RM v1.26 on WinXP machine - problem solved

Post by **The Robman** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 5:36 pm

I'm trying to use RM for the first time on my WinXP machine, having previously used it successfully on my Win98 machines.

I just downloaded v1.26 along with Java j2re-1_4_2_08-windows-i586-p.exe

When I double click on RemoteMaster.jar nothing happens, then when I check the rmaster.err file, I see this...

Caught exception in RemoteMaster.main()!
java.lang.NullPointerException
at com.hifiremote.jp1.Preferences.load(Preferences.java:34)
at com.hifiremote.jp1.KeyMapMaster.<init>(KeyMapMaster.java:92)
at com.hifiremote.jp1.RemoteMaster.createAndShowGUI(RemoteMaster.java:12)
at com.hifiremote.jp1.RemoteMaster.access$100(RemoteMaster.java:6)
at com.hifiremote.jp1.RemoteMaster$1.run(RemoteMaster.java:33)
at java.awt.event.InvocationEvent.dispatch(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)

Any clues?

gfb107 · Post by **gfb107** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 5:53 pm

Strange place for a NullPointer exception.

The problem is in the code for finding the default path to the RDF files.

Try creating an empty rdf folder in the foler where you installed RM.

gfb107 · Post by **gfb107** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 9:02 pm

Rob,

If you're still having trouble, download Test.jar to the folder where you installed RM. Then start up a command line prompt and type

Code: Select all

java -jar Test.jar

and then post the results here.

Post by **The Robman** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 10:17 pm

When I download the "Test.jar" file, it's really a file called Test.zip which contains Test.class and Manifest.mf, but just in case there was some larger picture that I was missing, I went ahead and tried the command line entry you siad, and as I expected I got the message "Unable to access jarfile Test.jar"

Is there really a Test.jar file you'd like me to try?

mtakahar · Post by **mtakahar** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 10:48 pm

Rob,

Try:

Code: Select all

java -jar Test.zip

or you can just rename it to Test.jar.

I think either your browser or download manager changed the file suffix (.jar file format is almost identical to .zip.)
Greg's link is really to a .jar file. I see: http://home.nc.rr.com/lbush2/Test.jar in my browser (Firefox 1.0.4) and it just creates Test.jar if I download it.

Hal

gfb107 · Post by **gfb107** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 7:29 am

Or, if you've unzipped it, just run

Code: Select all

java -cp . Test

Case is important.

Post by **The Robman** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 8:16 am

I just tried downloading the jar file at work and it downloads "as is", so I have no idea why it got converted to a zip file at home, so I'll give it another try.

mtakahar · Post by **mtakahar** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 10:53 am

The Robman wrote:I just tried downloading the jar file at work and it downloads "as is", so I have no idea why it got converted to a zip file at home, so I'll give it another try.

I've just tried IE. It pops up a dialog box saying:

Do you want to open or save this file?
Name: Test.zip
Type: zip Archive, 1.10 KB
From: home.nc.rr.com

IE seems to scan the file header and ignores the original file name suffix once it figures out the file format.

Hal

Post by **The Robman** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 12:16 pm

Curiously, I'm using IE both at home and at work, but at work the file downloaded "as is".

Post by **ElizabethD** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 3:15 pm

The Robman wrote:Curiously, I'm using IE both at home and at work, but at work the file downloaded "as is".

Rob, you once taught me a trick to tell IE to use All Files at the bottom.
The IE default on this file was win zip, but the file name did not have zip in it. Try that at home. I just did it at work but it needed the change.

Post by **The Robman** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 5:14 pm

ElizabethD wrote:
The Robman wrote:Curiously, I'm using IE both at home and at work, but at work the file downloaded "as is".
Rob, you once taught me a trick to tell IE to use All Files at the bottom.
The IE default on this file was win zip, but the file name did not have zip in it. Try that at home. I just did it at work but it needed the change.

If I did I forgot what the trick is.

Post by **The Robman** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 5:17 pm

gfb107 wrote:Rob,

If you're still having trouble, download Test.jar to the folder where you installed RM. Then start up a command line prompt and type
Code: Select all
java -jar Test.jar
and then post the results here.

Having previously created an empty directory called "rdf", I renamed the file back to Test.jar and ran it, which gave the following results...

user.dir='C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\b remotes files\RM'
Checking 'C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\b remotes files\RM\rdf' - Passed, directory exists!

gfb107 · Post by **gfb107** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 5:44 pm

Well, that didn't help any. Here's a version of RemoteMaster.jar that should put more information in rmaster.err.

gfb107 · Post by **gfb107** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 6:59 pm

I'm betting you copied the directory structure from another PC, and on the other PC that directory existed on a drive that doesn't have a corresponding drive letter on the new PC. Either delete the RemoteMaster.properties or edit it and correct any saved paths.

Post by **The Robman** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 7:34 pm

gfb107 wrote:I'm betting you copied the directory structure from another PC, and on the other PC that directory existed on a drive that doesn't have a corresponding drive letter on the new PC.

Excellent work detective, that is exactly what I did. I just deleted the properties file and voila, everything works again, thanks Greg!