F    uucp Messages

This appendix provides a description and suggested user actions for the following uucp messages:

F.1    Status and Log File Messages

The messages in this section might appear in uucp status or log files. Use the uulog or uustat command to see the status messages.

ASSERT ERROR
An ASSERT error occurred, indicating a condition that only a system manager can solve. ASSERT errors are stored in the /usr/spool/uucp/.Admin/errors file and have the following form:

ASSERT ERROR (prog) pid: xxxx(date/time) error error-location

The variables have the following meaning:
prog Name of the program generating the error.
xxxx Process ID (PID) of the program.
date/time Data and time when the error occurred.
error A message describing the error. The message might include arguments. If there is a value contained in parentheses following the message, this value is often the error number (errno).
error-location Name and version of the source file and the line in the file where the error occurred.

Table F-1 lists the ASSERT error messages.

Table F-1: ASSERT Error Messages

Error Message Explanation and User Action
BAD LINE line (num) The /usr/lib/uucp/Devices file has a bad line: line is the bad line and num is the number of fields found in the line.
Correct the entry in the file. See Devices(4) for information on the file entries.
BAD LOGIN_UID (-1)
BAD UID (-1)
CAN NOT FIND UID (num) 		The user ID used by the process is not currently logged in and is not defined in the /etc/passwd file or the networks database, if using NIS.
Check your user ID, using the id command, and change the entry in the /etc/passwd file or the networks database, if using NIS.
BAD SPEED (num) An unsupported baud rate (num) was specified.
Check the command arguments or uucp configuration files. Then run uucpsetup to change the baud rate.
CAN'T CHDIR dir (num) A command to change to directory dir failed with errno num. The uucp program required read access to the directory.
Check the permissions on the directory. If the directory does not exist, check the permissions on the spool directory.
CAN'T CLOSE file (num) Could not close file with errno num.
CAN'T CREATE file (num) Could not open file with errno num. The uucp program needs write access to the file or directory.
Check the permissions on the file and directory.
CAN'T LINK file (num) Could not link a source file to the work file file in the uucp spool directory with errno num.
Check the spool directory permissions.
CAN'T LOCK LCK.SQ. sys (0) Could not lock the /var/spool/locks/LCK.SQ. sys file for system sys.
Check the time and permissions on the file. If it is old, delete the file.
CAN'T OPEN file (num) Could not open file with errno num. The uucp program needs write access to the file or directory.
Check the permissions on the file and directory.
CAN'T STAT file (num) The uucico daemon could not obtain information about file with errno num.
Check the permissions on file.
CAN'T UNLINK file (num) Could not unlink file with errno num.
Check the permissions on file.
CAN'T WRITE file (num) Could not open file with errno num. The uucp program needs write access to the file or directory.
Check the permissions on the file and directory.
FILE EXISTS file (num) The file already exists and an access() call on that file returned errno num. The file is a uucp work file that was not cleaned up by another uucp process.
No uucp server (0) The uucp service is not defined in the /etc/services file.
Edit the /etc/services file and add a uucp entry.
SYSLST OVERFLOW (num) There are too many jobs queued for a single system. The number of jobs is num.
Use the uustat -q command and examine the queue. If the jobs are not old, try the request again. If there are old jobs in the queue, use the uucleanup command to clean out the queue. See uucleanup(8) for more information.
TOO MANY LOCKS (num) The system limit on the number of lock files was exceeded while creating lock file num.
Retry the request after the the current activity is completed.
XMV ERROR file (num) The uuxqt daemon could not move the execute file to the .Xqtdir directory in the uucp spool area and failed with errno num.
Use the ls -l command and verify that the .Xqtdir directory is owned by uucp and has a 775 permission.

BAD LOGIN/MACHINE COMBINATION
Explanation: There are two possible reasons for this message:

  • The VALIDATE option for the local system is set in the Permissions file on the remote system and the local system's user name does not match the LOGNAME entry for the system in the remote system's Permissions file.

    Either ask the remote system administrator to modify the LOGNAME entry for that user name, or edit the Systems file and modify the entry for the remote system to use the expected user name.

  • The local system's user name has no corresponding LOGNAME entry in the remote system's Permissions file.

User Action: Either ask the remote system administrator to add a LOGNAME entry for that user name, or edit the Systems file and modify the entry for the remote system to use a known user name.

BAD SEQUENCE CHECK
Explanation: The information in /usr/lib/uucp/SQFILE file on the local and remote system is inconsistent. Possible reasons include:

  • A new SQFILE has been installed on either system, possibly because a new operating system release was installed. If so, synchronize the files.

  • Another system is imitating either the local or remote system. This indicates a potential security problem.

CALLBACK REQUIRED
Explanation: The local system initiated a call and informed the remote system that it has work for that system. The remote system is configured to accept work only if it initiates a call to the local system. Work is queued until the remote system calls the local system.

CALLER SCRIPT FAILED
Explanation: An error occurred while processing the chat script, defined in the Systems file.

User Action Retry the request. If the error recurs, use the uutry remote_system command and observe the prompts from the remote system. Compare the prompts to the chat script. If there is a difference, run the uucpsetup script and change the chat script.

CAN'T ACCESS DEVICE
Explanation: Possible reasons include:

  • The physical device could not be opened. Check the permissions on the terminal (tty) line, using the ls -l command. If neither user uucp nor group uucp has write access to the line, change the mode to 666.

  • The modem type is not defined in the /usr/lib/uucp/Dialers file. Verify that the modem type has an entry in the Dialers file. If not, run the uucpsetup script and make an entry for the modem type.

