I am trying to figure out why I am suddenly unable to add/modify aliases. I've tried rebooting both machines but it makes no difference
Raspi running NCIDD 1.7
MacOS NCIDPOP 10.11.0
Under NCIDPOP, right clicking new callers only displays "Update Alias" instead of Add/New Alias
After selecting "Update Alias" my ncidd.log file shows
Received: REQ: alias modify "xxxxxxx&&xxxx" "NAMEDEP&&NO NAME" [02/14/2020 13:24:06]
/usr/bin/ncidutil --multi "/etc/ncid/ncidd.blacklist /etc/ncid/ncidd.whitelist" "/etc/ncid/ncidd.alias" Alias modify "xxxxxxx&&xxxx" "NAMEDEP&&NO NAME" 2>&1
402 Start of data showing status of handled request
RESP: Alias entry is not present.
411 End of response
And nothing is done. If I manually add an alias and re-run "Update Alias" then it updates and I see this in the ncidd.log
Received: REQ: RELOAD [02/14/2020 13:33:24]
Reloading alias, blacklist, and whitelist files [02/14/2020 13:33:24]
Processed alias file: /etc/ncid/ncidd.alias
Alias Table:
Number of Entries: 1341
Processed blacklist file: /etc/ncid/ncidd.blacklist
Blacklist Table:
Number of Entries: 22
Processed whitelist file: /etc/ncid/ncidd.whitelist
Whitelist Table:
Number of Entries: 0
End: Reloaded alias, blacklist, and whitelist files [13:33:24]
400 Start of data requiring OK
INFO: Reloading alias, blacklist, and whitelist files [02/14/2020 13:33:24]
INFO: Processed alias file: /etc/ncid/ncidd.alias
INFO: Alias Table:
INFO: Number of Entries: 1341
INFO: Processed blacklist file: /etc/ncid/ncidd.blacklist
INFO: Blacklist Table:
INFO: Number of Entries: 22
INFO: Processed whitelist file: /etc/ncid/ncidd.whitelist
INFO: Whitelist Table:
INFO: Number of Entries: 0
INFO: End: Reloaded alias, blacklist, and whitelist files [13:33:24]
410 End of data
Received: REQ: INFO xxxxxxx&&NO NAME [02/14/2020 13:33:24]
403 Start of data defining permitted requests
INFO: alias NAMEDEP
Whitelist empty
Checked Blacklist for match flag=1 ret=0 nmbrmatch=0
INFO: neither
INFO: dial xxxxxxx&&NO NAME
411 End of response
Received: REQ: UPDATES [02/14/2020 13:33:24]
/usr/bin/cidupdate -a /etc/ncid/ncidd.alias -c /var/log/cidcall.log < /dev/null 2>&1 --multi < /dev/null 2>&1
401 Start of data requiring ACCEPT or REJECT
INFO: There was 1 change to /var/log/cidcall.log
INFO:
INFO: (NAMEDEP) Changed "NO NAME" to "REAC" for 5197250244 1 time
410 End of data
WRK: ACCEPT LOGS
for f in /var/log/cidcall.log.*[0-9]; do mv $f.new $f; done [13:34:51]
rename /var/log/cidcall.log.new /var/log/cidcall.log [13:34:51]
Received: REQ: REREAD [02/14/2020 13:34:51]
Sent call log: /var/log/cidcall.log
250 End of call log
Can you offer any insight as to what is happening?
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Does the "xxxxxxx&&xxxx" in the log represent a redacted real phone number?
At the time you select and right click the caller in ncidpop, the server should show a REQ: INFO query that matches what you see. The 403 to 411 INFO messages should give back the caller with information about it being on white/black/alias lists.
ncidpop should offer "add" if there wasn't an alias found for the caller (e.g INFO alias NAMEDEP)
When you choose add or modify, the request is formatted by the server and given as arguments to the ncidutil script (as shown in your logs).
I'm guessing that one of your aliases is matching your new callers, but can't be found by the more literal modify feature of ncidutil.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
If the logs show that the response is "INFO: alias NOALIAS" then ncidpop is doing something wrong. ncidpop should offer to add an alias when this response arrives.
If the logs are showing "INFO alias NAMEDEP" or anything other than "NOALIAS" then ncidd has matched an alias.
