TotalSpaces support on MacOS 10.15 Catalina

stephen · October 5, 2019, 1:44pm

Thanks for the report, it looks like there was an error in the build of this version meaning it would not install correctly if it had not previously been installed: Please try https://downloads.binaryage.com/TotalSpaces2-2.8.5.dmg

sandinak · October 8, 2019, 3:20pm

2.8.5 is working as expected. Seems if one had a lot of screens with alot of spaces … you had to goto MIssion Control … hold option … and delete the excess to get it below 16 … the max for Total Spaces.

tcpdumper · October 15, 2019, 5:41pm

Very weird. 2.8.5 working on my MacBook Pro but not my iMac as of this morning. Both using Catalina.

Emailed my console logs as well.

stephen · October 16, 2019, 7:53pm

It’s not starting correctly, but I’m not sure why. Most obvious guess is that something went wrong with the permissions. Try this in the terminal (it will reset the “Automation” controls in your security settings, so any app that uses that will request access again).

tccutil reset AppleEvents

Then start TS2 and okay the permissions dialog.

tcpdumper · October 18, 2019, 4:38pm

Still doesn’t work.

manasovo · October 25, 2019, 7:07pm

Hey, i have same problem with iMac Pro with 5K resolution on Catalina 10.15 (last update) with version of TotalSpaces 2.8.5 today. No rows or columns in Preferences / Layout. TotalSpaces2 Grid inform about “You need 16 desktops” “You have 16 desktops” but i’am using only 12. Notification center send “Total Spaces 2 failed to start - please check dock, etc.”. In the System Preferences / Security and Privacy / Automation Dock and TotalSpaces have a check box.

BTW no problem on the regular iMac 2012 or Macbook 2017 with Catalina. My iMac Pro is new … recovered from Time Capsule. No vanilla instalation.

I try older version of TotalSpaces2 app, reset Apple Events, delete com.binaryage.TotalSpaces2.plist, mount -uw, etc … but without any effect

Log from app running from terminal bellow:

iMac-Pro:MacOS mara$ ./TotalSpaces2
2019-10-25 20:41:49.888 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] existsInSystemPath
2019-10-25 20:41:49.888 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] FS allowed
2019-10-25 20:41:49.888 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] TFP allowed
2019-10-25 20:41:49.888 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] System path version 2.0.4
2019-10-25 20:41:49.888 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Detected injector version 2.0.4
2019-10-25 20:41:49.888 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] TotalSpaces2.app is carrying injector version 2.0.4
2019-10-25 20:41:53.266 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Inject called: waitingToInject: 0 injectionBackoff: 0
2019-10-25 20:41:53.271 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Sending injection events to 16029
2019-10-25 20:41:53.291 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Monitoring Dock 16029
2019-10-25 20:41:54.291 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Connecting Dock, backoff: 1
2019-10-25 20:41:54.291 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Failed to register connection
2019-10-25 20:41:55.292 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Connecting Dock, backoff: 2
2019-10-25 20:41:55.293 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Failed to register connection
2019-10-25 20:41:55.895 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Restarting Dock because FS version was incorrect.
2019-10-25 20:41:56.203 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Dock pid 16029 terminated
2019-10-25 20:41:57.294 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Connecting Dock, backoff: 4
2019-10-25 20:41:57.294 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Failed to register connection
2019-10-25 20:42:00.905 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Version check failed. Waiting 5 seconds. If this persists, restart or re-install TotalSpaces2. 1
2019-10-25 20:42:01.204 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Inject called: waitingToInject: 0 injectionBackoff: 0
2019-10-25 20:42:01.217 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Sending injection events to 16175
2019-10-25 20:42:01.241 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Monitoring Dock 16175
2019-10-25 20:42:01.295 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Connecting Dock, backoff: 8
2019-10-25 20:42:01.295 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Failed to register connection
2019-10-25 20:42:02.242 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Connecting Dock, backoff: 8
2019-10-25 20:42:02.242 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Failed to register connection
2019-10-25 20:42:02.242 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Retry already scheduled
2019-10-25 20:42:05.906 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Version check failed. Waiting 5 seconds. If this persists, restart or re-install TotalSpaces2. 2
2019-10-25 20:42:09.294 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Connecting Dock, backoff: 8
2019-10-25 20:42:09.295 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Failed to register connection
2019-10-25 20:42:09.295 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Retry already scheduled
2019-10-25 20:42:10.907 TotalSpaces2[16151:4461109] Version check failed. Waiting 5 seconds. If this persists, restart or re-install TotalSpaces2. 3

