[Coco] DriveWire4

Wed Jan 19 10:53:53 EST 2022

A couple of caveats:

1) I have not used DW on Linux
2) Certainly not with RXTX
3) I am not a Java pro...
4) YMMV

Ok - that out of the way - I have used and played with Linux in one form 
or another since roughly 1995. But I am far from an expert. Here is how 
I would go about attempting to solve your issue, were it mine:

1) First, I googled your message (note: It would be nice to see some 
stuff from /var/log - grepping for RXTX and the like) - found this for 
MacOS (I always pay attention to stuff for MacOS, since it is based 
around BSD, a Unix-variant and Linux is close enough, so it can yield 
clues):

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/31215821/java-rxtx-library-doesnt-load-native-library

I'd read thru that and check for any potentials that seem possible; for 
me, the whole 32-bit thing was intriguing...

2) I then checked another possible result found, this directly related 
to the Java code for DW (note: I don't know if this code matches what is 
in your code - it may be from a different version, etc - keep that in 
mind; it would be best to first find out what exact version you are 
using, and check code for that version - or better, just check the 
source code you are using, if you have that):

First - here is where the message occurs, in the init() method:

https://github.com/cognitivegears/DriveWireServer/blob/master/DriveWireServer/src/main/java/com/groupunix/drivewireserver/DriveWireServer.java

Note that it checks another method's return value, using this line:

if (serverconfig.getBoolean("UseRXTX", true) && !checkRXTXLoaded()) {

So - if the config is set to use RXTX, and it ain't loaded, show the 
error and exit to the system - simple enough. Here is where github is 
nice: Hover over the "checkRXTXLoaded()" call, and you'll see it 
highlight. Click on it, and you'll see a popup that says "Defined on 
line 405" - and you can click on the "line 405" part - and it will take 
you to where it is (in the same file):

https://github.com/cognitivegears/DriveWireServer/blob/03288df6e452c6f3d20dc4d9f0248be4930453f0/DriveWireServer/src/main/java/com/groupunix/drivewireserver/DriveWireServer.java#L405

Scanning thru that code, we only care about the return value, which is 
in the boolean "res", on like 420. Which is calling another method in 
DWUtils, "testClassPath()":

boolean res = DWUtils.testClassPath("gnu.io.RXTXCommDriver");

That is obviously returning "false" - because it isn't finding the class 
defined on the path "gnu.io.RXTXCommDriver"; you can follow the call 
like the above - hovering over the method, and drilling down to the 
DWUtils testClassPath() method - but that just appears to be using a 
Java call to test whether the class was loaded, and if not, throwing the 
error and returning "false"; simple enough...

Given that - I would then be trying to figure out what my CLASSPATH was 
set to, and how/where "gnu.io.RXTXCommDriver" was; I am not a person who 
knows Java intimately, but I seem to recall that in the reference to the 
class, the "sections" separated by periods each is a directory (with the 
final piece pointing to RXTXCommDriver.java or .class or something) - 
that would take me some poking about how classes are loaded in Java, how 
it searches the path, etc - but ultimately, if I could find that out...

...then I could see if there is anything at that location. Most likely, 
if I had to guess, it is missing - likely due to a missing symlink or 
one that isn't pointing properly (ie, symlink is there, but the actual 
file it points to is missing, or it's a case where the file is 
"versioned", and the symlink points to another symlink that points to a 
missing file, etc)...

If I could find that - I'd try a quick hack of putting in the symlink or 
something, and seeing what happens. Or, if the CLASSPATH can also check 
something in my home directory - putting the "RXTXCommDriver" file 
there, or a symlink to it. If that worked - then I'd investigate why it 
wasn't added in the first place. That could take a bit, but could yield 
a good clue (maybe there's a damn good reason - and while the hack may 
work, it might also break other things?).

Which might just lead back to that whole 32-bit thing I mentioned was 
talked about in that first Stack Overflow link...

Hope this can help a little for ya - and good luck! Let us know what you 
find, solution, etc...

Andrew L. Ayers
Glendale, Arizona
phoenixgarage.org
github.com/andrew-ayers

On 1/18/22 11:19 PM, coco-request at maltedmedia.com wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
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>     1. DriveWire4 (Christof M Bradford)
>     2. Re: DriveWire4 (gene heskett)
>     3. Re: DriveWire4 (Christof M Bradford)
>     4. Re: DriveWire4 (gene heskett)
>     5. Re: DriveWire4 (Christof M Bradford)
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2022 20:01:15 -0800
> From: Christof M Bradford <christof.bradford at gmail.com>
> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Subject: [Coco] DriveWire4
> Message-ID: <27af97d6-bc93-61da-5219-1cb5edb61036 at gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"; Format="flowed"
> 
> Anyone here use DriveWire on Linux?
> 
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> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2022 23:21:03 -0500
> From: gene heskett <gheskett at shentel.net>
> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Subject: Re: [Coco] DriveWire4
> Message-ID: <17761680.7KPH5TiejN at coyote>
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> 
> On Tuesday, January 18, 2022 11:01:15 PM EST Christof M Bradford wrote:
>> Anyone here use DriveWire on Linux?
> 
> I have in the past, worked well but my coco has died, needing all the
> electrolytic caps replaced.
> 
> Cheers, Gene Heskett.
> 