Since installing iTunes 7.3 (added iPhone connectivity I think) and/or 10.4.1 (including 7.3.1), I have been unable to bludgeon iTunes into working properly. Apparently, I'm not alone. In my case, iTunes acts like it is performing some function, but is totally unresponsive to mouseclicking, or any interaction at all, for that matter. Activity Monitor reports iTunes is using 70%-80% of my CPU.
Jul 12 18:03:44 diskarbitrationd[44]: iTunes [749]:44559 not responding.
If I delete my iTunes preference file (~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iTunes.plist), iTunes will gamely start over; ask me my preferences again, load my library, convert my library to whatever new format it now requires, and then play normally, for about 2 hours. Very irritating.
Since the heyday of SoundJam Pro (software history lesson here, if you're curious), I've run music more or less continuously in this room. Not 24 hours a day, but easily 100 hours a week. Sometimes the volume is low, and I can barely hear tunes over the air conditioner, sometimes I'll watch basketball sans announcers with music wafting through and around the visuals -not really listening and not really not listening, sometimes my playlists end and silence explodes, whatever. Most of the time, music inserts its tendrils into my waking consciousness. So these last few days have been odd.
I emulate the practice of the Dean of rock criticism, Robert Christgau. Christgau famously wrote (back in the day of stackable vinyl record turntables):
I divide my life between two apartments. One is equipped with an excellent stereo system, the other with a pretty good portable. In the first I store records I really like--the permanent collection. In the other I store records I kind of like or think I kind of like or think I should hold on to--the reference collection. After I lug the day's haul home from the post office, I divide it immediately into three categories: Maybe, Conceivable, and Forget It. Maybes are placed near the good sound system; the rest are transported to the second apartment and placed in either a sell pile or a listen pile. Maybes I have usually been hyped on somehow (some of them are really Certains) or else look interesting. Records from the relatively dependable labels--Warner Bros., Atlantic, Columbia, Stax--are usually Maybes. The Forget It category includes movie soundtracks, third-rate country artists, most straight pop and soul jazz. Conceivables are everything in between. I play every rock record I receive at least once.That does not mean that I try to get into every one. Except with records I have been actively anticipating, I work chronologically and with dispatch, sometimes piling records on the changer ten at a time as I read, write, make phone calls, or fart around. If the record makes me want to listen more carefully, good. Usually it doesn't. Sometimes I can tell a record is a Forget It after one cut or one side. More often, it will play through and then find itself in one of the second-listen piles. Eventually, at least half of the rock records I receive are discarded altogether. Others are kept but never really apprehended, just singled out as having some good quality and forgotten. Others, of course, become part of my life. That's what it's all for.
Even though music is my greatest pleasure, the pleasure is often casual. I rarely listen carefully to lyrics or follow a solo note for note unless I'm reviewing something at length or I'm stoned. When I'm stoned, I rarely play records I don't already love. (Stoned or unstoned, I listen constantly to the Stones, less constantly to Otis Redding, and less constantly than that to everything else. Newer acquisitions, naturally, get disproportionate attention.) I suspect that many rock fans would say (though I'm not sure I agree) that they dig the music more than I do because every record they buy has its day or week or glory. Nevertheless, I feel a certain obligation to pass along my findings. Some people, I know, actually buy records because they like the group's name or admire the jacket. This is a bad practice. I can't think of three records in the permanent collection that didn't involve some sort of tip-off: news in the trades, other reviews, advice from friends, hype from one of the few industry people I trust, or familiarity with personnel. So I have devised a rating system and will occasionally run one of these Consumer Guides--the rating plus whatever information seems pertinent. Results are not guaranteed--I change my mind a lot, and I've missed good things in my time. I will make no attempt to be systematic or current--records have a way of getting lost in the second-listen piles.
Yesterday afternoon, I relaunched iTunes again, and decided to let it run for a while to see if there was some process with a finite end time. I figure if by Monday, iTunes is still unresponsive, I'll try deleting preferences and laboriously rebuilding the library (twice), and
At least I managed to sync my new Videopod before iTunes choked, and stuff it with enough tracks to amuse my fancy for a month or so (14,812 songs). Listening to an iPod is not quite the same though: one cannot walk in and out of a room and walk in and out of a song. An iPod directs one's attention more directly to the lyric and melody.
Obscure (to me) code below: Activity Monitor's “Open files”, and “Sample”.