I have found similar behaviour here, so I'm going to guess that you have an alias that reads
alias NAME OUT-OF-AREA = "NO NAME"
Let me know if this is the case, I think there might be a problem with the piece that looks for an existing alias.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
I just confirmed there is nothing like that in the ncidd.alias or ncidd.blacklist files. I took it a step further and tried deleting everything in the ncidd.alias file and I still have the same problem.
I tried un-installing and re-installing ncidpop and disabled my mac firewall and still no joy.
I did have a line
alias NAME * = "SPAM" if "NO NAME"
but removing it made no difference.
Any other suggestions? Next step is a full re-install of ncidd.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
When I was trying to test some of the possible ways that your problem might have happened, I kept surprising myself by forgetting that my alias file could differ from what ncidd had in memory, and that the caller list could differ between the memory of NCIDpop, ncidd, and the cidcall.log
I had presumed that your incoming caller ID was from a modem, and that the "NO NAME" was coming from the alias file. This led me to a possible way for what you saw to happen.
Could you please run a small real world test and email me the entire ncidd.log file?
1) create a minimal alias, blacklist, whitelist.
2) rename the current ncidd.log file
3) restart ncidd with a higher "set verbose = 7"
4) call yourself from a cell phone that doesn't give a caller ID name
5) use NCIDpop to try to add a name or change the alias
6) send the log file
If you wish, you can put all the configuration files in /tmp and run ncidd on the command line (after stopping the real one).
sudo ncidd --logfile /tmp/mytest.log --verbose 7 --alias /tmp/myalias --blacklist /tmp/myblacklist --whitelist /tmp/mywhitelist --config /tmp/myconfigWheWhe
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
The NCIDandroid client, and possibly ncidpop (I haven't checked), send a periodic keep-alive message to keep a pathway open through a NAT, and to provide earlier detection of a broken TCP connection.
At a higher verbose level these "\n" messages are logged.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
I am trying to figure out why I am suddenly unable to add/modify aliases. I've tried rebooting both machines but it makes no difference
Raspi running NCIDD 1.7
MacOS NCIDPOP 10.11.0
Under NCIDPOP, right clicking new callers only displays "Update Alias" instead of Add/New Alias
After selecting "Update Alias" my ncidd.log file shows
Received: REQ: alias modify "xxxxxxx&&xxxx" "NAMEDEP&&NO NAME" [02/14/2020 13:24:06]
/usr/bin/ncidutil --multi "/etc/ncid/ncidd.blacklist /etc/ncid/ncidd.whitelist" "/etc/ncid/ncidd.alias" Alias modify "xxxxxxx&&xxxx" "NAMEDEP&&NO NAME" 2>&1
402 Start of data showing status of handled request
RESP: Alias entry is not present.
411 End of response
And nothing is done. If I manually add an alias and re-run "Update Alias" then it updates and I see this in the ncidd.log
Received: REQ: RELOAD [02/14/2020 13:33:24]
Reloading alias, blacklist, and whitelist files [02/14/2020 13:33:24]
Processed alias file: /etc/ncid/ncidd.alias
Alias Table:
Number of Entries: 1341
Processed blacklist file: /etc/ncid/ncidd.blacklist
Blacklist Table:
Number of Entries: 22
Processed whitelist file: /etc/ncid/ncidd.whitelist
Whitelist Table:
Number of Entries: 0
End: Reloaded alias, blacklist, and whitelist files [13:33:24]
400 Start of data requiring OK
INFO: Reloading alias, blacklist, and whitelist files [02/14/2020 13:33:24]
INFO: Processed alias file: /etc/ncid/ncidd.alias
INFO: Alias Table:
INFO: Number of Entries: 1341
INFO: Processed blacklist file: /etc/ncid/ncidd.blacklist
INFO: Blacklist Table:
INFO: Number of Entries: 22
INFO: Processed whitelist file: /etc/ncid/ncidd.whitelist
INFO: Whitelist Table:
INFO: Number of Entries: 0
INFO: End: Reloaded alias, blacklist, and whitelist files [13:33:24]
410 End of data
Received: REQ: INFO xxxxxxx&&NO NAME [02/14/2020 13:33:24]
403 Start of data defining permitted requests
INFO: alias NAMEDEP
Whitelist empty
Checked Blacklist for match flag=1 ret=0 nmbrmatch=0
INFO: neither
INFO: dial xxxxxxx&&NO NAME
411 End of response
Received: REQ: UPDATES [02/14/2020 13:33:24]
/usr/bin/cidupdate -a /etc/ncid/ncidd.alias -c /var/log/cidcall.log < /dev/null 2>&1 --multi < /dev/null 2>&1
401 Start of data requiring ACCEPT or REJECT
INFO: There was 1 change to /var/log/cidcall.log
INFO:
INFO: (NAMEDEP) Changed "NO NAME" to "REAC" for 5197250244 1 time
410 End of data
WRK: ACCEPT LOGS
for f in /var/log/cidcall.log.*[0-9]; do mv $f.new $f; done [13:34:51]
rename /var/log/cidcall.log.new /var/log/cidcall.log [13:34:51]
Received: REQ: REREAD [02/14/2020 13:34:51]
Sent call log: /var/log/cidcall.log
250 End of call log
Can you offer any insight as to what is happening?
