开云体育

At 3:33 PM +0000 6/13/02, scottdouglasgoodwin wrote:

Here's the problem. The windows serial driver has a built in
function/dialog that allows you to configure the serial port.
If you use the port settings under the device manager, you will see
that you are presented with a dialog that has a dropdown list for
setting the baud rate. The list doesn't include 16457. And you can't
type in 16457. So there's no way to set it to 16457 through the
device manager. If you use MSCOMM in VB, you can use the settings
property to set the baud rate, etc. Again, it won't accept 16457 for
the same reason. The package javax.javacomm apparently has the same
problem---it just won't accept 16457 because it is using the serial
driver's list of valid baud rates.

Of course, programs like LocoNetMon, RR&Co, and Winlok work just fine
on the same computers that MSCOMM,javax.javacomm, etc don't work. Why?
Well, if you look at the source code for LocoNetMon (available from
the loconethackers group), you will see that it opens the Com Port
using Win32K's CreateFile function wich returns a file handle/file
descriptor. This file handle is used in the function GetComState
which gets the current device control block (dcb). You can then set
the baud rate in the dcb to 16457. Then use SetCommState to apply the
new settings.

I've just spent a long day trying to get the RXTX implementation to work at 16457 baud. My apologies for the length of this; if you're not interested in hardcore details, please skip the rest of the email. But if there's any chance you can help, I'd appreciate it.

The good news: It's now pretty clear what the code is doing. After various preliminaries, there's a case statement that takes the 'speed' as an integer (e.g. 9600) and converts it to a defined constant (e.g. B9600). This value then is used to invoke

if(
cfsetispeed( &ttyset, cspeed ) < 0 ||
cfsetospeed( &ttyset, cspeed ) < 0 )
{
report( "nativeSetSerialPortParams: Cannot Set Speed&#92;n" );
goto fail;
}

where the constant was in the "cspeed" value and ttyset is a termios structure.

This can't handle the LocoNet rate, as cfsetispeed doesn't know about that rate; there's not a B16457 constant to express it, and the code doesn't look for it.

There is some code for dealing with the divisor explicitly. It's only compiled in if WIN32 is _not_ defined:

if ( ioctl( fd, TIOCGSERIAL, &sstruct ) < 0 )
{
goto fail;
}
...
sstruct.custom_divisor = ( sstruct.baud_base/cspeed );

if ( sstruct.baud_base < 1 ||
ioctl( fd, TIOCSSERIAL, &sstruct ) < 0 )
{
goto fail;
}

(In the snippet above, cspeed contains the rate as an integer, not as a defined constant; yes, that's confusing.)

This is the point where it gets wierd. Note that cfsetispeed isn't part of the native windows API, so what's happening here? The RXTX maintainers have produced their own implementation of cfsetispeed on top of the Windows routines! It lives in their termios.c and win32termios.h.

cfsetispeed and cfsetospeed just make notes for a latter copy to a Windows DCB's BaudRate member; ioctl(.., TIOCSSERIAL, ...) doesn't do anything at all!

So after a huge amount of indirection, the program really is just setting dcb.BaudRate and invoking SetCommState. Amazing!

All of the above is based on static analysis, but it looks right.

Now for the bad news. Despite 15 hours of effort (c.f. ) I still can't get the original program to compile! RXTX is a Linux project, so their instructions involve cross-compiling with gcc. It's a mess of Java-generated headers, headers copied from Windows to Linux, etc, all munged together by a 7k-line configure script.

I've appealed for help from the maintainers mailing list. I'm not sure what else to do.

The easiest hack (if I could get it to compile!) would be to change the mapping so that some other baud rate actually gets written to the DCB as 16457. For example, nobody uses 110 baud anymore, so I could just hack this line:
case B110: ret = CBR_110; break;
(CBR_110 is literally 110, and will eventually be loaded into the DCB) to
case B110: ret = 16457; break;
then have the program try 110 baud on Windows. If I could just get the $%%^$& thing to compile!!!

Anybody feel like trying to edit the binary contents in a .dll?

Bob

--
--------------
Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957)
Am working off a huge email backlog, call if it's urgent.

I've made a second try at a Windows installer. If all goes well
(hah!), this will be the distribution form for Windows from now on.