CANNOT OPEN SYSTEMS FILE FOR READ
Explanation: The uucp program cannot read the /usr/lib/uucp/systems file.

User Action: Change the mode to 650, and the owner and group to uucp.

CONN FAILED (string)
Explanation: The connection to the remote system failed; string describes the reason for the failure.

CONVERSATION FAILED
Explanation: The conversation with the remote system has abnormally ended. Possible reasons are a modem error or system crash. Partially completed jobs are requeued and processed later.

DEVICE LOCKED
Another utility (tip, cu, uugetty, or uucico) is already using the device.

User Action: Retry the request; you will continue to receive this message until the other utility has finished using the device.

DIAL FAILED
Explanation: The modem dialing sequence failed or timed out.

User Action: Retry the command.

LOGIN FAILED
Explanation: The uucico daemon timed out while trying to log in to the remote system.

User Action: Use the uutry command with your request to determine why the login is failing.

If the error occurs while processing the chat script, run the uucpsetup script and modify the chat script to reflect the actual messages used by the remote system. For example, if the chat script stops while waiting for a login prompt, modify the chat script to send a carriage return and delay before getting a login prompt.

If the login to the remote system is successful and then an error occurs, the uucico daemon on the remote system failed to start or was slow in sending the Shere message to the local system.

LOST LINE (LOGIN)
Explanation: The connection was lost during the login process.

User Action: Retry the request.

NO DEVICES AVAILABLE
Explanation: There are no devices available on this system of the type or speed requested.

User Action: You can install additional devices on your system, if your system allows, or modify the request to use one of the available devices in the /usr/lib/uucp/Devices file.

REMOTE DOES NOT KNOW ME
Explanation: The local system does not have an entry in the remote system's Systems file.

User Action: Contact the remote system's administrator to have an entry for your system put in the Systems file.

REMOTE HAS A LCK FILE FOR ME
Explanation: The remote system is trying to contact the local system while the local system is trying to connect to the remote system. The uucp utilities do not allow simultaneous connections between systems.

User Action: You can either retry the request later, or wait and see if the queued request is performed when the remote system connects to your system.

REMOTE REJECT AFTER LOGIN
Explanation: After successfully logging in to the remote system, the local and remote systems could not start a conversation. The remote system also returns the message BAD LOGIN/MACHINE COMBINATION.

REMOTE REJECT, UNKNOWN MESSAGE
Explanation: The remote system rejected the connection to the local system, but did not return a recognizable error message.

User Action: Retry your operation.

STARTUP FAILED
Explanation: After successfully logging in to the remote system, the local and remote systems could not start a conversation. Either the systems could not agree on a protocol or they could not start the protocol.

User Action: Verify that both the local and remote systems specify the same protocol in the /usr/lib/uucp/Systems file.

SUCCESSFUL
Explanation: The conversation completed successfully.

SYSTEM NOT IN Systems FILE
Explanation: The remote system is not in the /usr/lib/uucp/Systems file.

User Action: Use the uuname command to view a list of known uucp systems.

TALKING
Explanation: The local system is having a conversation with the remote system.

WRONG MACHINE NAME
Explanation: The remote system name does not match the system name entry in the /usr/lib/uucp/Systems file.

User Action: Verify the system name and run uucpsetup to make the necessary changes.

WRONG TIME TO CALL
Explanation: The remote system cannot be called at this time. The job is queued for completion later.

User Action: If you want to change the time, run uucpsetup.

F.2    tip Error Messages

The following messages might be displayed when using the tip utility:

all ports busy
Explanation: All ports are in use.

User Action: Try your request again later.

can't open log file '/var/log/aculog' for update
contact your administrator
Explanation: The /var/log/aculog file does not exist.

User Action: Create the file with the mode 664, and owner and group uucp.

/etc/phones: can't open phone numbers file
Explanation: The /etc/phones file does not exist, or the tip utility cannot read the /etc/phones file.

link down
Explanation: The terminal line (tty) cannot be opened.

User Action: Check that the mode of the tty device is 666.

missing phone number
Explanation: The remote system's phone number is not in the /etc/phones file.

User Action: Edit the /etc/phones file and add the remote system's phone number.

system_name: missing device spec
Explanation: The terminal line (dv parameter) is not defined in the /etc/remote file.

User Action: Edit the /etc/remote file and add the parameter.

tip: unknown host sysname
Explanation: The remote host system is not in the /etc/remote file.

User Action:

  • Create an entry for the system in the /etc/remote file. See remote(4) for more information.

  • Invoke tip using the remote host system's phone number instead of its name.

tip: can't open host description file
Explanation: The /etc/remote file does not exist, or the tip utility cannot read the /etc/remote file.

tip: unknown host tipspeed
Explanation: The tip utility is not configured to use the speed specified on the command line.

User Action: Verify whether the hardware supports the speed. If it can, create a tipspeed entry for the speed in the /etc/remote file, using other tipspeed entries as a model. You should also create corresponding UNIX-speed and dialspeed entries in the file. Specify the modem type and the serial port to which it is attached, using the at and dv fields in the dialspeed entry.

Unknown ACU type
Explanation: The modem is unsupported.

User Action: Check the at field for the host system entry in the /etc/remote file. If the entry is correct, create an entry for the modem in the /etc/acucap file. See acucap(4) for more information.

xxx: unknown parity value
Explanation: The parity value (pa parameter) in the /etc/remote file is invalid.

User Action: Edit the /etc/remote file and enter a valid value. See remote(4) for more information.