Am 26.02.2008 um 22:49 schrieb Sierk Bornemann:

Since weeks, I have a problem with the font cache under Leopard (only if logged-in as user -- logged-in as admin, the problem doesn't occur), and I can't see the cause or how to solve the problem.

System: MBP 17“, Leopard (currently 10.5.2) Latest XQuartz from http://trac.macosforge.org/projects/xquartz for running Gimp properly. The problem firstly occured between 10.5.1 and 10.5.2, and I don't remember, if before or after switching from Apple's factory X11 to the one of XQuartz's project, so I don't know, wether my problem has anything to do with the XQuartz/X11 exchange or not.

Regulary, being logged-in as user, my user account's trash can isn't empty but contains of a directory "Recovered files", which itself contains a directory like "ATS - 223553367". This ATS-something-directory itself may contain files like "annex_auth" (executable), "Local.fcache", "System.fcache", "User.fcache" and "font". The files "annex_auth" and "font" are always there, the others may be part of the folder the next login. Mostly, I can delete these files by emptying trash, but not every single time. Sometimes (not everytime) the system denies that, because one or all of theses files seem to be locked by the system because of usage.

I have tried everything to ged rid of these cache files, I have deleted the font cache systemwide, for the user, I have made a "Safe Boot", I have used the tool OnyX. The problem resists -- if I have luck, the first boot after deleting font cache files seems to be OK, but the second or third boot, the trash can of my user account contains again these files.

After searching around the net and not finding a solution, I have logged-in as admin or root into the shell, went to /var/ folders/kp/kpPJ1m.../-Caches- folder, and there is a folder com.apple.ATS/, which seems to consist of exactly these fonts, which are regulary in my trash can unter "Recovered files". The folder com.apple.ATS/ and all below has the the owner/group of "admin/ staff". Quite the same with the folder /var/folders/zz/zzzivh.../- Caches-/System. There do exist the files "annex_auth" and "font". Is this the system's user's font cache under Leopard (I have read, something has changed on Leopard concerning that)? Both, files and folders unter zzzivh.../ do have the owner/group "_atsserver/ _atsserver". Deleting these files manually seems to resolve the issue for exactly one time after logging-out and logging-in again or rebooting. For the next time, I reboot or log-in as user, the user's trash can again consists of "Recovered files" and these font cache files.

So, what the hell is the cause of this issue, and how can I get rid of it? Can anybody help me to solve this annoying issue? Help would be appreciated.

I have opened Activity Monitor from /Applications/Utilities to monitor the ATSServer process to get further information. I have done this for the system administrator (Administrator) and for the user MyName, selecting the process "ATSServer" and looking at further information (opened files and ports). This is the result for Administrator: --------------------------- / /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/ Frameworks/ATS.framework/Versions/A/Support/ATSServer /private/var/folders/kp/kpPJ1mt.../-Caches-/com.apple.ATS/annex_aux /System/Library/Fonts/LucidaGrande.dfont /System/Library/Fonts/HelveticaNeue.dfont /System/Library/Fonts/Helvetica.dfont /System/Library/Fonts/Monaco.dfont /usr/lib/dyld /private/var/db/dyld/dyld_shared_cache_i386 /dev/null /private/var/folders/kp/kpPJ1mt.../-Caches-/com.apple.ATS/font /private/var/folders/kp/kpPJ1mt.../-Caches-/com.apple.ATS/annex_aux ->0x7e13330 --------------------------- And this is the result for the user MyName: --------------------------- / /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/ Frameworks/ATS.framework/Versions/A/Support/ATSServer /Users/MyName/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/ATS - 227034826/annex_aux /System/Library/Fonts/LucidaGrande.dfont /System/Library/Fonts/HelveticaNeue.dfont /System/Library/Fonts/Helvetica.dfont /System/Library/Fonts/Monaco.dfont /usr/lib/dyld /private/var/db/dyld/dyld_shared_cache_i386 /dev/null /Users/MyName/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/ATS - 227034826/font /Users/MyName/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/ATS - 227034826/annex_aux ->0x5aefcc0 --------------------------- What irritates me, is the fact, that Administrator uses the path / private/var/folders/kp/kpPJ1mt.../-Caches-/com.apple.ATS/ and user MyName uses the path /Users/MyName/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/ATS - 227034826/ to store the font caches. Why arent they using the same path? Why does the folder /Users/MyName/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/ exist, but not for Administrator (/Users/Administrator/Library/Caches/ TemporaryItems/)? Why is Administrator using the path under /private/var/folders/kp/ kpPJ1mt.../-Caches-/com.apple.ATS/ and not the path /Users/ Administrator/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems? Or, asked vice versa for user MyName: why is user MyName *not* using the path /private/var/folders/kp/kpPJ1mt.../-Caches-/com.apple.ATS/ but instead the path /Users/MyName/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems? It looks like, that the trashed folders and files in the "Recovered files" folder, when logged in as user 'MyName' are from /Users/MyName/ Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/ . But why? Any hints to solve the problem? -- Sierk Bornemann