Thanks for this test script. I noticed that:
[johns-imac:~] jmagnotti% afni -available_npb_quiet
0

Does this mean there is not available ports for communication?

The script runs and shows the pop-up, but I do get an error message, it appears AFTER I click "OK" in the popup.

[johns-imac:~] jmagnotti% DriveSuma $NPB -com pause "Testing suma"

+++ Command Echo:
   DriveSuma -npb 0 -pif DriveSumaTest -com pause Testing suma 

SUMA_niml_call: Contacting on tcp:127.0.0.1:1032 (6), maximum wait 300.000 sec 
(You can change max. wait time with env. SUMA_DriveSumaMaxWait)

++     Notice SUMA_niml_workproc (SUMA_niml.c:298 @09:32:43):
++ NIML connection opened from 127.0.0.1 on port 1032 (6th stream)
--     Error SUMA_SendToSuma (SUMA_niml.c:4595):
You must call SUMA_SendToSuma with action 0 and 1 before action 2.
No Communcation cleanup done.
oo     Warning DriveSuma (SUMA_DriveSuma.c:123):
Failed in SUMA_SendToSuma
Cleanup failed
--     Error SUMA_niml_workproc (SUMA_niml.c:265):
Stream 6 gone bad. Stream closed.

I get a similar error message when I first load the spec file

[johns-imac:~] jmagnotti% suma $NPB -spec test.spec &
[1] 1461

+++ Command Echo:
   suma -npb 0 -pif DriveSumaTest -spec test.spec 


vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvSurface #1/3(Local Domain Parent), loading ...

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvSurface #2/3(Local Domain Parent), loading ...

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvSurface #3/3(Local Domain Parent), loading ...
SUMA_Engine: Starting to listen ...

[johns-imac:~] jmagnotti% DriveSuma $NPB -com pause "Testing suma"

+++ Command Echo:
   DriveSuma -npb 0 -pif DriveSumaTest -com pause Testing suma 

SUMA_niml_call: Contacting on tcp:127.0.0.1:1032 (6), maximum wait 300.000 sec 
(You can change max. wait time with env. SUMA_DriveSumaMaxWait)

++     Notice SUMA_niml_workproc (SUMA_niml.c:298 @09:34:54):
++ NIML connection opened from 127.0.0.1 on port 1032 (6th stream)
--     Error SUMA_SendToSuma (SUMA_niml.c:4595):
You must call SUMA_SendToSuma with action 0 and 1 before action 2.
No Communcation cleanup done.
oo     Warning DriveSuma (SUMA_DriveSuma.c:123):
Failed in SUMA_SendToSuma
Cleanup failed
--     Error SUMA_niml_workproc (SUMA_niml.c:265):
Stream 6 gone bad. Stream closed.

If I try to DriveSuma and load a dset, the message doesn't seem to get through:

[johns-imac:U01/LIJ118/surf] jmagnotti% suma $NPB -spec test.spec &
[1] 1709
+++ Command Echo:
   suma -npb 0 -pif DriveSumaTest -spec test.spec 

[johns-imac:U01/LIJ118/surf] jmagnotti% DriveSuma -com surf_cont -load_dset Rain_AV_exp.niml.dset -surf_label electrode_lij118.gii
SUMA_niml_call: Contacting on tcp:127.0.0.1:53219 (6), maximum wait 300.000 sec 
(You can change max. wait time with env. SUMA_DriveSumaMaxWait)
.................................................................................................................................

After showing the pop-up window (and getting the initial warning) I can get suma to crash by opening and closing the surface controller twice using the GUI menus (not DriveSuma).

[johns-imac:~] jmagnotti% set PIF = DriveSumaTest 
[johns-imac:~] jmagnotti% @Quiet_Talkers -pif $PIF 
[johns-imac:~] jmagnotti% set NPB = "-npb `afni -available_npb_quiet` -pif $PIF -echo_edu"
[johns-imac:~] jmagnotti% suma $NPB & 
[1] 2201
[johns-imac:~] jmagnotti% 
+++ Command Echo:
   suma -npb 0 -pif DriveSumaTest 


suma: 
     No input specified, loading some toy surfaces...
     Use '.' and ',' to cycle between them.
     See suma -help for assistance.

