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Cole Gentry edited this page Dec 23, 2025 · 1 revision

Troubleshooting

This guide helps resolve common issues with UltraLog.

Table of Contents

Installation Issues

Windows: SmartScreen Warning

Problem: Windows SmartScreen blocks the application with "Windows protected your PC" message.

Solution:

  1. Click "More info"
  2. Click "Run anyway"

Why this happens: The application is not code-signed with an Extended Validation (EV) certificate.

macOS: "Cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified"

Problem: macOS Gatekeeper blocks the application.

Solutions:

Option 1: Right-click Open

  1. Right-click (or Control-click) the application
  2. Select "Open"
  3. Click "Open" in the dialog

Option 2: System Preferences

  1. Try to open the app (it will be blocked)
  2. Go to System Preferences → Security & Privacy → General
  3. Click "Open Anyway"

Option 3: Remove Quarantine

xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /path/to/ultralog

macOS: "UltraLog is damaged and can't be opened"

Problem: Corrupt download or quarantine issues.

Solutions:

  1. Re-download the file
  2. Remove quarantine attribute: 
    xattr -cr /path/to/ultralog

Linux: "Permission denied" when running

Problem: The binary doesn't have execute permission.

Solution:

chmod +x ultralog-linux
./ultralog-linux

Linux: Missing Libraries

Problem: Error about missing shared libraries (libgtk, libcairo, etc.)

Solution: Install required dependencies:

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt-get install -y \
    libgtk-3-0 \
    libglib2.0-0 \
    libcairo2 \
    libpango-1.0-0 \
    libgdk-pixbuf2.0-0 \
    libatk1.0-0

Fedora:

sudo dnf install -y gtk3 glib2 cairo pango gdk-pixbuf2 atk

File Loading Issues

"File format not recognized"

Problem: UltraLog cannot identify the ECU format.

Possible causes and solutions:

  1. Unsupported ECU system

  2. Wrong file format

    • ECUMaster: Export to CSV (not .emuprolog)
    • Haltech: Export from NSP to CSV
    • Speeduino: Use .mlg files directly

  3. Corrupted file

    • Try re-exporting from your ECU software
    • Check file size is not 0 bytes

  4. Wrong encoding

    • Ensure CSV is UTF-8 encoded
    • Avoid special characters in file path

"File already loaded"

Problem: UltraLog prevents loading the same file twice.

Solution: This is intentional behavior. If you need to reload:

  1. Close the existing tab for that file
  2. Load the file again

File loads but shows no channels

Problem: File loads successfully but channel list is empty.

Possible causes:

  1. Log file contains no data records
  2. Parser couldn't identify channels
  3. File is header-only (no actual data)

Solution:

  • Verify the log file has actual data
  • Check if logging was started in the ECU
  • Try opening in a text editor to verify contents

Very slow file loading

Problem: Large files take a long time to load.

Normal behavior:

  • Files up to 50MB: A few seconds
  • Files 50-100MB: 5-15 seconds
  • Files 100MB+: May take longer

Tips:

  • Loading happens in a background thread - UI remains responsive
  • Consider splitting very large logs in your ECU software
  • Use release build for best performance

Display Issues

Channels show wrong units

Problem: Values appear incorrect (e.g., temperature showing 363 instead of 90°C).

Solutions:

  1. Check Units menu and select appropriate units
  2. Verify your ECU's native units match expected
  3. Some channels may not support unit conversion

Note: Some ECUs store data in unusual units. Haltech stores temperature in Kelvin, which UltraLog converts automatically.

Chart shows flat lines

Problem: All channels appear as flat horizontal lines.

Possible causes:

  1. No variation in data - The logged values didn't change
  2. Very small variations - Normalized display makes small changes invisible
  3. Wrong time range - Zoomed to a static portion

Solutions:

  • Check the Min/Max values in the legend
  • Zoom out to see more data
  • Verify the ECU was actually logging changing data

Legend shows "NaN" or unusual values

Problem: Legend displays NaN (Not a Number) or obviously wrong values.

