[ldmMcidas #VMF-784186]: ldm-mcidas decoder pnga2area

Hi Mark,

re:
> This past weekend I added the UNIWISC and FNEXRAD feeds to my ldmd.conf.
> To accomodate these feeds I also installed the ldm-mcidas decoders.  I
> downloaded and installed the binaries for Linux 2.6 kernel, and version
> 2004.  I used the binaries because I currently do not have McIDAS-X
> installed, a requirement for building from source.

Very good.  I recommend that sites use the binary versions of the ldm-mcidas
decoders anyway.

> I followed the instructions at:
> http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/mcidas/mcidd/ldm-mcidas-build.html#install
> I copied the decoders into the ~ldm/decoders directory, and I copied
> SATANNOT and SATBAND into the ~ldm/etc directory.

OK.

> I am using the pqact entries in my pqact.gempak file, which was created
> using the gen_pqact.csh script with my GEMPAK 5.9.2 installation.

As you note below, the GEMPAK actions for the UNIWISC (aka MCIDAS) IDD
images do not specify use of the SATANNOT and SATBAND files.  This has
typically _not_ been a problem outside of generation of lots of log
file output complaining that the SAT* files can't be found.

> I have been receiving the errors in the ldmd.log file that are similar to:
> Jul 16 00:34:07 foehn pqact[6626] NOTE: child 20695 exited with status 10
> 
> Through some investigation I found a connection to this error with more
> errors in the ldm-mcidas.log file.  Initially I discovered the errors
> with the pattern:
> Jul 15 22:19:05 pnga2area[7819]: Starting Up
> Jul 15 22:19:05 pnga2area[7819]: Error: unable to find SATANNOT: No such
> file or directory
> Jul 15 22:19:05 pnga2area[7819]: Error: unable to find SATBAND: No such
> file or directory
> Jul 15 22:19:05 pnga2area[7819]: output file pathname:
> /data/ldm/gempak/images/sat/SOUNDER/1km/CAPE/CAPE_20060715_2000
> Jul 15 22:19:05 pnga2area[7819]: Can't open file
> /data/ldm/gempak/images/sat/SOUNDER/1km/CAPE/CAPE_20060715_2000

Notice that pnga2area is trying to write the output file even though
SATANNOT and SATBAND can't be found.  In the next iteration of the
ldm-mcidas decoders (sometime in August), I will be removing the
'Error' warning altogether when the decoder is not told to use information
from the AREA headers as pieces in the output pathname (to see what
I mean by this, run pnga2area by hand without specifying anything; you
will get a usage listing that shows how to specify mnemonics that
rely on information in the AREA file header).

> After reading the man page on pnga2area I discovered that I needed to
> specify the location of SATANNOT and SATBAND using the -a and -b flags
> in the pqact.gempak file.
> 
> That effort removed the first two errors, but not all.  I am now
> receiving the following errors with the pattern:
> Jul 16 00:34:06 pnga2area[20695]: Starting Up
> Jul 16 00:34:06 pnga2area[20695]: output file pathname:
> /data/ldm/gempak/images/sat/SOUNDER/1km/CAPE/CAPE_20060715_2200
> Jul 16 00:34:06 pnga2area[20695]: Can't open file
> /data/ldm/gempak/images/sat/SOUNDER/1km/CAPE/CAPE_20060715_2200

Note that this is the same error as you sent above.

> Could you please point me in the direction that I should next pursue to
> remove these errors?

I am guessing that the user running your LDM (typically 'ldm') does
not have write permission in the output directory.  Since pnga2area
will try to create the entire directory structure down to where the
file will be written, it will need to have write permission in the
top or near-top level directory of that tree.  I would guess that the
directory that 'ldm' does not have write permission in is one of the
following:

- /data             <- if pnga2area needs to create /data/ldm
- /data/ldm         <- if pnga2area needs to create /data/ldm/gempak
- /data/ldm/gempak  <- if pnga2area needs to create /data/ldm/gempak/images
- /data/ldm/gempak/images <- etc.

> Thank You

Please let me know if fixing a write permission problem is not what is
called for in your situation.

Cheers,

Tom
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Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: VMF-784186
Department: Support ldm-mcidas
Priority: Normal
Status: Closed