Console.app crashes every first-time i open it

Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
I double-click on console.app and it bounces around 40 times then just disappears from the dock. then i double-click it again and it opens right up. the first thing listed is always "Console.app crashed".



is this something i should worry about?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 6
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,446moderator
    In /Library/logs/console, there are files that console.app opens. If console.log is excessively large or corrupt, it might crash the program. You can delete the file but I think it only replaces it on reboot or possibly login. I usually copy /dev/null onto it to get rid of the contents.
  • Reply 2 of 6
    dmberdmber Posts: 204member
    i'm not sure what "copy /dev/null" onto it means. could you explain that?



    thank you!
  • Reply 3 of 6
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,446moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dmber View Post


    i'm not sure what "copy /dev/null" onto it means. could you explain that?



    thank you!



    /dev/null is explained here:



    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki//dev/null



    it's just like an empty file but a special kind. All you'd do is open the terminal (/Applications/Utilities/terminal.app) and type:



    cp /dev/null <filename>



    Now instead of typing the filename, it's easier and safer to just drag the file onto the terminal window. So after typing cp /dev/null (leave a space at the end), drag console.log onto the window and hit return.
  • Reply 4 of 6
    dmberdmber Posts: 204member
    in my library/logs/console folder there are two items: a folder called 501 and a document called null. inside the 501 folder are documents called console.log and console.log.0 up through console.log.9



    just wondering if that is normal.



    thanks marvin.
  • Reply 5 of 6
    lundylundy Posts: 4,466member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dmber View Post


    in my library/logs/console folder there are two items: a folder called 501 and a document called null. inside the 501 folder are documents called console.log and console.log.0 up through console.log.9



    just wondering if that is normal.



    thanks marvin.



    Yep. What's the last modified date on the document called null?
  • Reply 6 of 6
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,446moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dmber View Post


    in my library/logs/console folder there are two items: a folder called 501 and a document called null. inside the 501 folder are documents called console.log and console.log.0 up through console.log.9



    just wondering if that is normal.



    thanks marvin.



    I think what you have done is:



    cp /dev/null /Library/logs/Console/501



    which would copy a null file into the folder. If you drag the file caled Console.log into the window, it should look like:



    cp /dev/null /Library/logs/Console/501/console.log



    The number 501 is the ID of your user. The files like console.log.9 are archives of your console.log. After a certain period of time, the system compresses the console.log.
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