VOspec - killer of SAMP

[Petr Skoda]

Hi all

investigating the issue about SAMP in multiuser environment I have found 
the mess caused by VOspec (version 6.6) even in single-user environment.

The issue is this.

I have had used during my VO lectures within last two weeks many many 
times examples sending VOtables between Topcat Aladin and Splat-VO in 
different combinations until I decided to run VOspec.
After quiting it and other running apps I was not able to start SAMP again 
!!

Every of this Big Three apps (aladin, topcat, splat) did have in 
Interop menu ONLY PLASTIC. It means the window of plastic does not have 
ability to run SAMP hub . Good by - SAMP - no way to run it again.
The issue is finally very simple explained.

The start of VOspec (6.6. tested only) creates the .plastic lock file

(here is example :

#PLASTIC server uk.ac.starlink.plastic.ServerSet
#Sat Apr 25 00:11:43 CEST 2015
plastic.xmlrpc.url=http\://castor\:2117/
uk.ac.starlink.plastic.servid=uk.ac.starlink.plastic.ServerSet at 11905c5
plastic.version=0.4
plastic.rmi.port=1104

)

This file is not removed even after correct finishing VOspec.

So when it exists - from now on ANY apps does not show SAMP window anymore 
(the VOSpec only has both menus)
I guess thats because the SAMP in VOspec is obsolete or has strange logic 
not common to other apps ....


I am sure that there will be other VO apps issues in interoperability when 
someone really starts to use them . I am just wondering how it is 
possibl ethere was so many schools and training ongoing in the world but 
no-one had noticed the mis-behaviour of the interoperability which as been 
our buzzword for 15 years ;-)

Not talking that general behaviour of VO apps is basically horrible - 
during 20 hours of intensive VO hands-ons in three universities we have 
suffered at least 10 times the crash of all of them (even Topcat ;-)
from unknown reasons - usually it was during tim ewhen I was not clicking 
on anything or loading tables.

We have used different OS (linux, mac, several windows) some java was 
openjava in linux some were genuine Oracle 1.7 or 8 ....

No difference

Best regards

Petr

*************************************************************************
*  Petr Skoda                         Phone : +420-323-649201, ext. 361 *
*  Stellar Department                         +420-323-620361           *
*  Astronomical Institute AS CR       Fax   : +420-323-620250           *
*  251 65 Ondrejov                    e-mail: skoda at sunstel.asu.cas.cz  *
*  Czech Republic                                                       *
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