How to install Dia on OSX (and have it run)

install_dia_osx.md

brew cask install dia

After his it won't run because DISPLAY=:0 env var is not set

vim /Applications/Dia.app/Contents/Resources/bin/dia

Add the following content to line 40 (right before the oascript call)

#########################################################
# Ref: http://navkirats.blogspot.de/2014/10/dia-diagram-mac-osx-yosemite-fix-i-use.html
versionOSX=$(sw_vers -productVersion | awk -F '.' '{print $(NF-1)}')
[[ ${versionOSX} -ge 10 ]] && export DISPLAY=:0
#########################################################

hi there. this code is working in macos Big Sur
i just copied the dia bin to dia-cmd

first edit with vim and make changes
look for these part.

Brutally add many things to the PATH. If the directories do not exist, they won't be used anyway.

People should really use ~/.macosx/environment.plist to set environment variables as explained by Apple:

http://developer.apple.com/qa/qa2001/qa1067.html

but since no one does, we correct this by making the 'classic' PATH additions here:

/usr/local/bin which, though standard, doesn't seem to be in the PATH

newer python as recommended by MacPython http://www.python.org/download/mac/

Fink

MacPorts (former DarwinPorts)

LaTeX distribution for Mac OS X

#export PATH="/usr/texbin:/opt/local/bin:/sw/bin/:/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/Current/bin:/usr/local/bin:$CWD:$PATH"

Check for X11
if [[ "" == $DISPLAY ]]; then
export DISPLAY=:0
fi
startx=which startx
if [[ "" == $startx ]]; then
if [[ ! -e /opt/X11/bin/startx ]]; then
# Ref: http://navkirats.blogspot.de/2014/10/dia-diagram-mac-osx-yosemite-fix-i-use.html
versionOSX=$(sw_vers -productVersion | awk -F '.' '{print $(NF-1)}')
[[ ${versionOSX} -ge 10 ]] && export DISPLAY=:0

osascript -e 'tell app "System Events" to display dialog "X11 (XQuartz) is not installed or not running. Would you like to visit xquartz.macosforge.org now in order to download and install XQuartz?" with icon 0'
if [[ $? -eq 0 ]]; then
open http://xquartz.macosforge.org
exit
fi
fi
fi
osascript -e 'tell app "XQuartz" to launch'
for i in seq 1 30; do
if [[ ps aux | grep -v grep | grep startx | wc -l -lt 1 ]]; then
sleep 1
fi
done
if [[ "$DISPLAY" =~ "/tmp" ]]; then
if [[ ! -e $DISPLAY ]]; then
export DISPLAY=:0
fi
fi

and you can use this code

export DISPLAY=:0 # Fixes the "cannot open display".
export LANG="en_US.UTF-8" # Fixes the annoying Xterm window opening.

exec "$CWD/dia-bin" --integrated

---

Worked for me! Thanks!

It works wonders !! :-). Thanks

Thanks! :)
It worked for me on my M1 mac (Monterey).

can someone tell how to install it in mac m2

not working on m1 Mac Ventura

Works for me on 13.2(Ventura). Thanks a ton!!

Hello. I did the first step. Edit de file. But I don´t understand the valdimir454`s step. I need help to install in mac m1. Thanks.

hi, make sure the display is 0 sometimes that gives the error
and check this link:# Ref: http://navkirats.blogspot.de/2014/10/dia-diagram-mac-osx-yosemite-fix-i-use.html

Ok. I doing any wrong way. But I don´t know.

I downloaded de package from this site [http://dia-installer.de/download/macosx.html.en]. Then I did copy the package to aplications folder. Then I change the document /bin/.dia like your code. Then I started the app and the system said me the app is broken.

I don´t write de last line, this:
export DISPLAY=:0 # Fixes the "cannot open display".
export LANG="en_US.UTF-8" # Fixes the annoying Xterm window opening.

exec "$CWD/dia-bin" --integrated

becuase I don´t know what is the place to write.

