[Sticky] For those having problems installing the SoftRAID 6 driver

@softraid-support

The application cannot run, so I cannot create "SoftRAID tech support file" requested ( https://www.softraid.com/faq/how-do-i-create-a-softraid-tech-support-file/)... utilities menu not available. I have a paided serial Number for SOFTRAID6 but cannot enter de S/N since no menu options are available and the application quits.

@lemj0001

Try pasting this into the terminal.app

softraidtool generatereport ~/Desktop/lemj001.4.7.21.sr_supt

It should make a file on your desktop, attach it here.

Not sure what is causing this.

Lets try these terminal commands to remove any remaining SoftRAID components:

Remove the daemon and SoftRAID Monitor:
sudo rm /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.softraid.softraidd.plist
sudo rm /Library/LaunchAgents/com.softraid.SoftRAIDMonitor.plist

Remove the SoftRAID application support directory:
sudo rm -r /Library/Application\ Support/SoftRAID

Remove all the SoftRAID preferences:
defaults delete com.softraid.SoftRAID

restart and see if the SoftRAID application can launch now.

Did all suggested steps.

reboot

reinstall 6.0.5.dmg (move the app to Applications) and clicked to install

still failing the installation

The "MyRAID5 array" is not seen anymore

@lemj0001

Next problem is your System, it has many unsigned/not notarized extensions. You need to delete most of those. Especially the HP extensions.

If you go to Big Sur, these will cause big issues. Go to your /Library/Extensions folder and delete all the HP extensions (from 2010), the APC extensions (or get an update), ext2fs.kext, and whatever else you do not think you are using.

Then you probably need to go through these steps to get the driver installed:

In the end, the message I got was that the fix for this problem rested with a new release of after Big Sur, or even one after that.  There was no commitment. My question is: has anyone been able to successfully resolve this issue?

My temporary solution was to reinitialize my Thunderblade (4TB) and use it as 4 separate SSDs - far from ideal.  When I can cost-effectively buy a single 8TB thunderbolt SSD I will probably go that route.

@jons

A clean install can often fix this. We know it will be fixed in 12.0, but the fix has not made it into the Monterey beta versions yet. When it has, we will ask users to try it and comment, so we can announce it (We cannot discuss issues in specific macOS betas, until they are "made public".)

Apple has been working closely with us recently to fix many longstanding issues, we are very satisfied these kinds of issues will be permanently resolved soon. But it takes time.

@softraid-support

Thanks for the update.  This is the first time I have been told it will be fixed in a specific release and that you have been working closely with Apple.  My previous immpression is that it was a distant relationship. Is Monterey 12.0?  

Now that I have had to reorganize my file system to fit in 1TB sizes, I doubt I will go back as I don't believe any access speed improvement in a RAID 0 configuration will matter to the applications I use.

@jons

We do have a commitment to fix driver loading issues in Monterey, perhaps earlier.

We have had a good relationship with Apple for decades, but recently there is a new initiative to get several longstanding bugs fixed.

@softraid-support

"A clean install can often fix this."

I reinstall BigSur more than 8 times with "recovery from TimeMachine" and without (as a fresh installation : so without any "unsigned/not notarized extensions"): same thing : failed to install 6.0.5.app

OK:

delete most of those extensions: done 

reminded

go through these steps to get the driver installed: done

Startup into internet recovery

in terminal, csrutil disable;  enter reboot : done

???Launch SoftRAID???

?? Click on the volume tile for your startup volume. From the volumes menu "Reinstall SoftRAID driver" ??

===>   mounted the DMG, transfered the 6.05.app in Applications, clicked it to install

Install failed again.

Just in case: the new "sr_supt" file is attached

I have a Mini Late 2014 which had from SoftRAID 5.6.4 to 5.8.4, then 6.01, 2 ,3, 4 and 5... all working as expected before my "system disk" failed and had to be replaced (all Users were on the "MyRAID5" array except the "Admin" on the "system disk".

