Tips, Tricks, Fixes, System Messages
Case 1: Message "No UTMP entry" at Login
Case 2: Message "no valid db found" after
"oscar"/"oscar start"
Case 3: Message "cannot connect to db server" at start
of remote MICROS Retail OSCAR POS system
Case 4: Still Values after Zapzap
Case 5: Clients/Login Units cannot establish connection to
Server simultaneously
Case 6: No automatic Start of the Process Unit on Task 4
(Xserver)
Case 8: No Device operable at COM 2 despite correct parameter
settings
Case 9: Message "Cannot create" at Update Installation
Case 10: Message ".../work does not exist" at Start
of a Client
Case 12: Message "TxtError4" during Update of an
Installation
Case 13: Offline-Message in the errlog
Case 14: Multiple MICROS Retail OSCAR POS Versions on PC: Start of an older
Version
Case 15: Message "Warning: no ProcUnit for oscard" at
Start
Case 16: Change Standard Capacity of backup Medium
Case 17: Message "Invalid Item No." when reading in a
Press Code
Case 18: Keyboard Function Entry via MF Keyboard
Case 19: Windows: System Error 1069
Case 20: Establishment of Connection takes much Time (ca. 5
Min) with Remote MICROS Retail OSCAR POS
Case 21: Inoperable System after Remote MICROS Retail OSCAR POS
Case 22: Message "abnormal program termination" after
Login in Windows
Case 24: Touch Screen: Program returns directly to first Page
after Item Selection
Case 25: Displaying the Help File Names in the Frame Title
Case 26: Input Help by "Copy and Paste"
Case 27: Problems with the Terminal Function "Supervisor
Key" (Key Code: AUTORIZE)
Case 28: Online Help is not displayed (Windows)
Case 29: Online Help is not displayed after Update
Case 30: Sales to Net price Customers
Case 31: No Entries possible in Window "Exchange
Rate"
Case 32: Payment by Cheque with Card No. Input only
Case 33: Display shows XYXYXYXYXYXY at Payment Type Closing
Case 34: Hard Disk Drive full (Error on Insert); temporary Sort
Files too large
Case 35: Starting MICROS Retail OSCAR POS is impossible (neither in Single-
nor in Multi-User Mode)
Case 1
Message: No UTMP entry. You must login from the lowest level -sh
When
logging in, e.g. as "root", The message appears:
- "No UTMP entry. You must login from the
lowest level -sh"
- A login is impossible.
Cause:
- The file /etc/utmp
has been destroyed, possibly caused by a wrong system stop (= switching off
the system)
Solution:
- Start in the single-user mode (enter unix) and change
to the System Maintenance Mode (enter the root password{Default: adsanker}).
- Delete the content of the files /etc/utmp, /etc/utmpx and /etc/wtmp:
- # >
/etc/utmp
- # >
/etc/utmpx
- #
> /etc/wtmp
- Check the access authorisation:
- # fixperm
-ndRTS /etc/perms/*
- Correct the access authorisation
- # fixperm
-csdRTS /etc/perms/*
- Shut down the system
Return to start
Case 2
Message: no valid db found
After
oscar start or
oscar,
the message "no valid db found" appears.
- Cause:
- The name of the system unit is not equivalent to
the name of the computer.
- Solution:
- Log in as oscar
singleuser
- Go to System > Configuration > System
Units
- Select system unit
- Enter the computer name in the filed
"Descriptor" (can be viewed on the operating system level via uname -n)
The IP number will be updated automatically after MICROS Retail OSCAR POS has been
started again.
- Save.
- End the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS application.
- Delete all client databases since changes in
the single-user mode will not be transferred to the client databases.
- Start the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS application in the
multi-user mode (enter oscar or oscar start)
- Cause:
- Linux
The server address in /home/oscar/oscar.d/bin/oscar.cf is not correct.
