macOS 26.6: SIGSEGV on first keypress after restoring windowState (QDockAreaLayout null separator widget)

Operating System and Version

macOS 26.6 (darwin 25.6.0), Apple Silicon (arm64)

Distribution

Official GitHub DMG: NotepadNext v0.14 (April 2026 release)

Description

After restoring a session with Folder as Workspace and other docks, the app launches, but the first keypress in the untitled editor causes an immediate SIGSEGV.

This is not the Gatekeeper / quarantine “damaged app” problem. After clearing quarantine (xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/NotepadNext.app) the binary launches and runs until typing.

Qt logs a null dock separator immediately before the crash:

QDockAreaLayout::updateSeparatorWidgets: null separator widget

then MainWindow::updateSaveStatusBasedUi, then the process dies with zsh: segmentation fault.

This looks consistent with QTBUG-111538 (QDockAreaLayout::updateSeparatorWidgets null deref after restoreState) in Qt 6.5.x. The GitHub v0.14 macOS build ships Qt 6.5.3.

I do not have a local .ips / DiagnosticReports file for this crash; it is confirmed by launching from Terminal and getting SIGSEGV. No Mac crash dialog was produced on this machine (~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports was empty for this event).

I understand the project may not have a Mac for testing, so I tried to make this report self-contained (repro, workaround, Qt bug pointer, and related issues). Happy to run extra debug builds or capture more logs if that would help.

Related (not duplicates of this exact crash):

• #915 — open: random EXC_BAD_ACCESS / SIGSEGV in Qt layout on macOS 26, originally v0.12 / Intel; not a first-keypress + windowState restore repro, and no updateSeparatorWidgets log.
• #121 — closed: invalid windowState causing startup crashes (Windows, floating Editor Inspector).
• #968 — closed: Linux Qt 6.10 segfaults; last log can mention updateSaveStatusBasedUi, different OS/Qt.
• #1066 — closed: Linux Mint, app closes on 2nd Folder-as-Workspace file click (not a typing crash).

Steps to Reproduce

1. Restore a session whose ~/.config/NotepadNext/NotepadNext.ini [MainWindow] section contains a saved windowState= (and typically geometry=) with Folder as Workspace plus other docks visible.
2. Launch /Applications/NotepadNext.app/Contents/MacOS/NotepadNext from Terminal (so the SIGSEGV is visible).
3. Click in the untitled editor and type any key.
4. Immediate crash.

Expected: the character is inserted and the window stays up.
Actual: process exits with a segmentation fault on the first keypress.

Debug Information

• App: NotepadNext v0.14 (GitHub DMG, Apr 2026)
• Qt: 6.5.3
• Arch: arm64 native (NotepadNext.app)
• OS: macOS 26.6 (darwin 25.6.0), Apple Silicon
• Config: ~/.config/NotepadNext/NotepadNext.ini
• Workspace: Folder as Workspace (e.g. RootPath pointing at a local notes folder). Personal absolute paths omitted; any folder with a restored dock layout should suffice.

Additional Details

CLI log excerpt (verbatim):

[     2.331] W: QDockAreaLayout::updateSeparatorWidgets: null separator widget
[     2.672] I: void MainWindow::updateSaveStatusBasedUi(ScintillaNext *)
zsh: segmentation fault  /Applications/NotepadNext.app/Contents/MacOS/NotepadNext

Workaround: delete geometry= and windowState= from the [MainWindow] section of NotepadNext.ini. Other settings can stay (font, wrap, FolderAsWorkspace RootPath, etc.). The app then starts and typing works.

Caveat: Folder as Workspace layout is needed for daily use. Restoring docks and quitting may re-save a crashing windowState, so the workaround is not durable without avoiding dock restore or upgrading Qt / patching restore.

Qt note: QTBUG-111538 — QDockAreaLayout::updateSeparatorWidgets null dereference after restoreState on Qt 6.5.x.

Possible directions (for whoever can test on Mac or bump Qt):

• Upgrade the macOS build past the affected 6.5.x dock-restore bug, and/or
• Guard restoreState / separator widgets so a bad or version-skewed windowState cannot null-deref on first layout/key event, and/or
• Ignore or reset windowState if updateSeparatorWidgets reports a null separator.

Thank you for maintaining NotepadNext.