Autotroll Problem

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Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Hi,

i am using Autotroll 1.52 for hosting a VGAP-Game. For quite some time i
had the following problem (log-file), which happened a second time the last
host:

---cut---

[30.06.2004 16:29:45] :<EVENT> Running Mail event
[30.06.2004 16:44:46] :<EVENT> Running Mail event
[30.06.2004 16:44:48] :<ERROR> POP3 Mailer error :-ERR System temporarily
unavailable, please try again later..
[30.06.2004 16:54:48] :<EVENT> Running Mail event
[30.06.2004 16:54:48] :<ERROR> [10053] Software caused connection abort
[30.06.2004 17:09:48] :<EVENT> Running Mail event
[30.06.2004 17:09:48] :<ERROR> [10053] Software caused connection abort
[30.06.2004 17:24:49] :<EVENT> Running Mail event
[30.06.2004 17:24:49] :<ERROR> [10053] Software caused connection abort
[30.06.2004 17:39:49] :<EVENT> Running Mail event
[30.06.2004 17:39:50] :<ERROR> [10053] Software caused connection abort
[30.06.2004 17:54:50] :<EVENT> Running Mail event
[30.06.2004 17:54:50] :<ERROR> [10053] Software caused connection abort
[30.06.2004 18:09:50] :<EVENT> Running Mail event

---cut---

I am using Win2000. When the failure happens Autotroll opens a new windows
where it displays the error message. Whenever this happens Autotroll does
not receive TRNS anymore sent in by players.

What can be the cause of this error? Any idea? Would be very thankful for a
solution...

cu Thomas
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Thomas I get that error from time to time, and don't know what causes it, I
think it is caused by a delay in the mail server timing out... I always have
to turn AT off, and then restart it to clear up the problem.

Ed
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Hi Ed,

"edsvga" <host@battlestarcommand.com> wrote in
news:10i09jfc5vjhi7f@corp.supernews.com:
> Thomas I get that error from time to time, and don't know what causes
> it, I think it is caused by a delay in the mail server timing out... I
> always have to turn AT off, and then restart it to clear up the
> problem.

Thanks for your answer.

Yes, this is also worked for me. Another manual solution is to check for
mails within Autotroll and then abort the connection by clicking on the
abort icon.

But all these solution afford that you to are locally near to the hosting
computer. The last host, for example, i was not at home and Autotroll was
not able to receive anymore TRNs after this error happened. In the end
Autotroll hosted with only some TRNs in 🙁. I had to re-host the game,
because this error happened.

Are there still some developer for Autotroll? Or is the code open source so
that this error can be fixed?

cu Thomas
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

I currently have to pause hosting if out of town for more than a day for the
same reason, just cant trust AT to go by itself for extended periods of
time.

There is currently a Sourceforge project on AT... but nothing has been done
with it since Oct of 2003. Here is the link to it if interested:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/autotroll/
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Thomas Klebes wrote:

>Are there still some developer for Autotroll? Or is the code open source so
>that this error can be fixed?
The other developer has at least some time ago made a comeback, but I
haven't heard of him for a while. In any case they were making a JAVA
version of autotroll, maybe the original source is lost.

It sounds like for an external reason Autotroll can't access POP server,
and can't handle the error, causing it not to be able to resume operation.

Can one access Autotroll's log file while it's running? If so, a program
could scan for it periodically, detecting the error, then killing and
restarting AutoTroll, assuming Autotroll can be easily restarted into
operational mode.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Hi Akseli,

Akseli Mäki <newsgroups@spam.akseli.net> wrote in
news:bjf3i053g2lfug1rgn4l1rsfdpaa2f3fk0@4ax.com:
>>Are there still some developer for Autotroll? Or is the code open
>>source so that this error can be fixed?
> The other developer has at least some time ago made a comeback, but I
> haven't heard of him for a while. In any case they were making a JAVA
> version of autotroll, maybe the original source is lost.

