Just one thing after another

[wedgehog]

Rob, Tim, remember a couple of weeks ago I was having all that trouble with Netremote choosing it's own pc on the network to "Passthrough" the I/R to? You wrote me a LUA script to "Get round" the problem. The script was based on finding the name "Network-Master". Well none of my passthrough works with version 101 now because in the action list it no longer brings in the Instance names, only the ID numbers, it still shows the names in the Netremote plugins list, but we are back to the same old problem of it deciding to rout the I/R through to the "Media-Centre" pc on the network, so what do I do now?

[Rob H]

I'd suggest adding some print statements to that script to see what results it's getting back when iterating over the plugin instances. Or post the script you're using and I'll see what I can work out.

[wedgehog]

Hi Rob, I'm using the script you wrote for me. When the Action list showed the instances as computer names plus ID number it worked fine, but in the new versions of designer and netremote there are now no names in the action list. I wouldn't know what to do with it mate, it occured to me to replace "Network-Master" in the script with the id number of Network-Master in the plugin list, but I would only be guessing. Here's your script.

local g, gp
g = NetRemote.GetPlugin('Girder')
if g then
gp = g:GetInstance('Network-Master')
if gp == nil then
local gi = g:GetInstances()
if gi then
for id, name in pairs(gi) do
print('Trying '..name)
if name == 'Network-Master' then
print('Matched')
gp = g:GetInstance(id)
break
end
end
end
end
if gp then
print('Setting default instance')
gp:SetCurrent()
else
print("Couldn't find Network-Master")
end
end

[Rob H]

In the NRD console you should see messages of the form


Trying xxxx

where xxxx is the name of a plugin instance. Is this not happening?

Can you also check your NetRemote variables for


Plugins[-1].CurrentInstance.Name

Mine is correctly showing the actual name (latest NR & NRD)

[wedgehog]

When I first started the editor I checked the interactive lua console and it said "Couldn't find Network-Master" I presumed that was because it was no longer listed in the action list. But I have just closed and re started the editor, which in turn started netremote and the console is empty. I tried re starting netremote on it's own and the console is still empty. Enclosed pics of action list and plugins, hope that's what you wanted.

[Rob H]

You should have got an error message if that script was actually running - that's very strange.

Try this script



local g, gp
g = NetRemote.GetPlugin('Girder')
if g then
gp = g:GetInstance('Network-Master')
if gp == nil then
local gi = g:GetInstances()
if gi then
for id, instance in pairs(gi) do
local name = instance:GetName()
print('Trying '..name)
if name == 'Network-Master' then
print('Matched')
gp = g:GetInstance(id)
break
end
end
end
end
if gp then
print('Setting default instance')
gp:SetCurrent()
else
print("Couldn't find Network-Master")
end
end

[wedgehog]

Ok mate, got this

[Rob H]

Okay, try this one



local g, gp
g = NetRemote.GetPlugin('Girder')
if g then
gp = g:GetInstance('Network-Master')
if gp == nil then
local gi = g:GetInstances()
if gi then
for id, instance in pairs(gi) do
local name = instance:GetName()
print('Trying '..name)
if name == 'Network-Master' then
print('Matched')
gp = g:GetInstance(id)
break
end
end
else
print('No instances!!!!')
end
end
if gp then
print('Setting default instance')
gp:SetCurrent()
else
print("Couldn't find Network-Master")
end
end

[wedgehog]

Hmmmmm haven't tried that one yet Rob, but I did shut everything down and re boot the pc and now it's working. The only things I had running on the pc was designer, netremote and internet explorer 7 so I am well confused. I had re started the software several times to try and get it to work, only just thought of re booting the pc. But I shouldn't have to! I wouldn't say that fixing this with this script was reliable enough. What if I decide a that I want the UIRT on any of the other five pc's on the network, am I going to have to find someone to write me a script every time? There should be a menu item on the page where you select passthrough or girder passthrough, on which you can select which machine you want to pasthrough to, and it shouldn't be a hit and miss affair :confused:

Forgot to say, even though it's now working, it's still not showing names in the action list.

