The DXSpider FAQ
Ian Maude, G0VGS, (g0vgs@gb7mbc.net)
- December 2001 Revision: 1.8
+ February 2005 Revision: 1.8
A reference for SysOps of the DXSpider DXCluster program.
______________________________________________________________________
2. Administration
2.1 How can I get Spider to restart automatically if it crashes?
2.2 How can I monitor traffic to and from a node or user?
- 2.3 My neighbouring node cannot use the RCMD command to me, he just keeps getting the "tut tut" message.
- 2.4 I do not seem to be sending any bulletin mail to my link partners, what is wrong?
- 2.5 How can I automatically limit the amount of debug logfiles that are stored?
- 2.6 I updated my Linux distribution and now Spider cannot read the users file or the dupefile, what is the problem?
- 2.7 Since I last updated I seem to be getting duplicate spots appearing.
- 2.8 I have deleted a message but it is still there, why?
+ 2.3 I see spots coming in my debug log, but none go out to the users
+ 2.4 My neighbouring node cannot use the RCMD command to me, he just keeps getting the "tut tut" message.
+ 2.5 I do not seem to be sending any bulletin mail to my link partners, what is wrong?
+ 2.6 How can I automatically limit the amount of debug logfiles that are stored?
+ 2.7 I updated my Linux distribution and now Spider cannot read the users file or the dupefile, what is the problem?
+ 2.8 Since I last updated I seem to be getting duplicate spots appearing.
+ 2.9 I have deleted a message but it is still there, why?
+ 2.10 I have updated from CVS and I get all sorts of errors when I restart
+ 2.11 I have done a CVS update, restarted and it says that "fileX" is missing
______________________________________________________________________
first need to apply patch-1.39 and then patch-1.40.
+
\e[1m1.3. If I use a tarball to overwrite my installation, what happens to\e[0m
\e[1mmy configuration?\e[0m
- \e[1m2.3. My neighbouring node cannot use the RCMD command to me, he just\e[0m
+ \e[1m2.3. I see spots coming in my debug log, but none go out to the users\e[0m
+
+ Please check the time on your PC.
+
+
+ All spots are checked that they are no more than 15 minutes in the
+ future and 60 minutes in the past. If your clock on your client prompt
+ (or console.pl display) is not set to the correct time in GMT (UTC)
+ and is more than one hour out (say on your local (summer) time) then
+ the test will fail and no spots will come out. Neither will they be
+ stored.
+
+
+ If you are connected to the internet, most linux distributions have an
+ implementation of ntpd. The Microsoft Windows 2003, XP, 2000 and NT
+ machine clock can also be set to be syncronised to an NTP source.
+ This can be done in the standard time configuration screen. There is
+ also the simple nettime program for Windows 95/98/ME.
+
+
+
+ \e[1m2.4. My neighbouring node cannot use the RCMD command to me, he just\e[0m
\e[1mkeeps getting the "tut tut" message.\e[0m
Assuming that the permissions are set correctly (perm level 5
Assuming that the node_call you are changing is gb7adx.
- \e[1m2.4. I do not seem to be sending any bulletin mail to my link part-\e[0m
+ \e[1m2.5. I do not seem to be sending any bulletin mail to my link part-\e[0m
\e[1mners, what is wrong?\e[0m
There is a file in /spider/msg called forward.pl.issue. Rename this
take effect.
- \e[1m2.5. How can I automatically limit the amount of debug logfiles that\e[0m
+ \e[1m2.6. How can I automatically limit the amount of debug logfiles that\e[0m
\e[1mare stored?\e[0m
Use the tmpwatch command. Create a file in /etc/cron.daily/
Remember to make it executable!
- This will limit your debug data down to the last 10 days
+ This will limit your debug data down to the last 10 days.
+ However, modern versions of DXSpider will do this for you, so this is
+ now probably unnecessary.
- \e[1m2.6. I updated my Linux distribution and now Spider cannot read the\e[0m
+
+ \e[1m2.7. I updated my Linux distribution and now Spider cannot read the\e[0m
\e[1musers file or the dupefile, what is the problem?\e[0m
Almost certainly this is a change in the db format of perl. Follow
these few steps to correct the problem.
