Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 06:29:09 -0300 From: Oliver Schuetz To: ls-sciops@eso.org Subject: Patching the KDE bug Dear All, This is an information how to solve the "KDE bug" on w2p2off, if it should appear. Essentially, it is just necessary to copy a directory, but I give all details below. Best regards, OS ----- Background (for those who want to know details): There is a kind of incompatibility between the most recent Linux version running on the RITZ w***off machines and KDE. It can and did already happen that the KDE session looses its multiple desktops and the window title bars disappear, while all windows got stuck on their position and cannot be moved. This problem was already reported in LPRS-009112. While w3p6off and wg5off were already or will be moved to another desktop environment (DE), this was not easily possible on w2p2off, where a complex system of automatic window pointers had grown during earlier years, which would need to be modified if another desktop environment will be used. I tried to modify the pointers, but it was not possible to port them identically to another DE in only 1 day without risking side effects (and during visitor mode this transition should not be done). So we keep going as is, with patching the KDE bug. This bug is randomly. It can happen tomorrow or in half a year. Typically it affects only one screen, most likely the 0:1. ----- IMPORTANT: WHAT TO DO (valid especially for w2p2off): Essentially, you just need to copy a directory, but for this you should be logged out from KDE. If the "KDE bug" happens during the night, preferably wait for the next day in order not to interrupt the FEROS pipeline. On the next day, preferably before start of the calibrations: - Exit nicely (by clicking quit) from the dataSubscriber and the FEROS pipeline panel. Avoid closing these windows in a hard way (otherwise zombie processes may survive). - Log out from KDE (important !!). - Type Ctrl+Alt+F1 to get a text only interface. Login as astro. - Type cp -r .kde.ok/* .kde/ Do not use mv. - Type Ctrl+Alt+F7. Login to KDE with account astro. - Re-start the dataSubscriber. When prompted for username and password, enter 'service' in both cases. Go to 'Config', click on 'Rename to Keyword' and select 'Name On INS WS'. Click on 'Accept'. Click on 'Start Raw', and wait until the button changes into green. - Start the FEROS DRS pipeline main panel with the left mouse button. Select a date and press the 3 'start' buttons. Should there be any eventual problem that some processes would not come up, then please see here: http://www.ls.eso.org/lasilla/sciops/2p2/E2p2M/FEROS/Internal/ orphaned-jobs.html - If you did all this procedure during a night with FEROS observations (you should not have done so), you need to re-initialise the pipeline by typing in the blue Midas window: init/feros ThAr9021 (in the standard case) (if required see also the FEROS manual pages 40 & 41) ----- In case the "good" backup directory /home/astro/.kde.ok should get lost, you can find a copy in the lasilla@kila account under: /home1/lasilla/220/w2p2off/kde-w2p2off.tar.gz