Yes, i know of the Java version. Unfortunately there is nearly no progress
in the development of the Java version. At least no news are posted on the
website of Autotroll.

> It sounds like for an external reason Autotroll can't access POP
> server, and can't handle the error, causing it not to be able to resume
> operation.

It seems to be this way. Sometimes it happens that Autotroll cannot connect
to the mail server, because the server is down for some minutes or
something like that. But whenenver this happens, Autotroll cannot connect
anymore to the mail server, even when it is reachable again.

> Can one access Autotroll's log file while it's running? If so, a
> program could scan for it periodically, detecting the error, then
> killing and restarting AutoTroll, assuming Autotroll can be easily
> restarted into operational mode.

Yes, you can access the log-file while Autotroll is running. Indeed, such a
workaround should help. Unfortunately i am not skilled enough in
programming languages to write such a fix.

Maybe some experienced coder can help to write such a fix?

cu Thomas
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Happens to me a lot too. Nothing to do but restart AutoTroll. I run it on
Windows 2000 Advanced Server. I have a workaround, but you have to know how
to use windows AT (NOT auto troll, windows) commands. I have windows kill
the Auto Troll process every 12 hours, and then restart it. This keeps the
damage from this error to a minimum. I have to manually kill the process
and restart it if I need to interact with it though...

lady kate
"Thomas Klebes" <email.address.is.in.the.body@noreply.net> wrote in message
news:2oadekF8e951U1@uni-berlin.de...
> Hi,
>
> i am using Autotroll 1.52 for hosting a VGAP-Game. For quite some time i
> had the following problem (log-file), which happened a second time the
last
> host:
>
> ---cut---
>
> [30.06.2004 16:29:45] :<EVENT> Running Mail event
> [30.06.2004 16:44:46] :<EVENT> Running Mail event
> [30.06.2004 16:44:48] :<ERROR> POP3 Mailer error :-ERR System temporarily
> unavailable, please try again later..
> [30.06.2004 16:54:48] :<EVENT> Running Mail event
> [30.06.2004 16:54:48] :<ERROR> [10053] Software caused connection abort
> [30.06.2004 17:09:48] :<EVENT> Running Mail event
> [30.06.2004 17:09:48] :<ERROR> [10053] Software caused connection abort
> [30.06.2004 17:24:49] :<EVENT> Running Mail event
> [30.06.2004 17:24:49] :<ERROR> [10053] Software caused connection abort
> [30.06.2004 17:39:49] :<EVENT> Running Mail event
> [30.06.2004 17:39:50] :<ERROR> [10053] Software caused connection abort
> [30.06.2004 17:54:50] :<EVENT> Running Mail event
> [30.06.2004 17:54:50] :<ERROR> [10053] Software caused connection abort
> [30.06.2004 18:09:50] :<EVENT> Running Mail event
>
> ---cut---
>
> I am using Win2000. When the failure happens Autotroll opens a new windows
> where it displays the error message. Whenever this happens Autotroll does
> not receive TRNS anymore sent in by players.
>
> What can be the cause of this error? Any idea? Would be very thankful for
a
> solution...
>
> cu Thomas
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

"LadyKate" <straha.nospam@insightbb.com> wrote in message
news:5bBUc.316700$JR4.166665@attbi_s54...
> Happens to me a lot too. Nothing to do but restart AutoTroll. I run it
on
> Windows 2000 Advanced Server. I have a workaround, but you have to know
how
> to use windows AT (NOT auto troll, windows) commands. I have windows kill
> the Auto Troll process every 12 hours, and then restart it. This keeps
the
> damage from this error to a minimum. I have to manually kill the process
> and restart it if I need to interact with it though...
>
> lady kate

I just changed the timeout value and it seems to have worked for me.

--

Regards,
Merlyn
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

I have done that too, but it still happens, the timeout setting hasn't
affected it at all.

