Terminal App command afinfo does not work with .flac files on Mac OS 10.11.6

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Level 1

8 points

Terminal App command afinfo does not work with .flac files on Mac OS 10.11.6

Mac (27-inch, Late 2013) El Capitan

I know this is an older iMac, but there is no excuse why the Terminal App command afinfo does not work with .flac files. Spent a lot of time with this, and it does not work.

file command works:

XXXXX-IMAC:Desktop robertmyers$ file Audio.flac

Audio.flac: FLAC audio bitstream data, 24 bit, stereo, 96 kHz, 30920190 samples

XXXXX-IMAC:Desktop xxxxxxxxx$

but the afinfo command does not:

returns:

AudioFileOpenURL failed

Last login: Thu Aug 6 13:27:44 on ttys000

XXXXX-IMAC:~ xxxxxx$ cd Desktop

ROBERTS-IMAC:Desktop xxxxx$ afinfo Audio.flac

File: Audio.flac

Fail: AudioFileOpenURL failed

XXXXX-IMAC:Desktop xxxxx$

Put this on Mac Forums and everyone spent a lot of time trying to understand this.

Why won't this command work properly on any Terminal program regardless of Mac OS.

iMac 27″, OS X 10.11

Posted on Aug 6, 2020 2:33 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

VikingOSX

Level 10

125,618 points

Aug 7, 2020 7:28 AM in response to GVCCBob

Simply because /usr/bin/afinfo uses CoreAudio, and CoreAudio does not support .flac content. CoreAudio supported formats. If you were to convert the .flac to .alac (Apple's lossless) format, then the latter is supported by afinfo.

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Answer 2

VikingOSX

Level 10

125,618 points

Aug 7, 2020 8:44 AM in response to GVCCBob

Because Catalina is ancient, and Apple continuously changes features and functionality with newer releases of the operating system. That said, they were using CoreAudio in El Capitan, but may be using something different, or a revised CoreAudio in Mojave and later, that supports .flac audio. Only Apple would know more detail, as I am just a fellow user.

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Answer 3

GVCCBob Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 8, 2020 11:22 AM in response to VikingOSX

Since my purchase of another iMac in 2014 there has been six releases of Mac OS, every year. I just don't get it. I still use OS 10.11 because I see no reason to move forward for mostly cosmetic changes. Looking at the hardware specs of my top of the line iMac it is still very competitive with Apple current iMac offering.

It was interesting to find that afinfo for flac does not work in terminal, but that is the first issue to me regarding compatibility and lack feature and function. I did try Sierra because it does support USB faxing (which to me is still necessary), but it was buggy and I deleted it.

I gain nothing by updating my iMac over what I have now.

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Answer 4

VikingOSX

Level 10

125,618 points

Aug 9, 2020 7:04 AM in response to GVCCBob

You gain operating system security, related Safari browser updates, and meet third-party, new application installation requirements by upgrading the operating system. If none of these matter to you, then remain where you are.

No version of any operating system, whether from Apple, Microsoft, or Linux variants is ever bug free. Not even El Capitan where you are now.

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