Pfew. I started to think I was crazy ) I'll cross my fingers that the next machine works without a hitch. Feel free to post if you run into any trouble.
Okay, it's all over. There was a hardware problem in the piece of @#$% computer. As a result, Linux was always not completely installed or updated.
I never would have noticed except for the fact that I happened to be standing there when it rebooted in the middle of an automatic update.
This is apparently not an uncommon occurence, especially with my particular motherboard.
So I literally unplugged the computer and tossed it on top of the trashpile. Ed will take care of it tomorrow. I drove to the office and stole another computer and will try again.
Todd, you are the KING. Thanks for taking so much time to help, and I apologize for wasting your time.
Sorry, Matt, just a few more questions (and I apologize if I make you repeat yourself).
- How are you launching screen-scraper? The error message you include in your previous post is from the wrapper.log file, which only comes in to play when you're running the server. My impression earlier was that the server was working for you, but that you couldn't get the GUI/workbench to launch.
- Your "resource/conf/wrapper.conf" file has a "wrapper.java.command" property. What value does it show?
- Did you install screen-scraper this time using the tarball or the .bin file?
As I mentioned earlier, it sounds as though this could be an issue with the installer. We use InstallAnywhere for this, and it may be that it has problems on certain Linux distributions.
That error message indicates that the service wrapper we use to start screen-scraper running as a server can't find the JVM. Did you install using the tarball or the .bin file? Either way you'll want to check the resource/conf/wrapper.conf file to see what it's pointing to for a JVM. Also, what does your directory structure look like in terms of where you installed screen-scraper and where you installed the symlinks?
You might just double-check that the start script works by executing it, changing in to screen-scraper's dir, then issuing
./server status
Which will tell you whether or not it's running.
This is a new one on me. I've never heard of everything working except the workbench. Any odd settings with Xwindows? What happens if you do a clean re-install?
Yes it does.
start_server.sh seems to run. start-server and stop-server also seem to run.
When I try to run screen-scraper it doesn't work, and it does not create any logs...it just hangs there until I break out of it.
Based on your earlier description it sounds like it may have something to do with how screen-scraper was installed. As an alternative method to launch screen-scraper, try this at a terminal from the directory where you installed screen-scraper
I wouldn't recommend the tarball unless you don't have X access. How are you launching screen-scraper? Are you using the symlinks that the installer installs? I assume you're just trying to launch the workbench. If this is the case you should just be able to launch the "screen-scraper" symlink from a terminal. Also be aware of persmissions--if you install screen-scraper as root and try to launch it as another user it will likely fail.
There's actually no install script. Just decompress the tarball (http//www.screen-scraper.com/install/professional/lin/ss_pro_lin.tgz) and follow the instructions found in the INSTALL file. By the way, I assume you're installing to a headless machine. If you have Xwindows access you can use our normal installer http//www.screen-scraper.com/download/download_screen-scraper.php .
Yes, it's probably me. It took me about 12 hours to get the freaking thing running (it was a motherboard that doesn't like Linux very much, so it needed some tweaking).
I haven't worked in Linux since 1993-ish when you could email Linus Torvalds with any questions you had (nice guy).
I'll keep you posted. Was there something more I had to do other than just running the install script? Is it written down somewhere?
Not that I can think of. We currently run screen-scraper on Fedora Core 3 without a hitch, so I'm pretty confident it should be just as happy on Core 4. Good luck. Please let us know how it goes.
Yeah, I noticed the runtime environment in the install, but I was trying not to take anything for granted. I'm stuck onsite until 8PM tonight, then I'll take another crack at it. I'm running Fedora 4 (a fresh copy), and I just grabbed the install off your website this weekend.
I'll try what you suggested. Anything else I should be looking for?
What distro are you running? Also, note that screen-scraper includes its own Java Runtime Environment, so you need not install your own. To help in debugging you might try increasing the verbosity of the logging by setting the "wrapper.logfile.loglevel" property in the resource/conf/wrapper.conf file to TRACE. If you still have trouble could you post the contents of your wrapper.log file?
There was nothing in the log directory. I removed the install and started again.
This time it did start leaving log files (wrapper.log), and it says that it can't start the VM. I KNOW the VM is there, and I even reinstalled the entire Java development environment. No change.
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but did you follow the instructions in the INSTALL file? If so, do you see any messages showing up in either the log/error.log file or log/wrapper.log file?
Web Data Extraction
Pro on Linux is a bust
Pfew. I started to think I was crazy ) I'll cross my fingers that the next machine works without a hitch. Feel free to post if you run into any trouble.
Best,
Todd
Pro on Linux is a bust
Okay, it's all over. There was a hardware problem in the piece of @#$% computer. As a result, Linux was always not completely installed or updated.
I never would have noticed except for the fact that I happened to be standing there when it rebooted in the middle of an automatic update.
This is apparently not an uncommon occurence, especially with my particular motherboard.
So I literally unplugged the computer and tossed it on top of the trashpile. Ed will take care of it tomorrow. I drove to the office and stole another computer and will try again.
Todd, you are the KING. Thanks for taking so much time to help, and I apologize for wasting your time.
Pro on Linux is a bust
Okay, so here's where we are...after multiple installs and re-installs and tweaks and swearing and annoyance the system is up and running.
Here's a new twist...the GUI keeps dying (goes blank) if there's even a slightly complex page that is proxied.
For example, the tutorial test page (simple form) works just fine in the proxy, but the page that that URL is on does not.
Pro on Linux is a bust
Sorry, Matt, just a few more questions (and I apologize if I make you repeat yourself).
- How are you launching screen-scraper? The error message you include in your previous post is from the wrapper.log file, which only comes in to play when you're running the server. My impression earlier was that the server was working for you, but that you couldn't get the GUI/workbench to launch.