Ed
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Hi Merlyn,

"Merlyn" <Merlyn@spammersremovethistobeblocked.thelastdomain.com> wrote
in news:cfv4hd$qe8@dispatch.concentric.net:
>> Happens to me a lot too. Nothing to do but restart AutoTroll. I run
> I just changed the timeout value and it seems to have worked for me.

What value have you set for time out? Did you also changed other parameters
like mail check interval?

cu Thomas
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Hi LadyKate,

"LadyKate" <straha.nospam@insightbb.com> wrote in
news:5bBUc.316700$JR4.166665@attbi_s54:
> Happens to me a lot too. Nothing to do but restart AutoTroll. I run
> it on Windows 2000 Advanced Server. I have a workaround, but you have
> to know how to use windows AT (NOT auto troll, windows) commands. I
> have windows kill the Auto Troll process every 12 hours, and then
> restart it. This keeps the damage from this error to a minimum. I
> have to manually kill the process and restart it if I need to interact
> with it though...

Maybe you can tell me what you have to do to automatically kill a process?
Does i need a tool for that? It is working only wit windows server or also
with normal windows 2000?

cu Thomas
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Thomas Klebes <paradox78@gmx.net> wrote in message news:<2ogkt6Faau17U2@uni-berlin.de>...
> Hi LadyKate,
>
> "LadyKate" <straha.nospam@insightbb.com> wrote in
> news:5bBUc.316700$JR4.166665@attbi_s54:
> > Happens to me a lot too. Nothing to do but restart AutoTroll. I run
> > it on Windows 2000 Advanced Server. I have a workaround, but you have
> > to know how to use windows AT (NOT auto troll, windows) commands. I
> > have windows kill the Auto Troll process every 12 hours, and then
> > restart it. This keeps the damage from this error to a minimum. I
> > have to manually kill the process and restart it if I need to interact
> > with it though...
>
> Maybe you can tell me what you have to do to automatically kill a process?
> Does i need a tool for that? It is working only wit windows server or also
> with normal windows 2000?
>

With delphi, you can write..

var W: HWnd;
begin
W := FindWindow(NIL,'Window Title');
if W<>0 then PostMessage(W, wm_close, 1, 1);
end;

... for close another program.

Write me a mail if you find no other solution. I can write you such a
watchdog tool.. Akseli is right, it makes sense to watch the logfile
and kill the process only if needed. I need the AT Window Title and
the name and relative path to the logfile for do it.

Hm.. with a config file like:

WindowTitle=Watched Window Title
LogfileName=./Log/Logfile.log
ScanText_1=Mail error
ScanText_n=

...the tool can be used universal for watch logfiles and restart a
program if a specifed text is found.

Regards, Harry
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

"Thomas Klebes" <praradox78@gmx.net> wrote in message
news:2ogkp0Faau17U1@uni-berlin.de...
> Hi Merlyn,
>
> "Merlyn" <Merlyn@spammersremovethistobeblocked.thelastdomain.com> wrote
> in news:cfv4hd$qe8@dispatch.concentric.net:
> >> Happens to me a lot too. Nothing to do but restart AutoTroll. I run
> > I just changed the timeout value and it seems to have worked for me.
>
> What value have you set for time out? Did you also changed other
parameters
> like mail check interval?
>
> cu Thomas

I check every 4 minutes and I set the timeout to 60 seconds.

--

Regards,
Merlyn
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Thomas Klebes wrote:

>Yes, you can access the log-file while Autotroll is running. Indeed, such a
>workaround should help. Unfortunately i am not skilled enough in
>programming languages to write such a fix.
What about starting up Autotroll, is it enough to just start the program,
or do you need to tell it to go "online" or something like that?
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Hi Akseli,

Akseli Mäki <newsgroups@spam.akseli.net> wrote in
news:tr87i0hcr2gesd0fba0csettnd0avmhuru@4ax.com:
>>Yes, you can access the log-file while Autotroll is running. Indeed,
>>such a workaround should help. Unfortunately i am not skilled enough in
>>programming languages to write such a fix.
> What about starting up Autotroll, is it enough to just start the
> program, or do you need to tell it to go "online" or something like
> that?

