This FAQ last updated on Thu Jun 6 15:51:52 CDT 2002.
Unix
Can't log in.
Command failure
Command not found.
Can't write to file even though you own it.
Command line is hung with no response.
The command line keeps showing >.
scripting
Script parser not invoked.
Script fails due to permission
perl
General errors
Cascading errors
Uninitialized variables
Using wrong variable symbol.
XML
Opening and closing tags different.
HTML
Use of a non-existent tag
Forgot to close the tag
Malformed url
Incorrect url
New work not saved
Page not reloaded.
Text runs together.
Dreaded phantom blue underline in links.
Can't log in.
Solution: Check shiftlock key. Verify you are trying to log onto the correct machine. Read the login msg.
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Command failure
Failure to separate command from switches or arguments.
Example: ls-l will fail because the command "ls" is run together with the switch "-l"; the command "ls-l" does not exist on the system.
Solution: keep commands and args/switches separate
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Command not found.
Typo or case error in command name. Solution: Check case and spelling.
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Can't write to file even though you own it.
You may not be who you think you are.
Solution: "whoami".
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Command line is hung with no response.
The box may actually be running; wait a bit.
Solution: Use [ctrl-c] to break out of the hang.
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The command line keeps showing >.
Solution: hit [control-c] to cancel the command.
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File will not update.
Editing one file and refreshing the view of another. May be two different filenames, or two files of the same name in different directories.
Solution: use pwd and ls -l as a sanity check.
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Script parser not invoked.
#/!magicline is broken, wrong, or not on first line and first column. Invisible trash on the end of the line.
Solution: fix magicline. Delete and retype if necessary. Check error logs.
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Script fails due to permission
Solution: Check permissions.
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General errors
First, see the scripting section for errors common to all scripting languages (including perl).
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Cascading errors
An error cascade is an error that unleashes a flood or waterfall of errors. Troubleshoot this condition by starting from the first error; frequently this will fix many errors that follow. Look especially for unbalanced delimiters (usually missing closing ' or ").
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Uninitialized variables
You have referenced a variable that has not been initialized (ie, has no value). Usually a typo rather than a logical error.
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Opening and closing tags different.
Remember that xml is case sensitive and will give you an error if the opening and closing tags are not identical . cutpaste
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Use of a non-existent tag
HTML ignores tags it does not understand.
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Forgot to close the tag
Leaving a tag open may cause display weirdness or total rendering failure. If some of the page will load, the error will likely cause a rendering failure "cascade"; the error will effect everything that renders after the error. To located the error, look at the point where the error first manifests itself.
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Malformed url
The URL is poorly constructed (spaces, illegal characters)
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Incorrect url
The URL is pointing to the wrong place
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New work not saved
The changes have not been saved so the browser cannot see them, even if reloaded.
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Page not reloaded.
A change was made behind the browser's back; refresh/reload the page. Tweak your cache settings to check for newer every time.
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Text runs together.
HTML is not a cosmetic language so the physical format of your text is largely unimportant. Use tags to separate the text.
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Dreaded phantom blue underline in links.
There is a space in the tag's text; tighten it up to remove whitespace.
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This FAQ generated by makefaq.pl (v. 1.5).