Repository

[gruso]

Dodgy RAM.... WTF?


Don't want to sound like an arsehole, but I'd recommend going back to my original (detailed) post.


Looks like it's a specific (and repeatable!) issue depending on what client/browser being used. Looks like a Firefox specific issue, which points to a configuration issue. Also, this is a RECENT issue that didn't exist before (I'm talking no more than two weeks maybe).


Downloads (especially of large files) crapping out before successfully completing is a COMPLETELY separate issue, and one that's unfortunately always existed, for whatever reason.

Then your first post would have been well served by starting with "I'm aware of the ongoing issue with downloads not completing, but this appears to be something different." You could do a lot more with the thread title too, to ensure the topic is what you intend it to be.

I'm sure there is a utopia out there where you don't have to go to such trouble, but the internet isn't it.

 

[Zink]

Does the server report the file size before downloading? I've seen some servers out there that don't, and a downloader program needs to wait until the server tells it that's the end of the file. This is just a guess, but maybe if there is a connection disturbance during downloading, Firefox will assume the end of the file at that point?

 

[Linux-SWAT]

Dodgy RAM.... WTF?

It's an IT tech reflex ^^. I tend to be really suspicious about hardware when it runs Linux or OSS-related, and have some trouble ^^.


A flawed ram can pass successfully memtest. Even high-end ECC. I've seen that by myself two years ago.

 

[Cassiel]

Then your first post would have been well served by starting with "I'm aware of the ongoing issue with downloads not completing, but this appears to be something different." You could do a lot more with the thread title too, to ensure the topic is what you intend it to be.


I'm sure there is a utopia out there where you don't have to go to such trouble, but the internet isn't it.

You have got to be kidding me.... think my original post was more than specific, detailed and helpful enough. I didn't exactly write "ur website not workin is it fix it now plz" did I?


That's why I was surprised at returning to a stream of responses none of which relevant. Lots of discussion by people who I know are smart yet lots of wasted time and discussion too...


Anyway, I think Zink is bang on the money. That's the second person to mention that too me as a potential cause (some investigation and testing is occurring outside of this forum). Definitely think that's something you guys (or who ever owns the repo, EvilDragon?) might want to look into...


Strangely though, as I've previously mentioned, this definitely appears to be a recent issue.... maybe some back-end server software/modules have been upgraded recently? Who knows.... one for EvilDragon I guess.

 

[TrashyMG]

You would most likely get a better response if you said "I don't think it's the RAM for these reasons...etc" instead of coming off angry saying "DODGY RAM WTFOMGBBQ!"..


Honestly I've never had any issues with the repo, so I can't contribute to much to the discussion, But flaming people who's ideas you don't agree with is just as non-productive to the discussion. Think of these discussions as a brain storming session.. some people come in with better suggestions than others..

 

[Cassiel]

Sure.... apologies for seeming rude, wasn't having a pop at Linux-SWAT specificity or anything was more an explication of frustration.


Just feel this is a very simple (as it 'what the problem' is) issue that isn't really being 'got' despite what I thought was a pretty clear OP. I'm going out of my way to identify and offering avenues of investigation to resolving a problem *your* community has, and was just feeling a bit frustrated.


Well anyway... hopefully EvilDragon (again, I assume that's who manages the repo) can use the info here to correct the problem...

 

[Mr Rob]

Well I've seen this issue with more than just Firefox. I often use Google Chrome or wget to grab the PNDs....


Could it be a general webbernets problem? For large sites, a CDN would exist mirroring the site from Europe over here in the states (another in Asia perhaps)? I'm obviously not saying build a CDN, as those can be pricey. I'm saying that maybe transferring 300MB of data from a server in Germany to my little apartment in North Dakota could be rife with transmission errors. It's a long trip.


Just an idea.

 

[Cassiel]

FYI, the ('wrong') files downloaded by Firefox appear to be a few bytes longer in size, i.e.:


(wrong) aaaa.20110915.022723.pnd CRC32=C820F7CB Size=17,263,828


(right) aaaa.20110915.022723.pnd CRC32=E5CD3F0F Size=17,263,662


given more weight to this being a 'declared size' issue.

 

[slaeshjag]

It happenes to me too, and I can download stuff from servers in the same datacenter without problems. My guess would be that it's caused by configuration error.

 

[Mr Rob]

Are German bytes bigger? This could explain everything.

 

[Cassiel]

Just more efficiently ordered....

 

[Mr Rob]

Ha, they must be little endian then?

 

[Cassiel]

 

[Prometheus]

Well anyway... hopefully EvilDragon (again, I assume that's who manages the repo) can use the info here to correct the problem...

EvilDragon owns and runs the server, and the repo is by milkshake.

 

[relliker]

Are the different downloads all going to the same directory/SD card etc.? Reported file sizes (ex. with ls -l) on linux also depend on the block/fragment size used during creation of the file system afaik.

 

[mindlord]

@Relliker: I've experienced problems on the Pandora, my desktop PC (Windows 7), My laptop (Ubuntu 11.04), and my Phone (Android). I would say the common thread would be Firefox, but I use Opera Mobile on my phone. I've tried downloading things from the Repo and from Sebt's section and it's hit and miss whether it will work. I would say it fails more often on larger files.

 

[slaeshjag]

Midori also have that issue. wget doesn't seem to have it though (although I'm not sure)

 

[mcobit]

Wget has the ability to resume, if there is a problem and seems to check more, if a file gets corrupted while downloading.

 

[fusion_power]

There seems to be serious Issues with ED's Server, the download problems are since some time and still not solved. I also spot some times, where all the Forums and Repo and everything is unreachable, this sometimes last only 1-2 Minutes but it happens to me quite often.


It is actualy a bad Idea to have every Pandora releated site on only ONE Server. For backup reasons there should be at least 2 different places so if one Server has porblems, at least some of the Forums and Websites are still online.

 

[Mr Rob]

It is actualy a bad Idea to have every Pandora releated site on only ONE Server. For backup reasons there should be at least 2 different places so if one Server has porblems, at least some of the Forums and Websites are still online.

Though I do agree, it is an issue of time and money.