- Solution:
- Open terminal window
- Enter the directory /home/oscar/oscar.d/bin ($
cd /home/oscar/oscar.d/bin)
- Open the file oscar.cf ($ vi oscar.cf)
- Enter the appropriate computer name or TCP/IP
address behind the texts
OSCAR_SERVER=
or OSCAR_BACKUP=
if the computer name is used it must also be entered in the /etc/hosts.
- Cause:
- Linux
The installation no. in /home/oscar/oscar.d/bin/oscar.cf is not correct.
- Solution:
- Open a terminal window
- Enter the directory /home/oscar/oscar.d/bin ($ cd /home/oscar/oscar.d/bin)
- Open the file oscar.cf
($ vi oscar.cf)
- Enter the appropriate installation no. behind
the text OSCAR_INSTALLATION=
(start MICROS Retail OSCAR POS in the single-user mode and look it up at
"System > Configuration > Installation", if applicable).
- Save. Start MICROS Retail OSCAR POS again.
- Cause:
- Windows
- Wrong entries in the file "oscar.ini"
- Solution:
- Open the folder \usr\oscar\...\bin in the
Explorer.
- Open the file "oscar.ini" with a
double click.
- Check if the IP address of the computer has
been entered at "OSCAR_SERVER". If a backup server is being
used, the entry "OSCAR_BACKUP" has to be checked, too.
- Check if the correct installation number has
been entered at "OSCAR_INSTALLATION".
- Check if the correct host name of the computer
has been entered at "OSCAR_HOSTNAME". It should begin with a
capital letter.
- Save. Start MICROS Retail OSCAR POS again.
Return to start
Case 3
Message: cannot connect to db server
There
is an attempt to start the graphic user interface of a remote MICROS Retail OSCAR POS system
($ oscar client -i REMOTE_HOSTNAME -S
Installation_No). Instead of the connection establishment, the
following messages appears: "cannot connect to db server".
Cause:
- The port base in /home/oscar/oscar.d/bin/oscar.def is not correct. If the
port base entered in this file differs from the standard (6100), it must
have been entered for this installation in the window "System >
Configuration > Installation" in the field "Portbase".
Note:
The port base should not be changed.
- Solution:
- Open a terminal window
- Enter the directory /home/oscar/oscar.d/bin ($ cd
/home/oscar/oscar.d/bin)
- Change the access authorisation for the file
oscar.def to 775 , if applicable ($ chmod 775 oscar.def)
- Open the file oscar.def ($ vi oscar.def)
- Enter the default port base 6100 behind the text
OSCAR_PORTBASE=
- Save.
- Start MICROS Retail OSCAR POS again.
- Solution
- Enter the different port base entered in the
oscar.def in the window "System > Configuration >
Installation" for this installation.
- Stop the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS application and start it
again..
Return to start
Case 4
Still Values after Zapzap (Turnover Reports print Values).
Cause:
- Not all client databases have been deleted. After
a new "oscar start", the clients find out that the server
database contains no values and send their transactions again.
Solution:
- "oscar stop" in the entire system
- Delete the client databases (work.n) on all
system units (also on the server !) and the backup database (work.bck) on
the backup server. The server database "work.srv" must not be
deleted.
- Carry out "oscar zapzap.fgl" at the
server.
- Start the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS application at the server.
- Start the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS application at the backup and
all other clients. The databases will be created automatically.
Return to start
Case 5
Clients/Login Units cannot establish connection to Server simultaneously
Cause:
- The number of the "Max. users" entered
in the window has been exceeded.
Solution:
Return to start
Case 6
No automatic Start of the Process Unit on Task 4 (Xserver)
- Cause:
- The application has not been prepared for the
automatic start.
- Solution:
- Log in as "root" and enter: oscar
enable. (Remains active until oscar disable has been entered.)
- Cause:
- The access authorisation rights for /dev/console
are insufficient.
- Possible cause:
The user oscar has locked the screen via the SCO menu of the graphic
user interface. A locked screen can only be unlocked from entry of the
user password. The entry of blank (oscar password) will not be accepted
(Linux error). The operator could only have been stopped the processes on
the second task (kill ...). This can lead to wrong access authorisation
to the /dev/console.