No, you only have to execute "autotroll.exe -auto". Then Autotroll starts
and automatically connects to the mail server and does his job.

cu Thomas
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Harry Bur wrote:

>..the tool can be used universal for watch logfiles and restart a
>program if a specifed text is found.
And of course, after killing it, it should first dump the old log file into
safe place, then restart Autotroll. Othervice the program would keep on
killing Autotroll everytime because the log file entry is there.
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Hi Harry,

h.y@gmx.de (Harry Bur) wrote in
news:eb195c0a.0408181500.17b9752f@posting.google.com:
>> Maybe you can tell me what you have to do to automatically kill a
>> process? Does i need a tool for that? It is working only wit windows
>> server or also with normal windows 2000?
> Write me a mail if you find no other solution. I can write you such a
> watchdog tool.. Akseli is right, it makes sense to watch the logfile
> and kill the process only if needed. I need the AT Window Title and
> the name and relative path to the logfile for do it.
[...]
> ..the tool can be used universal for watch logfiles and restart a
> program if a specifed text is found.

Currently i does not have any solution to cope with the Autotroll problem.
I think at least me and Ed would be very thankful when you would write such
a watchdog tool. The best way would be with config-file, of course. So that
it can be used in a flexible way.

cu Thomas
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

> Currently i does not have any solution to cope with the Autotroll problem.
> I think at least me and Ed would be very thankful when you would write such
> a watchdog tool. The best way would be with config-file, of course. So that
> it can be used in a flexible way.

It's done.
http://www.friendsnfun.net/zeus/Z-Watchdog.zip

Die Hilfedatei ist aktuell nur in deutsch. Wäre nett, wenn Du diese
Korrektur lesen (habs nicht so mit Hilfedateien) und in's englische
übersetzen könntest.. ist nicht viel.

ciao, harry
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Thats good... I kind of know what it does, but the help file is in german..
so It doesn't help me much if I don't know exactly how to use it.

Ed
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

> Thats good... I kind of know what it does, but the help file is in german..
> so It doesn't help me much if I don't know exactly how to use it.

In short the settings:

Window Title:
the window title of the AT program

Progr. incl. path for re-start:
put here the path and executable of the Autotroll program

Program parameter:
if the program ned parameters.. add them here

Logfile incl. path:
the logfile wich should be watched

Scan Text 1:
The text you search in the logfile

You can set them also in the ini file by hand:
WindowsTitle=
ProgramToStartWithPath=
ProgramParameter=
LogfileWithPath=
ScanText1=

Now you can hit the checkbox "Watch Logfile". All TimerInterval=
minutes, the logfile gets checked now.
If Scantext1 gets found in the logfile, it get safed with an added
timestamp and a new empty logfile gets created.
The program with WindowTitle= gets terminated and then re-started. For
the re-start, the parameter ProgramToStartWithPath= is needed (and
eventually ProgramParameter= too)

ciao, harry
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Hi Harry,

h.y@gmx.de (Harry Bur) wrote in
news:eb195c0a.0408211542.6939f27a@posting.google.com:
>> Currently i does not have any solution to cope with the Autotroll
>> problem. I think at least me and Ed would be very thankful when you
>> would write such a watchdog tool. The best way would be with
>> config-file, of course. So that it can be used in a flexible way.
> It's done.
> http://www.friendsnfun.net/zeus/Z-Watchdog.zip

Thanks for your Watchdog-Utility!

I tried it and configured the tool this way:

---CUT---

[Settings]
WindowsTitle=Auto Troll
ProgramToStartWithPath=d:\games\planets\hosting\autotroll\at\autotroll.exe
ProgramParameter=-auto
LogfileWithPath=d:\games\planets\hosting\autotroll\at\at.log
ScanText1=Software caused connection abort
ScanText2=
ScanText3=
ScanText4=
ScanText5=
ScanText6=
TimerInterval=15
MaxLinesWatchDogLog=180

---CUT---

The tool works, but it does not restart autotroll.exe. It stops the
autotroll.exe process, saves the log-file and creates a new blank one, but
it does not restart.

