20000207: McIDAS problems (cont.)

>From: Michael Voss <address@hidden>
>Organization: SJSU
>Keywords: 200001181849.LAA08980 McIDAS-X ROUTE PP BATCH syslogd crontab LDM

Mike,

>I have few problems still. I'll address the most general here, and respond to 
>some of your fine work:

re: access to TEXT server
>This works for the mcidas user, but for my user accounts I'm still unable to
>find the text server. So, I thought the best thing to do at this point is make
>a new user account from scratch via the guidelines at:
>
>http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/packages/mcidas/mcx/config_users.html 
>
>OK, I've done that, or so I think. This user can start a MCIDAS session but
>not much else. I believe I have this configured like my other users..? What I
>wanted to show is that I can't get the text server from my user accounts, but 
>now I can't even seem to configure a new user. Hopefully this is an indication
>of some general configuration problem which will put an end to all our ills.

I logged on as your test user and from there as 'mcidas'.  I found a problem 
in ~mcidass/.tchsrc:  you had:

setenv MCDATA $/export/home/mcidas/workdata

instead of:

setenv MCDATA /export/home/mcidas/workdata

I fixed this problem and then I:

source .tcshrc
cd workdata
dataloc.k

Group Name                    Server IP Address
--------------------         ----------------------------------------
MYDATA                       <LOCAL-DATA>
RTGRIDS                      <LOCAL-DATA>
RTIMAGES                     <LOCAL-DATA>
RTNIDS                       <LOCAL-DATA>
RTNOWRAD                     <LOCAL-DATA>
RTPTSRC                      <LOCAL-DATA>
RTWXTEXT                     <LOCAL-DATA>
TOPO                         <LOCAL-DATA>

<LOCAL-DATA> indicates that data will be accessed from the local data 
directory.DATALOC -- done

This shows that the user 'mcidas' is setup to access all of the above data
sets as <LOCAL-DATA>.  This means that this account must know how to define
what comprises the datasets and how to find the files in the datasets.  This
is fine since you have 'mcidas' setup to do this.

Back as your test user, the DATALOC for it are also setup to be local data.
This means that that account would have to be setup to know the composition
of the datasets and how to find the files in the dataset.

I think that the way you really want to set things up is as follows:

o have 'mcidas' setup ~mcidas/data/ADDESITE.TXT to point at vortex

o have all other users be able to access the settings in
  ~mcidas/data/ADDESITE.TXT

This second condition is already setup by virtue of the end user's
MCTABLE_READ.TXT.  First the user's ~/mcidas/data/MCTABLE.TXT is used
and then ~mcidas/data/ADDESITE.TXT.  A setup like this allows a user to
override settings in the globally accessible ADDESITE.TXT file.

So, all that is needed is to setup DATALOCs for 'mcidas':

<login as 'mcidas'>
cd workdata
dataloc.k ADD RTGRIDS vortex.sjsu.edu
dataloc.k ADD RTIMAGES vortex.sjsu.edu
dataloc.k ADD RTPTSRC vortex.sjsu.edu
dataloc.k ADD RTWXTEXT vortex.sjsu.edu

Since you don't have the datasets RTNIDS and RTNOWRAD on your system, I
removed their definitions:

dataloc.k DEL RTNIDS
dataloc.k DEL RTNONRAD

This leaves the data location tables for the user 'mcidas' as:

dataloc.k

Group Name                    Server IP Address
--------------------         ----------------------------------------
MYDATA                       <LOCAL-DATA>
RTGRIDS                      VORTEX.SJSU.EDU
RTIMAGES                     VORTEX.SJSU.EDU
RTPTSRC                      VORTEX.SJSU.EDU
RTWXTEXT                     VORTEX.SJSU.EDU
TOPO                         <LOCAL-DATA>

<LOCAL-DATA> indicates that data will be accessed from the local data 
directory.DATALOC -- done

Now, when I become the test user, I see the same set of DATALOCs:

<login>
cd mcidas/data
dataloc.k LIST

Group Name                    Server IP Address
--------------------         ----------------------------------------
MYDATA                       <LOCAL-DATA>
RTGRIDS                      VORTEX.SJSU.EDU
RTIMAGES                     VORTEX.SJSU.EDU
RTPTSRC                      VORTEX.SJSU.EDU
RTWXTEXT                     VORTEX.SJSU.EDU
TOPO                         <LOCAL-DATA>

<LOCAL-DATA> indicates that data will be accessed from the local data 
directory.DATALOC -- done

And, the test user can access the textual data through the TEXT server:

sfcrpt.k KDEN 2
KDEN 072353Z 10006KT 10SM FEW080 SCT200 09/M08 A3037 RMK AO2
     SLP285 CCSL DSNT SW T00941083 10122 20094 58002=
KDEN 072253Z 10008KT 10SM FEW080 SCT200 11/M08 A3037 RMK AO2
     SLP284 CCSL DSNT SW T01111083=
sfcrpt.k: Done

>I have another user: met171, (pass:mang171) which does everything fine except 
> get the text server)

Check it now.  If its MCTABLE_READ is setup as per the online docs, it
should work now just like it does for the test user.

>Hmm...
>

re: patch to RAOB decoder
>thank you!

re: unauthorized access to NIDS is a no-no
>OK, I understand.

re: GINI imagery
>Hey, that's pretty slick!! I would love to have access to the GINI imagery on 
>a regular basis.

I will be trying to get sites getting the GINI imagery to give ADDE access
to the data to the others in our community.  I will keep the community
posted on progress on that front.

re: patched RAOB decoder
>I noticed that my soundings appear much more complete now, thanks.

You are welcome.

>and BTW, many thanks for straightening out our LDM-cron file. The scary thing 
>is, I'm our default system administrator.....scary isn't it!

:-)

Tom