- Solution:
- Stop MICROS Retail OSCAR POS (oscar stop)
- Log in as user root
- Enter the directory /dev (cd /dev).
- Change the access authorisation (chmod a+w
console)
- Start MICROS Retail OSCAR POS again (oscar start)
Return to start
Case 8
No Device operable at COM 2 despite correct parameter settings.
Cause:
- COM 2 has not been configured in Linux.
Solution:
- Set the parameters for COM 2.
Return to start
Case 9
Message "Cannot create" at Update Installation
The
update exists in the form of a packed TAR archive. A decompression by use of
the command uncompress has been carried out. The TAR archive is read by use of
the command "tar xvf <file>". During the recording displayed on
the screen, the message "cannot create" appears for some files.
Before
the update has been started, an "oscar stop" had been carried out.
All actions have been carried out by the user "oscar".
The access authorisation has been controlled.
Cause:
- A sales screen started on tty04 (XSERVER) has
not been stopped by the command "oscar stop".
Solution:
- Change to the sales screen by use of the shortcut
"Ctrl+Alt+F4". The process will be stopped.
- Go back to the screen on which the update is
carried out via "Ctrl+Alt+F2".
- Read the TAR archive again by use of the command
"tar xvf <file>".
Return to start
Case 10
Message: When a Client is started by use of oscar start, the following message
appears:
Starting oscar in /usr/oscar/oscDatum/work
/usr/oscar/oscDatum/work does not exist.
- Cause:
- The hard disk drive is full due to too much data
- Solution:
- Cause:
- The hard disk drive is full because the errlog
is too large
- Solution:
- Delete errlog, check debug if applicable
Return to start
Case 12
Message "TxtError4"
During
the update of an installation (after a new release), the message
"TxtError4" is displayed.
Cause:
- The data in the LOGFILE has a different record
structure which the "new" MICROS Retail OSCAR POS version cannot process.
Solution:
- Create a new database for the sub-installation
("Create database") and import it in the server of the
sub-installation.
Return to start
Case 13
Message in the errlog:
The
server database and clients go offline frequently. Message in the errlog:
- 12.08.1997 08:43:30 Unit 3001:
eof
- 12.08.1997 08:43:30 Unit 3001:
eof
- 12.08.1997 08:43:41 Unit 3001:
DbServer ready, pid = 556
- 12.08.1997 08:43:44 Unit 2:
offline
- 12.08.1997 08:43:46 Unit 5:
offline
- 12.08.1997 08:43:47 Unit 1:
offline
- 12.08.1997 08:44:09 Unit 2:
online
- 12.08.1997 08:44:09 Unit 3001:
Login Unit 2
- 12.08.1997 08:44:11 Unit 5:
online
- 12.08.1997 08:44:11 Unit 3001:
Login Unit 5
- 12.08.1997 08:44:16 Unit 1:
online
- 12.08.1997 08:44:16 Unit 3001:
Login Unit 1
- 12.08.1997 08:44:18 Unit 3001:
eof
Cause:
- One of the clients sends a transaction to the
server database that the latter cannot process. Therefore, it goes
offline. This has the effect that all clients go offline. The daemon
starts them all again which has the effect that the clients sends the
invalid transaction again.
Solution:
- oscar stop
- oscar singleuser
- Go to System -> Configuration -> Process Units Status.
- Select the terminal that causes the database
offline.
- Increase the counter in the field Operation by 1. Save. (By
this, the invalid transaction will be skipped.)
- Delete all client databases.
- oscar
start
Return to start
Case 14
oscar start does not start an older MICROS Retail OSCAR POS Version (as required) but the
current one.
Different
MICROS Retail OSCAR POS versions are installed on the computer. The operator enters the
directory of another version and wants to start it via oscar start. However, the version which has
been installed last on the hard disk is started.
Cause:
- Linux
- During the installation of an MICROS Retail OSCAR POS version
by use of the script install.sh,
this version receives a link to oscar.d,
i.e the link for the last installed version is created in the system.
MICROS Retail OSCAR POS is always started from the directory oscar.d, no matter where the call-up takes place.
- Windows
- A corresponding link is created by use of the
command oscar
installService which is included in the set-up routine.
Solution:
- Linux
- Set the link for the required version:
- oscar
stop
- cd
/home/oscar
- rm
oscar.d
- ln
-s /home/oscar/<version folder> /home/oscar/oscar.d
- Windows
- Delete the connection to the present version:
- Open a command window
- Enter the folder work of the current MICROS Retail OSCAR POS
version.
(cd
\usr\oscar\...\work)
- Execute the command oscar removeService.
- Establish the connection to the required
version:
- open the work folder of the required version
via the command window. (cd \usr\oscar\...\work)
- Execute the command oscar installService.
- Start the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS application.
Return to start
Case 15
Message: Warning: no ProcUnit for oscard
After
an oscar start, the message Warning: no ProcUnit for oscard
appears.
Cause:
- There is no daemon process for the system unit at
which MICROS Retail OSCAR POS is to be started.
Solution:
- Create a daemon process in the window System
-> Configuration -> Process Units.
Return to start.
Case 16:
Wrong backup medium capacity
In
the window "File Backup", a wrong capacity is preset for the backup
medium. With every start of the file backup, the actual capacity of the medium
has to be entered manually.
Cause:
- The field "Media Capacity" in the
window "File Backup" receives its value from the file
runBackup.fgl.
Solution:
- Enter the directory /usr/oscar/oscar.d/fgl.
- Open the file runBackup.fgl by use of an editor
(e.g. scoedit runBackup.fgl).
- Use the search function to find the position of
the character sequence "LET capa".
- Replace the value behind "LET capa ="
by the required media capacity.
- Save the change and close the editor.
Return to start
Case 17
Message: Invalid Item No.
When
a press code is read in (434 or 439), the message "Invalid Item No."
appears.
Cause:
- In the window "EAN Parameter", an input
length of e.g. 15 has been defined for the press code(s). Reading in press
codes with 13 or 18 positions leads to an error message.
Solution:
- Define "13" to be the input length for
press codes in the window "EAN Parameter".
- Modify the parameter settings of the scanner so
that a maximum of 13 positions is read.
Return to start
Case 18
Keyboard Function Entry via an MF Keyboard
Cause:
- Key functions are to be called up, but there is
no terminal keyboard available.
Solution:
- Use the mouse to place the cursor in the bottom
booking line of the sales screen. Delete the characters there by use of
the "Del" or "Backspace" key.
- Enter the required Key
Code and confirm via the "Pos1" (Linux) or RETURN (Windows) key.
Possibly needed data should be added to the function name, separated by a
semicolon (e.g. fPM;1).
Values that are to be entered before the function name are to be separated
by a colon (e.g. 1:CUSTOMER).
Return to start
Case 19
Message: System Error 1069
Windows
NT: After oscar start,
the following error message appears:
System error 1069
The service could not be started due to a wrong sign-on.
Cause:
- During the installation routine of MICROS Retail OSCAR POS, a
different password has been defined for the operator (e.g. Administrator).
Solution:
- Select Start Programs Administration (General)
User Manager.
- Highlight the required user in the list.
- Select User Properties.
- Enter the password that was defined during the
installation routine.
- Confirm with "OK".
- Reboot the system.
Return to start
Case 20
When a Remote MICROS Retail OSCAR POS is carried out, it takes more than 5 minutes to
establish the connection.
Cause:
- Remote MICROS Retail OSCAR POS has been carried out from a
process unit that has its own database.
Solution:
- Carry out Remote MICROS Retail OSCAR POS from a process unit
that does not have its own database.
Return to start
Case 21:
After a connection established via Remote MICROS Retail OSCAR POS has been interrupted, the
process unit of the calling installation becomes inoperable.
Cause:
- Remote MICROS Retail OSCAR POS has been carried out from a
process unit that has its own database.
Solution:
- Carry out Remote MICROS Retail OSCAR POS from a process unit
that does not have its own database.
Return to start
Case 22
Messages:
Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library
Runtime error
Program: C:\usr\oscar\...\bin\MyPrg.exe
abnormal program termination
After
the login in Windows, the following error window appears several times:
- Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library
- Runtime error
- Program: C:\usr\oscar\...\bin\MyPrg.exe
- abnormal program termination
Solution
with existing installation:
- Start -> Settings -> Task Bar
- Tab "Programs in Menu "Start"
- Button "Advanced"
- An Explorer window will be opened.
- Open the folder "Winnt Profiles
Administrator Start menu Programs Autostart".
- Menu command "File" -> New ->
Link.
- The window "Create Link" will be
opened.
- Click on button "Browse".
- Select the file "cmd.exe" in the folder
"Winnt system32".
- This takes you back to the window "Create
link".
- Click on the Forward button
- Enter a name for the link, e.g. "oscar
start"
- Click on "Finish"
- Click on the name of the link (e.g. "oscar
start") in the Explorer window (right mouse button).
- Select "Properties" from the context
menu.
- Activate the tab "Link".
- Enter: indir%\system32\cmd.exe
/C..\work\oscar.cmd start (for the example "oscar start") in the
"Target" field
- In the field Work directory, enter:
C:\usr\oscar\...\work (... stands for a possible sub-directory).
- Confirm with OK.
- The changes will only become effective after the
system has been rebooted.
Solution
during installation
- Select the type "Server + graph.
Client" instead of "Server" during the installation
routine.
Return to start
Case 24
Touch Screen: Program returns directly to first page after item selection
Example:
The item preset key "Cola" is established on page 5 of your touch
screen (page 1: Food/Beverages; page 2: alcoholic / non-alcoholic drinks etc.).
You would like to book the item "Cola" multiple times by pressing the
appropriate item preset key. After the key has been pressed, however, the
application returns to the first screen page immediately, i.e. you have to call
up the previous screen pages again to press the key "Cola" once more.
Cause:
- In the window Terminal
Type, the Receipt Mode Single Receipt
has been selected.
Solution:
- Select the Receipt
Mode Collect
Receipt instead of Single Receipt, and control the receipt
print via appropriate entries in the Printer
Parameters.
Return to start
Case 25
Displaying the Help File Names in the Frame Title
You
can display the names of the help file and the field in which the cursor is
currently placed in the frame of the help window by default.
- Close the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS application.
- Open the file oscar.ini
by use of an editor.
- There, you will find the line:
__UiDebug=255
- Change it into
UiDebug=1
- Save this file. The next time the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS
online help is started, the names will be displayed.
Return to start
Case 26
Input Help by "Copy and Paste"
If
you make the same entry frequently via the MF keyboard, you can also mark the
text and press the shortcut <Ctrl> <C> to copy the text. In order
to insert the text in another field, click in this field to place the cursor
there and press <Ctrl> <V>. The marked text will be pasted, i.e.
you do not have to enter it manually. The copied text remains in the memory
until you copy another text or close the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS application.
Return to start
Case 27
Supervisor Key Function – Problem Handling (Key Code: AUTORIZE)
This
function will only work free of errors if the keyboards configured in your
system are also physically connected, i.e. keyboards that are not connected to
their terminals any longer must be removed from the application, as far as the
software is concerned. Example: You remove the terminal keyboard from the
terminal and book via the computer keyboard. In this case, you can only carry
out the supervisor key function after deleting the corresponding operating
module in the window Devices.
Return to start
Case 28
Online Help is not displayed (Windows); empty mask.
You
start the online help, the mask is displayed but there is no text in it. This
problem occurs if you install the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS application and then the Internet Explorer 4.0, or if the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS
application has not been installed via the installation program.
Solution:
Copy the system files
"wininet.dll" and "ulrmon.dll" from the directory
"\WINNT\system32" to the "oscar\bin\ directory".
Return to start
Case 29
Online Help is not displayed after update
If
the online help texts are not displayed after an update, a wrong path has
probably been entered in the file "Oscar.ini".
- Close the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS application.
- Enter the "bin" directory.
- Open the file "Oscar.ini" by use of an
editor.
- Enter the current path of the online help
directory in the line that begins with "helppath" (e.g.
helppath="d:\usr\oscar\<current directory name >\"). The
name of the help directory itself does not have to be entered. The line
must end with a backslash and inverted commas (\").
- In the next line helppath2="..\help\",
there is no change to be made in general.
Return to start
Case 30:
Item Prices are Net Prices (Sales to Net Price Customers)
If
only net price customers buy in your business, and if the item prices are net
prices, you have to make sure that special prices only instead of standard
prices are entered in the Price Maintenance when
items are configured. On the Company Level, this
special price is then assigned to the "net price". Finally, you have
to configure the customers that are characterized as Net Price Customers and assign them to the
corresponding Price Level.
Return to start
Foreign
currencies of which the Exchange Rates are to be
maintained must receive a Currency
Unit greater than "0" in the window "Payment Type".
Return to start
Case 32:
Payment by Cheque with Card No. Input only
Normally,
a cheque payment always requires 4 entries (Post Code, Account No. etc.). If
only the card no. is to be entered, you can configure the payment type
"Cheque" as a "Cash" payment type and maintain the text via
"Form Texts". A description can be found in the chapter Maintenance of the Number of Input Numbers and
their Texts.
Return to start
Case 33:
Display shows XYXYXYXYXYXY at Payment Type Closing
You
close the receipt, and after the payment type has been entered, the display, or
the sales screen, shows "XYXYXYXYX". In this case, input numbers for
a payment type are maintained in the window Payment
Type Parameters without the necessary texts having been defined. Further
help on this topic can be found in the chapters Maintenance of the Number of Input Numbers and
their Texts or Maintenance of the Entry
of the Card Number for Cheque Payments.
Return to start
Case 34:
Hard Disk Drive full (Error on Insert); temporary sort files too large
During
search operations in the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS database, temporary files can be generated
automatically. During search operations with search criteria that have not been
defined in the index of the database table, so-called sort files are generated
in the directory work.srv that
will be deleted after the completion of the search operation (e.g. S55.5.DAT
and S55.5.IDX). In exceptional cases, e.g. if the system unit is switched off
(power failure) during a search operation, these files cannot be deleted
automatically and remain on the hard disk.
Solution:
Make sure that no search operations are
active in the main database of the server and delete the existing sort files
manually to receive more disk space.
Return to start
Case 35:
Starting MICROS Retail OSCAR POS is impossible (neither in Single- nor in Multi-User Mode)
The
MICROS Retail OSCAR POS application can neither be started in the single- nor in the
multi-user mode. After the command oscar
start has been entered, no "errlog" file is generated in
the directory work and no output
of possibly set debug parameters in the file oscar.ini
is received.
A
reason for this occurrence could be a defect or unreadable file Isam.log in the directory work.srv of the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS server database.
The
file Isam.log contains an image of the transactions that have not been booked.
When the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS application is started, the transactions stored in this file
will be booked in the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS server database. If the start of the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS
application has been successful, this process will be recorded in the file errlog in the directory work with the message "recover db".
In
error cases, the Isam.log file can
contain faulty data or might be unreadable for the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS application due to
wrong access authorisation. In this case, the start of the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS
application is impossible
Solution:
Delete the file Isam.log in the directory work.srv
manually and start the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS application again. The transactions that had
been stored in the file Isam.log
will be lost.
MICROS Retail Deutschland GmbH
Salzufer 8
D-10587 Berlin
Germany