Weird Memory Issue on KSP 1.12.5

[Lisias]

I'm publishing this material here because I couldn't think on anywhere better (or less worst).

Fellow Kerbonaut Cossus is taking some heat from KSP, and reached us on Forum for help.

By bad luck, initially the TweakScale Companion for Frameworks ended up being caught with its pants down, but eventually I ruled out any wrongdoing, as removing Recall, TS and TSCo didn't solved the problem.

However TSCo.Frameworks could had been dragged into the fire due someone he "talks" to that, by its turn, could be the real troublemaker (or perhaps the screaming victim?).

M.O.

I cooked up a CKAN file with (most) add'ons present on the original user's logs (see below) and I could reproduce the problem - I had ruled out a lot of add'ons just on it.

I will further hack and slice my way into the problem until the crash stop happening, and then will try to zero into the root cause.

Evidences

• mono-sgen32_2025-02-04-134743_macmini62homelisiasnet.crash.zip
  • Found in ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports
• Player.log.zip
  • Found in ~/Library/Logs/Squad/KSP
• KSP.log.zip
  • Found in ~/Workspaces/KSP/runtime/1.12.5.ckan
• CKAN file used to create the test bed: cossus.ckan.zip

User Evidences

• Fist batch: 1.zip
• Second batch: 2.zip

Conclusions

Not Guilties

The following Add'Ons ARE NOT involved on the problem, as besides present in the user's machine, weren't on mine.

• KSP Modular Management
  • KSPe, MM/L, MMWD, et all
  • Replaced by Forum Module Manager
• Blackrack_TUFX.cfg
• ContractPacks
• CryoEnginesLFO
• CryoEnginesNFAero
• CryoEnginesNFLV
• CryoEnginesRestock
• DMagicUtilities
• EveEngines
• JavelinEngine
• JNSQ_ParallaxScatters
• JNSQVolumetrics
• KerbalAtomicsLH2NTRModSupport
• KerbalismConfig
• KSPRescueContractFix
• MiniAVC.dll
• SoundtrackEditorForked
• SSTU
• StockVolumetricClouds
• SystemHeatConverters
• SystemHeatHarvesters
• SystemHeatIonEngines
• WeatherDrivenSolarPanel
• XenonHallThrusters
• zKerbalismSystemHeat

I didn't installed them because they are not on CKAN, and I decided to try my luck on CKAN available add'ons first.

On a second batch, I also removed:

• KSP-Recall
• TweakScale
• TweakScaleCompanion

On a 3rd batch, it was gone:

• B9PS
• Harmony
• KSPBurst
• ShineFX
• EnvironmentalVisualEnhancements
• Kerbalism
• KerbalismConfig
• Parallax
• Parallax_StockTextures
• PlanetShine
• Shabby
• StockScattererConfigs

On a 4th batch, it was gone:

• Benjee10_MMSEV
• Benjee10_sharedAssets
• Bluedog_DB
• DistantObject
• FShangarExtender
• Firespitter
• JNSQ
• KAX
• Kopernicus
• MechJeb2
• Parallax_StockTextures (forgot this one from the last test)
• Strategia
• TUFX
• TextureReplacer

Again, none of the above add'ons were causing any damage, and removing them didn't changed the outcome (other than loading KSP faster).

Contributing Factors

KSPCF appear to be responsible for the crash to the desktop by some reason, however it doesn't matter since without it the Loading Thread ends up dead and the game halts. It can be improved to better cope with the problem, but it didn't caused it.

[Lisias]

Removed:

• KSP-Recall
• TweakScale
• TweakScaleCompanion

And still got a crash:

• Player.log.zip
• KSP.log.zip
• No crash report from MacOS, however. Don't ask.

Apparently the problem appears to be SystemHeat? Or perhaps a bordeline situation not handled by KSPCF?

[KSPCF/DragCubeGeneration] Creating drag cubes for part 'reactor-0625'
(Filename: ./Runtime/Export/Debug/Debug.bindings.h Line: 35)

Uploading Crash Report
NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
  at SystemHeat.ModuleSystemHeatFissionReactor.GetInfo () [0x000ae] in <86504ca3e8074d8089b8383829077785>:0
  at PartLoader.CompilePartInfo (AvailablePart newPartInfo, Part part) [0x0024e] in <106570632fc343a784fad39e75e877bf>:0
  at (wrapper dynamic-method) PartLoader+<CompileParts>d__56.PartLoader+<CompileParts>d__56.MoveNext_Patch0(PartLoader/<CompileParts>d__56)
  at KSPCommunityFixes.Performance.KSPCFFastLoader+<FrameUnlockedCoroutine>d__63.MoveNext () [0x0006c] in <e997dbbd4fda4eacb68a00719aa5e5dc>:0
UnityEngine.DebugLogHandler:Internal_LogException(Exception, Object)
UnityEngine.DebugLogHandler:LogException(Exception, Object)
ModuleManager.UnityLogHandle.InterceptLogHandler:LogException(Exception, Object)
UnityEngine.Logger:LogException(Exception, Object)
UnityEngine.Debug:LogException(Exception)
KSPCommunityFixes.Performance.<FrameUnlockedCoroutine>d__63:MoveNext()
KSPCommunityFixes.Performance.<PartLoader_CompileAll>d__59:MoveNext()
UnityEngine.SetupCoroutine:InvokeMoveNext(IEnumerator, IntPtr)

(Filename: <86504ca3e8074d8089b8383829077785> Line: 0)

DontDestroyOnLoad only works for root GameObjects or components on root GameObjects.
(Filename:  Line: 589)

Uploading Crash Report
Setting up 4 worker threads for Enlighten.
  Thread -> id: 70000ed6e000 -> priority: 1
  Thread -> id: 70000ee74000 -> priority: 1
  Thread -> id: 70000eef7000 -> priority: 1
  Thread -> id: 70000ef7a000 -> priority: 1

[Lisias]

Now I removed KSPCF and ROUtils (since it have a dependency on KSPCF). The game didn't crashed into Desktop this time, but locked on a infinite loop - probably the loading thread had died.

The interesting bit is:

[LOG 20:26:08.253] DragCubeSystem: Creating drag cubes for part 'reactor-0625'
[EXC 20:26:08.330] NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
    SystemHeat.ModuleSystemHeatFissionReactor.GetInfo () (at <86504ca3e8074d8089b8383829077785>:0)
    PartLoader.CompilePartInfo (AvailablePart newPartInfo, Part part) (at <106570632fc343a784fad39e75e877bf>:0)
    PartLoader+<CompileParts>d__56.MoveNext () (at <106570632fc343a784fad39e75e877bf>:0)
    UnityEngine.SetupCoroutine.InvokeMoveNext (System.Collections.IEnumerator enumerator, System.IntPtr returnValueAddress) (at <ef038509c5b948af8d6049dcab97ad3f>:0)
    UnityEngine.DebugLogHandler:LogException(Exception, Object)
    ModuleManager.UnityLogHandle.InterceptLogHandler:LogException(Exception, Object)
    UnityEngine.Debug:CallOverridenDebugHandler(Exception, Object)

Looks like SystemHeat is, indeed, the cause of this problem. Now we need to realize if it is a trigger, or the perpetrator.

• Player.log.zip
• KSP.log.zip

[Lisias]

Removing the following mods didn't improved the situation:

• B9PS
• Harmony
• KSPBurst
• ShineFX
• EnvironmentalVisualEnhancements
• Kerbalism
• KerbalismConfig
• Parallax
• Parallax_StockTextures
• PlanetShine
• Shabby
• StockScattererConfigs

[LOG 22:15:23.383] [DragCubeSystem]: Drag cubes not found or cannot be read for part Part. Generating New drag cubes.
[LOG 22:15:23.386] DragCubeSystem: Creating drag cubes for part 'reactor-0625'
[EXC 22:15:23.501] NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
    SystemHeat.ModuleSystemHeatFissionReactor.GetInfo () (at <86504ca3e8074d8089b8383829077785>:0)
    PartLoader.CompilePartInfo (AvailablePart newPartInfo, Part part) (at <106570632fc343a784fad39e75e877bf>:0)
    PartLoader+<CompileParts>d__56.MoveNext () (at <106570632fc343a784fad39e75e877bf>:0)
    UnityEngine.SetupCoroutine.InvokeMoveNext (System.Collections.IEnumerator enumerator, System.IntPtr returnValueAddress) (at <ef038509c5b948af8d6049dcab97ad3f>:0)
    UnityEngine.DebugLogHandler:LogException(Exception, Object)
    ModuleManager.UnityLogHandle.InterceptLogHandler:LogException(Exception, Object)
    UnityEngine.Debug:CallOverridenDebugHandler(Exception, Object)
[EXC 22:17:55.488] NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
    Scatterer.AtmoPreprocessor.ReleaseTextures () (at <54f2924209e243e1ae5e4af0d4a9ce81>:0)
    Scatterer.AtmoPreprocessor.OnDestroy () (at <54f2924209e243e1ae5e4af0d4a9ce81>:0)
    UnityEngine.DebugLogHandler:LogException(Exception, Object)
    ModuleManager.UnityLogHandle.InterceptLogHandler:LogException(Exception, Object)
    UnityEngine.Debug:CallOverridenDebugHandler(Exception, Object)

• Player.log.zip
• KSP.log.zip

[Lisias]

Oukey. Butcher Mode....

[Lisias]

Removing the following mods didn't improved the situation:

• Benjee10_MMSEV
• Benjee10_sharedAssets
• Bluedog_DB
• DistantObject
• FShangarExtender
• Firespitter
• JNSQ
• KAX
• Kopernicus
• MechJeb2
• Parallax_StockTextures (forgot this one from the last test)
• Strategia
• TUFX
• TextureReplacer

[LOG 22:41:32.051] PartLoader: Part 'NearFutureElectrical/Legacy/Parts/FissionReactors/reactor-0625/reactor-0625' has no database record. Creating.
[LOG 22:41:32.051] [DragCubeSystem]: Drag cubes not found or cannot be read for part Part. Generating New drag cubes.
[LOG 22:41:32.054] DragCubeSystem: Creating drag cubes for part 'reactor-0625'
[EXC 22:41:32.113] NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
    SystemHeat.ModuleSystemHeatFissionReactor.GetInfo () (at <86504ca3e8074d8089b8383829077785>:0)
    PartLoader.CompilePartInfo (AvailablePart newPartInfo, Part part) (at <106570632fc343a784fad39e75e877bf>:0)
    PartLoader+<CompileParts>d__56.MoveNext () (at <106570632fc343a784fad39e75e877bf>:0)
    UnityEngine.SetupCoroutine.InvokeMoveNext (System.Collections.IEnumerator enumerator, System.IntPtr returnValueAddress) (at <ef038509c5b948af8d6049dcab97ad3f>:0)
    UnityEngine.DebugLogHandler:LogException(Exception, Object)
    ModuleManager.UnityLogHandle.InterceptLogHandler:LogException(Exception, Object)
    UnityEngine.Debug:CallOverridenDebugHandler(Exception, Object)

• Player.log.zip
• KSP.log.zip

[Lisias]

SUCCESS! Managed to boot up KSP after removing the following add'ons:

• DMagicOrbitalScience
• DMagicScienceAnimate
• HabTechProps
• HideEmptyTechTreeNodes
• JX2Antenna
• KSPWheel
• KerbalChangelog
• KerbalEngineer
• KerbalSpacePonies
• Kronometer
• LShipParts
• ManeuverNodeEvolved
• ModularLaunchPads
• ReStock
• ReStockPlus
• RestockRigidLegs
• RealismOverhaul
• RestockWaterfallExpansion
• SCANsat
• Scatterer (forgot this one from the last test)
• StationPartsExpansionRedux
• StationPartsExpansionReduxIVAs
• TrackingStationEvolved
• UniversalStorage2
• WildBlueIndustries
• zzz_Deferred

Now the job it to put them back gradually until I reproduce the problem again!

• Player.log.zip
• KSP.log.zip

[Lisias]

As from February 5th, 2025, I can't reproduce the crash anymore. Don't know why yet, but I noticed that some add'ons used on this test were updated yesterday, so chances are that they were the trigger for the KSPCF misbehaviour. Corolary: KSPCF probably still have the trigger for the glitch.

But, and again, the Crash into Desktop was a side effect, the real problem is something inducing SystemHeat to bork and kill the loading thread, so from now I will focus my efforts on this.

[Lisias]

On a side note: CKAN is not a reliable tool for diagnostics without some tinkering.

CKAN had updated the mentioned add'ons on my cache a few hours ago, what matches with the time in which I could not reproduce the crash anymore.

Next time, I will try to lock the add'ons' versions on the CKAN file to prevent having them updated without I'm being aware. That would had saved me some good hours today. :/