THX

does not work for me on macOS Catalina 10.15.5 When I tried to open Dia, I click it, it says "dia is damaged" and asked me to move it to trash. Anybody know how to fix this? Thank you!

go to preferences and allow to open it.

hi, friend. The app is working very nice. The work of @vladimir454 to repair de code did essential. I can use my best diagram app.

Hello!
It worked for me in MAC OS X El Capitán.

First: open the application.
Second: close the application when it fail.
Third: change the "dia" file with the proposed lines of code.
Forth: restart your computer.
Fifth: open the application and see if it worked.

Goodbye!

Hello , I try to install but it is not working ....I am using Mac Big Sur:

this is code :

Last login: Sat Mar 25 01:04:59 on ttys000
/Applications/Dia.app/Contents/Resources/bin/dia ; exit;
macbook@Air-de-Mion ~ % /Applications/Dia.app/Contents/Resources/bin/dia ; exit;
Warning: AppleCollationOrder setting not found, using AppleLocale.
Setting Language: fr.UTF8

(process:28180): Gdk-WARNING **: locale not supported by C library

(process:28180): Gtk-WARNING **: Locale not supported by C library.
Using the fallback 'C' locale.

(dia-bin:28180): Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display: /private/tmp/com.apple.launchd.q2NMk6ERUN/org.xquartz:0
Saving session...
...copying shared history...
...saving history...truncating history files...
...completed.

[Opération terminée]

Thank you sir, Dia was giving me problems after it stopped working, this fixed the problem..

Year 2023 use: brew install dia --cask

The original script seems to not parsing macOS major version as it should (it's returning "6" instead of "12" on macOS Monterey 12.6.7), so you'll need to add before the line 40 the following code instead:

#########################################################
# Ref: http://navkirats.blogspot.de/2014/10/dia-diagram-mac-osx-yosemite-fix-i-use.html
versionOSX=$(sw_vers -productVersion)
[[ ${versionOSX%%.*} -ge 10 ]] && export DISPLAY=:0
#########################################################

For users that installed Dia using Homebrew and uses macOS on a language different than English, it seems that parsing AppleCollationOrder to detect user locale isn't working anymore (used to work on Tiger machines) and is returning pt instead of pt_BR on my system, so LANG is wrong and Dia is loading Portuguese-Portugal instead of Portuguese-Brazil UI.
Replace the lines 125-126 with:
LANGSTR=`defaults read "Apple Global Domain" AppleLocale 2>/dev/null`

Also notice that Dia doesn't seems to provide access to protected folders (like User personal folders and Volumes), so it's not possible to access them through Dia by default.

Hi the editing of the scripting /Application.//.. line 40 This got it working on the m2 launched as an application, but I have Makefiles that use did in non-interactive mode. How to I add these to the PATH? in MAC M2?

Just had the same issue, thanks for working it out. I have another solution suggestion, which extends it's script and Makefile usage, which I require.

There is no need to introduce further logic into the script, if you are on newer versions of macOS, just hardcode display :0 into the dia-bin parameters and fix the dia script not passing on additional command line parameters in one go. So you can use it properly on the command line as well, e.g. scripts, Makefiles:

Change the last line, where it executes the actual dia binary, from:

File: /Applications/Dia.app/Contents/Resources/bin/dia

exec "$CWD/dia-bin" --integrated

to:

exec "$CWD/dia-bin" --integrated --display=:0 "$@"

and include /Applications/Dia.app/Contents/Resources/bin into your PATH/.profle and you are all set. Now you can start Dia.app as well call dia -e [...] from the command line if PATH is set.

If you want to prevent XQuartz from opening the additional terminal window, just put export DISPLAY=:0 like described above before the osascript call on line 40.

Thanks. It is working again on my Macbook M1 under Sonoma.

Thanks, still works on MacBook Pro M3 Pro, Sequoia 15.0