Runtime launch fails on Mac OS X

[Ward]

I have a collection of FileMaker tables I use as the foundation for client solutions. After combining, customizing and testing in FileMaker Pro 8.5 Advanced on Mac OS X, I create a client runtime solution (half on Mac OS X and half on Windows).

I have a new solution that very similar to others. It runs fine in full FileMaker, but the runtime version fails to launch on Mac OS X - the runtime solution application icon appears in my Dock, bounces a couple of times, and disappears from the Dock. The runtime name never appears in the menu bar, and nothing shows up in the console.log.

The same thing happens when I try the runtime solution on another OS X 10.4.9 system.

The FileMaker knowledgebase has a description of exactly what I'm seeing (Answer ID 6131), except it's reported as a FileMaker 8.0 problem fixed in FileMaker 8.5. There are no details on the cause of the problem or workarounds.

I'd welcome suggestions on attacking and resolving this problem.

[Ward]

While investigating this problem further, I spoke to my client, who reminded me that I'd demoed my solution on her Mac several weeks ago. The demo worked fine at that time, but it now fails to launch. The only thing that had changed was June becoming July (or the phase of the moon).

After numerous test builds with various FileMaker files, I eventually found the name of the solution was the key to the launch failure. Removing a character from the name results in a running solution. I'm mystified by this.

At this point, it's time to move up to FileMaker Pro 9 Advanced and see how it handles the original solution name.

[bcooney]

What was the solution's name? I've had problems when, carelessly, I named my solution, "Solution v1.02"

The Get (filename) function saw it as "Solution v1" and my value lists did not evaluate. Stay away from spaces and periods in file names.

[Ward]

What was the solution's name?

Changing the solution name from "Powers Gallery Site Editor" to "PowersGallery Site Editor" fixed the launching problem.

[Ward]

At this point, it's time to move up to FileMaker Pro 9 Advanced and see how it handles the original solution name.

It took a while to get around to rebuilding my Powers Gallery solution with FM Pro 9 Advanced. The solution naming problem has not been fixed.

[i've filed another formal Product Problem report.]

[Ward]

A comment in the TechNet Tech Talk forum headed me off in the right direction. My hard drive had accumulated half a dozen runtimes named "Powers Gallery Site Editor", spanning several years and several versions of FileMaker Developer/Advanced.

I deleted all the old runtimes, changed the Bindkey for my new build, and created a fresh runtime with the desired name. It launches!

I'm still a little puzzled by this because I have multiple copies of other runtimes and have never run into a launch failure. The Powers Gallery runtime is the only one that goes back several releases of FileMaker; that's the only difference I can see.