Hi, I've been using the ELOG software for about a year now. I love it! But as my ELOG becomes more valuable, I become more paranoid about potential data loss. (We've had numerous close-calls with disk failures, recently.) Is there a way to download a backup of my ELOG, all at once? Maybe a command that could create a tar.gz of all the entries and attachments? Further, is there also a command to restore from such a backup? Apologies if this question is answered elsewhere. I couldn't readily find it in the documentation. Regards, --Ed

There is a simple way. In your logbook directory you will find files of the format xxyyzza.log where xxyyzz is the year/month/day of the entries being submitted during that day. The attachments have a similar form, they have just the attachment name appended to the date. To back it up, just copy or tar all files of that directory. If you want to back up a certain year, you can select 2009 for example with 09*.*  To restore these files, simply untar them into the directory and restart the elogd daemon. The restart is necessary, since during start the daemon indexes all entries. 

Hi,

I'd like to use ELOG as personal work logbook and database with search facilities

(e.g. record work progress, updates, plots, results, meeting schedule, outcome, TODO, etc...).

I will use it ONLY on my laptop, and I'd need to read the files when I don't have internet connection too.

I have no need to retrive files from elsewhere with a Web Browser, and I'd prefer not to open ports on the laptop.

Would this be feasible?

What's the setting I have to specify in elogd.cfg file?

Is there an example of such a ELOG use you could provide?

Thanks a lot

Sara

If you download the standard package, it installs a demo logbook on your computer which you can use as a personal logbook. It uses port 8080 by default, although this can be changed. Then only thing you need to do is to make sure that port 8080 is blocked on your firewall. Read your OS documentation on how to set-up and use a firewall. Once you block port 8080, the data cannot be accessed from outside your laptop. 

 Thanks Stefan,

I've properly set the firewall, and access is forbidden from outside. But when I don't have internet access, how could I open my database?

Furthermore: how it is possible to change the "demo" title ? and what's the procedure to open other databases?

Thanks again for helping

Sara

You can start the elogd daemon even when you don't have internet access, and access your database locally under http://localhost:8080. For changing the title of a logbook, please read the documentation. 

I write my lab journal with pen and though of getting a linux supported tablet. Has anybody ever used ELOG and did input using a tablet?

I am testing Elog for personal and group use. I am starting with a Windows install on a PC. (I came across Elog when doing a shift on ATLAS at CERN.)

It took me some time to discover how to access a local logbook and create a new one. I suggest adding short sections in a prominent place in the guides:

User guide:

"Accessing a logbook: To access a logbook, point your Web browser at the appropriate URL. The default for a local Elog is http://localhost:8080/logbookname. Logbook files are stored in directory logbookname which is a sub-directory of the logbook root directory, defined by the administrator. See the administrator guide on how to create a new logbook."

Admin guide:

"Creating a logbook: A logbook is created in three steps: 1) The logbook root directory is defined as an option of the elogd start command; 2) A sub-directory, of the logbook root directory, named logbookname is created; and 3) The elogd.cfg file is edited to define the logbook's attributes and options. No files are created in the sub-directory; that is done when entries are made."

Regards,

Ken McF

Dear Ken,

first of all thanks for trying to improve the documentation. For me as the developer it's always hard to imagine what people need to know, since I know already all about elog. Therefore I ask usually other people to write the documentation. The one for elog was written by Fred Pacquier.

When going through your comments, I realize that you had some problems on your first steps. But you say you have a Windows installation. If you use the normal installer, you get some entries in your "Start" menu under Windows, with which you can directly access your "demo" logbook which comes with the installation: Start -> All Programs -> ELOG -> Demo Logbook (requires running server). To create a logbook, just access your demo logbook, then clock on "Config", then you see a button "Create new logbook". Your point 1) mentioned above is actually not necessary if you use the default root directory. It might confuse people more than it helps. Point 2) is true, but only some internal database behavior, which might not be interesting to most users.

Hello,
   I feel that the filter result could be confusing and unexpected when "COLLAPSE TO LAST" is enabled: you 
filter the first entry but you show the last one. What is filtered doesn't correspond with what is shown (look 
the attached example). 

I suggest to implement an option to let the user decide which entry (first or last) should be retrieved for 
filtering (a tentative patch is attached).

Thank you 

    Gabriele

P.S. A similar behaviour occurs when you sort the logbook: it could appear as not sorted because you sort the 
first entry but the last one is shown.

> Hello,
>    I feel that the filter result could be confusing and unexpected when "COLLAPSE TO LAST" is enabled: you 
> filter the first entry but you show the last one. What is filtered doesn't correspond with what is shown (look 
> the attached example). 
> 
> I suggest to implement an option to let the user decide which entry (first or last) should be retrieved for 
> filtering (a tentative patch is attached).
> 
> Thank you 
> 
>     Gabriele
> 
> P.S. A similar behaviour occurs when you sort the logbook: it could appear as not sorted because you sort the 
> first entry but the last one is shown.