- Your "resource/conf/wrapper.conf" file has a "wrapper.java.command" property. What value does it show?
- Did you install screen-scraper this time using the tarball or the .bin file?
As I mentioned earlier, it sounds as though this could be an issue with the installer. We use InstallAnywhere for this, and it may be that it has problems on certain Linux distributions.
Thanks,
Todd
Pro on Linux is a bust
Hi Todd,
I set it up exactly as you outlined above.
Pro on Linux is a bust
Hi,
That error message indicates that the service wrapper we use to start screen-scraper running as a server can't find the JVM. Did you install using the tarball or the .bin file? Either way you'll want to check the resource/conf/wrapper.conf file to see what it's pointing to for a JVM. Also, what does your directory structure look like in terms of where you installed screen-scraper and where you installed the symlinks?
Thanks,
Todd
Pro on Linux is a bust
Okay. I installed it exactly as you mentioned, and it works great. Thanks.
Pro on Linux is a bust
ERROR | wrapper | 2006/02/21 00:02:11 | Unable to start JVM: No such file or directory (2)
ERROR | wrapper | 2006/02/21 00:02:11 | Critical error: wait for JVM process failed (No child processes)
ERROR | wrapper | 2006/02/21 00:02:11 | Unable to start a JVM
I re-re installed, and tried to run screen-scraper. This is what I got.
Pro on Linux is a bust
Just delete the directories containing screen-scraper and any symlinks/shortcuts you may have installed.
When I install in Linux I usually make my directory structure like this
screen-scraper/
screen-scraper/setup_ss_pro.bin
screen-scraper/app/
screen-scraper/links/
I then install screen-scraper in the "app" directory and the shortcuts in the "links" directory.
Best,
Todd
Pro on Linux is a bust
Exactly what is the easiest way to do a clean reinstall?
Pro on Linux is a bust
You might just double-check that the start script works by executing it, changing in to screen-scraper's dir, then issuing
./server status
Which will tell you whether or not it's running.
This is a new one on me. I've never heard of everything working except the workbench. Any odd settings with Xwindows? What happens if you do a clean re-install?
Best,
Todd
Pro on Linux is a bust
Yes it does.
start_server.sh seems to run. start-server and stop-server also seem to run.
When I try to run screen-scraper it doesn't work, and it does not create any logs...it just hangs there until I break out of it.
Pro on Linux is a bust
Based on your earlier description it sounds like it may have something to do with how screen-scraper was installed. As an alternative method to launch screen-scraper, try this at a terminal from the directory where you installed screen-scraper
jre/bin/java -jar screen-scraper.jar
Does that launch the workbench?
Thanks,
Todd
Pro on Linux is a bust
Yep, I tried the symlinks and the scripts that were installed on my X desktop. Neither worked.
First I started the server.
Then I tried to run screen-scraper.
I checked the scripts to make sure everything pointed to the right places, and they seem to.
I also ran everything as root, and used all of the defaults in installation.
Pro on Linux is a bust
I wouldn't recommend the tarball unless you don't have X access. How are you launching screen-scraper? Are you using the symlinks that the installer installs? I assume you're just trying to launch the workbench. If this is the case you should just be able to launch the "screen-scraper" symlink from a terminal. Also be aware of persmissions--if you install screen-scraper as root and try to launch it as another user it will likely fail.
Todd
Pro on Linux is a bust
I actually used the regular X version. Maybe I should try the tarball.
Pro on Linux is a bust
There's actually no install script. Just decompress the tarball (http//www.screen-scraper.com/install/professional/lin/ss_pro_lin.tgz) and follow the instructions found in the INSTALL file. By the way, I assume you're installing to a headless machine. If you have Xwindows access you can use our normal installer http//www.screen-scraper.com/download/download_screen-scraper.php .
Best,
Todd
Pro on Linux is a bust
Yes, it's probably me. It took me about 12 hours to get the freaking thing running (it was a motherboard that doesn't like Linux very much, so it needed some tweaking).
I haven't worked in Linux since 1993-ish when you could email Linus Torvalds with any questions you had (nice guy).
I'll keep you posted. Was there something more I had to do other than just running the install script? Is it written down somewhere?
Pro on Linux is a bust
Not that I can think of. We currently run screen-scraper on Fedora Core 3 without a hitch, so I'm pretty confident it should be just as happy on Core 4. Good luck. Please let us know how it goes.
Best,
Todd
Pro on Linux is a bust
Yeah, I noticed the runtime environment in the install, but I was trying not to take anything for granted. I'm stuck onsite until 8PM tonight, then I'll take another crack at it. I'm running Fedora 4 (a fresh copy), and I just grabbed the install off your website this weekend.
I'll try what you suggested. Anything else I should be looking for?
Pro on Linux is a bust
Hi Matt,
What distro are you running? Also, note that screen-scraper includes its own Java Runtime Environment, so you need not install your own. To help in debugging you might try increasing the verbosity of the logging by setting the "wrapper.logfile.loglevel" property in the resource/conf/wrapper.conf file to TRACE. If you still have trouble could you post the contents of your wrapper.log file?
Thanks,
Todd
No such thing as a dumb question in this case
Hi Todd,
There was nothing in the log directory. I removed the install and started again.
This time it did start leaving log files (wrapper.log), and it says that it can't start the VM. I KNOW the VM is there, and I even reinstalled the entire Java development environment. No change.
Pro on Linux is a bust
Hi Matt,
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but did you follow the instructions in the INSTALL file? If so, do you see any messages showing up in either the log/error.log file or log/wrapper.log file?
Thanks,
Todd Wilson