This page lists some of the common problems which users
have reported encountering while trying to set up and use PC2.
It explains some reasons why the problems might occur, and provides
suggestions for trying to eliminate them.
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Question:
What version of Java should I be using to run PC2?
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Answer:
We currently recommend JDK 1.4.2_02. This is the version we
have tested most extensively, including running multiple Regional
Contests. Other versions may work, but we have not done extensive
testing on them.
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Question:
When configuring a problem to read the data input from
stdin, sometimes the results are incorrect or the program hangs.
What might be causing this?
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Answer:
This is a known Java bug in versions prior to 1.4.1_05.
The fix for this bug is to use Java version 1.4.1_05 or
later. For
more details see Bug 4843136 at the Sun developer site.
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Question:
What can we do if we get the message 'OutOfMemoryError'
while running the PC2 Server?
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Answer:
This is because the Java Virtual Machine is
running out of "heap space". The default values for
initial heap size and maximum heap size vary among
different JVM implementations. However, there are two
Java VM switches which can be used to control the heap
size: -Xms, which
sets the initial heap size, and -Xmx, which sets the maximum
heap size. These switches can be added to the command line
in the script which is used to start the PC2
Server (the
script name is either "pc2server" or "pc2server.bat",
depending on your environment).
For example, to start the Java VM with 64M of initial
heap space and a maximum of 256M of heap space, add the
following in front of the "-D" option in the "java"
command in the script:
java -Xms64M -Xmx256M -Djava.security.policy=all.policy ...
You will have to determine which sizes will
work best for your configuration.
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Question:
What if my problem is not covered in the above list?
Can you still help me?
(Creating a .zip file for support)
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Answer:
Well, we'll be happy to try (please keep in mind that this is
a totally volunteer project on our part). The first thing we ask is that
you make the effort to read the Administrator's Guide and see if you can
find out from there what is going on. The Admin Guide is available on
our web page, and it comes packaged with the system when you download it.
If that doesn't do it....
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Each of the PC2 modules generates entries in a "log" file.
The log file names correspond to the module -- team.log, judge.log, etc.
Look through the log files and see if there are any obvious error
messages -- this will frequently give you a clue as to what is
happening.
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If you still can't figure out what is happening, send us an email
message (
pc2@ecs.csus.edu
)
describing the problem and we'll see
what we can do to help. Please include a zip file containing a complete
copy of your PC2 installation as an attachment to the email.
To generate such a file, go to the PC2 installation directory
and type the command
"java pc2.ZipPC2"
; this will create a .zip file of the system. (If the problem relates to
multiple modules on multiple machines, please send a zip for each module).