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Troubleshooting

This page lists common installation and operation problems and how to fix them. If a problem persists, contact MultiTaction Support and include the log files; see Collect information for MultiTaction Support.

The Editor is not reachable from another computer

Check each of these:

  • Use https://. The server does not answer on plain HTTP. On macOS, include the port: https://<application-computer>:8443.
  • Check which port the server is using. On Ubuntu and Windows, if port 443 was already in use when the server started, for example by MT Canvus Server, the server moved to port 8443. The server log then contains Port 443 unavailable and falling back to 8443. Try https://<application-computer>:8443.
  • Check the firewall. On Windows, the installer's firewall rule allows TCP 443 only; if the server is on 8443, add an inbound rule for TCP 8443. On Ubuntu, allow the port in ufw if the firewall is enabled. On macOS, allow incoming connections for MT Showcase.
  • Check that the server is running. See Start and stop MT Showcase.
  • Windows: check the editor option. If Run the MT Showcase editor at sign-in was cleared during installation, the server is not set up. Run the installer again with the option selected.

The server does not start

Look in the server log; see File locations. If the server cannot start, the MT Showcase client also shows a message saying why.

  • Port <n> is already in use: another program, or a second copy of the MT Showcase server, is using the port. Stop the other program, or set a different https_port. The server moves to another port by itself only when the configured port is 443.
  • could not be bound (EACCES): the port is reserved by the operating system or held by another service. Choose a different port.
  • macOS: another copy of the server may still be running. Check with lsof -i :8443, and stop it with kill $(cat ~/.mt-showcase/server.pid).

After changing settings, restart the server.

Browsers warn about the certificate

This is expected when the Editor uses its self-signed certificate and the browser is on a different computer from the server. Accept the warning once, or install a certificate from a certificate authority your organization trusts; see HTTPS certificate.

If the warning continues with your own certificate, check that its subject alternative names include the exact host name or IP address people use to reach the Editor, and that the file includes the intermediate certificates.

Users are signed out every few minutes

The Editor keeps you signed in with a secure cookie, which browsers only keep over HTTPS (or on localhost). Make sure users open the Editor with https://, and that https_enabled is not set to false in production_users.yaml.

The setup wizard refuses to create the administrator

The setup wizard works only in a browser on the application computer itself. Open it there at https://localhost/editor/ (on macOS, https://localhost:8443/editor/). For a headless installation, see First-run setup.

Invitation or password-reset emails do not arrive

  1. In the Editor, go to Users > Email settings and check Currently sending via. If it shows Not configured, add your SMTP server.
  2. Click Send test email and look for the message, including in your spam folder.
  3. If the email arrives but its link does not work, set the Server public address to the address other people use to reach the server, not localhost. See Network, HTTPS and email.

As a fallback, an administrator can reset a password with the server CLI.

Visitors' phones cannot open QR codes

Set the Audience and phone URL on Network & Public Access to an address phones on the visitor network can reach, and test it by scanning a QR code with a phone on that network. See Network & Public Access and Admin setup.

Windows: the apps have disappeared

On Windows the server keeps its data in the profile of the signed-in Windows user. If someone signs in with a different account, the Editor shows an empty installation. Sign in with the account you set MT Showcase up with. See Install on Windows.

Windows: settings were lost after an upgrade

Upgrading on Windows replaces production_users.yaml. Apply your changes again from your copy. See Upgrade on Windows.

Ubuntu: the client cannot read the database

The Ubuntu user who runs the MT Showcase client must be a member of the mt-showcase-server group. The user who installed MT Showcase is added automatically, but the change takes effect only after signing in again. Restart the computer, or add other users as described in Install on Ubuntu.

The client exits straight away when started from MT Launcher

MT Launcher starts MT Showcase with the license wizard turned off, so an unlicensed client exits. Start the client directly and activate the license; see Licensing.

Collect information for MultiTaction Support

Send:

  • the server logs and client logs; see File locations. On macOS, ~/.mt-showcase/showcase.log contains both;
  • on Ubuntu, the output of journalctl -u mt-showcase-server --since today;
  • on Windows, any crash dumps from %LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps whose names start with showcase;
  • the MT Showcase version, which is in the package name on Ubuntu, in Installed apps on Windows, and in the app's Get Info window on macOS.