FAQ

Installation

Do I need Node.js, Rust, or any development tools to run CMTrace Open?

No. The Releases page has self-contained binaries. Download and run — nothing else needed. The prerequisites listed in the contributing guide are only for building from source.

Which platforms are supported?

• Windows x64 (MSI installer or standalone exe)
• macOS Apple Silicon (DMG)
• Linux x64 (deb package or AppImage)

Is it portable?

Yes. The Windows .exe and Linux .AppImage are single-file portable executables. No installation required — just copy and run.

Is it signed?

Yes. Windows releases are code-signed. macOS releases are notarized by Apple.

Can I set it as the default .log file handler?

On Windows, CMTrace Open can register as the default handler for .log and .lo_ files. You may be prompted on first launch, or you can set it manually through Windows "Open with" settings.

Usage

Can I open multiple log files at the same time?

Multi-tab support is on the roadmap. Currently you can open one file or one folder at a time.

Can I open a folder of logs?

Yes. Use File > Open Folder to load all recognized log files from a directory into a single merged view.

Does it support command-line arguments?

Command-line file opening is on the roadmap. Currently, use file association (double-click) or drag and drop.

Does it work with non-Windows logs?

CMTrace Open can open any text file. If your logs use a recognized format (CCM, CBS, etc.) they get full structured parsing. Otherwise they open as plain text.

How does real-time tailing work?

CMTrace Open watches the file for changes using OS-level file system events. When new lines are appended, they appear automatically. No polling, no manual refresh.

What error codes does the lookup support?

The embedded database includes 120+ codes covering:

• Windows HRESULT codes
• SCCM/ConfigMgr error codes
• Intune-specific error codes

Troubleshooting

The app doesn't start on Linux

Make sure WebView2/WebKitGTK is installed. On Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt install libwebkit2gtk-4.1-0

Logs show garbled characters

The file may use an encoding other than UTF-8 or Windows-1252. CMTrace Open handles these two encodings automatically. If you see garbled text, the file likely uses a different encoding.

Contributing

How do I build from source?

See CONTRIBUTING.md for full build instructions.

Where do I report bugs or request features?

Open an issue on the GitHub Issues page. Sample log files in bug reports are extremely helpful.