You are absolutely right. When doing filtering, entries shown or not shown have not much to do with the filter. 
Rather than messing around with first and last entries, I decided to break apart threads completely when doing 
filtering, so the entries are treated as individual entries, just like what you do when filtering in summary mode. 
This gives then consistent filtering results. The modification is done in revision 2282.

Hello,
   I gave it a try using the svn version n. 2283 (12 Jan 2010).  The threaded display can be collapsed only if you don't 
apply any sorting. In the latter case, if you sort in some way ( with "Sort Attributes =" or "sort=" in the url), the 
thread cannot be collapsed anymore.

Also if I apply any filter from the quick filter bar, I cannot collapse the thread anymore (also without sorting). 

As example, these are the numbers of entries I obtain with my logbook :

  http://localhost:8080/mylogbook/?mode=threaded&expand=0     => 75 entries (OK)
  http://localhost:8080/mylogbook/?mode=threaded&expand=0&sort=EventID  =>  445 entries  (WRONG it should collapsed)
  http://localhost:8080/mylogbook/?mode=threaded&expand=0&Interaction=nuCC   => 335 entries 

However (considering the bug fixed for the collapsed thread display), breaking the thread is not a confortable solution. 
I choose to show the logbook in the threaded mode, because I'm interested in grouping the entries in threads. 
In my opinion, this feature is good (and it is my favourite) and should be preserved despite any sorting or filtering. 
This is why I suggest to ask to the user which entries (first or last) better applies for sorting and filtering. 

Ciao

   Gabriele


> You are absolutely right. When doing filtering, entries shown or not shown have not much to do with the filter. 
> Rather than messing around with first and last entries, I decided to break apart threads completely when doing 
> filtering, so the entries are treated as individual entries, just like what you do when filtering in summary mode. 
> This gives then consistent filtering results. The modification is done in revision 2282.

> However (considering the bug fixed for the collapsed thread display), breaking the thread is not a confortable solution. 

Well, but it's the only way which gives you a 1:1 correlation between what you filter and what you see below. If you want to 
see the full thread for an entry which gets shown after you apply a filter, just click on that entry, and you will be taken to 
the single entry display which shows the full thread on top of it. This is the only way I can keep search results consistent, 
so I would rather like to keep it like this.

Hello,

We would like to use more the quick filter command on attributes.

On the other hand, when we use it, the result does not displaying entries which are in answer of another attribute. Is there a command which allow that possibility like when we select display full entries in the search mode?

Thanks in advance

Xavier

I don't understand your questions. Can you please give an example. 

 Sorry for my english. In fact, i found the answer by myself. But I ll explain to you.

in attachement 1, a small part of our ELOG. When I choose FBT in the quick filter "groupe incriminé". Elog respond that there is no entrie found (attachement 2)

But, with the find function, when i select display full entries and FBT in "groupe incriminé", Elog show the entrie ( attachement 3).

I found the answer. In fact, Elog respond no entrie when threaded is selected. I have to choose Full or summary for that working.

sorry

Xavier

Actually what you report is a bug. The filtering does not work in threaded display mode, only in summary and full. I fixed that bug in the current SVN version, so if you download and compile it, you can give it a try. The fix will be contained in the next official release.

Hello,

  I gave it a try. See: https://midas.psi.ch/elogs/Forum/66690

Gabriele

We noticed some elog email messages were not showing up in our inboxes at random.  What we believe is happening is when a elog entry is created it is assigned a message id that the mail servers will use.  If a message is edited that same message id is used and some mail servers involved will ignore the duplicate message id.  We have also noticed when a elog entry is deleted the next entry created will assume the deleted entry message id and just like above the email will be ignored since it has a duplicate message id. 

The message ID is part of the "user data" of the email, not of the standard email header. So the mail servers "do not know" about the message ID, which make it strange that double messages are filtered. Nobody else reported this problem before. Maybe is it related to your SPAM filter? Can you check if the double entries are classified as SPAM in your case? 

 Hi Stefan,

I seem to recall this behaviour on this forum.  I was writing an entry, and due to mis-typing, submitted the entry before I had finished.  So I edited it, but there was only the one email sent.  I thought that this was how the thing was supposed to work.  To try it now, I am going to submit this, then edit the entry a little further, and we can all see if one or two emails are generated.

Well, I see just one email notification, have you already submitted your second? I tried on the "Demo" logbook here and I got two notifications. This can of course be turned off with the option "Suppress email on edit = 1". Maybe you are using this? 