Technorati Tags: Apple, iPhone, iPod, iTunes, OSX, software, Techno-babble
/
/Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/MacOS/iTunes
/Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Frameworks/iPodUpdater.framework/Versions/A/iPodUpdater
/System/Library/CoreServices/CharacterSets/CFUnicodeData-B.mapping
/System/Library/CoreServices/CharacterSets/CFCharacterSetBitmaps.bitmap
/System/Library/Caches/com.apple.IntlDataCache.tecx
/System/Library/TextEncodings/Unicode Encodings.bundle/Contents/MacOS/Unicode Encodings
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/QD.framework/Versions/A/Resources/QD.rsrc
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/Resources/HIToolbox.rsrc
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/Resources/English.lproj/Localized.rsrc
/Library/Caches/com.apple.IntlDataCache.sbdl.501
/System/Library/Frameworks/QuickTime.framework/Versions/A/Resources/QuickTime.rsrc
/System/Library/Frameworks/QuickTime.framework/Versions/A/Resources/English.lproj/Localized.rsrc
/Library/QuickTime/AppleIntermediateCodec.component/Contents/MacOS/AppleIntermediateCodec
/Library/QuickTime/DivX Decoder.component/Contents/MacOS/DivX Decoder
/Library/QuickTime/DivX 6 Decoder.component/Contents/MacOS/DivX 6 Decoder
/Library/QuickTime/Flip4Mac WMV Import.component/Contents/MacOS/Flip4Mac WMV Import
/System/Library/QuickTime/ApplePixletVideo.component/Contents/MacOS/ApplePixletVideo
/System/Library/Extensions/IOAudioFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AOAHALPlugin.bundle/Contents/MacOS/AOAHALPlugin
/System/Library/CoreServices/CharacterSets/CFUniCharPropertyDatabase.data
/Library/Caches/com.apple.LaunchServices-014501.csstore
/usr/share/icu/icudt32b.dat
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/Resources/Extras.rsrc
/System/Library/Fonts/LucidaGrande.dfont
/System/Library/Components/AudioCodecs.component/Contents/MacOS/AudioCodecs
/Library/iTunes/iTunes Plug-ins/Eyephedrine/Eyephedrine.bundle/Contents/MacOS/Eyephedrine
/Library/Fonts/HelveticaNeue.dfont
/System/Library/Caches/com.apple.IntlDataCache.kbdx
/System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBLib.bundle/Contents/MacOS/IOUSBLib
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/MobileDevice.framework/Versions/A/MobileDevice
/System/Library/QuickTime/QuickTimeImporters.component/Contents/MacOS/QuickTimeImporters
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/CoreMediaPrivate.framework/Versions/A/CoreMediaPrivate
/System/Library/QuickTime/QuickTimeFireWireDV.component/Contents/MacOS/QuickTimeFireWireDV
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/CoreMediaAuthoringPrivate.framework/Versions/A/CoreMediaAuthoringPrivate
/System/Library/Components/CoreAudio.component/Contents/MacOS/CoreAudio
/usr/lib/dyld
/usr/lib/libSystem.B.dylib
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/CoreText.framework/Versions/A/CoreText
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/ATS.framework/Versions/A/ATS
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/CoreGraphics.framework/Versions/A/CoreGraphics
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreFoundation.framework/Versions/A/CoreFoundation
/usr/lib/libicucore.A.dylib
/usr/lib/libobjc.A.dylib
/System/Library/Frameworks/IOKit.framework/Versions/A/IOKit
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/CarbonCore.framework/Versions/A/CarbonCore
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/OSServices.framework/Versions/A/OSServices
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/CFNetwork.framework/Versions/A/CFNetwork
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/SearchKit.framework/Versions/A/SearchKit
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/Metadata.framework/Versions/A/Metadata
/System/Library/Frameworks/Security.framework/Versions/A/Security
/System/Library/Frameworks/SystemConfiguration.framework/Versions/A/SystemConfiguration
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreAudio.framework/Versions/A/CoreAudio