-
o stop the cluster (disable any autostart in inittab)
o cd /spider/data
- o issue the command perl user_asc
+ o issue the command: perl user_asc
o restart the cluster
That should solve the problem.
- \e[1m2.7. Since I last updated I seem to be getting duplicate spots\e[0m
+ \e[1m2.8. Since I last updated I seem to be getting duplicate spots\e[0m
\e[1mappearing.\e[0m
What has probably happened is that the dupefile has got corrupted in
should solve your problem.
- \e[1m2.8. I have deleted a message but it is still there, why?\e[0m
+ \e[1m2.9. I have deleted a message but it is still there, why?\e[0m
This is now the way messages are handled for deletion in Spider. If
you look closely you will see a 'D' following the message number.
\e[4mdelete/expunge\e[24m to delete it immediately.
+ \e[1m2.10. I have updated from CVS and I get all sorts of errors when I\e[0m
+ \e[1mrestart\e[0m
+
+ Whenever you update from CVS, a log is displayed. Next to each file
+ that is downloaded there is a letter, e.g.:
+
+
+
+ ? fred.pl
+ ? jim
+ ..
+ .
+ ..
+ cvs server: Updating perl
+ P cluster.pl
+ C Messages
+ M Internet.pm
+ U DXProt.pm
+ ..
+ .
+ ..
+
+
+
+ For normal CVS use you should only ever see the letters 'P', 'U' or
+ '?'. The letter 'P' means that the file has changed in CVS and is more
+ recent than the one that is currently on your system. You will also
+ see the letter '?', which means that there is a file that you (or the
+ system) has created that CVS doesn't know about and isn't under its
+ control. These are all normal and good.
+
+
+ Sometimes you will see the letter 'U' next to a file. This means that
+ it is a new file that you don't currently have. This is also OK.
+
+ However, if you see the letter 'C' or 'M', that means that CVS thinks
+ that the file has changed locally. For the letter 'C', it has changed
+ sufficiently near to one or more modifications which CVS wants to
+ download to your system. For the 'M', CVS thinks that it is OK to make
+ the change (you may also see some messages about "merging revision
+ 1.xx with 1.yy"). Neither of these things are good. Files that are
+ under the control of CVS must not be changed by sysops. It is the
+ files that have the 'C' next to them that will show the errors that
+ you are complaining about and they will be things like:-
+
+
+
+ Syntax error near '<<<<' at line 23
+ Syntax error near '===' at line 40
+ Syntax error near '>>>' at line 51
+
+
+
+ You will not necessarily see all of the errors shown but you will get
+ one or more sets of some of them. The cure is simple:
+
+
+ o identify the file that is causing the problem.
+
+ o remove the file.
+
+ o run the cvs update again.
+
+
+ You will see that file come back (with a letter 'U' next to it). That
+ will be the correct file as CVS thinks it should be. If you \e[4mstill\e[24m have
+ a problem, then get onto the dxspider-support mailing list.
+
+
+ If all else fails (or you have several conflicts) you can safely
+ remove the entire /spider/perl and /spider/cmd directories and then
+ run the cvs update. They will all be recreated in their pristine
+ condition.
+
+
+ \e[1m2.11. I have done a CVS update, restarted and it says that "fileX" is\e[0m
+ \e[1mmissing\e[0m
+
+ The correct way to run cvs is:-
+
+
+
+ cd /spider
+ cvs -z3 update -d
+
+
+
+ The '-d' is crucial. It makes sure that any new directories, that may
+ contain new code, are created and that new code downloaded. I have
+ absolutely no idea why this is not the default, seeing as CVS (in
+ other circumstances) happily recurses its merry way down a directory
+ tree, but there you are.
+
+
+ WinCVS and other graphical CVS frontends have a checkbox for the
+ update screen called something like "create sub-directories" (it may
+ be hidden in some sub-screen - go look for it if it isn't obvious).
+ Make sure that this box is checked. If you can make this the default
+ setting in the program's setup screen then please do that. It will
+ save you a lot of pulled hair.
+
+
projects / spider.git / blobdiff