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Finding the darn OSX client


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I upgraded from the Preview to the Desktop version with 5 clients. Upgraded the clients on my Win2K and OS9 machine and voila they are listed in the Network panel and responding fine.

 

 

 

HOWEVER, I uninstalled the Preview OSX client and then installed the final OSX client and, dang, if that is no where to be seen. It is on the same subnet, same switch, it pings like a charm, it says it's ready, it is running pitond and it was a fine client under the preview.

 

 

 

And, of course, Dantz no longer authorizes the "Add by address" for we Desktop users so I can't try that.

 

 

 

Any ideas? I've installed/uninstalled a zillion times and, to be frank, am a little underwhelmed by the new Dantz support options, given that this setup was working PERFECTLY under the Preview.

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Jehrler,

 

 

 

You might try toggling the pitond process on and off.

 

 

 

In the release version, you can hold down the Command (Apple) key while clicking the "Off" radio button in the OS X Client window. The resulting text should be "Not Running."

 

 

 

Then, toggle it back on and see if that makes a difference.

 

 

 

David

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I too am having this problem. Just purchased the mac desktop version with a 5 (mac/win) clients and got everything setup, can't see me other macosx client OR windows xp client. Each with the latest and greatest... all are on the same hubs, on the same subnet.

 

 

 

This is bogus, why can't I just type in the IP address to make life easy? If you have this thing about only local subnet systems, then just mask the IP address in the IP selector box and let us change the 4th octet.

 

 

 

Oh well!!! So much for saying up late working on this... hope someone figures this out fast.

 

 

 

 

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I am glad I am not the only one with this problem. I think you are absolutely right about the "add by address." Limiting it to the same subnet sure would make sense.

 

 

 

Y'know, I'm going to vent a bit, but the new "support" policy is really ridiculous. If there is no 30 day free support, how the heck is Dantz going to find out about these issues? Here you and I are, with this issue, the knowledgebase is down, and Dantz has no idea that there is trouble (and remember, for each one that reports there is usually 10-100 that don't).

 

 

 

To risk $70 to report a bug on a product that cost $100 does not seem to be a reasonable ratio.

 

 

 

I don't mean to suggest that paid support is not appropriate, nor that Dantz prior policy was overly generous, but this new policy is actually INHIBITING FEEDBACK and GENERATING DISCONTENT by not providing any reasonable way to solve a problem for those of us who DO RTFM.

 

 

 

Sorry, but I too was up late trying to troubleshoot this and it has definitely used up a good bit of Dantz prior good will.

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Dantz does offer free tech support:

 

 

 

New (not upgrades) Retrospect purchases do get 30 days free technical support.

 

 

 

Dantz does want to track bugs, and if a bug is discovered in the course of a support incident we will do the right thing for the customer and provide a refund. We don't want to be a grinch without flexible policies. Good customer service is our top priority.

 

 

 

About the Knowledgebase:

 

 

 

The FileMaker Pro server engine we were using could not handle the high traffic volume of our website and was crashing every few hours. We are in the middle of a transition to an SQL solution that should be running later today. Sorry it is not available right now.

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Yea, I could find anything about the 30 day free support either. I think its a joke that I can't enter an IP address, even if its not on the same subnet. Well, lets hope I can get home tonight in time to get support during their normal business hours.

 

 

 

MacD

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I understand about the 30 days when you buy a new product, but why not for upgrades. Heck, it could even be 10 days. As noted, the upgrade has at least two of us unable to backup important clients (and half the reason we are upgrading to 5.0...OS X clients) and I was running the Preview with no problem.

 

With the knowledgebase down, which I realize just happens, we have NO way of knowing if there are tricks/suggestions that have been developed to help get us back up (other than this forum, BTW).

 

Anyway, as it stands, I, being a good citizen and really WANTING to support OS X applications (paid for OmniWeb, MailSmith, iCab, Interarchy, Quicken, Canvas, MacLinkPlus, Now Up-To-Date, Now Contact, GraphicConverter, AccountEdge, etc.), gave Dantz my money the first day I could ($160), and now have a non functioning backup solution and NO way to get help directly from Dantz without, possibly, paying another $70.

 

Seems a little odd and certainly unfriendly to early adopters.

 

Y'know, I wonder whether much of this is because the Preview was the Workgroup and the two of us are using Desktop. How would Dantz have known there was a problem with the Desktop if the vast majority of users were using the Preview that was Workgroup?