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/ColorSync.framework/Versions/A/ColorSync
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/PrintCore.framework/Versions/A/PrintCore
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIServices.framework/Versions/A/HIServices
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/FindByContent.framework/Versions/A/FindByContent
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Versions/A/LaunchServices
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/ImageIO.framework/Versions/A/ImageIO
/usr/lib/libcrypto.0.9.7.dylib
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/ImageIO.framework/Versions/A/Resources/libJP2.dylib
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/DesktopServicesPriv.framework/Versions/A/DesktopServicesPriv
/System/Library/Frameworks/Foundation.framework/Versions/C/Foundation
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/ImageCapture.framework/Versions/A/ImageCapture
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/Ink.framework/Versions/A/Ink
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/OpenScripting.framework/Versions/A/OpenScripting
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HTMLRendering.framework/Versions/A/HTMLRendering
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/NavigationServices.framework/Versions/A/NavigationServices
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/HIToolbox
/System/Library/Frameworks/AppKit.framework/Versions/C/AppKit
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreData.framework/Versions/A/CoreData
/System/Library/Frameworks/AudioToolbox.framework/Versions/A/AudioToolbox
/System/Library/Frameworks/QuartzCore.framework/Versions/A/QuartzCore
/System/Library/Frameworks/QuickTime.framework/Versions/A/QuickTime
/usr/lib/libstdc++.6.0.4.dylib
/System/Library/Frameworks/AddressBook.framework/Versions/A/AddressBook
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/DSObjCWrappers.framework/Versions/A/DSObjCWrappers
/System/Library/Frameworks/WebKit.framework/Versions/A/WebKit
/System/Library/Frameworks/JavaScriptCore.framework/Versions/A/JavaScriptCore
/System/Library/Frameworks/WebKit.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/WebCore.framework/Versions/A/WebCore
/System/Library/Frameworks/SyncServices.framework/Versions/A/SyncServices
/System/Library/QuickTime/QuickTimeComponents.component/Contents/MacOS/QuickTimeComponents
/System/Library/QuickTime/QuickTimeMPEG4.component/Contents/MacOS/QuickTimeMPEG4
/dev/null
/dev/console
/dev/console
0x027180b0 file struct, ty=0x3, op=0x383768
0x0391dd30 file struct, ty=0x3, op=0x383768
0x0466fbc0 file struct, ty=0x3, op=0x383768
/Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Resources/iTunes.rsrc
/Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Resources/English.lproj/Localized.rsrc
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/Resources/HIToolbox.rsrc
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/Resources/English.lproj/Localized.rsrc
/System/Library/Frameworks/QuickTime.framework/Versions/A/Resources/QuickTime.rsrc
/System/Library/Frameworks/QuickTime.framework/Versions/A/Resources/English.lproj/Localized.rsrc
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/QD.framework/Versions/A/Resources/QD.rsrc
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/Resources/Extras.rsrc
->0x04552280
->0x04550600
->0x0327f1e0
/Users/seth/Music/iTunes/iTunes Library
->0x04551310
->0x0327fdc0
->0x04550d20
and a “sample”
Analysis of sampling pid 13005 every 10.000000 milliseconds
Call graph:
209 Thread_0f0f
209 0x9b00
209 0x9dfc
209 0x24b10c
209 0x3b998
209 0x24aa50
209 0x249fbc
209 0x1a4ca0
209 WaitNextEvent
209 WNEInternal
209 GetNextEventMatchingMask
209 RunCurrentEventLoopInMode
209 CFRunLoopRunSpecific
209 __CFRunLoopRun
209 __CFRunLoopDoTimer
209 0x326524
209 0x325fd8
209 0x309bdc
133 0x3070a4
71 0x2c8280
54 0x2c7f7c
32 0x2c7d18
31 GetHandleSize
27 CSMemGetHandleSize
19 malloc_size
16 szone_size
16 szone_size
3 malloc_size
7 CSMemGetHandleSize
1 dyld_stub_malloc_size
1 dyld_stub_malloc_size
