This page describes the message reporting available in the
ViewStation's Console Window.
Console Window Messages
The messages available from the Console Window include things like
the log file, network statistics, internal memory contents, status of
the serial and parallel ports, and so on. The messages also include
current activity messages, which might include the reading of a
fontpath, loading a font, opening a client, etc. as well as any error
messages from the host, or FTP, or the ViewStation itself.
The
ViewStation's local clients are available from the Console Window, so
arp reports the current ARP table, xset reports the
current X settings, etc.
In many cases, the error messages in
the Console log indicate the nature of the problem; for instance, the
error message "FTP Reply Error: 530 Login Incorrect" from FTP is sent by
the host when the FTP username has an invalid or empty password.
Messages of this type are often deciphered for you by the ViewStation.
The manual pages for each of these clients show the messages and point
to the problems that generate them.
These messages are stored in a message log, which you can
display using the "log" command. You can page through the logged
messages with the "logpg" command. The messages are saved in a 64-line
buffer so you can read them back, since they often come in large
batches too fast to read. This log file buffer has a selectable size.
You can change it with the resource: HDSsetup.syslog.buffer.size
These messages can also be displayed to different devices or
the message level changed, as discussed below.
ViewStation Error Message Reporting
The ViewStation has a great deal of flexibility in displaying error
messages, both their level and the locations to which they are sent.
These selections are made with the syslog.conf file. This file is
located in the config directory on the HDSware tape. By default,
syslog.conf is NOT read. If you want to use this file, you must enter
the syslog configuration file location in Setup Mode in the Startup
Options menu. This file is read as soon as you Apply changes (and no
longer read when you remove it). This makes it easy to change your
error reporting if you are having difficulty. You can also enter a
resource setting for it in the ViewStation's configuration file, as
follows: HDSsetup.syslog.config.file:
/FXUtilities/hds-fx/config/syslog.conf
In the syslog.conf file you specify the level of message
reporting you want and specify a destination for them. The ViewStation
uses eight levels of messages, from debug level to emergency. Note that
specifying a level of error message sends that level and all messages
more urgent than that level to the destination.
Message reporting levels:
emerg -- major
problem, system is unusable
alert -- problem with immediate
action required
crit -- critical condition
err -- error
condition
warning -- warning condition
notice -- normal,
but significant information
info -- information on system
debug
-- debug-level messages on operations
Message destinations:
/dev/console -- This sends messages to all
ViewStation console shells, including the Console clients, all "rlogin"
remote sessions, and all serial port diagnostic sessions.
/dev/pp0 -- This sends messages to the
ViewStation parallel port
/dev/tty1 -- This sends messages to the
ViewStation's serial port 1 (RJ11)
/dev/tty2 -- This sends messages to the
ViewStation's serial port 2 (DB25)
@hostaddress -- This sends messages to the
syslog daemon on the specified host. If needed, that syslog daemon can
redirect the messages.
The syslog.conf file has an entry with the following syntax
(note the TAB character): *.<message level> <tab
character> <destination>
The default entry for
messages is: *.info /dev/console
which sends messages from "info" level upward to the console
window. If you want to set the level higher or lower, just use the
desired level. If you want to send it to another destination, just
change the destination entry. For example,
*.debug /dev/pp0
which sends all messages to the ViewStation's parallel
port, or
*.err @hostaddress
which sends messages err and above to the syslog daemon
on the host specified.
Note that any changes must be entered into the syslog.conf
file; the filename and path must be entered in Setup Mode; and Apply
changes selected in order for the changes to be effective.
You could also use the ViewStation configuration file to make these
changes. In this case you would modify the syslog entry appropriately,
and the ViewStation restarted to re-read the configuration file. You
could also use kill -1 <syslog pid>
to restart the syslog daemon without restarting the ViewStation.
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