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It is disappointing to have to purchase a WORKGROUP w/ 20 clients, when all I have is 4 clients to get a "Select by IP" option or to backup a system that is on a different subnet. Blows us "creative" people at home with different network subnets routed through a Linux box.

 

 

 

Dantz... WAKE UP... stop slapping your customers in the face. This is short sidedness on the part of the marketing department and someone needs to wake up.

 

 

 

I think this is a classic Bait & Switch issue... BAIT us with the workgroup version for 3 months then make us purchase the more expensive version.... hmmm... did anyone say State Attorney General or BBB?

 

 

 

Anyone else who would like to join in my filing complaints?

 

 

 

MacD

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I find it very unfortunate that you feel that Dantz is swindling you. How can they possibly do a "bait and switch" on a product that wasn't for sale?? This was a BETA release of software that was in progress. There was no documentation stating that this would be the final format for the public release.

 

 

 

Had they given the Express version as BETA, would you so vehemently complain that all of a sudden you had more functionality in the Desktop Edition, Workgroup or Server Edition?

 

 

 

The website clearly states what each version does and doesn't do for the paid public release. The table shows that the Workgroup Edition does not add clients by IP Address, or from other Subnets.

 

 

 

I completely agree with you that the changing functionality is more then a huge inconvenience for many people. And yes, people have the right to be upset. However, threating to sue or complain to the BBB because you didn't read the documentation provided is more then a little over the top.

 

 

 

 

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My complaint isn't in what they offer... its the SWITCH.

 

 

 

Retrospect 4.3 Desktop provided all the functionality I needed... this same functionality was exhibited in Retrospect 5.0 Preview... NOW... I have to go purchase Workgroup or possible Server to get the same functionality... when the Desktop version worked fine before.

 

 

 

I have 4 machines to backup. I feel screwed.

 

 

 

MacD

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If no clients are showing up, start looking at the server. If it's a single OS X client that's not showing up, start looking at that client.

 

 

 

We want to help you troubleshoot what is happening, and, if needed, we can make changes to Retrospect to address the problem. We do need to narrow down why the client isn't showing up. (jehrler: I know you've gone through some of these steps already but I'm posting them all for the benefit of others who are also experiencing the problem.)

 

 

 

1. Check that the machine has a valid IP address from the computer's Network preferences pane. In OS X, open the System Preferences from the Apple Menu and select Network.

 

 

 

2. Check that the status is Ready or Waiting for First Access. If there is an error listed on the client control panel, what is it?

 

 

 

3. Go to the System Preferences from the Apple Menu and select Network preferences. Change the pull-down menu to Show Active Network Ports. Make sure that the port that you wish to use with Retrospect is listed first in this window. If not, you may change the order by dragging the desired item to the top of the list and clicking "Apply Now."

 

 

 

4. Check that the client service, pitond, is running. Open Process Viewer, at Applications/Utilities. Look for pitond in the list of processes. If it is not listed, open the Retrospect client and turn it on; check again. (Note that Process Viewer by default updates only every 20 seconds. Change this in Process Viewer if you want it to update more quickly). If it still isn't listed, restart the computer and check again.

 

 

 

5. A Retrospect client running in Classic mode (for instance, if you installed it on a computer running OS 9, and then upgraded to OS X) can interfere with the OS X client. If you are having problems with the client starting or staying on, go to your System Preferences from the Apple Menu and open your Classic Preferences. Quit Classic mode if it is running. If you have the Retrospect client set to wait at shutdown, you may need to force quit Classic mode. Once you have done this, try starting the OS X client again. If this works, disable the Classic client by removing the Retrospect client control panel from the Extensions folder of your OS 9 system folder.

 

 

 

Checking the Server

 

 

 

1. Go to the System Preferences from the Apple Menu and select Network preferences. Change the pull-down menu to Show Active Network Ports. Make sure that the port that you wish to use with Retrospect is listed first in this window. If not, you may change the order by dragging the desired item to the top of the list.

 

 

 

2. Check that the computer is obtaining a valid IP address from the Network preferences pane.

 

 

 

3. Check that you have the adequate edition of Retrospect to access the client. Workgroup or Server is required to access a client in another subnet.

 

 

 

4. Check that there is TCP/IP communication between the server and the client by pinging the client. To do this, open up the OS X Network Utility, located at Applications/Utilities. Click the ping tab, enter in the IP address of the client that you are testing, then click Ping. If there are errors in the ping, this means that there is something blocking TCP/IP communication between the server and the client.

