Osmos won't run under Mac OS X 10.6.7

Feedback and support for the PC version of Osmos
jfrench1@flash.net
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Osmos won't run under Mac OS X 10.6.7

Postby jfrench1@flash.net » Tue Jun 14, 2011 11:57 am

Just purchased Osmos via MacUpdate promo and downloaded it via Steam. Osmos consistently craters ("Osmos cannot be opened because of a problem."). 27" iMac (late 2009) running Mac OS X 10.6.7.

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eddybox
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Re: Osmos won't run under Mac OS X 10.6.7

Postby eddybox » Thu Jun 16, 2011 9:12 am

Hi jfrench,

It may be a Steam or a download problem. Please try running Osmos directly (while Steam is running in the background); you should be able to find it at ~/Documents/Steam Content/common/osmos.

Let us know how that goes.

Thanks,
Eddy

jfrench1@flash.net
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Re: Osmos won't run under Mac OS X 10.6.7

Postby jfrench1@flash.net » Thu Jun 16, 2011 2:21 pm

Hmmmm. We seem to be getting somewhere, but I'm not sure exactly where.

The file to which it appears you are trying to point me is not at

~/Documents/Steam Content/common/osmos[/Osmos]

In fact, there is no folder (directory) by the name of "Steam Content" anywhere on my entire system.

Rather, the Osmos application is at

~/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/osmos[/Osmos]

Armed with that information and following your advice, when I launch Steam, it logs me into my Steam account and then displays the Library pane in what I suppose is the standard Steam window. If I then double-click the Osmos icon (in .../common/osmos), I get an error window informing me that "Steam must be running to play this game," even though the Steam icon is clearly active in the Dock (next to the Osmos icon). Then when I dismiss the error window, the Osmos icon disappears from the Dock.

However, with Steam running, if I select the PLAY button for Osmos in Steam's Library pane, then Osmos does, indeed, appear to launch and operate as intended.

Here, then, is the current state of my situation and knowledge:

* The only way I can get Osmos to execute is to launch Steam and then select the PLAY button in Steam's Library pane.

* Osmos must reside in the

~/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/osmos

directory, not in the standard Applications directory.

* When Osmos is running, there are no menus available, not even the Osmos menu itself (where I would expect to find About Osmos, Hide, Osmos, Quit Osmos, etc.); thus, the only way I've found to quit the game is to use Osmos' Quit option from the Dock.

* If the Osmos window loses focus (such as by bringing another aplication to the front), the game action freezes and the sound dies, until I bring Osmos back to the front. This is not how applications normaly operate; but with games, it may be intentionally different.

* If I try to quit Steam while Osmos is executing, I am advised "Please close Osmos before exiting Steam." However, if I Force Quit Steam while Osmos is running, Steam disappears from the Dock as expected, and Osmos continues running without any apparent problem.

* The only way I can find to determine the version of Osmos is to select File|Get Info on

~/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/osmos/Osmos

None of the other, more commonly available methods work.

curmudgeonlybumbly
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Re: Osmos won't run under Mac OS X 10.6.7

Postby curmudgeonlybumbly » Fri Jun 17, 2011 2:06 pm

Yes it's true that you must have Steam running to play games purchased through Steam. I know it's a bit late now, but for the record, you can buy a DRM free version of Osmos direct from the HemisphereGames website. As all Steam games use Steam DRM, Steam must be running to play Osmos. Because Steam games must be launched from within Steam, they do not automatically create links in the Applications directroy.

However, you can create a shortcut from within Steam. Go to the Library pane and right-click on Osmos, then choose Create Desktop Shortcut. You can move that shortcut to the Applications directory.

You can quit Osmos by typing Cmd+Q within the game, or by pressing escape and choosing Quit from the menu. Osmos does not do any keyboard processing until the main menu comes up, so you can't quit during the splash screen; a bug which we'll fix in a future release.

It's true that we intentionally suspend Osmos when it's in the background to save processing power, battery life, and fan noise.

We recommend getting the version number by looking at the bottom right of the Credits screen in game. Or as you say, choosing File->Get Info. What other 'commonly available methods' do you think we are missing?

jfrench1@flash.net
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Re: Osmos won't run under Mac OS X 10.6.7

Postby jfrench1@flash.net » Fri Jun 17, 2011 9:06 pm

>... it's true that you must have Steam running to play games purchased through Steam. I know it's a bit late now, but for the record, you can buy a DRM free version of Osmos direct from the HemisphereGames website.