SUMA_Engine: Starting to listen ...
sleep 5 
DriveSuma $NPB -com pause "Testing suma" [johns-imac:~] jmagnotti% DriveSuma $NPB -com pause "Testing suma" 

+++ Command Echo:
   DriveSuma -npb 0 -pif DriveSumaTest -com pause Testing suma 

SUMA_niml_call: Contacting on tcp:127.0.0.1:1032 (6), maximum wait 300.000 sec 
(You can change max. wait time with env. SUMA_DriveSumaMaxWait)

++     Notice SUMA_niml_workproc (SUMA_niml.c:298 @09:54:11):
++ NIML connection opened from 127.0.0.1 on port 1032 (6th stream)
--     Error SUMA_SendToSuma (SUMA_niml.c:4595):
You must call SUMA_SendToSuma with action 0 and 1 before action 2.
No Communcation cleanup done.
oo     Warning DriveSuma (SUMA_DriveSuma.c:123):
Failed in SUMA_SendToSuma
Cleanup failed
[johns-imac:~] jmagnotti% --     Error SUMA_niml_workproc (SUMA_niml.c:265):
Stream 6 gone bad. Stream closed. 
++     Notice SUMA_XtWarn_handler (SUMA_display.c:4114 @09:54:17):
  X11 Warning 1:Cannot find callback list in XtAddCallback
  Have 1 X11 warnings so far, see Help-->Message Log if curious.
  This notice is shown once for each additional 10 warnings.

xp_import_surface: assertion failed: s == NULL
error: xp_import_surface returned: 2
xp_destroy_surface: assertion failed: s != NULL
xp_destroy_surface error: 3
oo     Warning SUMA_XErrHandler (SUMA_display.c:4147):
Intercepted X11 error: 0
Will attempt to proceed but trouble might ensue.
++     Notice SUMA_XErrHandler (SUMA_display.c:4148 @09:54:20):
Trace At Xerr
        SUMA_XErrHandler
       SUMA_glXMakeCurrent
      SUMA_cmap_wid_graphicsInit
     SUMA_BringUpSurfContTLS
    SUMA_viewSurfaceCont
   SUMA_cb_viewSurfaceCont
  suma
 Bottom of Debug Stack
--     Error SUMA_glXMakeCurrent (SUMA_display.c:341):
Failed in glXMakeCurrent.

SUMA_glXMakeCurrent (via SUMA_GL_ERRS): Looking for OpenGL errors ...
SUMA_glXMakeCurrent: No errors found.
--     Error SUMA_glXMakeCurrent (SUMA_display.c:343):
Called from SUMA_glXMakeCurrent
       SUMA_glXMakeCurrent
      SUMA_cmap_wid_graphicsInit
     SUMA_BringUpSurfContTLS
    SUMA_viewSurfaceCont
   SUMA_cb_viewSurfaceCont
  suma
 Bottom of Debug Stack
Error SUMA_cmap_wid_graphicsInit: Failed in SUMA_glXMakeCurrent.
 	Continuing ...
SUMA_cmap_wid_graphicsInit (via SUMA_GL_ERRS): Looking for OpenGL errors ...
SUMA_cmap_wid_graphicsInit: No errors found.
xp_import_surface: assertion failed: s == NULL
error: xp_import_surface returned: 2
xp_destroy_surface: assertion failed: s != NULL
xp_destroy_surface error: 3
oo     Warning SUMA_XErrHandler (SUMA_display.c:4147):
Intercepted X11 error: 0
Will attempt to proceed but trouble might ensue.
++     Notice SUMA_XErrHandler (SUMA_display.c:4148 @09:54:20):
Trace At Xerr
        SUMA_XErrHandler
       SUMA_glXMakeCurrent
      SUMA_cmap_wid_handleRedisplay
     SUMA_InitializeColPlaneShell_SO
    SUMA_viewSurfaceCont
   SUMA_cb_viewSurfaceCont
  suma
 Bottom of Debug Stack
--     Error SUMA_glXMakeCurrent (SUMA_display.c:341):
Failed in glXMakeCurrent.

SUMA_glXMakeCurrent (via SUMA_GL_ERRS): Looking for OpenGL errors ...
SUMA_glXMakeCurrent: No errors found.
--     Error SUMA_glXMakeCurrent (SUMA_display.c:343):
Called from SUMA_glXMakeCurrent
       SUMA_glXMakeCurrent
      SUMA_cmap_wid_handleRedisplay
     SUMA_InitializeColPlaneShell_SO
    SUMA_viewSurfaceCont
   SUMA_cb_viewSurfaceCont
  suma
 Bottom of Debug Stack
--     Error SUMA_cmap_wid_handleRedisplay (SUMA_xColBar.c:381):
Failed in SUMA_glXMakeCurrent.
 	Continuing ...

Fatal Signal 11 (SIGSEGV) received
       SUMA_cmap_wid_display
      SUMA_cmap_wid_handleRedisplay
     SUMA_InitializeColPlaneShell_SO
    SUMA_viewSurfaceCont
   SUMA_cb_viewSurfaceCont
  suma
 Bottom of Debug Stack
** AFNI version = AFNI_17.2.02  Compile date = Jul 10 2017
** [[Precompiled binary macosx_10.7_Intel_64: Jul 10 2017]]
** Program Death **
** If you report this crash to the AFNI message board,
** please copy the error messages EXACTLY, and give
** the command line you used to run the program, and
** any other information needed to repeat the problem.
** You may later be asked to upload data to help debug.
** Crash log is appended to file /Users/jmagnotti/.afni.crashlog