@lemj0001

Now that you are on Big Sur, you should not need to have csrutil disabled. go ahead and reset it to normal, with csrutil enable in internet recovery mode. that was a workaround for High Sierra.

I do see the SoftRAID driver is not installed, but our SMART drivers are.

Lets go through a manual removal of all the components and try again. (after you enable security with csrutil enable)

Paste each command line below into the terminal application. You will need your normal admin password for some steps.

Delete the SoftRAID driver:

sudo rm -r /Library/Extensions/OWC_SATA_Command.kext
sudo rm -r /Library/Extensions/OWC_SCSI_Device.kext
sudo rm -r /Library/Extensions/OWC_SCSI_Device_0E.kext
sudo touch /Library/Extensions
sudo kextcache -fu /

Now, Restart your computer

Remove the daemon and SoftRAID Monitor:
sudo rm /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.softraid.softraidd.plist
sudo rm /Library/LaunchAgents/com.softraid.SoftRAIDMonitor.plist

Remove the SoftRAID application support directory:
sudo rm -r /Library/Application\ Support/SoftRAID

Remove all the SoftRAID preferences:
defaults delete com.softraid.SoftRAID

Restart the Mac. Run SoftRAID and let me know if you can install the driver. (and if you get the System preferences dialog box, to "Allow" OWC as an indentified developer)

Every steps followed: Still failing

I successfully install the 6.0.5 on another machine (iMac 2011/HighSierra) in order to backup everything that the MyRAID5 has to a single 8TB drive.

I will try everything again later since MyRAID5 is now not connected to the Mini2014/BigSur that refuses the installation of SoftRAID. 

@lemj0001

Is there an error when you run the terminal command to load the driver manually?

sudo kmutil load -p /Library/Extensions/SoftRAID.kext

The "MyRAID5 array" is not seen anymore but the individual drives are seemed by the « disk utility app » (sorry I run in french…)

Did again the « your post of 05/07/2021 10:52 am » suggested steps

admi@Mini(07:53) [ ~ ]
>sudo kmutil load -p /Library/Extensions/SoftRAID.kext
Password:
Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=2 "No such file or directory"
admi@Mini(07:55) [ ~ ]
>ll /Library/Extensions/SoftRAID.kext
ls: /Library/Extensions/SoftRAID.kext: No such file or directory
admi@Mini(07:55) [ ~ ]
>sudo rm /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.softraid.softraidd.plist
rm: /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.softraid.softraidd.plist: No such file or directory
admi@Mini(07:57) [ ~ ]
>sudo rm /Library/LaunchAgents/com.softraid.SoftRAIDMonitor.plist
rm: /Library/LaunchAgents/com.softraid.SoftRAIDMonitor.plist: No such file or directory
admi@Mini(07:58) [ ~ ]
>sudo rm -r /Library/Application\ Support/SoftRAID
admi@Mini(07:58) [ ~ ]
>defaults delete com.softraid.SoftRAID
admi@Mini(07:58) [ ~ ]

reboot

try to install 6.0.5

Failed

Log says:

Jul 16 08:18:13 - SoftRAID Application: Launching application: SoftRAID version 6.0.5
Jul 16 08:18:26 - SoftRAID Application: Initialization Failed!! (command ID = 30, initializationState = 14, result = 102)

generating the Report (the « 16a »)

I am already with BigSur.

The cleanup of Extensions has been done before (suggested in your post of 07/07/2021 10:12 am)
Here are the remaining Extensions:

ll /Library/Extensions
total 0
drwxr-xr-x 9 root wheel 288 16 jul 08:18 .
drwxr-xr-x 79 root wheel 2528 6 jul 08:06 ..
drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 96 7 jan 2019 AppleMobileDevice.kext
drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 96 28 sep 2016 EPSONUSBPrintClass.kext
drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 96 26 jan 2018 FTDIKext.kext
drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 96 16 jul 08:18 OWC_SATA_Command.kext
drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 96 16 jul 08:18 OWC_SCSI_Device.kext
drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 96 16 jul 08:18 OWC_SCSI_Device_0E.kext
drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 96 16 jul 08:18 OWC_SMART_Library.plugin

