Posted
We need to get to the bottom of the issue that unnecessarily triggers a full plug-in rescan on macOS 11/12. I can't reproduce it here, as it seems to depend on specific plug-ins.
After a successful scan, open this file with TextEdit:
/Users/YourName/Library/Application Support/Cognitone/ScannedPlugins64.xml
Copy and put aside the first line that reads
<KNOWNPLUGINS AudioUnitsHash="f6fb83c868de8105fe3d4ef1aa2348cc" ScannerStatus="1">
Now when Synfire ran another scan, do the same and compare the values for
AudioUnitsHash="f6fb83c868de8105fe3d4ef1aa2348cc"
If they are different, the scan is justified, because some AU component bundle has changed its last modification time i.e. it might have been added or replaced. If they are equal, we have a different issue to look for.
Mon, 2022-04-25 - 19:27 Permalink
Here is a test:
Before opening SF2: 1bf834f39f801b8a03eca2ad23a3600b
SF2 open but after rescan: 1bf834f39f801b8a03eca2ad23a3600b
SF2 Closed: 1bf834f39f801b8a03eca2ad23a3600b
SF2 open again and after rescan: 1bf834f39f801b8a03eca2ad23a3600b
SF2 closed again: 1bf834f39f801b8a03eca2ad23a3600b
Does not seem to change…
Mon, 2022-04-25 - 19:52 Permalink
Scanning check
<KNOWNPLUGINS AudioUnitsHash="802ac5d773472dcc96c0727b7ca3e2a2" ScannerStatus="1">
<KNOWNPLUGINS AudioUnitsHash="802ac5d773472dcc96c0727b7ca3e2a2" ScannerStatus="1">
Same result for me, MAC O/S 12.3.1. Could it have anything to do with version 1 still being on my system?
Mon, 2022-04-25 - 21:28 Permalink
Can confirm that running Engine alone starts scanning immediately and seem not possible to stop/cancel.
Tue, 2022-04-26 - 09:02 Permalink
Thanks for your help. Even after upgrading from Big Sur to Monterey, I can't reproduce this yet. I don't see how this would depend on the number or kind of AudioUnits that are installed. As you noted, the hash computed from component names and modification dates remains constant, so that's not the issue.
What happens when you delete ScannedPlugins64.xml so Engine is forced to do a full scan from scratch w/o regarding previous results?
Tue, 2022-04-26 - 16:30 Permalink
Confirmed: after deleting ScannedPlugins64.xml no new scans when loading.
Tue, 2022-04-26 - 16:45 Permalink
Yes, hummersalad confirmed this first. It's good to know that it actually is the solution.
A full re-scan ("From Scratch") should have done the same. It deletes the file. However, if macOS prevents it from deleting, it might not help. Security is fine, but more often than not it breaks things.
Thu, 2022-05-05 - 12:08 Permalink
Scanning seems to work as expected on MacOS 12.3.1 after the update. Not a single unnecessary scan. And after installing a new plugin Engine performed an expected rescan that was very quick. So for me everything is fine!
The only annoying thing is that during the initial Synfire installation, when Engine scans all plugins, the scan comes to a halt when an incompatible plugin in is found and will not continue until the error message is dealt with. Meaning that you cannot leave your computer during the initial scan! Very annoying since this initial scan takes maybe 30 minutes!