[Sticky] Big Sur on M1 machines and SoftRAID issues

@softraid-support 
Thanks for help.
Problem resolved, I figure out "uninstall SoftRAID" not just put it in trash can, my bad.
Thanks a lot.

@softraid-support

Since the volume is mounted and functioning satisfactorily with Time Machine, I can live with the status quo for now, but I still have questions:

1. Why does the SoftRAID app continue to attempt installing the driver b53 driver every time it is launched?
2. Given "SoftRAID does not yet recognize APFS volumes in the volumes tile." what does that have to do with the SoftRAID app failing to recognize the array as being mounted or its inability to perform any actions on the array?
3. If I swap my existing 1TB drives in the OWC Thunderbay mini enclosure with new higher capacity HDs will SoftRAID be able to setup the new drives?
4. Is SoftRAID capable of supporting encrypted Time Machine backups on APFS formatted hard drives?

@joemikeb

1. Because macOS is not updating the extensions cache is my guess. Run the command:

kextstat

in the terminal.app and look for SoftRAID. what driver version is loading?

2. the lack of support in the user interface has no functional problems, outside of your needing to unmount volumes from the desktop to delete/manage them. We have a fix for this coming.

3. Yes, pretty much any drives are compatible in your enclosure.

4. yes, but macOS needs to fix a bug in the encryption. It can cause kernel panics. We are waiting for this fix to arrive, it is not in 11.3 beta as far as I can tell.

@softraid-support

The driver that is loading is com.softraid.driver.SoftRAID (6.0.1b52) not b53 would that be what is blocking b53 from loading and if so how do I fix that?

@joemikeb

Try "uninstall SoftRAID" from utilities menu, then reinstall the driver at restart.

@softraid-support

Okay, I launched SoftRAID 6.0.1 b53 which requires installing a new driver that SoftRAID reports as successful. Then I run uninstall SoftRAID and restart. kextstat now reports SoftTRAID 6.0.1 b52 is installed. If I relaunch SoftRAID 6.0.1 b53 the cycle repeats. 

It appears the only way to delete the b52 driver is going to be with terminal commands. Unfortunately I am not sufficiently terminal knowledgeable enough to accomplish that. Or maybe since the b52 driver is working, should I just leave well enough alone for now and hope this conundrum gets straightened out in SoftRAID 6.0.2?

@joemikeb

Try pasting these two terminal commands in and restart:

sudo kmutil clear-staging

sudo kextcache -i /

@softraid-support

Still have 6.0.1b52 driver installed

@joemikeb

Stubborn, your system is.

Use "uninstall SoftRAID" and restart.

run this in terminal and report back what it says (it should be no response)

sudo kextstat -b com.softraid.driver.SoftRAID

Big Sur 11.3 Beta 6 (20E5224a) working without any problems, as far as I can see.

@softraid-support @little-padawan :)

@alex8365 "Uninstall Softraid" will delete the driver and the system extension. If you do that, and then restart the system as asked, you will still have the Softraid-App in your /Applications folder. It's two different mechanisms. To say it the other way round: If you drag the Softraid-App to your Trash, you will remove the Application, but the driver and the system extension will remain on your computer and stay active.

@softraid-support

stubborn my system definitely is! and after uninstalling and restarting it is still running b52. I believe the problem is that in order to run the uninstall, when I launch SoftRAID 6.0.1b53 it requires that I install the b53 driver before the app will open. Then when I run Uninstall, it uninstalls the b53 driver, that is apparently blocked from loading (by the b52 driver?) then reboots leaving the b52 driver in place.

@joemikeb

If you were to go to /Library/Extensions and get info on the softraid.kext it should be b52 according to your experience.

Here is a better idea. we are releasing 6.0.1 today as I write this.

Wait about an hour and try with 6.0.1. I believe it should be out within the hour.

I could not pre-announce it, but a few minutes is acceptable ;-)

So, Softraid 6.0.1 has been released? I thought there would be another beta to test the Monitor....