lcd4linux-users

[lcd4linux] Syslog overflow: "unable to compact bar characters"

[Stefan U. H. <st...@he...>]

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Hi there,

I'm running lcd4linux on debian etch (0.10.0+cvs20060825-1) with a
HD44780 based 20x4 display. The actual display does, what it is
supposed to (means: the bars and widgets work as wanted), but I get
(despite correct operation) tons of error-messages logged in my syslog:

    Apr 26 12:33:43 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: unable to compact bar
    characters
    Apr 26 12:33:43 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: nSegment=2 fSegment=1
    CHARS=8 ICONS=8
    Apr 26 12:33:43 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[0].val1=0 val2=0
    Apr 26 12:33:43 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[1].val1=5 val2=1
    Apr 26 12:33:43 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[2].val1=1 val2=0
    Apr 26 12:33:43 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: unable to compact bar
    characters
    Apr 26 12:33:43 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: nSegment=2 fSegment=1
    CHARS=8 ICONS=8
    Apr 26 12:33:43 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[0].val1=0 val2=0
    Apr 26 12:33:43 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[1].val1=5 val2=1
    Apr 26 12:33:43 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[2].val1=1 val2=0
    Apr 26 12:33:44 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: unable to compact bar
    characters
    Apr 26 12:33:44 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: nSegment=2 fSegment=1
    CHARS=8 ICONS=8
    Apr 26 12:33:44 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[0].val1=0 val2=0
    Apr 26 12:33:44 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[1].val1=5 val2=1
    Apr 26 12:33:44 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[2].val1=2 val2=0
    Apr 26 12:33:45 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: unable to compact bar
    characters
    Apr 26 12:33:45 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: nSegment=2 fSegment=1
    CHARS=8 ICONS=8
    Apr 26 12:33:45 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[0].val1=0 val2=0
    Apr 26 12:33:45 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[1].val1=5 val2=1
    Apr 26 12:33:45 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[2].val1=2 val2=0
    Apr 26 12:33:45 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: unable to compact bar
    characters
    Apr 26 12:33:45 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: nSegment=2 fSegment=1
    CHARS=8 ICONS=8
    Apr 26 12:33:45 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[0].val1=0 val2=0
    Apr 26 12:33:45 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[1].val1=5 val2=1
    Apr 26 12:33:45 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[2].val1=1 val2=0
    Apr 26 12:33:45 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: unable to compact bar
    characters
    Apr 26 12:33:45 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: nSegment=2 fSegment=1
    CHARS=8 ICONS=8
    Apr 26 12:33:45 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[0].val1=0 val2=0
    Apr 26 12:33:45 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[1].val1=5 val2=1
    Apr 26 12:33:45 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[2].val1=1 val2=0
    Apr 26 12:33:45 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: unable to compact bar
    characters
    Apr 26 12:33:45 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: nSegment=2 fSegment=1
    CHARS=8 ICONS=8
    Apr 26 12:33:45 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[0].val1=0 val2=0
    Apr 26 12:33:45 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[1].val1=5 val2=1
    Apr 26 12:33:45 zomba LCD4Linux[6791]: Segment[2].val1=3 val2=0

What is here the problem? - Or alternatively: Is there a simple way to
prevent lcd4linux from logging to syslog?

My config is as follows (I played a bit with the "fuzz"-value in order
to solve this, but so far with no result:

    # generic HD44780 display (LCD4Linux wiring)
    Display HD44780-generic {
        Driver 'HD44780'
        Model 'generic'
        Port '/dev/parport1'
        Size '20x4'
        asc255bug 1
        Icons 8
        GPOs 8
        Wire {
            RW      'GND'
            RS      'AUTOFD'
            ENABLE  'STROBE'
            ENABLE2 'GND'
            GPO     'INIT'
            POWER   'GND'
        }
        Timing {
            fuzz '85'
        }
    }

When starting lcd4linux I tried using multiple "-q" options (see
below) ... but also without any effect so far:

    #! /bin/sh

    PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
    DAEMON=/usr/sbin/lcd4linux
    DAEMON_OPTS="-qqq"
    NAME=lcd4linux
    DESC=lcd4linux

    test -x $DAEMON || exit 0
    test -f /etc/lcd4linux.conf || exit 0

    set -e

    case "$1" in
      start)
            echo -n "Starting $DESC: "
            chmod 600 /etc/lcd4linux.conf
            start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile
    /var/run/$NAME.pid \
                    --exec $DAEMON -- $DAEMON_OPTS
            echo "$NAME."
            ;;
    [...]

Any idea how to prevent this log-overflow would be highly aprreciated.

Thanks a lot in advance!

Stefan.

- --
Stefan U. Hegner
         <st...@he...>
              * * *
D-32584 Löhne --- good ole Germany
internet: http://www.hegner-web.de
              * * *
GPG-Key | D9DB 51BD 2DA6 9B3A 41CB
F-Print | 0287 05A1 8D11 38BA CE91
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Re: [lcd4linux] Syslog overflow: "unable to compact bar characters"

[Michael R. <mi...@re...>]

Hi Stefan,

> What is here the problem? 

