CK3 Won't launch on Mac - exit code 127

[SwedeVictory]

Hello, I'm receiving the below error and the game won't launch. I tried the fix on the thread "Still not able to start the game on MacBook." That did not help - still receiving the same error. Is there a fix to this?

I also read something about older Macs with Intel chips not being able to run the game anymore. Is that the final word on this? There's not going to be any future fix? I would need to purchase a new computer that can run the game, or use Apple Bootcamp to play through Windows?

 

[AndrewT]

older Macs with Intel chips not being able to run the game anymore.

Macs with Intel video systems - nothing to do with Intel CPUs which are fine - cannot run this game any more, that is true. That has never been supported hardware for this game, and it was really a matter of luck that it ever worked with previous game patches. The minimum requirements specifically state it must be an AMD video system.

If that's the issue here it will not be fixed, as it is not a bug as such. You can try reverting to previous game versions in the Steam betas tab for the game. Or as you say, run it under Bootcamp if you have that installed. Or indeed use an eGPU or graphics hosting service such as GeForce Now or Shadow PC.

If you are not sure what you have, in Steam please click on Steam-Help-System Info, and paste everything there into a text file and attach that here.

 

[SwedeVictory]

Macs with Intel video systems - nothing to do with Intel CPUs which are fine - cannot run this game any more, that is true. That has never been supported hardware for this game, and it was really a matter of luck that it ever worked with previous game patches. The minimum requirements specifically state it must be an AMD video system.

If that's the issue here it will not be fixed, as it is not a bug as such. You can try reverting to previous game versions in the Steam betas tab for the game. Or as you say, run it under Bootcamp if you have that installed. Or indeed use an eGPU or graphics hosting service such as GeForce Now or Shadow PC.

If you are not sure what you have, in Steam please click on Steam-Help-System Info, and paste everything there into a text file and attach that here.

Hi AndrewT, thanks for your response. See attached for the System Info from Steam.

At the risk of asking a basic question, could you explain what an "AMD video system" means and how to compare it to what I have?

Can you advise whether the current selection of MacBook Pros are considered to be officially supported hardware for the game? These laptops don't mentioned anything about an AMD video system, but they advertise advanced gameplay.

 

[AndrewT]

You have an AMD video system:

Driver: Radeon Pro 560X

So the Intel video issue you referred to originally here does not apply to you - your problem is elsewhere.

Can you advise whether the current selection of MacBook Pros are considered to be officially supported hardware for the game? These laptops don't mentioned anything about an AMD video system, but they advertise advanced gameplay.

Those use Apple's proprietary video hardware, built into their M1/2/3 CPUs. While strictly speaking not supported hardware for this game, they are powerful enough and the game does run on them.

What happens if you run ck3.app directly from Finder? Any more informative error show?

Please attach here your Documents/Paradox Interactive/Crusader Kings III/pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox Interactive/Crusader Kings III/logs/ folder, attach here system.log , error.log , exceptions.txt

 

[SwedeVictory]

Thanks, cool.

I can't run ck3.app direct from finder but I was able to get in via Steam, right click, browse local files, binaries, and open the app from there. When it opens it says "Initializing Game..." in the upper left and I get a game-stylized hourglass. Nothing happens after that. I have to force quit.

The system.log file is empty since I did the "fix" mentioned in my first post. I attached the one from my trash from before trying that fix.

The error.log file is from launching the game in the way you just suggested, from ck3.app.

I don't have exceptions.txt.

Edited to add pdx_settings.txt and specify "Initializing Game..." appears in upper left not upper right.

 

[AndrewT]

That system.log shows a game version almost a year old, and that error.log is huge.

I'm not 100% sure of what previous fix you are referring to here, but try this please - even if you've done it before:

- move any valued save games elsewhere
- "uninstall" in Steam-CK3
- manually delete both the Steam/SteamApps/common/Crusader Kings 3 AND Documents/Paradox Interactive/Crusader Kings III/ folders
- re-install game in Steam, run a Steam Verify when done.
- start the game with no mods active and test

In particular make sure there are no files or folders left under either the Steam CK3 or Documents CK3 locations, before installing again.

**File Locations on Mac OS X**
The executable and DLC folder are in Users/USER/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/Crusader Kings III/
To see it go to the Finder, hit command-shift-G (ie Go To) and type in ~/Library/ .
The user files (settings.txt, error logs, saved games, gfx, mods) are in /Users/USER/Documents/Paradox Interactive/Crusader Kings III/ .


If that doesn't help, new copies of all those log files please.