The « csrutil » things did not worked and i am with BigSur (suggested in your post of 07/07/2021 10:12 am)

(Now suggested in your post of 08/07/2021 10:35 am)

sudo rm -r /Library/Extensions/OWC_SATA_Command.kext
Password:
admi@Mini(08:42) [ ~ ]
>sudo rm -r /Library/Extensions/OWC_SCSI_Device.kext
admi@Mini(08:42) [ ~ ]
>sudo rm -r /Library/Extensions/OWC_SCSI_Device_0E.kext
admi@Mini(08:42) [ ~ ]
>sudo touch /Library/Extensions
admi@Mini(08:43) [ ~ ]
>sudo kextcache -fu /
Executing: /usr/bin/kmutil install --volume-root / --check-rebuild
rebuilding local auxiliary collection
kmutil done

Rebooted

sudo rm /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.softraid.softraidd.plist
Password:
rm: /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.softraid.softraidd.plist: No such file or directory
admi@Mini(08:47) [ ~ ]
>sudo rm /Library/LaunchAgents/com.softraid.SoftRAIDMonitor.plist
rm: /Library/LaunchAgents/com.softraid.SoftRAIDMonitor.plist: No such file or directory
admi@Mini(08:47) [ ~ ]
>sudo rm -r /Library/Application\ Support/SoftRAID
admi@Mini(08:48) [ ~ ]
>defaults delete com.softraid.SoftRAID
admi@Mini(08:48) [ ~ ]

Restarted the Mac.
Running again SoftRAID6.0.5.app

Still failing

doing the step of in your post of 09/07/2021 8:43 am

sudo kmutil load -p /Library/Extensions/SoftRAID.kext
Password:
Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=2 "No such file or directory"
admi@Mini(08:53) [ ~ ]
>ll /Library/Extensions
total 0
drwxr-xr-x 9 root wheel 288 16 jul 08:51 .
drwxr-xr-x 79 root wheel 2528 6 jul 08:06 ..
drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 96 7 jan 2019 AppleMobileDevice.kext
drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 96 28 sep 2016 EPSONUSBPrintClass.kext
drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 96 26 jan 2018 FTDIKext.kext
drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 96 16 jul 08:51 OWC_SATA_Command.kext
drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 96 16 jul 08:51 OWC_SCSI_Device.kext
drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 96 16 jul 08:51 OWC_SCSI_Device_0E.kext
drwxr-xr-x@ 3 root wheel 96 16 jul 08:51 OWC_SMART_Library.plugin
admi@Mini(08:53) [ ~ ]

So the "SoftRAID.kext" is not in the "/Library/Extensions"

manually copy the .kext file to that place:

>lcd /Library/Extensions
admi@Mini(08:56) [ Extensions ]
>open .

copy/paste the file

admi@Mini(08:56) [ Extensions ]
>osudo kmutil load -p /Library/Extensions/SoftRAID.kext
Error Domain=KMErrorDomain Code=30 "Validating extension failed: Kext com.softraid.driver.SoftRAID v6.0.5 in executable kext bundle com.softraid.driver.SoftRAID at /private/var/db/KernelExtensionManagement/Staging/com.softraid.driver.SoftRAID.YKFeLA/SoftRAID.kext:

Filesystem error: Invalid ownership (503:0) should be (0:0) on /private/var/db/KernelExtensionManagement/Staging/com.softraid.driver.SoftRAID.YKFeLA/SoftRAID.kext

...
Filesystem error: Invalid ownership (503:0) should be (0:0) on /private/var/db/KernelExtensionManagement/Staging/com.softraid.driver.SoftRAID.YKFeLA/SoftRAID.kext/Contents/MacOS/SoftRAID}
admi@Mini(08:56) [ Extensions ]

of course, it couldn't be that easy !

in "root" the 6.0.5.app does not want to install

Have an idea ?