All renderers expect the default crash on Mac silicon

[Sahandw]

Default renderer works fine but when I try other renderers (P2D, FX2D) the app crashes.
When running

import py5

def setup():
    py5.size(200, 200, py5.FX2D)
    py5.rect_mode(py5.CENTER)

def draw():
    py5.rect(py5.mouse_x, py5.mouse_y, 10, 10)

py5.run_sketch()

on

system: macOS 26.2 M4 max
Python: 3.13.11
Java: 25.0.1+8-LTS (tried with jdk-21 with the same results)
py5: ==0.10.8a4 (trying different versions here yielded the same results as well)

In case of FX2D I get:

java.lang.RuntimeException: The JavaFX renderer is not in the class path.
        at processing.core.PApplet.makeGraphics(PApplet.java:1945)
        at processing.core.PApplet.createPrimaryGraphics(PApplet.java:1979)
        at processing.core.PApplet.initSurface(PApplet.java:10179)
        at processing.core.PApplet.runSketch(PApplet.java:10140)
        at org.jpype.proxy.JPypeProxy.hostInvoke(Native Method)
        at org.jpype.proxy.JPypeProxy.invoke(Unknown Source)
        at jdk.proxy2/jdk.proxy2.$Proxy7.run(Unknown Source)
        at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:1474)

and in case of P2D the app crashes with no stack trace or exception logs.

[villares]

Thank you for the report, @Sahandw!

Just to confirm, which version of py5 are you using?

The latest release today mentions some modifications related to alternative renderers https://github.com/py5coding/py5generator/releases/tag/py5-1310-0029-0.10.8a4

Update: Oh, I see you mentioned the version :-S

py5: ==0.10.8a4 (trying different versions here yielded the same results as well)

I guess Jim (hx2A) will be able to investigate this on his Silicon Mac when he's back late January... Thanks in advance for the patience!

[hx2A]

Hi @Sahandw ! thank you for opening an issue.

To use JavaFX you must install the JavaFX libraries. You can do that with this code:

py5_tools.processing.download_library('JavaFX')

I believe this is the cause of your JavaFX error.

I don't understand why the OpenGL renderers don't work on your machine. I am able to get them to work on my MacOS laptop. I see you installed the latest version of py5 and also tried older ones. That is a good debugging strategy, thank you! And trying different JVMs as well. How are you running the Sketch? Through a Jupyter notebook, or from the command line with something like python test.py?

[Sahandw]

Hi @hx2A, Thank you for your response !

I get this stack trace after installing JavaFX as you mentioned and using FX2D.

The issue with P2D still persists. I've tried Jupyter as well but I'm mainly running it as a standalone script and it crashes in either case.

[hx2A]

I get this stack trace after installing JavaFX as you mentioned and using FX2D.

This is a core dump or segmentation fault. Since P2D also doesn't work, there must be something more fundamental happening here. I'm not really sure what. I'm also on vacation in New Zealand and in vacation mode. @villares , can you assist here? @Sahandw , how did you install py5? With Anaconda, or another method? Can you try Python 3.11 instead of 3.13?

[Sahandw]

No rush and thank you both for your help!
I'm using uv for package management. And I tried python 3.11 with the same results.

[hx2A]

No rush and thank you both for your help! I'm using uv for package management. And I tried python 3.11 with the same results.

I'm guessing uv is the problem. I don't have that much experience with uv (and really ought to do something about that asap!) but I have experienced problems with py5 and Python on my Mac when Python is installed with uv. I think the problem may have something to do with GUIs? I don't remember, @villares told me about something related to uv that the uv folks are still working on.

Anyhow, with uv, isn't there more than one Python 3.11 build you can install? If so, can you try some of the others? I do recall being able to get py5 to work on my Mac with uv but some Python builds got errors similar to yours. And if it still doesn't work, can you try an Anaconda setup instead? If you are not familiar with Anaconda, you can find helpful info here:

https://py5coding.org/content/install.html

[villares]

Hi @Sahandw! I wish I could be more helpful but I don't have a modern Apple Silicon based Mac to test. I'll ask around some friends...

I think the problem may have something to do with GUIs?

There was a nasty problem with tkinter when Python was installed with uv, but they fixed it. So, there is this possibility that the uv builds could be slightly "different" and it might be worth trying to get another Python. Anaconda, like Jim mentioned, could be a handy way of doing it.

Another thing you could try if you have time and the inclination, is the setup I use in my classes, with Thonny IDE (as it comes with a built-in Python) https://abav.lugaralgum.com/como-instalar-py5/index-EN.html

[Sahandw]

I don't believe this is a uv issue.

I tried installing a clean python env and binary from python.org installer.

/usr/local/bin/python3.13 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install py5
python test.py

And still seeing the same errors.

[villares]

I tried installing a clean python env and binary from python.org installer.

Thank you for trying this. Could you perhaps try Processing 4 Java (on the Processing IDE) with P2D & FX2D to see if it works?

[Sahandw]

Could you perhaps try Processing 4 Java

Yes both work on Processing 4 Java.

Ok some progress. I got it working with a python.org installer for 3.11.9 but 3.13 still fails. uv python 3.11.9 still doesn't work so it seems it's not just a version issue, but not sure what is the source of this issue.

[hx2A]

Hi @Sahandw

I am sitting at the airport experimenting with uv. I have the P2D renderer working for Python 3.11 installed via uv. The JavaFX renderer gives a core dump.

cpython-3.11.12-macos-aarch64-none                  /Users/jim/.local/share/uv/python/cpython-3.11.12-macos-aarch64-none/bin/python3.11

Let's see what else I can figure out before my flight.

[hx2A]

I have Python 3.12 and 3.13 working with uv also. Both were Python builds downloaded from uv.

cpython-3.13.3-macos-aarch64-none                   /Users/jim/.local/share/uv/python/cpython-3.13.3-macos-aarch64-none/bin/python3.13
cpython-3.12.10-macos-aarch64-none                  /Users/jim/.local/share/uv/python/cpython-3.12.10-macos-aarch64-none/bin/python3.12

I had a Python 3.12 build installed via Homebrew and that didn't work. That crashes.

[Sahandw]

I have Python 3.12 and 3.13 working with uv also.

Do you mind sharing the Java and py5 version you're using? any version installed with uv keeps crashing for me 🤔

[hx2A]

Do you mind sharing the Java and py5 version you're using? any version installed with uv keeps crashing for me 🤔

Sorry for the slow reply, I have been swamped with stuff since my return.

Here is my Java version:

java version "25.0.1" 2025-10-21 LTS
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 25.0.1+8-LTS-27)

I am using py5 version 0.10.10.dev0, which is identical to the latest 0.10.9a1.

got it working with a python.org installer for 3.11.9 but 3.13 still fails. uv python 3.11.9 still doesn't work so it seems it's not just a version issue, but not sure what is the source of this issue.

I re-read this thread and want to revisit this comment. You installed Python directly from python.org and it works, but the same exact build from uv does not? Intriguing, it suggests the uv version is compiled differently and/or expects different linked libraries to be available.

What version of MacOS do you have? I now have Tahoe 26.2. I was on Sequoia a week or two ago and that worked fine also.