I suppose you're using a lot of different bars, maybe double bars.

A HD44780 display has only 8 user-defineable characters, and it is not
possible to map every combination of (double-)bars to this 8 chars.
lcd4linux tries to be very clever in finding a way to display your bars
with the available chars, but if the situation gets too complex it may
fail. This is what this message is about.

Hint #1: don't mix horizontal and vertical bars.
Hint #2: dont mix E(east) and W(west) bars

If this does not help, please post your full lcd4linux.conf

> Or alternatively: Is there a simple way to
> prevent lcd4linux from logging to syslog?

No, I'm afraid there is none. Maybe you can tweak your syslogd to not
write these messages to /var/log/syslog or whatever.

> My config is as follows (I played a bit with the "fuzz"-value in order
> to solve this, but so far with no result:

the fuzz values influences timings on the parallel port, and has nothing
to do with your problem.


Hope this helps

Michael


-- 
Michael Reinelt <mi...@re...>
http://home.pages.at/reinelt
GPG-Key 0xDF13BA50
ICQ #288386781

Re: [lcd4linux] Syslog overflow: "unable to compact bar characters"

[Stefan U. H. <st...@he...>]

Hi Michael,

thanks for your prompt help. - However, for some reason your answer got
plonked as spam and today I found it just by chance while browsing the
online-archives ...

> > What is here the problem?
>
> I suppose you're using a lot of different bars, maybe double bars.
>
> A HD44780 display has only 8 user-defineable characters, and it is not
> possible to map every combination of (double-)bars to this 8 chars.
> lcd4linux tries to be very clever in finding a way to display your bars
> with the available chars, but if the situation gets too complex it may
> fail. This is what this message is about.
>
> Hint #1: don't mix horizontal and vertical bars.
> Hint #2: dont mix E(east) and W(west) bars
>
> If this does not help, please post your full lcd4linux.conf
What I did: I threw everyting not neccessarily needed out of my
lcd4linux.conf. Now I don't have any errors. - That's good.

However, to understand the Problem, here's the initial situation:

In my lcd4linux.conf I had set "Icons 8", defined all the sample icons
and bar-widgets from the sampe-config but used only two Icons ("Rain"
and "Blob") and a split horizontal bar (BusyBar).

Now, what exactly causes the problem? If I get you right, this must be
(a) - that I had set "icons 8" and used a bar on top

Or could it be alternativle also
(b) - that I had defined icons that were not needed
(c) - that I had defined many bar-widgets I were not using
because the bare existence of these definitions in the config file uses
the resources, even if they are not displayed in the screen-definition?

By the way: Is there a possibility to get my display to show the "°"
symbol  as such, when it's part of a displayed text (I read 
temperatures from a file, so that I want "xx.x °C").

Thanks a lot

Stefan.


-- 
Stefan U. Hegner
         <st...@he...>
              * * *
D-32584 Löhne --- good ole Germany
internet: http://www.hegner-web.de
              * * *
GPG-Key | D9DB 51BD 2DA6 9B3A 41CB
F-Print | 0287 05A1 8D11 38BA CE91

Re: [lcd4linux] Syslog overflow: "unable to compact bar characters"

[Michael R. <mi...@re...>]

Hi STefan,

>> A HD44780 display has only 8 user-defineable characters, and it is not
>> possible to map every combination of (double-)bars to this 8 chars.
>> lcd4linux tries to be very clever in finding a way to display your bars
>> with the available chars, but if the situation gets too complex it may
>> fail. This is what this message is about.
>>
>> Hint #1: don't mix horizontal and vertical bars.
>> Hint #2: dont mix E(east) and W(west) bars

> However, to understand the Problem, here's the initial situation:
> 
> In my lcd4linux.conf I had set "Icons 8", 
ooops...

> defined all the sample icons
> and bar-widgets from the sampe-config but used only two Icons ("Rain"
> and "Blob") and a split horizontal bar (BusyBar).
> 
> Now, what exactly causes the problem? If I get you right, this must be
> (a) - that I had set "icons 8" and used a bar on top
Yea, that's right. th "Icons 8" statement tells lcd4linux to reserve all
8 user-defineable chars for Icons, leaving exactly none to the bar
processor.

> Or could it be alternativle also
> (b) - that I had defined icons that were not needed
no, that's no problem.
> (c) - that I had defined many bar-widgets I were not using
> because the bare existence of these definitions in the config file uses
> the resources, even if they are not displayed in the screen-definition?
No again. lcd4linux creates widgets only if it finds them in a "Layout"
Section

> By the way: Is there a possibility to get my display to show the "°"
> symbol  as such, when it's part of a displayed text (I read 
> temperatures from a file, so that I want "xx.x °C").
Of course it's possible, as long as a) your display supports the degree
char, and b) you can find out which ascii code it uses. If it's a
strange ascii value, you can always use the \octal notation.



bye, Michael

-- 
Michael Reinelt <mi...@re...>
http://home.pages.at/reinelt
GPG-Key 0xDF13BA50
ICQ #288386781