System Administration Guide: Resource Management and Network Services

How to Debug Transmissions

If you cannot contact a particular machine, you can check out communications to that machine with Uutry and uucp.

  1. To try to make contact:


    # /usr/lib/uucp/Uutry -r machine
    

    Replace machine with the host name of the machine you are having problems contacting. This command does the following:

    • Starts the transfer daemon (uucico) with debugging. You can get more debugging information if you are root.

    • Directs the debugging output to /tmp/machine.

    • Prints the debugging output to your terminal by issuing the following command:


      # tail -f
      

      Press Control-c to end output. You can copy the output from /tmp/machine if you want to save it.

  2. If Uutry doesn't isolate the problem, try to queue a job:


    # uucp -r file machine\!/dir/file
    

    Replace file by the file you want to transfer, machine by the machine you want to copy to, and /dir/file where the file will be placed on the other machine. The r option queues a job but does not start the transfer.

  3. Issue the following command:


    # Uutry
    

    If you still cannot solve the problem, you might need to call your local support representative. Save the debugging output. It can help diagnose the problem.

You might also decrease or increase the level of debugging that is provided by Uutry through the -x n option. n indicates the debug level. The default debug level for Uutry is 5.

Debug level 3 provides basic information about when and how the connection is established, but not much information about the transmission itself. Debug level 9, however, provides exhaustive information about the transmission process. Be aware that debugging occurs at both ends of the transmission. If you intend to use a level higher than 5 on a moderately large text, contact the administrator of the other site and agree on a time for doing so.