 

 

 

 

 

Checking the Network and Third Party Factors

 

 

 

1. If there are firewalls on your network, or if any of the machines that you are accessing have a built-in personal firewall, be sure to enable incoming and outgoing TCP/IP and UDP packets through Retrospect's port, port 497.

 

 

 

2. Ensure that your network hardware is configured to pass UDP and TCP packets on the network. Also ensure that subnet broadcast and Multicast are not being blocked or prevented by the router.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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jehrler

 

 

 

I'd bet that there is some remnant of a pre-release version getting in your way.

 

 

 

Were you using the Macworld Preview edition, or were you using the earlier Public Beta?

 

 

 

Each of these two releases stored files in different places. I'd suggest confirming that there is no trace of any part of the OSX client before re-installing.

 

 

 

Steps I'd suggest:

 

 

 

1- Run the Preview Uninstaller

 

 

 

2- Use the Terminal, type:

 

cd /private/var/root/Library/Preferences

 

then type:

 

ll

 

 

 

This will give you a list of the items; if one of the items is "retroclient.state" then the uninstaller did not do it's job.

 

 

 

If the retroclient.state file is indeed gone, go up two levels by typing:

 

..

 

and then:

 

..

 

again

 

 

 

now type:

 

ll

 

and again you will have a list of the contents of /var/root/Library

 

 

 

This is where the older Public Beta of the OS X client left its state file.

 

 

 

If either of these 'retroclient.state' files is present, you can delete them by first navigating to the directory that they're in, then typing:

 

 

 

sudo rm retroclient.state

 

 

 

enter your password and they'll be gone.

 

 

 

3- Kill the pitond process; since the OS X client program is probably gone, use the ProcessViewer application (in /Applications/Utilities) and search for 'pitond' (it's an administrator process). If it's running, you can select it and get 'more info' that will include the Process ID (called the PID). Note this number, then use the terminal to type:

 

 

 

sudo kill the_PID_you_noted

 

 

 

4- In the Finder, go to /Library/StartupItems/

 

and see what's there. If there's a 'RetroClient' folder, drag it to the trash before re-installing the client.

 

 

 

 

 

Then try a reinstall. Heck, go ahead and restart the machine, just for good measure.

 

 

 

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave

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IrenaS,

 

 

 

Thanks for the clear troubleshooting guide. I assume this would have been on the KnowledgeBase it it was up :-)

 

 

 

Client Steps:

 

1. OK address

 

2. Ready

 

3. OOOhhhhh

 

Well, I was all excited because the Internal modem, not the ethernet was at the top of the network connection list. With baited breath, put ethernet to the top, applied and...still no go.

 

4. Check

 

5. No classic running and had 86'd old classic client

 

 

 

Server Steps:

 

1. DING DING DING!!!!

 

 

 

We have success!!!! I dragged the ethernet to the top and applied, No go. Then though, heck, maybe I should restart Retrospect and voila, there it was.

 

 

 

I can't swear whether it was the dragging the ethernet up on the client PLUS restarting the Desktop version, or dragging the ethernet up on the server and restarting Retrospect desktop, but it was one of those (Wouldn't think it was the server since it saw the Win2K and OS9 clients).

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Y'know, if having this ethernet at the top of the client/server is so important, they really should put that in the manual (which I looked at trying to solve this problem).

 

I bet you that the reason it worked under the workgroup was that I probably added by address...avoiding having to deal with the whole "network order" issue.

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Well, when I get home tonight, I will try it out. I have Windows XP client which worked fine in the Preview release and its not even showing up, I even reinstalled it (5.6) and no luck. So, it must be a "server" issue and not client...

 

 

 

I will keep this thread posted.

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

 

 

MacD

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MY RESULTS:

 

 

 

I skipped all the other directions and headed toward the SERVER (Port Order) suggestion and here is what I found:

 

 

 

I have a G4/500 w/ Ethernet/Airport/Modem. All 3 are active. When I put Ethernet in the TOP section, it didn't work. When I turned off "airport" it DID work (without restarting Retrospect). If I turned it on, clients are gone, if I turn it on, clients gone... this is all with Ethernet checked and in the first position.

 

 

 

It found both Windows & OS X clients using this method.

 

 

 

I even tried restarting Restrospect w/ Airport on, and it didn't work. Basically, I can use Airport with Retrospect at this point.... so that is my BUG. It doesn't effect me at this point, and I can now backup my clients, but this should be LOGGED as a BUG.

 

 

 

macD

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