Zotero not responding on Mac 12.3

Hi I recently just downloaded Zotero. Yet whenever I try to open it from the dock/applications folder, it shows white page. And it says "not responding" in the Force Quit Applications window of mac.

I also tried the debug thing in another forum page (https://www.zotero.org/support/reporting_problems#reporting_startup_errors) and here are the messages:

2022-09-17 11:51:38.963 zotero[1425:18622] *** WARNING: Textured window is getting an implicitly transparent titlebar. This will break when linking against newer SDKs. Use NSWindow's -titlebarAppearsTransparent=YES instead.
2022-09-17 11:51:39.260 zotero[1425:18659] *** Assertion failure in void set_surface_colorspace(CGSConnectionID, CGSWindowID, CGSSurfaceID, CGColorSpaceRef _Nonnull)(), NSCGLSurface.m:118
2022-09-17 11:51:39.276 zotero[1425:18659] Mozilla has caught an Obj-C exception [NSInternalInconsistencyException: CGSSetSurfaceColorSpace failed with 1000]
2022-09-17 11:51:39.291 zotero[1425:18659] *** Assertion failure in void set_surface_colorspace(CGSConnectionID, CGSWindowID, CGSSurfaceID, CGColorSpaceRef _Nonnull)(), NSCGLSurface.m:118
2022-09-17 11:51:39.291 zotero[1425:18659] Mozilla has caught an Obj-C exception [NSInternalInconsistencyException: CGSSetSurfaceColorSpace failed with 1000]
  • Unlikely to help, but start by updating to the latest version of Monterey, 12.6.

    Have you used Zotero on this computer before?

    Did you change any settings (e.g., the data directory)?
  • I also tried reinstalling and restarting my computer but it's the same
  • I've never used Zotero before. And what does changing the data directory mean? Is that referring to the directory for Zotero files?
  • Yes, it's the Zotero data directory setting in the Advanced preferences. You would probably know if you changed it.

    Can you provide debug output for Zotero startup through the freeze? See the instructions on that page (including "Logging to the Terminal" if you're not able to access the window that pops up with -ZoteroDebug).
  • edited September 17, 2022
    I've never opened Zotero successfully so I don't think I ever got to change preferences/settings.

    And by debug output, is it referring to the message output from the terminal? If so, I pasted it below. I wasn't able to output any .txt file that was mentioned in the "Logging to the Terminal" section (not seen on my desktop?)

    [unrelated messages removed — D.S.]
  • Be sure you're actually following the steps. There are instructions for opening a debug output window and instructions for logging to the terminal. And for the latter, it will definitely create a text file if you run the command correctly.

    Can you say exactly what you're trying?
  • edited September 17, 2022
    Hi, I just tried it again and followed the instructions on "Logging to a Terminal Window" (https://www.zotero.org/support/debug_output#logging_to_a_terminal_window)

    That is, I pasted this into terminal:
    /Applications/Zotero.app/Contents/MacOS/zotero -ZoteroDebugText

    returned, and then pasted this, returned:
    -ZoteroDebugText > ~/Desktop/zotero-debug.txt

    And the .txt file on my desktop is blank
  • No, there's only one command. You do it all in one line, with Zotero closed:

    /Applications/Zotero.app/Contents/MacOS/zotero -ZoteroDebugText > ~/Desktop/zotero-debug.txt
  • Got it! Here are the things from the .txt file:

    zotero(3)(+0000000): Using data directory /Users/zheqinli/Zotero

    zotero(3)(+0000131): Looking for Firefox profile in /Users/zheqinli/Library/Application Support/Firefox

    zotero(3)(+0000001): Getting contents of /Users/zheqinli/Library/Application Support/Firefox/profiles.ini

    zotero(3)(+0000076): IPC: Initializing pipe at /Users/zheqinli/Zotero/pipes/1663449010294

    zotero(3)(+0000003): Asynchronously opening database 'zotero'

