Zima Client: Stuck at Initializing?!

ZimaCube
1

I just received my ZimaCube. Was able to get it up and running using the web interface, but some significant features are missing that I think are only found in the Zima Client.

I unfortunately have been unable to get the Zima Client to launch properly. When I download the latest from https://findzima.com, I am getting v0.1.7. I dragged the application to my Applications folder and launched it.

It goes through a slight “Initializing” before asking for my MacOS password “to make changes”.
enter_password
I enter my password, and then it proceeds to this screen…
initializing
But never proceeds any further. I have “googled” for help on this, but I can find nothing. How do I get the Zima Client to work?

I can reach the ZimaCube via the web, so it is not network connectivity. This is on my home private network, so there are no ACLs or host-firewalls involved. I am using the approved client from IceWhale that I downloaded from findzima.com

PLEASE HELP!

2

Anyone have any ideas? Is there a configuration file that I can edit directly to give it a path to the ZimaCube? The client does not generate any menu bar items during this “Initializing …” stage, but I can quit the program and re-launch (same results).

3

The initialization step here is actually the installation of ZeroTier, so you might consider installing ZeroTier separately to skip the initialization process. Download - ZeroTier
I will check the reason why the app is stuck.
I would like to know if your password contains spaces at the beginning and end.

5

OK, that made it worse. I installed the ZeroTier software, and now the Zima client launches, goes to initializing for a moment, and the window goes away. Nothing else happens.

If I attempt to click the icon again, it does nothing. I am using MacOS, and clicking the client icon in the dock, does nothing, as before at least it would show a window.

If I go to the process viewer (Activity Monitor), there are the following:

Zima Helper 0.0 0.04 10 1 Apple 0.0 0.00 1958 jewettg
Zima Helper (GPU) 0.0 0.11 9 1 Apple 0.0 0.00 1957 jewettg
Zima 0.0 0.77 31 2 Apple 0.0 0.00 1892 jewettg

I can force quit the processes, but they just reappear with no windows if I re-launch the Zima client.

It is still stuck, but now worse. HELP!

MacOS 14.5 (23F79)
Firefox Browser (latest)
Zima Client 0.1.7
ZeroTier One 1.14.0

6

Unless I am missing something, I didn’t find anything in the ZimaClient that was not available in the web UI. Currently, the client is 90% just links back to the WebUI.

Maybe someday.

I, personally, will give the ZimaClient a few months to settle down before I try it again.

7

…and there is the catch, I am trying to get the client working, as I think I am missing out on something.

What is the 10% that is not found in the web version?

Main thing I am trying to do… is get it to mount on my desktop so I can use the disk space. I thought setting up this functionality was found in the client, since I could not find it in the web interface.

8

Once you have set up a storage pool and one or more shares on the zimacube you can connect using the following guide Connect your Mac to shared computers and servers - Apple Palaikymas (LT) .

I haven’t used a mac in a while.

9

So is Samba the only option? Can you define users - as the only way I got it to work was as a Guest.
That is not desirable - very insecure, anyone on my network can mount that … and mess with it. A couple of users would allow me to have an admin level (rw) account, and let guest be RO.

10

@jewettg @dfarning and others who are concerned about the client,

I’ve listed some questions that you might be interested in. For now, I’ll post them here. If there’s enough interest, we might set up a dedicated section for discussing related features and issues.

Download Links for Versions Above v0.1.7

Since the client supports automatic updates starting from version v0.1.8, please download from the new links below. We will also update the download links on various pages accordingly.

macOS arm64 (Apple Silicon):
https://zimaos.oss-accelerate.aliyuncs.com/client/releases/darwin/arm64/Zima-latest-arm64.dmg

macOS x64 (Intel Chip):
https://zimaos.oss-accelerate.aliyuncs.com/client/releases/darwin/x64/Zima-latest-x64.dmg

Windows x64:
https://zimaos.oss-accelerate.aliyuncs.com/client/releases/win32/x64/Zima-latest%20Setup.exe

The Purpose of the Zima Client

The Zima client is designed to be a silent client, but its functionality is substantial enough that some core experiences occur in places you might not even notice—quietly and naturally.
I personally recommend one of its main features, which is seamless connectivity. I call it “Connect,” a fundamental feature of the client so basic that it doesn’t have a name of its own.
Once you enable and connect ZimaCube, it will always find the fastest connection to open the webUI in any network scenario (LAN, Thunderbolt, external network, hotspot).
This also applies to sharing ZimaOS services with your friends. Some services, like OpenWebUI and game servers, can be accessed without logging in, using the app’s own authentication features.
If you find more interesting use cases, please share them.
Of course, we are still in the early iterations and welcome more client ideas.

Will Remote Access Compromise My Privacy?

Absolutely not. The aforementioned “Connect” is based on ZeroTier, and I have thoroughly reviewed extensive ZeroTier technical documentation, source code, and white papers.
We use a self-deployed network controller on ZimaCube, meaning we only utilize ZeroTier’s global public discovery servers. The control of the virtual network remains entirely on ZimaCube.
Neither IceWhale nor ZeroTier has any management rights.
Data privacy and sovereignty are our top priorities, so if you have any doubts, feel free to challenge them.
We will continue to monitor and optimize these issues.

macOS Stuck During Initialization

During initialization, the client only does one thing: install and ensure ZeroTier is running successfully. However, this step requires authorization.
Due to upstream system authentication dependency issues, I created a temporary authentication window, which is not provided by the system.

The following issues might occur:

  • No password or password contains spaces
    • Try using a normal password
  • Multiple users in the system (ZeroTier not properly initialized in the current system)
    • Reinstall ZeroTier under the current user

How to Obtain Logs and Assist in Debugging

When an error/issue occurs, immediately take a screenshot (if applicable) and exit the Zima client.
Retrieve the logs from the following locations:
macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Zima/logs
Windows:
%AppData%\Zima\logs

Pack all the log files and send them to john@icewhale.org, describing the issue and providing screenshots (if any).

11

I have the same issue with Windows. I have installed ZeroTier manually as well. ZimaClient still just goes into Initializing state and never exits. I left it overnight as well with same result. I have uninstalled Zima and rerun the setup executable with the same results. Why is this happening.