 Here is the mail log:

Jan 12 13:51:54 techies lmtpunix[3184]: dupelim: eliminated duplicate message to user.jf id <neteng-1067@emich.edu> (delivery)

The message id we are experiancing problems with is in the header;

Message-ID: <neteng-1073@emich.edu>

Thank you for the help.

Having made one entry in the thread about message ID, I could neither edit the entry or add an additional reply
without getting "Proxy Error" messages.  I've had this trouble on this forum before, a long time ago.  Perhaps
it is connected with the html coding?

> Having made one entry in the thread about message ID, I could neither edit the entry or add an additional reply
> without getting "Proxy Error" messages.  I've had this trouble on this forum before, a long time ago.  Perhaps
> it is connected with the html coding?
Hi Stefan,

I now cannot even reply to you in the message id thread; I keep getting:

Proxy Error

The proxy server received an invalid response from an upstream server.
The proxy server could not handle the request POST /elogs/Forum/.

Reason: Error reading from remote server

Apache/2.2.3 (Scientific Linux) Server at midas.psi.ch Port 443

It is, I think, something to do with the html coding (as I normally use plain, I don't come across this as an issue).

However, in the cause of the experiment, I will submit this entry, then go back and edit it, and if I don't get
Proxy Error, then that certainly will be something to do with the html coding.

And this is an extra edited line - if you see this, I got past the proxy error issue this time.  But did you get two
emails?

> > Having made one entry in the thread about message ID, I could neither edit the entry or add an additional reply
> > without getting "Proxy Error" messages.  I've had this trouble on this forum before, a long time ago.  Perhaps
> > it is connected with the html coding?
> Hi Stefan,
> 
> I now cannot even reply to you in the message id thread; I keep getting:
> 
> Proxy Error
> 
> The proxy server received an invalid response from an upstream server.
> The proxy server could not handle the request POST /elogs/Forum/.
> 
> Reason: Error reading from remote server
> 
> Apache/2.2.3 (Scientific Linux) Server at midas.psi.ch Port 443
> 
> It is, I think, something to do with the html coding (as I normally use plain, I don't come across this as an issue).
> 
> However, in the cause of the experiment, I will submit this entry, then go back and edit it, and if I don't get
> Proxy Error, then that certainly will be something to do with the html coding.
> 
> And this is an extra edited line - if you see this, I got past the proxy error issue this time.  But did you get two
> emails?

That is interesting.  I can make 1 (one) submission to a thread which uses html coding, then I get hit by proxy errors. 
But I can edit, play around or whatever if it is in plain coding.  Yet to see how many emails were generated...

> > > Having made one entry in the thread about message ID, I could neither edit the entry or add an additional reply
> > > without getting "Proxy Error" messages.  I've had this trouble on this forum before, a long time ago.  Perhaps
> > > it is connected with the html coding?
> > Hi Stefan,
> > 
> > I now cannot even reply to you in the message id thread; I keep getting:
> > 
> > Proxy Error
> > 
> > The proxy server received an invalid response from an upstream server.
> > The proxy server could not handle the request POST /elogs/Forum/.
> > 
> > Reason: Error reading from remote server
> > 
> > Apache/2.2.3 (Scientific Linux) Server at midas.psi.ch Port 443
> > 
> > It is, I think, something to do with the html coding (as I normally use plain, I don't come across this as an issue).
> > 
> > However, in the cause of the experiment, I will submit this entry, then go back and edit it, and if I don't get
> > Proxy Error, then that certainly will be something to do with the html coding.
> > 
> > And this is an extra edited line - if you see this, I got past the proxy error issue this time.  But did you get two
> > emails?
> 
> That is interesting.  I can make 1 (one) submission to a thread which uses html coding, then I get hit by proxy errors. 
> But I can edit, play around or whatever if it is in plain coding.  Yet to see how many emails were generated...

Hi Stefan,

I only got one email in response to the second entry of this thread, no email was received after the edit of the entry.  The
next email received was due to the third entry of this thread.

> I only got one email in response to the second entry of this thread, no email was received after the edit of the entry.  The
> next email received was due to the third entry of this thread.

Ok, let me try (sorry to all the users who subscribe to this forum for pestering you...):

1st reply to your entry.

1st reply edited.

> > I only got one email in response to the second entry of this thread, no email was received after the edit of the entry.  The
> > next email received was due to the third entry of this thread.
> 
> Ok, let me try (sorry to all the users who subscribe to this forum for pestering you...):
> 
> 1st reply to your entry.
> 
> 1st reply edited.