The installer can be downloaded from:

Seems to work great.

One other minor thing you could set in the shortcut is to run the batch file
"Minimised so that the Command window is not promenently placed in the
centre of the screen. I had thought that starting a java app using the javaw
command made it detach from the console and allow the command window to
close. However after a quick play, there must be more to it than that...

Alex

Jon,

I have the updated file that I just sent to Bob. Go to



then Right-Click on decpro.ico, and select "Save Target As" to get the file
onto your machine.

Robin

I downloaded AWicons and this seems like the program to use. 16 & 32
bit color, plus other stuff. Icon size 16, 32, 48, 64, and custom. Just
like a draw program. It will import other icons as I checked it with the
ones Bob linked to.
It wants you to register in 30 days ($19). Now all we need is an
artist<G>!

Jon Miller
AT&SF
For me time has stopped in 1941
Digitrax DCC owner, Chief system
NMRA Life member #2623
Member SFRH&MS

Bob,

I have patients. I have waited this long. I can wait longer. What is a few more weeks if it works.

Al

At 12:05 PM +0200 6/29/02, Aleksandar Vukalovic wrote:

Dear Gentlemen, please, can we go from beginning?
I have XP and same problem.
How and what I need to install Java?
Do I have to know something or anything about Java, for install and
using JMRI?

I think the simplest approach is:

1) Download the installer from and run it

2) If Java is not present, it will take you to a Sun download page & quit. Click the download button on that page, follow any instructions that come up, and wait for it to complete. (It's a big download, and may take some time)

3) Rerun the installer again. It should go OK this time.

4) From the Start Menu -> Programs -> Jmri run the DecoderPro program. A preferences window will pop; select your DCC type (NCE, EasyDCC, etc), comm port, and click "save". You'll be asked if you want to quit, say yes.

5) Restart the program and you're ready to go.

(I've not yet updated the README file to use the above steps, will do that soon).

You don't need to know anything about Java, and the new installer is supposed to handle all the rest of the details.

One problem: Windows XP will _not_ work with a Digitrax LocoNet via a MS100 yet. If you have a Digitrax command station, you'll need to use a LocoBuffer, or wait a week or two.

Bob
--
--------------
Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957)
Am working off a huge email backlog, call if it's urgent.

At 11:08 PM -0400 6/28/02, Al Silverstein wrote:

When I tried to launch DP I received the message "Failed to set the current baud rate for the MS100. Port is set to 9600baud. See readme file for more info. The baud rate is grayed out at 16600.

Jon's already replied, but I thought I'd add my apologies that it's taken so long to get this problem resolved. Until recently, I didn't have a PC readily available for testing on Windows. With my son's recent 10th birthday, I bought him a present (ahem) of a cheap PC that's currently resident in the train room. So now I'm learning Windows. The first project is the installer, and next I start on the MS100 baud-rate problem.

Thanks for your patience. I really do want to get all this resolved before the NMRA convention next month.

Bob

--
--------------
Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957)
Am working off a huge email backlog, call if it's urgent.

At 5:42 PM -0700 6/28/02, Jerry Drews wrote:

As you must have suspected, my machines did not have the Java software
installed.

Actually, I thought that the installer was checking for the presence of Java, and would have mentioned if it didn't find it. Since it hadn't, I was a little confused.

But one can never really overestimate the subtlety of Windows. There are apparently some Windows systems that come with _part_ of Java. That was enough to fool my simple test, while still confusing the rest of the installer and probably not letting the program run.

I've beefed-up the checking, and added some error handling. Hopefully the new version will work better. Sorry for the extra work.

Having done this, I re-ran the install and it seemed to complete correctly.

When I clicked on the DecoderPro icon on the desktop, it blinks, but nothing
seems to happen.

If I execute "decoder pro" from within a command prompt defaulted to the
d:&#92;program files&#92;jmri folder, I get the user interface which looks
reasonable. I am not connected to my railroad now. The program interface
seems to work o.k. When I quit, the command prompt window contains:

...

.DecoderPro
java.lang.NullPointerException
at
jmri.jmrit.symbolicprog.CombinedLocoSelListPane.setDecoderSelectionFr
omLoco(CombinedLocoSelListPane.java:233)

Those are real bugs in that version; the first problem is the fault of the installer, and the second one was in the code itself. They are hopefully now fixed in the new upload, thanks for the detailed info.

