Retroactive iTunes no longer reading CDs or iPods on Catalina or Monterey

[ForegroundBehind]

In a terminal, you can use the find command to make a list of all the songs stored in the iTunes Music directory on your MBA, then use it again to make a list of the songs on your backup device. Comparing the two lists using the diff command should give you an idea of what's missing:

cd ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes\ Media/Music
find . -type f \( -name '*.mp3' -o -name '*.m4a' \) -print | sort -o ~/LIST1.txt

cd /Volumes/MyExternalDevice/Music # or wherever your music backup lives
find . -type f \( -name '*.mp3' -o -name '*.m4a' \) -print | sort -o ~/LIST2.txt

cd
diff LIST1.txt LIST2.txt

The above assumes you have only mp3 and m4a music files, and you'll need to adjust the directory names for the cd commands to suit your situation.

As for the unexplained shutdowns, you might try launching the Console app to look for an error message when iTunes crashes. If the problem is associated with plugging/unplugging an iPod or IOS device, you can try to kill the process associated with Finder's device detection machinery before you start iTunes to see if that fixes things:

pkill -SIGTERM AMPDeviceDiscoveryAgent

Thank you grumpus, the app actually crashes when I click "accept" when changing preferences, I haven't even tried connecting my iPod yet since the update. Again, everything was working smoothly on Catalina, and Monterey, which was giving me problems, worked after a fresh install. However, I've tried a fresh install on Ventura, and keep having problems.

 

[ForegroundBehind]

In a terminal, you can use the find command to make a list of all the songs stored in the iTunes Music directory on your MBA, then use it again to make a list of the songs on your backup device. Comparing the two lists using the diff command should give you an idea of what's missing:

cd ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes\ Media/Music
find . -type f \( -name '*.mp3' -o -name '*.m4a' \) -print | sort -o ~/LIST1.txt

cd /Volumes/MyExternalDevice/Music # or wherever your music backup lives
find . -type f \( -name '*.mp3' -o -name '*.m4a' \) -print | sort -o ~/LIST2.txt

cd
diff LIST1.txt LIST2.txt

The above assumes you have only mp3 and m4a music files, and you'll need to adjust the directory names for the cd commands to suit your situation.

As for the unexplained shutdowns, you might try launching the Console app to look for an error message when iTunes crashes. If the problem is associated with plugging/unplugging an iPod or IOS device, you can try to kill the process associated with Finder's device detection machinery before you start iTunes to see if that fixes things:

pkill -SIGTERM AMPDeviceDiscoveryAgent

Hi grumpus, I tried these commands and got a text file for the iTunes directory but am having trouble for the other two:

For the my backup SSD, I assume the directory would go like this: Seagate/Música/Music - the first folder is of all my music files and the second specifically of the audio tracks. How would I write the code for this? I got a second text file but I'm not sure if it's any different from the first.

For the text file with the differences, I copy and pasted your code but didn't get a text file like I did for the first two.

 

[Grumpus]

Hi grumpus, I tried these commands and got a text file for the iTunes directory but am having trouble for the other two:

For the my backup SSD, I assume the directory would go like this:

- the first folder is of all my music files and the second specifically of the audio tracks. How would I write the code for this? I got a second text file but I'm not sure if it's any different from the first.

For the text file with the differences, I copy and pasted your code but didn't get a text file like I did for the first two.

External drives are normally mounted on the /Volumes directory, so you could try:

cd /Volumes/Seagate/Música/Music

before running the second find command. You referred to your "backup SSD" and I was assuming that it contains an actual backup of your iTunes music files. If that's not the case, the find commands I gave may not give you the desired result.

 

[donzubeck]

Are you running Open Core Legacy Patcher 0.5.x I had the same problem and had to down grade to version 4.11.

 

[PC mcLinMorph]

Are you running Open Core Legacy Patcher 0.5.x I had the same problem and had to down grade to version 4.11.

Can confirm that this solution works (downgrade to OLC 4.11 and there will be no crash on install of itunes), Something broke after OLC 4.11. I think it has to do with the the moving of the shared dyld cache

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Apples new fragmented iTunes clones concept made such a mess out of my huge library in enough ways that I tried RetroActive, but ran into the same device syncing problems, tried a couple different OS’s, and finally just installed the win version of iTunes on boot camp/Windows 10, where it works perfectly, and left it there. Now I just use it when I’m on the windows side, and use IINA when on the Mac side. …which is admittedly less and less, as even a macOS from 2 years ago has enough broken functionality that only the hated windows actually makes the Mac a practical long term usable machine.

 

[bogdanw]

and finally just installed the win version of iTunes on boot camp/Windows 10, where it works perfectly

I use the Windows version of iTunes on Mac with CrossOver.
It might be possible to run it with Wine, but I haven't tried recently.
Instructions that worked in Mojave https://github.com/b0gdanw/iTunes/blob/master/Install_Windows32bit_iTunes12.6.5.3_in_Mojave.txt

 

[ForegroundBehind]

I finally just "downgraded" to Catalina and iTunes 11 is running perfectly.

Is it possible to have two versions of iTunes installed, and sync an iPod to iTunes 11 and an iPhone to iTunes 12?