 

[SwedeVictory]

Hi AndrewT,

I did all the steps you mentioned and immediately upon trying to launch the game from Steam/the Paradox Interactive launcher I got the same error message with the exit code 127 text. There are no log files. The only file you mention that is in the Paradox Interactive > Crusader Kings III folder that you mention is pdx_settings.txt.

 

[AndrewT]

I'm struggling to find a good definition of MacOS error 127. From what I see in Linux and Unix it may be a permissions error.

Is your MacOS User Documents folder on your local disk, or has iCloud grabbed it? If the latter, that's a problem with the launcher at the moment - can you move it back?

If that's not the issue, then it's probably a file access/permissions issue in MacOS. Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy. Then select the Privacy tab. Scroll down to files and folder in the left column. You’ll see a list of apps and the folders they need access to. Check the box to give access.

Allow accessibility apps to access your Mac

Specify which apps can access and control your Mac for accessibility purposes.

support.apple.com

 

[SwedeVictory]

My Documents folder is on my local disk, not in iCloud.

In the Files and Folders section of Privacy & Security, Paradox Launcher is listed, and it has access to "Documents Folder," which is the only item listed under Paradox Launcher.

What do you make of the details section of the error message? I've copied and pasted the full text of the error below, removing my username and replacing with "[username]."

/bin/sh: COM_GOOGLE_CHROME_FRAMEWORK_SERVICE_PROCESS/USERS/[username]/LIBRARY/APPLICATION_SUPPORT/GOOGLE/CHROME_SOCKET=/private/tmp/com.apple.launchd.LrPSp3tnzl/ServiceProcessSocket: No such file or directory

 

[AndrewT]

In the Files and Folders section of Privacy & Security, Paradox Launcher is listed, and it has access to "Documents Folder," which is the only item listed under Paradox Launcher.

But what about the game itself? Is ck3.app in there too?

What do you make of the details section of the error message? I've copied and pasted the full text of the error below, removing my username and replacing with "[username]."

/bin/sh: COM_GOOGLE_CHROME_FRAMEWORK_SERVICE_PROCESS/USERS/[username]/LIBRARY/APPLICATION_SUPPORT/GOOGLE/CHROME_SOCKET=/private/tmp/com.apple.launchd.LrPSp3tnzl/ServiceProcessSocket: No such file or directory

What that Google error has to do with this issue I frankly have no idea. I think the launcher does use a Google framework (called something like cprocess) but the game certainly does not.

I don't have a folder named anything like that on my Mac. There is ~/Library/Application Support/Google/ but that's as far as it goes.


Has this game ever worked on this computer? Or never yet?


One thing occurs to me - in our launcher go into Game Settings and make sure the renderer is set to Vulkan, not OpenGL.

 

[SwedeVictory]

But what about the game itself? Is ck3.app in there too?

I was saying that under System Settings > Files and Folders there are a number of programs listed. "Paradox Launcher" is one of them. When I click the arrow to expand it, the only item under there is "Documents Folder." There's an on-off slide switch. It's blue, so it's on.

ck3.app is something I can only access via Steam, right clicking on CK3 in Steam, go to Manage..., browse local files, binaries, and open the app from there.

Has this game ever worked on this computer? Or never yet?

Yes, I've played CK3 for 300+ hours on this computer.

One thing occurs to me - in our launcher go into Game Settings and make sure the renderer is set to Vulkan, not OpenGL.

I've tried it both ways and get the same error both ways.

I did try going back into the ck3.app and for some reason the game did open now from there rather than just getting a black screen that says Initializing Game... in the upper left corner. I was able to start a new game and save it. However when I try to go back into the game from Steam's Paradox Launcher (either Resume or Play), I get the same exit code 127 again. Thoughts? Next steps?

 

[AndrewT]

Please delete the ~/Library/Application Support/Paradox Interactive/ folder. To see it go to the Finder, hit command-shift-G (ie Go To) and paste in ~/Library/Application Support/ . Then run the game from the PLAY Button in Steam, to reinstall the launcher.

If that does not get the launcher running, we will need these files from that same folder:

Attach ALL .log files Found here ~/Library/Application Support/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/

 

[SwedeVictory]

Please delete the ~/Library/Application Support/Paradox Interactive/ folder. To see it go to the Finder, hit command-shift-G (ie Go To) and paste in ~/Library/Application Support/ . Then run the game from the PLAY Button in Steam, to reinstall the launcher.

If that does not get the launcher running, we will need these files from that same folder:

Attach ALL .log files Found here ~/Library/Application Support/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/

Thanks. I deleted both the "Paradox Interactive" folder and the "paradox-launcher-v2" folders in Library/Application Support/.