Bob
--
--------------
Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957)
Am working off a huge email backlog, call if it's urgent.

At 12:02 PM -0700 6/28/02, Bob Jacobsen wrote:

At 10:09 AM -0700 6/28/02, Jerry Drews wrote:
>Also, when the installer
>splash screen opens, the program pauses until a key is struck or the mouse

is clicked with the cursor within the white area. We probably need a
"Strike any key to continue" message or a "Continue" button. Otherwise, it

>just seems to hang without any clue as to what action to take.

As to that first splash screen, I hope it's temporary. The installer
is built with a tool from MindVision. I've talked to them about
letting us use it for free. So far, they've agreed that use for
"occasional tests and demos" is OK, and I'm still hoping that they'll
allow me to use it for distributing free software. If they do, that
first splash screen goes away.

Mindvision agreed to let me use the installer tool without charge. I think that's a great thing for them to do. But in return they want to keep that first screen as advertising, which seems fair. They were happy to add a "click to continue line".

The new screen is in the installer I just uploaded.

Bob
--
--------------
Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957)
Am working off a huge email backlog, call if it's urgent.

I've made a second try at a Windows installer. If all goes well (hah!), this will be the distribution form for Windows from now on.

The installer can be downloaded from:



The changes include:

New icons from Robin Becker - thanks! It's starting to
look like a real program...

Fix of the null reference crash located by Alex Shepherd

Shortcut and program items now function properly

Improved check for Java being present; if it's not
found, quit installer and take user to the Java download
page

Preferences are now stored in "Windows standard location".
This is a mixed blessing; it's necessary to get the
uninstall and reinstall operations to work reliably, but
it means that you'll have to search around if you ever
need to find the preferences manually. And if you
upgrade your Windows version, you might have to re-enter
your DecoderPro preferences (probably the least of your
problems then, but still a pain)

Thanks in advance for trying this, I appreciate any comments, suggestions, etc.

Bob
--
--------------
Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957)
Am working off a huge email backlog, call if it's urgent.

Dear Gentlemen, please, can we go from beginning?
I have XP and same problem.
How and what I need to install Java?
Do I have to know something or anything about Java, for install and
using JMRI?

Thanks in advance.

Best regards,
Aleksandar

The installer currently adds it to the JVM that the "java" command
will invoke. It needs to be there because the program is started
using "java" or "javaw". The installer gets that info from the
registry, using the same keys that the "java" command uses.

Ok, that seems reasonable.

It's interesting that JBuilder apparently installed its own JVM.

I think this is only for the Windows install, but the UNIX installs assume
its already there.

I could add a prompt to the user to pick the JVM(s) should get the
comm stuff, but I'm concerned that's too confusing. I suspect that
J. Average User doesn't really want to worry about Java at all.

It didn't really occure to me that this is what happens. I usually have one
JDK/JRE in my path to ensure it works as I expect. However now that you
mention this, I bet that it has been using the reg setting and ignoring
what's in my path as the java.exe in c:&#92;WINNT&#92;wherever is found before the
others and then it does the reg lookup to know which JVM to load.

I just removed Java from my path and sure enough DP still works fine - you
learn something new each day...

These are both the same mistake. I should have set the desktop
shortcut and the program menu item to always start in the program
directory. Thanks for finding it.

Yeah, I removed DP, reinstalled DP from install file, set the Start in
directory and it worked fine.

We have just got JBuilder7 at work and it has the ability to build a

native

executable wrapper to lauch Java applications and it is supposed to be

able

to setup specific classpath and which JVM to use etc - haven't played

with

it yet but maybe I should...

That's probably a lot better than the .bat files that are used now.

Yes I will look closer at it. It looks to build executables for all
supported platforms ie it has check boxes for Linux and MacOS files as well
as Windows. It also looks like it includes all the JARs and everything in
the native executable as well, kinda sounds like a self extracting ZIP file.
If this is the case, I'm guessing that we could end up with just the native
executable and the XML files for an install. Time will tell...

