Conference noted::excursion

3245.0. "Windows fail to appear" by NETRIX::"nikhil@crl.dec.com" (Rishiyur Nikhil) Fri Feb 28 1997 15:29

Summary of problem: eXcursion starts up ok; remote X app starts up ok; both
seem happy, but no window shows up on the screen.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Configuration(s):

        Machine A  <------- 56 Kb line ------>  Machine B

        Machine A: an AlphaStation 500 and an AlphaServer 4100, running
Digital Unix 4.0
        Machine B: HiNote (486) running Win95 and AlphaStation 400 (Avanti)
running WNT

Actions:

        Start up eXcursion on B, with Message Log window enabled

        Start an X application on A, with window aimed at B's display:
            - by launching an app using rexec/rsh from B,
            - by launching an app directly on A, setting display to B:0.0

Problem Symptoms:

        No window (or taskbar entry) appears on B.

        However, - the eXcursion message log on B indicates successful
rexec/rsh (there are
                       no further messages)
                 - "ps" on A indicates that the app is running.
                 - "netstat" on A indicates that a connection is currently
established
                 - "netstat" on B indicates that a connection is currently
established
                 - the eXcursion Control Panel on B indicates that a link is
in use
                      (and if I kill the app on A, the link count correctly
decrements)
                 - if I select "Close" (Alt+F4) on the eXcursion panel in the
taskbar,
                       it correctly warns me that an app is currently running

        In other words, eXcursion and the X app look happy, but: no window
        appears (and no taskbar entry).

Other observations:

        For some ``small'' X apps, the window successfully appears on B:
xbiff, xeyes
        All the following fail: xterm, emacs, xrn, xdvi, xload, xclock

        The eXcursion server bits must be ok: substituting the 56Kb line with
              a direct LAN connection, eXcursion on B works fine.

        The 56Kb line looks ok: all other network connectivity works fine
        (ping, tcp, tracert, netstat, Network Neighborhood, ...
         apps like netscape, ftp, telnet, Windows Explorer, ...)
              netstat reports no packet errors or packet drops.

Totally puzzled,

Nikhil (nikhil@crl.dec.com)

[Posted by WWW Notes gateway]

The problem described in this topic is not a problem.  It's attributable
to strange behavior of the 56kb leased line system.  The line developed an
open
circuit on one of the wires out on the telephone pole.  The down direction
was still fine and, strangely, it still allowed some packets to go through
in the up direction, thereby lulling us into thinking the network was ok.
The network was not ok, and this caused eXcursion's funny behavior.

False alarm; this note is closed.

Nikhil

[Posted by WWW Notes gateway]