XCode 10.2 git error : Couldn’t communicate with a helper application

Hi,

With the latest XCode 10.2, git support seems to always break after some time, forcing me to close xcode, and open it again to have it work correclty again.

When git access is needed, in my local repository (to compare changes or commit) the following message pops-up:

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Couldn’t communicate with a helper application.

Try your operation again. If that fails, quit and relaunch the application and try again.

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I had no problems with git with previous versions of XCode.

Any one else having the problem and any clues on how to workaroud it ?

Accepted Reply

Good news! Xcode 11 Beta fixes this problem

Replies

Same here.


Not sure if this is related, but my system generally runs with 1-3GB of swap used. This is with xcode, simulator, debugger, browser. Wondering if the SCM backend is getting killed to free up resources.

I had similar issue with Xcode 10.2.1 and luckily was able to fix it.

In my case there were empty fields Author Name and Author Email under following path.

Xcode - Preferences - Source Control - Git

Try to fill them. Hope your works for someone.

I did it (either using the UI or the command line), but the problem here seems to be unfortunately different.

For information, my bugreport 49612077 has been marked 2 days ago as a duplicate of 47227781 which is in OPEN state.

For me, it does not allow me to fill in values for Author Name and Author Email (or rather, they disappear immediately when closing the view).

Also the "Ignored files" section in the same view shows "Loading...".

The corresponding command line git commands "git config --global user.name" and "git config -global user.email" show normal values.


My bug report was also closed as duplicate of 47227781

You can fill them when XCode starts (while the helper application is reachable).


Once the error appears, they are not displayed anymore (and you cannot set them).

When you'll restart XCode, they will automatically be visible again.


But that does not fixes the problem anyway.

My experience is similar: after launching Xcode, while the git integration is still working, the "Author Name" and "Author Email" fields are set. But once the git integration stops working, those fields are blank.

Same for me with 10.2.1.

Quit and re-launch Xcode seems to be the solution, up to now.

Still annoying though...

Same with me, and the only (for a while) fix is to quit Xcode use terminal, commit, open Xcode and try to change + commit via Xcode. That works. after that Xcode git works at least for a while 😟

Same error here.


And the "Helper Application" error is propagated to the Asset editor too.


I try to create a new Image or Color set and the error appears when I try to rename the resource....

I solved the issue disabling git from the preferences, closing Xcode, re-opening it and re-activating git

Thank you.

Unfortunately, still doesn't work for me.


I noticed that the problem report (from which mine is a duplicate of) is now closed.

I'll try to to get some info about that.

So far so good with this approach.. Xcode has remained able to connect with git for 2-3 hours now, which is much better than before. I'll add another reply if the problem crops up again.


**NOPE** Xcode seemed to last a lot longer before getting confused, but lost touch again.

Same issue. In my case, it doesn't seem so much that it fails after some time, but after my computer sleeps and then wakes.

I'm running two machines: a 2013 iMac and a 2016 MacBook Pro. The iMac has the problem, the MacBook Pro does not. I'm going to try creating a new account on the iMac and see if the problem persists there. Theory: there's something left over from multiple upgrades over time that is causing this problem.


I'll also note that turning Git off and then back on in Preferences once or twice, without quitting, seems to temporarily fix the problem.

OK, so when I got back to work this morning, I fully expected this problem to occur, but it didn't. So the trigger is not time. Nor is it the computer falling asleep. It's still just random.


For me, the blank name and address fields in the git preferences are symptoms; not causes. When I see the problem, the fields are blank. If I then restart Xcode, the fields are filled in and the problem is gone.