Any idea why this could be?

cu Thomas
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Hi Harry,

h.y@gmx.de (Harry Bur) wrote in
news:eb195c0a.0408211542.6939f27a@posting.google.com:
> Die Hilfedatei ist aktuell nur in deutsch. Wäre nett, wenn Du diese
> Korrektur lesen (habs nicht so mit Hilfedateien) und in's englische
> übersetzen könntest.. ist nicht viel.

No problem.

Help-file of Z-Watchdog in english:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Function:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The aim of Z-Watchdog is to scan logfiles (LogfileWithPath=) in a defined
time interval (TimerInterval=) for a certain text (ScanText1=).

When the text is found in the logfile it is saved under an other name
and a new blank logfile is created.

Then the program with the windows title defined in (WindowsTitle=)
is closed. After that the program which path is defined in
(ProgramToStartWithPath=) is restarted. In the case the program to
restart needs parameter they can be entered in (ProgramParameter=).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
A short summary of the settings:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

WindowsTitle=

Enter here the windows title of the program that should be closed when a
certain text is found in the logfile that should be scanned by Z-
Watchdog.

For example: WindowsTitle=Auto Troll

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

ProgramToStartWithPath=

Enter here the path of the program that should be restarted when Z-
Watchdog
finds a certain text in the logfile.

For example: ProgramToStartWithPath=c:\planets\host\autotroll.exe

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

ProgramParameter=

In the case the program that should be restarted needs additional
parameters
(for example: autotroll.exe -auto) then add them here.

For example: ProgramParameter=-auto

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

LogfileWithPath=

Enter here the path of the logfile that should be scanned by Z-Watchdog.

For example: LogfileWithPath=c:\planets\host\at.log

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

ScanText1=
ScanText2=
ScanText3=
ScanText4=
ScanText5=
ScanText6=

Enter here the text for that Z-Watchdog should scan in the logfile.
ATTENTION: Currently scantext2-6 are deactivated!

For example: ScanText1=Software caused connection abort

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

TimerInterval=

Z-Watchdog scans the logfile in certain time intervals. Enter here the
time interval in minutes (for example when you enter 10 then Z-Watchdog
scans your logfile each 10 minutes).

For example: TimerInterval=10

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

MaxLinesWatchDogLog=

When the the logfile of Z-Watchdog (watchdog.log) has reached a certain
number of lines then save it and clear the display of the log. This has
nothing to do with the lofile Z-Watchdog is scanning!

For example: MaxLinesWatchDogLog=180

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

Hi Thomas,

Is't only Autotroll.exe wich do not start? Have you tested it with
another programm like notepad? Or set a batch file with the command
"Autotroll.exe -auto" as program to execute.
Current i use ShellExecute() for start the program. We can try another
method like CreateProcess().
I must admit, that i do not know much about the XP rights. Have you
tested it with admin rights?

Make it running in the sytray is no problem. Thanks for the
translation.

ciao harry
 
Archived from groups: alt.games.vga-planets (More info?)

> Thanks for your Watchdog-Utility!

No problem. It's not much, compared to the work and time, the peoples
wich hosting games, spend for us players.

> The tool works, but it does not restart autotroll.exe. It stops the
> autotroll.exe process, saves the log-file and creates a new blank one, but
> it does not restart.

I found an bug.. the Button "Search" for set the "Program incl. path
for re-start" entry, had (over)write the "Logfile inclusive path"
entry.

But that was not the problem...

I've add an new switch: DelayForRestart=secounds
The program gets started DelayForRestart= secounds after it's closed.

I've tested it with AutoTroll.exe now and it works with 1 sec. delay
here. Use 5-10 sec. for being sure.

ciao harry
 
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