If you have any other tips

Thanks

Marek

stephen · November 5, 2019, 7:42pm

There is nothing unusual in that console log, except obviously the plugin can’t install.

The only thing that comes to mind is that I have seen a similar issue if TotalSpaces2 exists in more than one location on your system - for instance if you have a copy of the app somewhere other that /Applications.

manasovo · November 6, 2019, 7:46am

nope

find / -name TotalSpaces2
/System/Volumes/Data/Applications/TotalSpaces2.app/Contents/MacOS/TotalSpaces2
/Applications/TotalSpaces2.app/Contents/MacOS/TotalSpaces2

If you have any idea what i looking for please give me a tip … thanks a lot. Without TS2 is Mac OS X almost useless

codingvirtual · November 6, 2019, 10:01pm

I’m having the exact same issue INCLUDING the fact that I just used Time Machine to recover. Additional fact: I had my logic board replaced (this is a MacBook Pro). I’ve tried a full uninstall and reinstall with no luck. Mine says the same things: Need 16, Have 16 (yet I actually only have 5) and complains about enabling access to Dock which is already turned on (and I have turned it off and back on multiple times with no luck).

What can I provide to help diagnose this?

manasovo · December 18, 2019, 11:22am

any news ? anybody ? thanks and merry christmas and happy new year 2020 !!!

codingvirtual · December 27, 2019, 12:59am

I was just now able to get things working but what a process… I’ll give you the whole story, but let me advise you that you may be able to get it working after following only the first 4 steps. TEST after the first 4 and if it still isn’t working, then just resign yourself to doing the rest…

Quit TotalSpaces
Go download the installer from this website - you may need it later in these steps.
Before doing any of the rest of this, DELETE ALL SPACES you have on your Mac so you have 1 and only 1 desktop left. This is the step that I think got everything working for me.
Relaunch TS2 and go into Preferences and see if it shows you have only 1 Desktop. If it does, you are probably all set and can go back and add your additional desktops back in. If you use DisplaySpacesManager, you can launch it and click Restore on the config you want to restore. I had to Restore a couple of times to get it to create all my desktops.
If the above doesn’t get you working, continue with these steps.
Run the Installer .dmg and then run the TS Uninstaller app on the disk image.
There will still be “remnants.” Go into ~/Library/Preferences and delete anything that starts with com.binaryage.totalspaces
Open Terminal and type:
sudo mount -uw /
(you’ll have to enter your Mac password)
Next, go to /System/Library/ScriptingAdditions and delete TotalSpaces.osax
At this point, you now have a really clean uninstall.
Reboot the Mac and enter Recovery Mode by pressing Command-R as it begins to reboot. Once in Recover Mode, go into Terminal and enter:
csrutil disable
(note: new install instructions now say the only option is full disable; used to be able to do a partial re-enable but it appears that no longer works)
After disabling, type:
reboot
and let your Mac reboot as normal
Once it reboots, run the TS2 installer as normal. Enable anything TS2 tells you to enable with Security, etc.
Test TS2 again and see if it works now. If not, follow these last few steps.
Quit TS2 again and go into System Preferences -> Security & Privacy and click the Privacy tab.
Click the Lock to Make Changes.
Click on Accessibility in the left panel. Find TotalSpaces in the list. Click on it, then click the - (minus) button below the list to remove it.
Click on the + button below the list, navigate to your Applications folder, scroll down to TotalSpaces, and double-click it to add it back to the list.
Repeat Steps 17 & 18 for each of the following items in the left list of things (if you don’t see TS in the list, then just do Step 18 above for each):
Input Monitoring
Full Disk Access
Developer Tools (if you have it)
Click on Automation and find TotalSpaces in the list. The Dock should be checked. Uncheck it, wait 5 seconds, then check it back on (don’t know if you have to wait, but I did).
Now run TotalSpaces again. It should be working at this point. If not, I’m not sure what the issue is…