Does the "xxxxxxx&&xxxx" in the log represent a redacted real phone number?
At the time you select and right click the caller in ncidpop, the server should show a REQ: INFO query that matches what you see. The 403 to 411 INFO messages should give back the caller with information about it being on white/black/alias lists.
ncidpop should offer "add" if there wasn't an alias found for the caller (e.g INFO alias NAMEDEP)
When you choose add or modify, the request is formatted by the server and given as arguments to the ncidutil script (as shown in your logs).
I'm guessing that one of your aliases is matching your new callers, but can't be found by the more literal modify feature of ncidutil.
When the caller e.g. 6138841577 does not match an alias the server responds with
403 Start of data defining permitted requests
INFO: alias NOALIAS
INFO: neither
INFO: dial 6138841577&&16138841577
411 End of response
Yes its a real number I obfuscated like "12345678900&&NO NAME"
I don't have any matching aliases, these are for brand new callers.
Any clue why adding an alias would have stopped working?
Last edit: nospam 2020-02-17
If the logs show that the response is "INFO: alias NOALIAS" then ncidpop is doing something wrong. ncidpop should offer to add an alias when this response arrives.
If the logs are showing "INFO alias NAMEDEP" or anything other than "NOALIAS" then ncidd has matched an alias.
I have found similar behaviour here, so I'm going to guess that you have an alias that reads
alias NAME OUT-OF-AREA = "NO NAME"
Let me know if this is the case, I think there might be a problem with the piece that looks for an existing alias.
I just confirmed there is nothing like that in the ncidd.alias or ncidd.blacklist files. I took it a step further and tried deleting everything in the ncidd.alias file and I still have the same problem.
I tried un-installing and re-installing ncidpop and disabled my mac firewall and still no joy.
I did have a line
alias NAME * = "SPAM" if "NO NAME"
but removing it made no difference.
Any other suggestions? Next step is a full re-install of ncidd.
When I was trying to test some of the possible ways that your problem might have happened, I kept surprising myself by forgetting that my alias file could differ from what ncidd had in memory, and that the caller list could differ between the memory of NCIDpop, ncidd, and the cidcall.log
I had presumed that your incoming caller ID was from a modem, and that the "NO NAME" was coming from the alias file. This led me to a possible way for what you saw to happen.
Could you please run a small real world test and email me the entire ncidd.log file?
1) create a minimal alias, blacklist, whitelist.
2) rename the current ncidd.log file
3) restart ncidd with a higher "set verbose = 7"
4) call yourself from a cell phone that doesn't give a caller ID name
5) use NCIDpop to try to add a name or change the alias
6) send the log file
If you wish, you can put all the configuration files in /tmp and run ncidd on the command line (after stopping the real one).
sudo ncidd --logfile /tmp/mytest.log --verbose 7 --alias /tmp/myalias --blacklist /tmp/myblacklist --whitelist /tmp/mywhitelist --config /tmp/myconfigWheWhe
What do messages like these mean? I keep seeing large multiples appear in the logs.
Client 6 sent empty line 02/25/2020 08:39:33
The NCIDandroid client, and possibly ncidpop (I haven't checked), send a periodic keep-alive message to keep a pathway open through a NAT, and to provide earlier detection of a broken TCP connection.
At a higher verbose level these "\n" messages are logged.