I opened Steam, clicked PLAY, Paradox Launcher opened. I clicked PLAY in Paradox Launcher and got the same exit code 127 error. Here are all of the logs in ~/Library/Application Support/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/ .

 

[AndrewT]

Your launcher log files looks basically identical to mine. So it seems the issue is not the launcher as such.

I can't run ck3.app direct from finder but I was able to get in via Steam, right click, browse local files, binaries, and open the app from there. When it opens it says "Initializing Game..." in the upper left and I get a game-stylized hourglass. Nothing happens after that. I have to force quit.

Do you have to force quit because Finder says App Not Responding or something like that? Because the game takes a LONG time to start up on Macs now ... is the icon up the top-left revolving or still?

 

[SwedeVictory]

Your launcher log files looks basically identical to mine. So it seems the issue is not the launcher as such.

Do you have to force quit because Finder says App Not Responding or something like that? Because the game takes a LONG time to start up on Macs now ... is the icon up the top-left revolving or still?

The game never loads when I try to open it from the launcher. I immediately, or within one second, get the popup that I screenshotted in my first post. So, there is nothing to force quit when I try to launch the game from the launcher.

I only got these log files because I loaded the game from ck3.app. When I loaded the game from ck3.app, sure, it took some time to load. I did not have to force quit after loading from ck3.app. I was able to save and quit the game using the normal game menu options.

Edited: Well, maybe that's not quite right that I only got log files loading the game directly from ck3.app. I just tried to launch the game from the launcher, and again in debug mode, both in full screen and windowed mode, and I got this additional log with today's date.

 

[AndrewT]

I simply have no idea what is wrong on this Mac to do this to you. All we see is this:

2024-04-09T10:15:24.147Z (pid:15752) info [ProcessService]: Running ck3 in ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/common/Crusader Kings III/binaries/ck3.app/Contents/MacOS with the following arguments: --pdx-launcher-session-token,<redacted>,--paradox-account-userid,fca328cc-b90a-4abb-bf65-871a376023c3,-nakama,-simultaneouschunks,2,-gdpr-compliant

2024-04-09T10:15:24.849Z (pid:15752) error [GameHandler]: Launching game failed VError: Failed to start a game executable: Launching game failed: Process exited with non-zero exit code

The first line is basically identical to my working installation, the second gives us no clues as to why ck3.app failed to run.

Has this game ever worked on it, or never yet?

Do you have access to any other Mac to test this on?

I see you have CK2 also, does that work?

 

[SwedeVictory]

as this game ever worked on it, or never yet?

Yes, I've played CK3 on this exact computer for over 300 hours. It has been a year or so since I played, so I couldn't pinpoint for you exactly when it stopped working.

Do you have access to any other Mac to test this on?

Not readily, no.

I see you have CK2 also, does that work?

Yes, CK2 works fine.

Is there anyone else we can ask what the exit code 127 means? It's so strange to get a code that the game crashed or terminated when the game never crashed after a fresh install of it, and never even opened from the launcher after the fresh install.

 

[AndrewT]

Is there anyone else we can ask what the exit code 127 means?

Well, it's a MacOS code so I guess Apple? But I have googled it without much success.

You don't happen to have an antivirus or other security software installed? Not common on Macs I know...

As a stab in the dark, you could try running First Aid on the volume the game is installed on.

 

[SwedeVictory]

Well, it's a MacOS code so I guess Apple? But I have googled it without much success.

You don't happen to have an antivirus or other security software installed? Not common on Macs I know...

As a stab in the dark, you could try running First Aid on the volume the game is installed on.

No, just Malwarebytes. I'll try First Aid.

I found a forum for another game where you addressed someone else having this exit code 127 issue. Did the devs ever find a fix?

Exit Code 127 M1 Mac from Paradox Launcher

Hi, Running no mods, all DLC installed from Steam. My computer is an m1 2021 Macbook Pro on 13.4.1 And every time I try to launch EU4 I'm getting the error in the screenshot below: The full error message from the window is: /bin/sh...

forum.paradoxplaza.com

 

[SwedeVictory]

No issues found in running First Aid. I even uninstalled Google Chrome and deleted the Google folder in Application Support. Deleted the Paradox Launcher and paradox-launcher-v2 folders in Application Support. Opened Steam, launched the Paradox Launcher, tried to launch the game, immediately got the exit code 127 error again. Seems like this must be an issue with Paradox Launcher as I can launch the game from ck3.app.