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
______________________________________________________________________
- 1. Installation
+ \e[1m1. Installation\e[0m
- 1.1. Where do I get DXSpider?
+ \e[1m1.1. Where do I get DXSpider?\e[0m
All things Spider can be found at www.dxcluster.org and the actual
program and patches can be found in the download area.
- 1.2. How do I use the patches?
+ \e[1m1.2. How do I use the patches?\e[0m
Patching is done in the standard linux way ...
first need to apply patch-1.39 and then patch-1.40.
- 1.3. If I use a tarball to overwrite my installation, what happens to
- my configuration?
+
+ \e[1m1.3. If I use a tarball to overwrite my installation, what happens to\e[0m
+ \e[1mmy configuration?\e[0m
The tarballs are designed to not overwrite your existing configuration
and can be used at any time to update your Spider software. All the
key files have the suffix .issue (eg. DXVars.pm.issue) at default.
- 1.4. I am running RedHat 5.2 and I am getting strange errors, what is
- wrong?
+ \e[1m1.4. I am running RedHat 5.2 and I am getting strange errors, what is\e[0m
+ \e[1mwrong?\e[0m
The version of Perl that comes with 5.2 seems to be some kind of pre-
release and is broken. You can get a new version of perl from
it with the CPAN modules.
- 2. Administration
+ \e[1m2. Administration\e[0m
- 2.1. How can I get Spider to restart automatically if it crashes?
+ \e[1m2.1. How can I get Spider to restart automatically if it crashes?\e[0m
Put this line into /etc/inittab ..
- Run telinit q as root. Spider will restart so be aware. However, any
+ Run \e[4mtelinit\e[24m \e[4mq\e[24m as root. Spider will restart so be aware. However, any
time you reboot, cluster.pl will start in tty7 and if it crashes, it
should restart ok.
- 2.2. How can I monitor traffic to and from a node or user?
+ \e[1m2.2. How can I monitor traffic to and from a node or user?\e[0m
- There are 2 ways to achieve this. You can use the tail command like
+ There are 2 ways to achieve this. You can use the \e[4mtail\e[24m command like
this ..
- or in later versions of Spider, there is a command called watchdbg in
+ or in later versions of Spider, there is a command called \e[4mwatchdbg\e[24m in
which case you simply type ..
- 2.3. My neighbouring node cannot use the RCMD command to me, he just
- keeps getting the "tut tut" message.
+ \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
required), it could be that the home_node is set incorrectly. You can
- reset the home_node using the spoof command like this ..
+ reset the home_node using the \e[4mspoof\e[24m command like this ..
Assuming that the node_call you are changing is gb7adx.
- 2.4. I do not seem to be sending any bulletin mail to my link part-
- ners, what is wrong?
+ \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
to forward.pl and edit it to meet your requirements. You will need to
- issue the command load/forward or restart Spider for the changes to
+ issue the command \e[4mload/forward\e[24m or restart Spider for the changes to
take effect.
- 2.5. How can I automatically limit the amount of debug logfiles that
- are stored?
+ \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/
containing the line ...
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.
- 2.6. I updated my Linux distribution and now Spider cannot read the
- users file or the dupefile, what is the problem?
+
+ \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.
- 2.7. Since I last updated I seem to be getting duplicate spots
- appearing.
+ \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
some way. Simply delete the /spider/data/dupefile and restart the
should solve your problem.
- 2.8. I have deleted a message but it is still there, why?
+ \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.
This message is marked for deletion and will be deleted in 2 days if
nothing further is done. Optionally you can use the command
- delete/expunge to delete it immediately.
+ \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