[Rob H]

Did it definitely used to show names in the action list?

If rebooting the PC got it working it sounds like a Windows networking issue, probably to do with name lookup.

I agree that it would make sense to be able to specify the instance used for passthrough though - that's one for Tim to look at.

[tmorten]

I'll add it to the list :).

Cheers,
Tim

[wedgehog]

Yes Rob I always had names in the action list, it makes it difficult to work with now as I have to try and remember which numbers are which pc's.
Hmmm hear what you are saying about the network, but I'm not convinced because all the Girder actions to the other pc's on the network still worked. I have an unusual situation at the moment where some of my control pages are sending I/R which is stored within Netremote via the girder passthrough to the UIRT and some are still calling I/R actions from girder. as I had some gml's already made to control some things I couldn't see any point in doing it all again in netremote. But it does mean that when the passthrough goes tits up, I only have control of half the gear. But when the Passthrough goes tits up I still have control via Girder to all the networked machines so I doubt there's a problem there.
The fact that I was getting nothing in the Lua console was almost saying that there was no communication between designer and netremote, despite the fact that designer started netremote, and if I edited anything it did pass it to netremote, but still nothing in the Lua console. I would definitely say that with all my years of knowing absolutely stuff all about it, there is definitely something iffy!

Oh! Hi Tim, yes please please please do.

[Rob H]

Clearly network transmission was working, but name lookup perhaps wasn't. It seems to be consistent with what you were seeing.

[wedgehog]

Ok mate, I aint sure what that is but one thing I know, if you are relying on anything to do with windows to make your software work properly you have a problem from the get go :-) Is that why the names are missing in designer then? but if it's working now, shouldn't they be back?

Meant to also say, did you notice in the picture of my action list that it's all just plain black text now as well. with the old version I'm almost sure there were nice blue icons for the netremote standard actions or at least big blue text. The pc names have gone from the NR Basic instances as well.

[Rob H]

That's definitely a question for Tim. However, I note that they're not present in 1.0.0.43 either.

[tmorten]

It's possible that Ben had made some changes in this area that I wasn't aware of; I'll have to do an A-B comparison between the previous and current versions. Just to be clear, is the theory that the icons and the names both disappeared together between versions?

Thanks,
Tim

[wedgehog]

Ahhh, not sure which version I had before this one Tim, but I do know that my names and icons went with the installation of 1044 because I remember commenting on it to she who must be obeyed. I also remember commenting on how I liked the new font facilities on the action page, was quite surprised when I didn't just get a choice of size.

[Rob H]

Yes, I can now confirm this - just reinstalled 1.1.0.42 which shows the glyphs and e.g. cordelia (-2101)

[wedgehog]

Good morning all. I have just switched my PC on and started Netremote. No Passthrough, Test on the I/R plugin shows it's sending it to the media pc.

Just started the designer, Lua console is completely blank. closed Netremote, pretended to edit something to activate the save button so that pressing the save button re started Netremote, console still blank.

Closed designer and Netremote, re started them, console still blank, still no Girder passthrough.

I suppose I could keep re booting the pc until it works, but it's not really acceptable is it.

[Rob H]

This is really weird - I've certainly never seen anything like this here.

Are you running any software firewalls, anti-spyware or anti-virus software that might be interfering in some way?

[wedgehog]

Nothing that hasn't always been there. There's no firewalls on any of the machines, only in the Netgear router. There is McAfee anti virus running on this machine, but I would know if that had blocked anything as the icon lights up until you read the message to see what happened, and I'm sorry to have to say it but I didn't have this problem with the last version. Once you had written that Lua script for me, it was fairly trustworthy. I did get the occasional glitch when I lost Passthrough but re starting the software always cured it and I never had a situation of the designer never showing anything in the Lua console. How can designer load the CCF and not load and run the Lua script associated with it? because surely the only way there can be nothing on the console is if the script didn't run. I am probably wrong but I think the reason for loss of Passthrough is because sometimes when Netremote is started it is not running the script, if it was running your script we would have Passthrough to Network-Master, because when it decides to work we have proved your script works. Must be a timing problem or something. Does your script need a delay in it to allow something time to happen? I'm probably talking ****icks I'm good at that :-)

