Finder error: The application “VCV Rack 2 Free” can’t be opened.

im lost on this one.

Something is happening here, I dont know what it is

You keep using forward quote instead of a regular single quote. Try with double quotes:

sudo chmod -R +rx "/Applications/VCV Rack 2 Free.app"

If copy/paste doesn’t work for you, just type it in exactly as it shows above.

It never inputs correctly - sometimes it’ll ask me for a password which then they say the file directory doesnt exist in that location

Are you copy-pasting some instructions. Sometimes the source you are copying from actually winds up with the wrong type of quote characters.

Hmm. (Using macOS Catalina v10.16.7)

I navigated to the Applications directory in Terminal, then did this:

johnrose@Johns-MacBook-Pro /Applications % sudo chmod -R +rx 'VCV Rack 2 Free.app'         
johnrose@Johns-MacBook-Pro /Applications %

It seemed to accept it as a legit filename and command and all, but it did not appear to change anything. When I double-click on a patch file it launches VCV Rack 2 Free, but gives an error like this:

After which it proceeds to load the most recently-opened patch. I think it always did that.

The Finder does acknowledge that VCV Rack 2 Free is the default application to open it though.

When I select a v1 patch (in the Finder) and then right-click to select Open With / Rack [the v1 version], then it launches Rack v1 and loads the patch with no problem.

must have been answered 100 times already, open it via Rack’s File->Open… menu. On Mac one cannot double-click a patch to have Rack2 load it. I remember it did work on Windows 10 back when I still Racked on Win.

Ummm… You misunderstand the nature of the puzzle.

Here’s the thing: Double-clicking a patch in the Finder to open it used to work in macOS. Opening a patch “via Rack’s File->Open… menu” is merely a work-around for Rack2.

The wording of the error message is puzzling too, since clearly Rack 2 can open the very same patch files.

Agreed, but alas, I have trained self to never double-click a patch in the Finder since I started using MacOS again with the M1 Mini, and Rack2.

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As it turns out, it works in Ubuntu “Studio” (Version 20.04.4 LTS Focal Fossa - Xfce Desktop). Double-clicking on a patch file will launch Rack 2 and load that patch.

How about that.