalink hardware with the Silicon Labs driver. That said, Davis should ensure their datalogger hardware works 'out of the box' with the supplied software and should be pushing SL for a fix.
In the meantime I'll investigate further, I enjoy a challenge!
Regards ... Alastair

WCDev

  • WeatherCat Developer
  • Administrator
  • Storm
  • *****
  • Posts: 2911
    • CW9739
    • ISCOTLAN25
    • Trixology
  • Station Details: Main Station: Vantage Pro-2, 24hr fars, solar, soil/leaf station, extra temp stations, no U.V. WeatherLink IP.
Re: High Sierra Woes
« Reply #3 on: March 03, 2018, 10:13:24 AM »
Hi Alastair,
The error you are getting there is a Java error when trying to run WeatherLink - it isn't related to the Silicon Labs driver.

The new thing in 10.13 is that drivers now need to be authorised by the user - Mac OS High Sierra 10.13 introduces a new feature that requires user approval before loading new third-party kernel extensions/drivers. Go to System Preferences - Security & Privacy and click Allow. This will only be present for half an hour after installation. If you didn?t see this as part of the driver installation and if it?s been longer than that since you installed the driver, reboot the machine and then check the Security & Privacy pane of the System Preferences again.

See https://developer.apple.com/library/content/technotes/tn2459/_index.html for details.

Cheers,
Stu.