[Rob H]

One thing you could try is to use DebugView from www.sysinternals.com - anything that appears in the NRD console should also appear there. I think I'm right in saying that NRD communicates with NR via a TCP socket, so if there's a problem with networking then that could block any text appearing in the console. DebugView hooks into OutputDebugString so should bypass any comms problems. You may also get to see any error messages from either NR or NRD that might give a hint as to what's happening.

Another handy thing about DebugView is that it supports copying text and saving of log files.

[wedgehog]

You keep saying about networking but I don't see what that has to do with it, Netremote, Girder and the UIRT are all on the same machine, the blasted software keeps trying to link to things on other network machines that are in fact on the same machine. That's the problem, I thought that was clear and I am getting fed up with having to spend all my time off trying to diagnose and get software working that I didn't design and that I don't profit from. I don't mind trying fixes from the vendors but I'm not about to start getting other software to try and diagnose problems with their software. i am stressed enough with the failings of this software as it is.

[Rob H]

Any software that uses TCP/IP sockets is subject to the vagaries of Windows networking whether the sockets are communicating with other machines or the same machine. I've just checked, and NRD and NR do indeed communicate using a TCP/IP socket, using the same core classes as Girder and Mediabridge.

I don't recall anyone else having this problem with NRD not communicating with NR which suggests that there's something unusual going on with your PC.

I should have asked earlier, what OS are you running NR and NRD on?

[wedgehog]

Oh I see. Windows XP, SP2 all updates to this month.
Network is working perfectly, as I said in another post, all girder tcip control of zoom player (Which is on another machine) is flawless, all I/R control done by girder via UIRT is flawless, all I/R control which is done by girder but called for by Net remote is flawless, and last but not least it all worked with the last version. It's just this blasted passthrough.
The only thing I can think of is would there be anything prevented by McAfee during installation of netremote or the editor, do any of them try to modify any system files or run any installation files from the user temp folders or any behavior that would or could look ike a trojan or virus and so which got blocked during the install

[Rob H]

I don't think anything like that happens.

May be worth checking the event viewer I guess. Something may have logged something there. Clutching at straws really without some evidence from DebugView.

[wedgehog]

Oh, ok. Seems to be a lot of these in the system section Rob, is that anything to do with it?


Ok Rob I have just started NRD which in turn started NR, the Lua console is empty there is no Passthrough. Here is the log.

[tmorten]

I've noticed some issues if NetRemote or Designer fail to exit cleanly, where the socket doesn't properly reinitialize for subsequent sessions. A reboot should clear that up, if indeed that's what you're encountering. Making this more robust is on my to-do list.

Wedge, sorry you've had a frustrating experience so far. NR2 is just a beta at this point, so we've got some more work to do before it's polished. We sincerely appreciate all the input you've provided!

Best,
Tim

[wedgehog]

:-) Still waiting for my prezzy :-)

[Rob H]

Okay, a couple of things there - it looks like the script that looks for Network-Master is running before the connection to Girder is established.

Also, from the position of the "Well hello" in that log the connection to NRD is also coming quite late which would explain the lack of messages in NRD's console.

According to http://www.monitorware.com/en/events/details.php?details_id=2657 the MrxSmb entry could well cause a problem with anything that uses the loopback address 127.0.0.1 which is certainly the case for NRD and possibly also for Girder.

The solution to this is probably to put the contents of that script into a function and call it from a timer. Either that, or trigger it from Girder.

[wedgehog]

Hmmm I seem to remember I said it seemed like something to do with timing. Right, I have placed a button on my home page and attached the script to that so that once everything is up and running i can press that to run the script and establish the connections, seems to work at the moment, Thanks Rob, someone please please let me know when this has been fixed along with all the other bugs iv'e mentioned, strewth where's my pills, i'm losing the will to live ere! :rolleyes: