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Diagnostics

Three types of messages exist in MHonArc: Informative messages, Warnings, and Errors. Informative messages give you the current status of MHonArc's execution. Warnings signify undesired conditions, but are not critical in MHonArc's exection. Errors signify critical conditions that inhibit MHonArc from finishing its task.

Another set of messages exists that are generated from the Perl interpreter itself. MHonArc tries its best to catch any conditions that may cause Perl to abnormally abort, but conditions may arise where this is not possible.

This section describes the various diagnostics MHonArc may produce and messages Perl may produce.


Informative messages

Informative messages may be suppressed via the -quiet command-line option. Only the more important Informative messages are listed here.

Could not process message with given Content-Type: ...

MHonArc will output this statement in filtered mail messages for content-types it is unable to process. See Default Filters in MIME for content-types that MHonArc supports by default. See Writing Filters for adding new filters into MHonArc.

This is the only Informative message that does not go to standard output, but into the actual filtered mail message.

No new messages

No mail messages exist when performing an add operation to an archive. This can occur if an empty MH mail folder, or empty mailbox file, is passed to MHonArc.

Requiring MIME filter libraries ...

Indicates MHonArc is loading external libraries for filtering mail messages. MHonArc will output each library it loads. See MIME for more information of filter libraries.

Trying to lock mail archive ...

The statement means that a lock file is in place for the archive you are trying to update. Normally, an existing lock file implies that another MHonArc process is currently using the archive, and other MHonArc processes will wait awhile to see if the archive will be unlocked.

However, there are times when a lock file exists, but no MHonArc process is modifying the archive. This can occur if MHonArc is abnormally terminated. If you know that no other MHonArc process is editting the archive you are try to modify, then manually remove the lock file or use the -force option.

See Archive Integrity for more information.


Warnings

Warning messages denote some undesired event occurred, but the event is not severe enough to cause program termination.

Warning: Could not find date for message

MHonArc was unable to find a received/sent date for a mail message. With respect to other mail messages, a message with no received/sent date is first in chronological order.

Warning: Database (<dbversion>) != program (<prgversion>) version

Indicates that the version of MHonArc updating an archive is different from the version of MHonArc that created the database file. Problems can arise if the database file changes in format from different version of MHonArc. See the release notes of the MHonArc distribution if changes in the databse format has effects on older archives.

Warning: Unable to create <outdir>/<dbfile>

Indicates MHonArc was unable to create the database file <dbfile> for the mail archive created/modified in <outdir>. This message can occur if <outdir> permissions changed during MHonArc execution, the existing <dbfile> is read-only, or the file system is full.

This message can be severe because no future add operations can be performed to the archive.

Warning: Unable to open footer: <footer>

MHonArc was unable to open the footer file, <footer>, for inclusion into the index page. Make sure <footer> exists, and is readable by you.

Warning: Unable to open header: <header>

MHonArc was unable to open the header file, <header>, for inclusion into the index page. Make sure <header> exists, and is readable by you.

Warning: Unable to open <folder>

MHonArc was unable to open the specified mail <folder> for reading. Make sure <folder> exists and is readable (and executable if a directory) by you.

Warning: Unable to open message: <folder>/<message>

MHonArc was unable to open the specified MH mail message <folder>/<message> for reading. Make sure <folder>/<message> exists and is readable by you.

Warning: Unable to open resource file: <file>

MHonArc was unable to open the resource file, <file>, for reading. Make sure <file> exists, and is readable by you.

Warning: Undefined time zone: "<timezone>"

MHonArc has found an unrecognized timezone acronym, <timezone>, in a mail message. You can tell MHonArc about other timezone acronyms, and their hour offset to UTC, by using the TIMEZONES resource element of the Resource File.

The timezone UTC (or GMT) is used for an undefined timezone acronym


Errors

Errors denote conditions that cause MHonArc to abort execution.

Some error conditions may cause the MHonArc archive to become corrupted. If the error occurs when MHonArc is writing files, you may have to recreate the archive from the original messages.

ERROR: Database read error of <dbfile>

An error occured when trying to read an archive's database. The error can occur if the database file is not readable or the file got corrupted.

ERROR: Unable to create <file>

MHonArc was unable to create <file>. This message can occur if the directory being written to is not writable, a read-only file with the same name exists, or the file system is full.

ERROR: Unable to create <lockfile> after <#> tries

The statement means that a lock file is in place for the archive you are trying to update.

Sometimes a lock file exists, but no MHonArc process is modifying the archive. This can occur if MHonArc is abnormally terminated. If you know that no other MHonArc process is editting the archive you are try to modify, then manually remove the lock file or use the -force option.

ERROR: Unable to open <file>

MHonArc was unable to open <file> for reading. Make sure <file> exists, and is readable by you.

ERROR: Unable to require newgetopt.pl

The newgetopt.pl library is needed for MHonArc to parse the command-line. newgetopt.pl is part of the standard Perl distribution. Make sure Perl has been correctly installed at your site.

ERROR: Unable to require timelocal.pl

The timelocal.pl library is needed for MHonArc to process dates in messages. timelocal.pl is part of the standard Perl distribution. Make sure Perl has been correctly installed at your site.

ERROR: Unable to require <file>

This message signifies MHonArc was unable to require the library <file>. Make sure you properly installed MHonArc via the installation program. If <file> is your own custom filter, make sure you properly registered it in the Resource File. See also Specifying Filters and the PERLINC resource element.


Perl Messages

Generally, if execution is aborted and the following error messages appear, then you will have to manually delete the lock file since MHonArc will not have the chance to delete the file.

Can't locate <file> in @INC at <file> line <number>.

A library that MHonArc tried to load was not found in the Perl include search paths. This error usually implies that MHonArc was not installed correctly. Make sure that MHonArc was installed via the install.me program that is provided in the MHonArc distribution.

<file> did not return a true value at <file> line <number>.

If you are using your own MIME filters with MHonArc, make sure the library files return 1.


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