I got two email notifications, the second one I attached as a screen shot. So I don't know what happened in your case. The problem 
with the proxy is sometimes related to slow internet connections. If the HTML code transported over the internet has some delay 
between packets, the proxy server sometimes drops the connection. I don't know how to fix that in my Apache. If you edit in HTML, 
your browser downloads the JavaScript code and icons for the edit window, which is a lot of data, so the dropping is much more 
likely.

> > > I only got one email in response to the second entry of this thread, no email was received after the edit of the entry.  The
> > > next email received was due to the third entry of this thread.
> > 
> > Ok, let me try (sorry to all the users who subscribe to this forum for pestering you...):
> > 
> > 1st reply to your entry.
> > 
> > 1st reply edited.
> 
> I got two email notifications, the second one I attached as a screen shot. So I don't know what happened in your case. The problem 
> with the proxy is sometimes related to slow internet connections. If the HTML code transported over the internet has some delay 
> between packets, the proxy server sometimes drops the connection. I don't know how to fix that in my Apache. If you edit in HTML, 
> your browser downloads the JavaScript code and icons for the edit window, which is a lot of data, so the dropping is much more 
> likely.
Hi Stefan,

I confirm that this is a slow internet line, so that explains the Proxy Error.  

Maybe I should just keep my head down on threads where people use html coding ;-)

Did you receive two emails to my entry 66677?  I only received one.

I only received one email to your posting 66680 - the first entry, not the edited version.

> > > > I only got one email in response to the second entry of this thread, no email was received after the edit of the entry.  The
> > > > next email received was due to the third entry of this thread.
> > > 
> > > Ok, let me try (sorry to all the users who subscribe to this forum for pestering you...):
> > > 
> > > 1st reply to your entry.
> > > 
> > > 1st reply edited.
> > 
> > I got two email notifications, the second one I attached as a screen shot. So I don't know what happened in your case. The problem 
> > with the proxy is sometimes related to slow internet connections. If the HTML code transported over the internet has some delay 
> > between packets, the proxy server sometimes drops the connection. I don't know how to fix that in my Apache. If you edit in HTML, 
> > your browser downloads the JavaScript code and icons for the edit window, which is a lot of data, so the dropping is much more 
> > likely.
> Hi Stefan,
> 
> I confirm that this is a slow internet line, so that explains the Proxy Error.  
> 
> Maybe I should just keep my head down on threads where people use html coding ;-)
> 
> Did you receive two emails to my entry 66677?  I only received one.
> 
> I only received one email to your posting 66680 - the first entry, not the edited version.

I checked my email server and found that the second message really went though it. But then I realized that there is indeed the "Message-
ID:" in the email header (which I completely forgot in meantime). So maybe George Paplexis is right in that some mail 
server/forwarder/receiver ignore a second email if it has the same ID. That would mean however that I have to introduce a "revision 
number" for elog entries, which gets incremented on each edit and gets attached the the message-ID, so that it becomes unique again. 
That's quite some work and has to wait a bit.

> > > > > I only got one email in response to the second entry of this thread, no email was received after the edit of the entry.  The
> > > > > next email received was due to the third entry of this thread.
> > > > 
> > > > Ok, let me try (sorry to all the users who subscribe to this forum for pestering you...):
> > > > 
> > > > 1st reply to your entry.
> > > > 
> > > > 1st reply edited.
> > > 
> > > I got two email notifications, the second one I attached as a screen shot. So I don't know what happened in your case. The problem 
> > > with the proxy is sometimes related to slow internet connections. If the HTML code transported over the internet has some delay 
> > > between packets, the proxy server sometimes drops the connection. I don't know how to fix that in my Apache. If you edit in HTML, 
> > > your browser downloads the JavaScript code and icons for the edit window, which is a lot of data, so the dropping is much more 
> > > likely.
> > Hi Stefan,
> > 
> > I confirm that this is a slow internet line, so that explains the Proxy Error.  
> > 
> > Maybe I should just keep my head down on threads where people use html coding ;-)
> > 
> > Did you receive two emails to my entry 66677?  I only received one.
> > 
> > I only received one email to your posting 66680 - the first entry, not the edited version.
> 
> I checked my email server and found that the second message really went though it. But then I realized that there is indeed the "Message-
> ID:" in the email header (which I completely forgot in meantime). So maybe George Paplexis is right in that some mail 
> server/forwarder/receiver ignore a second email if it has the same ID. That would mean however that I have to introduce a "revision 
> number" for elog entries, which gets incremented on each edit and gets attached the the message-ID, so that it becomes unique again. 
> That's quite some work and has to wait a bit.

I had come to the same conclusion about the mail header being the same (see my email to you for full details).  

Sorry to all your subscribers for the email ping pong, although if others did receive two emails on the relivent entries - one original, and
one edited, it would be interesting, if possibly now academic, to know.