I was one step even more removed from a purchase through Steam; I actually made the purchase through MacUpdate. I'll keep the direct purchase in mind if the Steam dependency turns out to be too quirky for me.

>Because Steam games must be launched from within Steam, they do not automatically create links in the Applications directory. However, you can create a shortcut from within Steam. Go to the Library pane and right-click on Osmos, then choose Create Desktop Shortcut. You can move that shortcut to the Applications directory.

Now, dat's what I'm talkin' 'bout! :) Way cool; quite a satisfactory alternative to what I was looking for.

>You can quit Osmos by typing Cmd+Q within the game, or by pressing escape and choosing Quit from the menu.

Good to know. Is there a set of instructions somewhere that explains things like this? If not, please consider adding that to what I am sure is an ever-growing round tuit list. :)

>It's true that we intentionally suspend Osmos when it's in the background to save processing power, battery life, and fan noise.

Hadn't thought about that, since I run on an iMac, for which these considerations are virtually moot. I yield on the point, although having it as an option would be a Really Good Thing™.

>We recommend getting the version number by looking at the bottom right of the Credits screen in game....

Until your note prompted me to look more carefully, I had completely missed seeing the "M" in a bubble up in the dark upper right hand corner, which, as you say, does indeed lead to the Game Menu screen, which, in turn, leads to the credits screen where, finally, the version is displayed. It's there, as you advise, but the path seems a little tortuous for information that is not conventionally buried that deeply.

>What other "commonly available methods" do you think we are missing?

The primary one would be the "About Osmos..." menu item under the conventional application name menu (just to the right of the Apple () menu. However, since the word Osmos in the menu bar doesn't produce a drop-down menu, the About... information is not available there. Another common place is to have the version number appended to or imbedded in the downloaded installation filename (e.g., "Firefox 4.0.1.dmg"); but since Osmos doesn't appear to come with any preserved installation material (at least not when purchased the way I did), that source is unavailable as well. Some applications place the version in the introductory splash screen; some (less frequently) append it to the name of the installed program itself.

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eddybox
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Re: Osmos won't run under Mac OS X 10.6.7

Postby eddybox » Thu Jun 23, 2011 8:19 pm

Hey jfrench1,

Thanks again for your feedback. One more comment for you regarding the list commands available: If you hit [esc] in Osmos, you'll see the main/pause menu. Most menu options have a [ ] around one of the letters; "[V]isual Options" for example. The [V] represents a shortcut of the form [cmd]-[v], and using that shortcut from anywhere in the game will take you to that sub-menu. Similarly, [cmd]-[q] is marked in the menu as the shortcut for [Q]uit. Somewhat cryptic if you're not used to it, but it's also somewhat of a standard in games.

Also, FYI, the .dmg installer does contain the version number.

Hope that helps! :)

jfrench1@flash.net
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Re: Osmos won't run under Mac OS X 10.6.7

Postby jfrench1@flash.net » Thu Jun 23, 2011 9:35 pm

>... If you hit [esc] in Osmos, you'll see the main/pause menu....

It's that very first step that is nonintuitive, non-Macish, and completely hidden. If I'd just had that bit of knowledge, I could have figured out a fair amount of stuff on my own, I think (though probably not that devilishly circuitous path to the version number :D ). Again, some sort of user's guide—somewhere, somehow—would be a wonderful resource.

>... Most menu options have a [ ] around one of the letters; ... represents a shortcut of the form [cmd]-[ ].... Somewhat cryptic if you're not used to it, but it's also somewhat of a standard in games.

Oh, I figured that out almost immediately and quite readily. Even though I'm not an avid, experienced gamer, that way of indicating keyboard chording shortcuts felt very intuitive, even Macish. :)

>... the .dmg installer does contain the version number.

Good to know. Yet another reason to keep the direct purchase option in mind if the Steam DRM pathway begins to feel too burdensome.

Overall, feeling more sanguine about Osmos now; so some of this has to have been simple newbie jitters borne of unfamiliarity. Still the fewer such impediments to comfort, the more readily users will feel satisfied. Good luck!

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Re: Osmos won't run under Mac OS X 10.6.7

Postby eddybox » Thu Jun 23, 2011 9:47 pm

Cool. Thanks again.

And btw, we heard back from our contact at MacUpdate, and although they won't be adding the standalone .dmg installer to customers' download pages, you can email support@macupdate.com and request a copy. ;-)

Cheers,
Eddy


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