New SystemMessage functionality in 6.5.17

[timg11]

Is the file format for sagetvmsgs.log documented anywhere?
I was interested in decoding the time format. I thought it would be a Unix time stamp, since Java uses that, but it is too big.

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by timg11

I was interested in decoding the time format. I thought it would be a Unix time stamp, since Java uses that, but it is too big.

It is a Java time value (long), as used with the java.util.Date class and SageTV time-related API calls.


- Andy

[timg11]

Thanks for the info, Andy. For anyone who is curious, Java time is a 64-bit integer, and represents milliseconds since 1/1/1970.

http://www.odi.ch/prog/design/datetime.php

[Narflex]

An easy way to decode those time strings is using the Studio. Just goto Tools->Expression Evaluator and then enter this if you time is 1234567890 for example:

new_java_util_Date(1*"1234567890")

(the string multiplied by integer is to get around a Long conversion issue)

[timg11]

I'm not sure if this is a bug, but I'm seeing a System Message that doesn't match what's happening at the time.

I wrote a little utility to report any System Message errors on the main LCD display on the computer (since the HDTV is normally off, and SageTV is sleeping in the tray).

Today I found it reporting the message "Failed to load the video capture device Hauppauge HD PVR Capture Device" in sagetvmsgs.log. I checked the HD-PVR, and it was in the process of recording a show.

Does this mean that there was a time when it failed to load, but then it loaded successfully, later before the show was supposed to record? I assume the message remains in sagetvmsgs.log until deleted via the SageTV UI?

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by timg11

Today I found it reporting the message "Failed to load the video capture device Hauppauge HD PVR Capture Device" in sagetvmsgs.log. I checked the HD-PVR, and it was in the process of recording a show.

Does this mean that there was a time when it failed to load, but then it loaded successfully, later before the show was supposed to record?

Probably -- was the tuner really recording, or just saying that it was? Check the time on the error. There may have been a problem with the tuner during that recording or another one.

I assume the message remains in sagetvmsgs.log until deleted via the SageTV UI?

Yes.

- Andy

[timg11]

I wrote an application to send an email if a capture error is reported in the Sage System Message log. It is in the Downloads area.

[PosterBoy]

Hi.

Would it be possible to get the format of the time code in the sagetvmsgs.log file. I am considering having my Homeseer server read the log and decide if my HDPVR is locked. If it is, it can shutdown SageTV, cycle the power on the HDPVR via a ZWave switch, then restart SageTV.

I hope the HDPVR come on powered up when it AC power is cycled. If it doesn't, at the very least I can make an announcement that it needs fixing

Thanks

Kent

* merged; see above discussion *

[wayner]

Is there a spot where you can see the System Message in the Sage UI?

[Peter_h]

Originally Posted by wayner

Is there a spot where you can see the System Message in the Sage UI?

It is under settings.

[wayner]

Thanks - I was trying to find the messages on a client running an older version of Sage that didn't have this functionality yet.

[bigbill]

I can see the icon in the top right of the screen. Is there a button the the remote for the HD200 that will pop that up or do i need to into the help menu and find it that way?

[Opus4]

You can get to the System Messages menu via Info command on the Main Menu -> System Info -> System Messages, or Main Menu -> Setup -> Help -> System Messages.

- Andy

[eric3a]

Would it be possible to get the format of the time code in the sagetvmsgs.log file. I am considering having my Homeseer server read the log and decide if my HDPVR is locked. If it is, it can shutdown SageTV, cycle the power on the HDPVR via a ZWave switch, then restart SageTV.

I hope the HDPVR come on powered up when it AC power is cycled. If it doesn't, at the very least I can make an announcement that it needs fixing

Have you made progress on recycling the HDPVR on detection of an error?

I can tell you that recycling the power remotely on the HDPVR works just fine. I do it fairly often using a web remote controlled power supply. If only I could do that automagically when SageTV detects an error, I'd be golden.

What I'd like to do:
Detect a tuner error, analyze which tuner it is (I have 2 HDPVRs), then execute a pre-existing bat file that recycles that tuner.

Eric

[bigbill]

Let me know when you figure that out.

[Savage1701]

Originally Posted by eric3a

Have you made progress on recycling the HDPVR on detection of an error?

I can tell you that recycling the power remotely on the HDPVR works just fine. I do it fairly often using a web remote controlled power supply. If only I could do that automagically when SageTV detects an error, I'd be golden.

What I'd like to do:
Detect a tuner error, analyze which tuner it is (I have 2 HDPVRs), then execute a pre-existing bat file that recycles that tuner.

Eric

Eric:

Whose PDU are you using for resetting your HD-PVR's? I've used APC, Server Tech, Dualcomm, and Avocent/Cyclades/Alterpath stuff. If there was a way to trap the system error messages I'm guessing some of those PDU's could respond the way you wanted them to without too much problem. Just curious.

[stuckless]

I'm using Post Message, where i'm using my own message id (don't know if that's allowed), but I can't get a user-friendly display show up as the message title. ie,

PostSystemMessage(10005, 3, "My message", null)

but in the SystemMessages, i see,

Error -
My Message

If there a way to set the message "label", ie is there an undocumented "variable" that I can put in the properties, so that my message could be something like...

Error - Metadata Scan Failed
My Message

Jeff...if you are reading, here are my suggestions (if something doesn't exist)...
1. inside GetSystemMessageTypeName, if it returns a null, then have it look in the "variables" for a variable called "messagelabel"
2. If GetSystemMessageTypeName() returns null, then use the first n characters of the message itself as the message label
3. Provide a way for plugin developers to register their own message codes (reserve so many for sagetv, ie, 0-9999) and then allow developers to allocate their own chunks above that. Developers would need some way to map their codes to a valid message label.

thanks,

[Narflex]

Originally Posted by stuckless

I'm using Post Message, where i'm using my own message id (don't know if that's allowed), but I can't get a user-friendly display show up as the message title. ie,

PostSystemMessage(10005, 3, "My message", null)

but in the SystemMessages, i see,


If there a way to set the message "label", ie is there an undocumented "variable" that I can put in the properties, so that my message could be something like...



Jeff...if you are reading, here are my suggestions (if something doesn't exist)...
1. inside GetSystemMessageTypeName, if it returns a null, then have it look in the "variables" for a variable called "messagelabel"
2. If GetSystemMessageTypeName() returns null, then use the first n characters of the message itself as the message label
3. Provide a way for plugin developers to register their own message codes (reserve so many for sagetv, ie, 0-9999) and then allow developers to allocate their own chunks above that. Developers would need some way to map their codes to a valid message label.

thanks,

OK, for the next version you'll be able to set a 'typename' MessageVariable which will be used for the displayed type name if the message code doesn't have a predefined name for it.

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by Narflex

OK, for the next version you'll be able to set a 'typename' MessageVariable which will be used for the displayed type name if the message code doesn't have a predefined name for it.

Less than one business day to get a user-requested feature into a product. That must be a record

I think I'll post a link to this message in the "It seems quiet in the beta department" thread....

Tom

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by Narflex

OK, for the next version you'll be able to set a 'typename' MessageVariable which will be used for the displayed type name if the message code doesn't have a predefined name for it.

Thanks Jeff. if the variable is going to be called "typename" then I'll futureproof my code by setting it now