[Dxspider-support] Starting DXSpider...'error' messages?. Also BPQ32 issues.

[Dirk Koopman]

Ron Stordahl wrote:
> Dirk
> 
> I have updated to 0.206 using WinCVS.  As you said it is magic!
> 
> There were no changes, in the puzzling to me, 'Prototype mismatch' 
> lines.  Of course I am running a later version of Perl, perhaps that is 
> it..but I don't see where it causes any obvious trouble.

Yes, but we will get complaints anyway. Mind you, it took me six years 
to finally get rid of the spurious warnings about redefining EAGAIN (or 
whatever it was) under Windows.

> 
> I have tested Spider 0.206 with both the BPQ32 DLL and AGWtoBPQ 
> interfaces and they work fine other than:
> 
> 1) If you start AGWtoBPQ before Spider, then Spider connects promptly to 
> AGWtoBPQ, but if you later cancel AGWtoBPQ, Spider terminates.  It 
> should not, as you may have telnet users. 
> 
> 2) If you start Spider without AGWtoBPQ running, there is a perhaps 30 
> second delay at the 'AGW initializing...' line, then the loading 
> continues and Spider runs.  However if you now start AGWtoBPQ, Spider 
> never does try to connect to it.  I would recommend it try once/minute.
> 
> As you understand it is desirable to be able to close AGWtoBPQ, for 
> reconfiguration, without Spider going to end of course, but it should 
> also try to reconnect periodically.  The idea is to be able to close, 
> reconfigure and restart AGWtoBPQ without dropping a likely larger number 
> of telnet users.

Well, I have made some mods to the code, which I can't easily test, that 
should cause the node to retry connects to AGW. This is available in 
CVS. Please test it and tell whether it does what you require.

> 
> John is thinking about how BPQ32, when loaded via the DLL, could have a 
> similar feature, perhaps a command would have to be issued by the 
> application to unload and reload...but this is still in the thinking stage.

As far as I am concerned, I suspect it will cause more trouble than it 
is worth, but if it is possible, then I am sure John will sort it out. 
He is running the latest code, so he can make the necessary changes.

> 
> The only user effort to include BPQ32, other than running the BPQ32 
> installer with defaults, is the editing of BPQConnect.pl and 
> AGWConect.pl by enabling or disabling.
> 
> It's really easy!
> 
> There are updates to BPQ32 needed for Spider, they will be in my new 
> installer.  I am still working on the docs, but the BPQ32 updates are 
> all there.  You probably have the current stuff from John, but I will be 
> glad to send you the installer as long as it understood it is not 
> completely polished!
> 

Just send me the link (on this mailinglist). I will happily host the 
stuff if it's required, but the web is supposed to be hyperlinked, so we 
may as well do that, unless you have a bandwidth problem. I will arrange 
for the link to go onto the website (probably onto the download and 
links pages).

Dirk G1TLH