2 malloc_size
2 malloc_size
1 GetThreadGlobals
1 GetThreadGlobals
1 LMSetMemErr
1 GetThreadGlobals
1 GetThreadGlobals
1 LMSetMemErr
1 LMSetMemErr
16 0x2c7cd0
14 GetHandleSize
12 CSMemGetHandleSize
8 malloc_size
7 szone_size
7 szone_size
1 malloc_size
2 CSMemGetHandleSize
1 dyld_stub_malloc_size
1 dyld_stub_malloc_size
1 szone_size
1 szone_size
1 GetHandleSize
1 GetThreadGlobals
1 GetThreadGlobals
2 dyld_stub_GetHandleSize
2 dyld_stub_GetHandleSize
2 GetHandleSize
2 GetHandleSize
1 0x2c7ccc
1 0x2c7ccc
1 0x2c7cf4
1 0x2c7cf4
1 0x2c7d00
1 0x2c7d00
1 0x2c7f7c
7 0x2c7cb0
7 0x2c7cb0
4 0x2c7cb4
4 0x2c7cb4
2 0x2c7da8
2 0x2c7da8
1 0x2c7cb8
1 0x2c7cb8
1 0x2c7d8c
1 0x2c7d8c
1 0x2c7dc0
1 0x2c7dc0
1 0x2c7df8
1 0x2c7df8
61 0x2c8298
48 0x2c81ac
31 0x2c7d18
20 GetHandleSize
18 CSMemGetHandleSize
10 malloc_size
7 szone_size
7 szone_size
3 malloc_size
5 CSMemGetHandleSize
2 dyld_stub_malloc_size
2 dyld_stub_malloc_size
1 szone_size
1 szone_size
1 LMSetMemErr
1 GetThreadGlobals
1 GetThreadGlobals
1 malloc_size
1 malloc_size
11 dyld_stub_GetHandleSize
11 dyld_stub_GetHandleSize
11 0x2c7cd0
9 GetHandleSize
6 CSMemGetHandleSize
4 CSMemGetHandleSize
2 malloc_size
2 malloc_size
2 LMSetMemErr
2 GetThreadGlobals
2 GetThreadGlobals
1 malloc_size
1 malloc_size
1 0x2c7cd0
1 LMSetMemErr
1 LMSetMemErr
4 0x2c7cf4
4 0x2c7cf4
2 GetHandleSize
2 GetHandleSize
9 0x2c8214
9 0x2c8214
3 0x2c81e4
3 0x2c81e4
1 0x2c7cb8
1 0x2c7cb8
1 0x2c8164
1 0x2c8164
72 0x307084
56 0x2c7f7c
25 0x2c7d18
22 GetHandleSize
17 CSMemGetHandleSize
9 CSMemGetHandleSize
6 malloc_size
5 szone_size
5 szone_size
1 malloc_size
1 dyld_stub_malloc_size
1 dyld_stub_malloc_size
1 szone_size
1 szone_size
3 LMSetMemErr
2 GetThreadGlobals
2 GetThreadGlobals
1 LMSetMemErr
1 0x0
1 CSMemGetHandleSize
1 CSMemGetHandleSize
1 malloc_size
1 malloc_size
3 dyld_stub_GetHandleSize
3 dyld_stub_GetHandleSize
20 0x2c7cd0
15 GetHandleSize
9 CSMemGetHandleSize
6 malloc_size
4 szone_size
4 szone_size
2 malloc_size
2 dyld_stub_malloc_size
2 dyld_stub_malloc_size
1 szone_size
1 szone_size
2 GetThreadGlobals
2 GetThreadGlobals
2 LMSetMemErr
2 GetThreadGlobals
2 GetThreadGlobals
1 0x34
1 CSMemGetHandleSize
1 CSMemGetHandleSize
1 malloc_size
1 malloc_size
3 CSMemGetHandleSize
3 CSMemGetHandleSize
2 dyld_stub_GetHandleSize
2 dyld_stub_GetHandleSize
10 GetHandleSize
10 GetHandleSize
1 0x2c7cf4
1 0x2c7cf4
7 0x2c7d70
7 0x2c7d70
2 0x2c7d8c
2 0x2c7d8c
2 0x2c7db8
2 0x2c7db8
1 0x2c7d9c
1 0x2c7d9c
1 0x2c7dac
1 0x2c7dac
1 0x2c7dc0
1 0x2c7dc0
1 0x2c7fb0
1 0x2c7fb0
1 0x307084
2 0x307068
2 0x307068
1 0x2c7f54
1 0x2c7f54
1 0x2c7fe0
1 0x2c7fe0
209 Thread_1003
209 _pthread_body
209 CAPThread::Entry(CAPThread*)
209 HALRunLoop::OwnThread(void*)
209 CFRunLoopRunSpecific
209 __CFRunLoopRun
209 mach_msg
209 mach_msg_trap
209 mach_msg_trap
209 Thread_1103
209 _pthread_body
209 0x31ecc0
209 0x232258
209 pthread_cond_wait
209 semaphore_wait_signal_trap
209 semaphore_wait_signal_trap
209 Thread_1203
209 _pthread_body
209 __CFSocketManager
209 select
209 select
209 Thread_1303
209 _pthread_body
209 0x218e54
209 CFRunLoopRun
209 CFRunLoopRunSpecific
209 __CFRunLoopRun
209 mach_msg
209 mach_msg_trap
209 mach_msg_trap
209 Thread_1403
209 _pthread_body
209 CooperativeThread
209 InvokeThreadEntryUPP
209 0x25adc8
209 0x1631d4
209 0x162048
209 0x25b280
209 YieldToAnyThread
209 YieldToThread
209 SwitchContexts
209 mach_msg
209 mach_msg_trap
209 mach_msg_trap
Total number in stack (recursive counted multiple, when >=5):
11 malloc_size
9 CSMemGetHandleSize
9 GetHandleSize
9 szone_size
8 GetThreadGlobals
7 LMSetMemErr
5 _pthread_body
5 dyld_stub_malloc_size
Sort by top of stack, same collapsed (when >= 5):
mach_msg_trap 627
select 209
semaphore_wait_signal_trap 209
szone_size 43
CSMemGetHandleSize 32
dyld_stub_GetHandleSize 18
malloc_size 18
GetHandleSize 15
GetThreadGlobals 12
0x2c8214 9
0x2c7cb0 7
0x2c7d70 7
dyld_stub_malloc_size 7
0x2c7cf4 6
Sample analysis of process 13005 written to file /dev/stdout
Sampling process 13005 each 10 msecs 300 times
(Combo update for PPC) - will try installing this again, see what happens.
