Q: Can't clear 'Active' in Compressor 4.1

A similar problem was posted on the FCPX forum today.

I suggested three actions:

With Compressor closed:

1) trash preferences: using Digital Rebellion's Preference Manager is a straightforward way to do this;

2) in Disk Utility, run repair permissions;

3)  if neither of those works: in your Home Library>Applications Support, find the Compressor folder and drag it to the trash; the app will re-build it when you open it. (Note that in 10.9, you access the Home Library from the Finder toolbar>Go; hold the option key down and you will be able to choose Library.)

The third one worked…for that user.

Russ

Note: using this method will delete any custom settings *

Ensure compressor is closed!

1. Open Finder

2. In tool bar select Go menu holding the Alt Key - Select Library

3. Open Application Support folder

4. Move Compressor folder to desk top

5. Restart Compressor

It worked for me….

Hi Sadact, just saw your post. If you haven't resolved your issue with some of the suggestions in this therad,  then use this procedure forthwith..

Firstly I'm not sure (very skeptical) if the whacking the Compressor.app preferences or using some 3rd party app  has any result. It's like throwing a ball over the street because its raining. you lose all your settings and layouts and keyboard sortcuts.. so so good.. and has nothing to do with resolving the issue in this case.. 

In Compressor V4.1 (dec 2013) it appears the state information can be managed/maintained in a few places.

Of late, I've had compressor.app V4.1 users tell me of :

• "run-away" jobs that have been submitted to a "cluster" and they cannot FORCE them out thrugh compressord subtasks.. they just resume
• jobs status quickly swap between ACTIVE and COMPLETED - accomo[anied by endless (each 5 seconds) Qmaster symptom dump crashes (address exceptions)
• compressor machine nodes mounted and fail the job when its submitted and cant get rid of the status (as you describe)
• compressor jobs RESUME after a host startup and run endlessly.
• sounds familiar?
  

Obvious and simply, your Compressor.app HISTORY and SETTINGS etc are maintained in your home directory ~/Library/Application Support/Compressor :

• CompressorConfig.plist
• CompressorConfig.plist.default
• CompressorPID.plist
• History
• Layouts
• Settings
• Storage
• job4123_distribution_H.264.compressor
• my_compressor_encodes_sasraid01.destinationTemplate
• exports
• jobcontroller:com.apple.compressor.cluster.jobcache.db

TRY this #1: quit compressor.app V4.1 and delete the folder ~/Library/Application Support/Compressor however it probably wont help....!!

Because: In compressor 4.1 (dec 2013)  this STATE information seems to be maintained in one of two places and DEPENDS on your configrations setup depending if you specified the following:

Disabling File Sharing: (I leave if OFF - unticked)  or Enabling (Default)

and

if you have your HOST (MAC) enable for others to have your machien process their batch jobs. (I set it to OFF for my work machine MACPRO and ON for the mac minis to act as nodes)

Teh STATE information is maintained for that host (where this information is maintained causing your headache) is where the host compressor.app v4.1 is set as

File Sharing is OFF on all machines:  home directory: .. example only ....

~/Library/Application Support/Compressor/Storage/771C3C1A-AB1A646C:

• jobs
• shared

~/Library/Application Support/Compressor/Storage/771C3C1A-AB1A646C/jobs:

• 0E29E980-D037-4E06-8CC6-7E1D2BBAFC86
• directory
• requests

and

/Users/Shared/Library/Application Support/Compressor/Storage/771C3C1A-AB1A646C:

shared

File Sharing is ON in machines: this will be populated....  because it SHARED by defauolt and mounted on those hosts as "SHARED"

/Users/Shared/Library/Application Support/Compressor/Storage/771C3C1A-AB1A646C:

shared

SO..... THIS IS WHERE THIS INFORMATION IS MAINTAINED and so this is you should direct you whacking!

So..

TRY THIS #2: steps as follows.

1. Force OUT or STOP compressor.app V4 on each host where you have it running
2. delete | purge bothe of these folders using the unix rm command. (Note: folder trash may not work until completely deleted due to UID on file hander... you may NOT be able to empty the trash because the serialisation of the tasks running).
   • /Users/Shared/Library/Application Support/Compressor/Storage
     • rm -rf /Users/Shared/Library/Application Support/Compressor/Storage
   • your home directory's ~/Library/Application Support/Compressor/Storage
     
     • rm -rf ~/Library/Application Support/Compressor/Storage
       
3. launch Compressor.app V4.1 on the hosts. (if you deleted the copressor folder you'll need to set up Compressor and clusters again.
4. all should be calm and ready for work.
5. submit your batch and hav a cuppa!
   

Post your results for others to see.

Warwick

Hong Kong

Great post, Warwick.

I'm saving it.

Take care.

Russ

HI Russ, thanks for the heads up.W

I tried Warwick's suggestion above but the Active jobs still appeared when I relaunched Compressor.

Searching around I went into the History folder in rm -rf ~/Library/Application Support/Compressor/ where another folder v4 was located and inside there was a lot of prior jobs. I deleted that and when I relaunched Compressor the Active jobs were gone.

Very messy is the bottom line here. Apple needs to update the program so that when I click to either Pause or Cancel a job it does what I tell it to do.

I had to delete the V4 directory under History like desertstandard before the stranded jobs went away.  The explanations on this thread were great. Thanks for the help.  It's amazing that 2 years later, this is still helping.