    zotero(3)(+0000000): /Users/zheqinli/Zotero/zotero.sqlite

    zotero(4)(+0000072): PRAGMA main.locking_mode=EXCLUSIVE

    zotero(4)(+0000077): PRAGMA page_size

    zotero(4)(+0000001): PRAGMA cache_size=250

    zotero(4)(+0000001): PRAGMA foreign_keys=true

    zotero(3)(+0000002): IPC: Trying to broadcast "releaseLock /Users/zheqinli/Zotero/zotero.sqlite" to instance 1663428590147

    zotero(3)(+0000101): IPC: Removing defunct pipe 1663428590147

  • Do you have any unusual security software on this computer?

    Have you tried upgrading to macOS 12.6?
  • What are some unusual security software? I have sth like AdGuard for Safari

    And no I haven't, I'll upgrade to 12.6 now
  • Hi I've upgraded to 12.6 now but it's still the same :-( I pasted the .txt below.
    Is this something related to M1 because this is a Mac mini?

    zotero(3)(+0000000): Using data directory /Users/zheqinli/Zotero

    zotero(3)(+0000144): Looking for Firefox profile in /Users/zheqinli/Library/Application Support/Firefox

    zotero(3)(+0000001): Getting contents of /Users/zheqinli/Library/Application Support/Firefox/profiles.ini

    zotero(3)(+0000075): IPC: Initializing pipe at /Users/zheqinli/Zotero/pipes/1663464512492

    zotero(3)(+0000004): Asynchronously opening database 'zotero'

    zotero(3)(+0000000): /Users/zheqinli/Zotero/zotero.sqlite

    zotero(4)(+0000069): PRAGMA main.locking_mode=EXCLUSIVE

    zotero(4)(+0000122): PRAGMA page_size

    zotero(4)(+0000001): PRAGMA cache_size=250

    zotero(4)(+0000000): PRAGMA foreign_keys=true

    zotero(3)(+0000003): IPC: Trying to broadcast "releaseLock /Users/zheqinli/Zotero/zotero.sqlite" to instance 1663449010294

    zotero(3)(+0000100): IPC: Removing defunct pipe 1663449010294

    zotero(3)(+0000000): IPC: Trying to broadcast "releaseLock /Users/zheqinli/Zotero/zotero.sqlite" to instance 1663459100880

    zotero(3)(+0000100): IPC: Removing defunct pipe 1663459100880
  • Hi is there more update on this? It still doesn't work for me
  • edited September 21, 2022
    Can you close Zotero, open Terminal from Spotlight, paste in the following line, press Return, and let us know the output?

    ls -la ~/Zotero/pipes
  • edited September 21, 2022
    Actually, that's probably not relevant.

    How about the output for this from Terminal?

    ls -la ~/Zotero/zotero*

    Can you also run /Applications/Zotero.app/Contents/MacOS/zotero -jsconsole, take a screenshot of the error console (which should show up next to the main Zotero window), and email it to support@zotero.org with a link to this thread?
  • The output for the first line is:
    -rw-r--r-- 1 zheqinli staff 0 Sep 17 11:27 /Users/zheqinli/Zotero/zotero.sqlite

    I also just sent a screenshot to the email (but the error console is also blank/stuck)?
  • This is with an external display, right? Do you by any chance have a custom color profile installed in System Preferences? There are a couple reports online pointing to that as a cause of the set_surface_colorspace error, though it's hard to say if that's also what's causing the freeze.

    If that doesn't help, are you running any third-party system software on this computer? Security software or other utilities that might change things system-wide? We've never seen this before, and I'm afraid I don't have a lot to suggest.

    If all else fails, you can try creating a new macOS user account and trying in there, but if that works it will just tell you that there's something in your main account that's interfering.
  • Yes problem solved!

    This is on a mac mini connected to an external monitor. And it was using a custom color profile (system preferences - displays). After I changed it back to a normal one, it worked! Thank you so much for all your help!
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