Cheers

Alex

Jon,

I already own a LocoBuffer. I just never assembled it yet. I was under the impression that Decoder Pro worked with MS100 also. I guess I will have to take the time tomorrow to put together the LocoBuffer.

Al

Al,
At the current time you need a LocoBuffer. Bob is still working on the
MS100 interface. Find out about it in the files section of the Loco_Net
Hackers group on Yahoo.
A lot of work for Bob to do and the ability to use the MS100 is on his
list. The LocoBuffer is really a better device anyway.

Jon Miller
AT&SF
For me time has stopped in 1941
Digitrax DCC owner, Chief system
NMRA Life member #2623
Member SFRH&MS

Bob,

I made my first attempt to using Decoder Pro. The attempt failed. Here are the steps I took.

I downloaded Java 2 plug in from the Sun site. It was version 1.4.0_01. I installed it on the same machine I am currently running Winlok 2.1e successfully from com1.

I downloaded Decoder Pro 0.9.3.3 and installed it on the very same machine.

I am currently using a MS100. My system is a Dell GX1, P600, 256MB Ram and plenty of HD space.

When I tried to launch DP I received the message "Failed to set the current baud rate for the MS100. Port is set to 9600baud. See readme file for more info. The baud rate is grayed out at 16600.

What did I do wrong.

Al

Bob,

As you must have suspected, my machines did not have the Java software
installed. I installed Java 1.4.0. When I type "java -version" I get:

__________________
D:&#92;>java -version
java version "1.4.0"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.4.0-b92, mixed mode)
_______________________

Having done this, I re-ran the install and it seemed to complete correctly.

When I clicked on the DecoderPro icon on the desktop, it blinks, but nothing
seems to happen.

If I execute "decoder pro" from within a command prompt defaulted to the
d:&#92;program files&#92;jmri folder, I get the user interface which looks
reasonable. I am not connected to my railroad now. The program interface
seems to work o.k. When I quit, the command prompt window contains:

_______________________-

C:&#92;Program Files&#92;JMRI>decoderpro

C:&#92;Program Files&#92;JMRI>java
-Djava.class.path=".;jmri.jar;lib&#92;collections.jar;lib
&#92;log4j.jar;lib&#92;jdom-jdk11.jar;lib&#92;crimson.jar;lib&#92;comm.jar;$VFS"
apps.DecoderPro
.DecoderPro
java.lang.NullPointerException
at
jmri.jmrit.symbolicprog.CombinedLocoSelListPane.setDecoderSelectionFr
omLoco(CombinedLocoSelListPane.java:233)
at
jmri.jmrit.symbolicprog.CombinedLocoSelPane$3.actionPerformed(Combine
dLocoSelPane.java:135)
at javax.swing.JComboBox.fireActionEvent(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.JComboBox.setSelectedItem(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.JComboBox.setSelectedIndex(Unknown Source)
at
jmri.jmrit.symbolicprog.CombinedLocoSelPane.propertyChange(CombinedLo
coSelPane.java:247)
at java.beans.PropertyChangeSupport.firePropertyChange(Unknown
Source)
at jmri.jmrit.roster.Roster.firePropertyChange(Roster.java:290)
at jmri.jmrit.roster.Roster.removeEntry(Roster.java:82)
at
jmri.jmrit.symbolicprog.tabbedframe.PaneProgFrame.thisWindowClosing(P
aneProgFrame.java:344)
at
jmri.jmrit.symbolicprog.tabbedframe.PaneProgFrame$4.windowClosing(Pan
eProgFrame.java:234)
at java.awt.Window.processWindowEvent(Unknown Source)
at javax.swing.JFrame.processWindowEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Window.processEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForHierarchy(Unknown
Source)

at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(Unknown
Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(Unknown Source)

C:&#92;Program Files&#92;JMRI>
_____________________________________

At 10:34 AM -0700 6/28/02, Robin Becker wrote:

If you send me a .bmp file that is around 32x32 I can try to make a simple
icon file.

At 11:28 AM -0700 6/28/02, Robin Becker wrote:

Let's see if
Bob had any artwork in mind first, if not I guess I'll make something simple
up.

It's so generous of you to think I might have some artistic ability!

