IBM SPSS 24 doesn't launch with user privileges

[t_bissinger]

Hi all,

it's driving me nuts. I successfully installed V24 and the application starts as aspected as an administrator. But if I use an user account SPSS hangs and doesn't show any dialog. I have to force shut down the program. We are a school so our students don't get administrative privileges. Does anybody know a solution?

[JohnBritt429]

Please run licenseactivator via command line, in Bin folder. o - Go to Go->Utilities o - Open Terminal.app o - cd Statistics installation folder {ENTER} e.g. cd /Applications/IBM/SPSS/Statistics/23/SPSSStatistics.app/Contents/bino./licenseactivator authorization code

e.g. ./licenseactivator abcdef12345678912abc

[s_gaynor]

Did you ever find a fix for this Thomas? Have exactly the same issue with SPSS 25 (network license).

[dsavageED]

If you are using a network license make sure the servers are actually being written into the SPSS install, check /Applications/IBM/SPSS/Statistics/24/SPSSStatistics.app/Contents/bin/spssprod.inf contains an equivalent to DaemonHost=lic-serv1.x.y~lic-serv2.x.y and not DaemonHost=no-net also ensure that the file /Applications/IBM/SPSS/Statistics/24/SPSSStatistics.app/Contents/bin/lservrc does not exist.

Also how are you deploying/re-packaging SPSS, we wrap their installer in a package, dump ale the necessary files in temp and essentially run:

#Install SPSS 24 using its silent installer and authenticate with its properties file.
echo "******Installing SPSS 24 main package******"
/private/tmp/SPSS24/SPSS_Statistics_Installer.bin -f /private/tmp/SPSS24/installer.properties
echo "Done"

sleep 7

#Install SPSS 24 Fix Pack 1 using its silent installer and authenticate with its properties file.
echo "******Installing SPSS 24 Fix Pack 1******"
/private/tmp/SPSS24/SPSS_Statistics_Installer_Mac_Patch.bin -f /private/tmp/SPSS24/installer.properties
echo "Done"

#Delete temp folder
rm -dfR /private/tmp/SPSS24

[s_gaynor]

Thanks for your reply. I've tried packaging a couple of different ways, as a DMG with a policy script and as a package with an embedded postinstall script, both dropping the files in /tmp/.

The scripts are essentially the same as yours, the license server is being written to spssprod.inf and it does launch as an admin so i'm guessing the license checks out, it's just that on launch as a standard non-admin user you get nothing but the splash screen and then it just sits there and doesn't launch.

lservrc does not exist in that folder.

I get the error: Properties file for authenticator not read as user is truly "root" if I install from the command line, even if I install manually logged in as root I get this message and the problem remains. Sophos anti virus has been known to cause issues with SPSS but even if I uninstall it, no joy.

[t_bissinger]

Hi everyone,

I got really exasperated with IBM. Didn't count the hours I wasted with their (in fact friendly) support. They obviously do have a Mac (exactly one) which is in an locker. The macversion of SPSS do not generate any helpful logs – in our environment it just stops working before it really starts up.
(Our environment: school with roundabout 1100 iMacs & 3500 Students. Authentification via AD on an Linux serversystem; networkaccounts only)
As mentioned at the beginning: As an nonprivileged user, which signs in via AD we don't get this piece of software to do its overpaid work!

So ... what I did is to give the students a local useraccount .... what messes up our whole IT concept, but makes SPSS work.

By the way ... every other software - professional like Adobe, MS, Autodesk or freeware like blender, filezilla, sublime - works like a charm.
Thank you IBM