Doing all of the above got it working for me tonight…

manasovo · December 27, 2019, 11:05am

Hou Hou Hou … Christmas is here ! Wonderful Step 3 works for me and works alone without any others !

Thanks a lot

fosterthemorgan · February 2, 2020, 6:41pm

Thank you thank you thank you! Ugh, I was beating my head against a wall, and was so worried that Total Spaces was just never going to work again. But your steps 1 through 4 did the trick.

Thanks again!

hangloose · February 10, 2020, 6:55pm

Hi Stephen,
Did you notice the issues with that recent macOS 10.15.3 beta 1? TS2 latest 2.8.6 launches, the overview grid shows, but navigation between screens is impossible.
Looking fwd to your feed-back.
Best regards, Christophe

kikipopo · March 11, 2020, 10:26pm

Hey folks,

I’m having this same problem after rebooting my iMac Pro running Catalina 10.15.1 (19B88) and TS2 2.8.6.

The strange thing is it was working just fine for months, then today I rebooted my machine and I’m getting the “16 Desktops” problem. I tried the wonderfully detailed steps laid out above (thank you @codingvirtual!), but it hasn’t helped.

Is there anything I can do to help troubleshoot? Any debug flags, logs, etc I can take?

Thank you so much! It’s mind blowing how difficult it is live without TS2 now that it’s been a part of my workflow for a couple years.

Thanks,
-Noah

stephen · March 13, 2020, 1:47pm

You could try v2.8.8 ? https://downloads.binaryage.com/TotalSpaces2-2.8.8.dmg

kikipopo · March 13, 2020, 5:54pm

I did a clean uninstall (per the steps outlined above) and installed 2.8.8, but with the same result unfortunately.

If there is any debugging steps or logging things you’d like me to try, I’d be happy to help guinea pig and supply you with logs, just let me know!

Thank you so much for your quick response!

-Noah

stephen · March 13, 2020, 7:55pm

You could try sending me the diags (please quit and run TS2, then run the diag script) - I may be able to learn something from this

gist.github.com

https://gist.github.com/sdsykes/0df8617285b03508e9150448c73a5427

README.md

This is a simple shell script which will hopefully diagnose your situation.

1. open `/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app` 
2. execute:
```
curl -sL https://gist.github.com/sdsykes/0df8617285b03508e9150448c73a5427/raw/tsdiag | bash
```     
3. Find the output file on your Desktop and email it back to me ([support@binaryage.com](mailto:support@binaryage.com)). Please don't post the file on our forums.

tsdiag

#!/usr/bin/env bash

umask 0077

cd ~/Desktop

tsdiagname=tsdiag.$$
tsdiagd=~/Desktop/$tsdiagname
mkdir -p "$tsdiagd"

This file has been truncated. show original

kikipopo · March 13, 2020, 8:24pm

Thank you Stephen! I sent the diag tarball to support@binaryage.com.

One other thing of note, upon starting up it did give me a notification saying startup failed, and to check my Automation settings, but they’re already set properly:

Screen Shot 2020-03-13 at 1.15.40 PM

Screen Shot 2020-03-13 at 1.16.00 PM

I hope this might help as well. Thank you so much for your help looking into this!

-Noah

stephen · March 15, 2020, 8:02pm

Please try https://downloads.binaryage.com/TotalSpaces2-2.8.10.dmg