Unfortunately, I really don't, and I hadn't thought beyond trying to shrink something like one of the logo images that Jim Wellman created:

(which is 160x135)

(which is 210x152)

There's also a small DCC logo (83x75) we could use at:



But those are all too large...

Bob
--
--------------
Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957)
Am working off a huge email backlog, call if it's urgent.

At 10:09 AM -0700 6/28/02, Jerry Drews wrote:

I downloaded the file and tried it on Windows 98, 2K and XP Pro. All failed
with the error message: 'Setup cannot write to the destination file
"&#92;lib&#92;javax.comm.properties".' Is there any preparation needed on the
computer before running the installation program? Also, when the installer
splash screen opens, the program pauses until a key is struck or the mouse
is clicked with the cursor within the white area. We probably need a
"Strike any key to continue" message or a "Continue" button. Otherwise, it
just seems to hang without any clue as to what action to take.

Hope this is helpful. I'll be watching for others' responses as well as
your comments.

Thanks for trying, sorry it didn't work. Yes, that's helpful.

Somehow the installer seems to have failed to find the Java version you've got installed. That's the tricky bit, and I've probably not made it robust enough.

Would you be willing to do a couple things for me?

First, could you look in "C:&#92;Program Files&#92;" to see if there's a "Java" or "JavaSoft" folder in there? And if there is, what does it contain?

Second, could you open a DOS window and type "java -version", then tell me what it says?

Thanks!

As to that first splash screen, I hope it's temporary. The installer is built with a tool from MindVision. I've talked to them about letting us use it for free. So far, they've agreed that use for "occasional tests and demos" is OK, and I'm still hoping that they'll allow me to use it for distributing free software. If they do, that first splash screen goes away.

Bob
--
--------------
Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957)
Am working off a huge email backlog, call if it's urgent.

At 10:32 PM +1200 6/28/02, Alex Shepherd wrote:

Ok, I have installed onto Win2K

Thanks!

Seemed to install ok although I noted that the installer didn't ask which
JVM I wanted to use and stuck the comm.jar file into the JVM under
C:&#92;JBuilder4&#92;jvm Maybe there is a way/option to let the user choose which
JVM to put the comm stuff into

The installer currently adds it to the JVM that the "java" command will invoke. It needs to be there because the program is started using "java" or "javaw". The installer gets that info from the registry, using the same keys that the "java" command uses.

It's interesting that JBuilder apparently installed its own JVM.

I could add a prompt to the user to pick the JVM(s) should get the comm stuff, but I'm concerned that's too confusing. I suspect that J. Average User doesn't really want to worry about Java at all.

I had to modify the DecoderPro Menu Shortcut and specify a value for the
"Start In" directory to:

"C:&#92;Program Files&#92;JMRI"

I also had to modify the DecoderPro.bat file and change the classpath
definition from:

java -Djava.class.path=".;jmri.jar;lib&#92;collections.jar;lib&#92;log4j.jar;lib&#92;jdo
m-jdk11.jar;lib&#92;crimson.jar;lib&#92;comm.jar;$VFS" apps.DecoderPro.DecoderPro

to

javaw -classpath
".;jmri.jar;lib&#92;collections.jar;lib&#92;log4j.jar;lib&#92;jdom-jdk11.jar;lib&#92;crimson
.jar;lib&#92;comm.jar;$VFS" apps.DecoderPro.DecoderPro

as it was complaining about not finding the main class. Must be a MacOS /
Windows thing...

These are both the same mistake. I should have set the desktop shortcut and the program menu item to always start in the program directory. Thanks for finding it.

We have just got JBuilder7 at work and it has the ability to build a native
executable wrapper to lauch Java applications and it is supposed to be able
to setup specific classpath and which JVM to use etc - haven't played with
it yet but maybe I should...

That's probably a lot better than the .bat files that are used now.

Bob
--
--------------
Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957)
Am working off a huge email backlog, call if it's urgent.

Jon,

You are right, there are lots of shareware and inexpensive commercial
programs for handling icons. They let you do nice things, like have
transparent areas (i.e. non-rectangular appearance), etc. Let's see if
Bob had any artwork in mind first, if not I guess I'll make something simple
up. Then we can see if the simple program I already have will be good
enough for now. If not then after that I'll check out some of the tools
available for download.

Robin