Possible causes:

  1. Data contains invalid values from ECU
  2. Sensor errors during logging
  3. Parser couldn't interpret certain values

Solutions:

  • Check the raw log file for unusual entries
  • Verify sensor connections in your ECU
  • Report the issue with a sample file

Colors hard to distinguish

Problem: Chart lines look too similar.

Solutions:

  1. Enable Colorblind Mode (View → Colorblind Mode)
  2. Select fewer channels (max 10)
  3. Use channels that don't overlap

Performance Issues

Application is slow/laggy

Problem: UI feels sluggish, especially with large files.

Solutions:

  1. Check build type

    • Release builds are much faster than debug builds
    • If building from source: cargo build --release

  2. Close unused tabs

    • Each open file uses memory
    • Close files you're not actively analyzing

  3. Select fewer channels

    • More channels = more rendering work
    • Focus on channels you need

  4. Check system resources

    • Close other heavy applications
    • Ensure adequate RAM (8GB+ recommended for large files)

High memory usage

Problem: UltraLog using excessive RAM.

Normal memory usage:

  • Empty: ~100MB
  • Per file: ~1-2× file size
  • Large files may use 500MB+

Solutions:

  1. Close tabs for files you're not using
  2. Restart the application periodically
  3. Consider splitting very large log files

Playback stutters

Problem: Playback animation is not smooth.

Solutions:

  1. Use release build
  2. Reduce playback speed
  3. Select fewer channels
  4. Close other applications

Export Issues

PNG export is blank or black

Problem: Exported PNG shows nothing or is entirely black.

Solutions:

  1. Ensure at least one channel is selected
  2. Verify the chart area shows data
  3. Try zooming to a different view before export

PDF export fails

Problem: Error when trying to export PDF.

Solutions:

  1. Ensure you have write permission for the save location
  2. Try a different save location
  3. Avoid special characters in filename

Exported image quality is low

Problem: PNG export appears pixelated or low resolution.

Current behavior: Export captures the current view at screen resolution.

Tip: Maximize the window before exporting for higher resolution.

Platform-Specific Issues

Windows

Issue: Application crashes on startup

  • Ensure Windows 10 or later
  • Install Visual C++ Redistributable if missing
  • Try running as administrator

Issue: File dialog doesn't open

  • Restart the application
  • Check antivirus isn't blocking

macOS

Issue: Application name shows as "ultralog" in Dock

  • This is normal for command-line distributed binaries
  • Wrap in .app bundle for proper name display

Issue: Drag and drop doesn't work

  • Grant file access permissions when prompted
  • Check System Preferences → Security & Privacy → Privacy → Files and Folders

Linux

Issue: Window decorations missing

  • May occur on some tiling window managers
  • Try running with GDK_BACKEND=x11 ./ultralog-linux

Issue: Blurry text on HiDPI displays

  • Set scaling: GDK_SCALE=2 ./ultralog-linux
  • Or adjust your desktop environment's scaling settings

Getting More Help

Before Reporting an Issue

  1. Check this troubleshooting guide
  2. Search existing GitHub Issues
  3. Try the latest release version

Reporting a Bug

When opening a GitHub issue, include:

  1. UltraLog version (check Help → About)
  2. Operating system and version
  3. Steps to reproduce the issue
  4. Expected behavior vs actual behavior
  5. Sample log file if related to parsing (if possible)
  6. Error messages or screenshots

Feature Requests

For new features or ECU support:

  1. Open a GitHub Issue
  2. Describe the use case
  3. For ECU support: include ECU name, software version, and sample file

Quick Fixes Summary

Problem Quick Fix
Can't open on Windows Click "More info" → "Run anyway"
Can't open on macOS Right-click → Open
Can't run on Linux chmod +x ultralog-linux
Wrong units Check Units menu
Slow performance Use release build, close unused tabs
File won't load Check format is supported, try re-export

Next Steps

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