InstantPalace Troubleshooting

      • InstantPalace Avatars Aren't Working

        1. Check the `avatarurl setting. Enter owner mode, and type `avatarurl and the server will report the current setting. On a default win98 installation, the correct setting would be: 
          http://[currentIPAddress]:9990/palace/avatars/

          If your Palace is hosted, you can check with your host to learn the correct setting. The trailing slash is very important.

        2. Test the avatarurl. On a default installation, replace "yourdomain.com" with your actual domain name or numeric IP address, and an avatar should display in your web browser at this address:

          http://yourdomain.com:9990/palace/avatars/cf26.gif

        3. Verify that the line:

          USEOTHERAVATARSERVER

          appears in the pserver.prefs file, which is located in the palace/psdata directory. If it isn't there, add it just above the ROOMSFILE line.

        4. Test the web server's functionality. With Windows 98, after launching your server, go to Start Menu, Run, type in winipcfg, and press return. This will display your current numeric IP address. Replace "yourdomain.com" with your domain name or current numeric IP address. Go to your web browser, and put this address in the location field:

          http://yourdomain.com:9990/palace/media/clouds.gif

          Replace clouds.gif with the name of any picture that is in your palace/media directory. If your web server is working, the picture will display in your web browser. The URL above assumes that the default port 9990 is being used for web server operations.

        5. Double-check that the directories have the right names, are in the right places, and have the proper contents. In a linux or unix installation, the avatars directory is in the palaceroot/palace directory. In a default Windows 98 installation, the avatars directory is in the PalaceServer/palace directory. The avatars directory should contain 104 gifs named cf0.gif through cf103.gif. Remember that directory names and file names are case sensitive.

        6. If you are using a personal firewall, verify that your permissions and settings are such that the web server operations are allowed through.

        7. Always test InstantPalace avatar functionality with an InstantPalace client. InstantPalace avatars cannot be seen by people using C-clients. They will appear as smileys. InstantPalace users can see both C-client avatars and InstantPalace avatars.

      • InstantPalace Isn't Loading

        Check the paths in the instantpal.html file. If these paths are incorrect, they can lead to errors such as:

        Unable to access applet data - check appletdata parameter.
java.lang.NullPointerException

        Open the instantpal.html file with a text editor. This file is located in the palace/client directory. If you are with a Hosting service, you should check with your Host for the correct settings. A default 4.4 Windows server installation should use the default settings. Near the top of the file, the default setting for psRoot should be:

        psRoot="/palace";

        Check the paths to the jar and zip files by locating the lines in the instantpal.html file with the entries below. The default settings for the two Netscape archives and the Mac version of Internet Explorer archives are:

        ARCHIVE=/binc/pal_arch.jar
ARCHIVE=/binc/pal_arch.zip
ARCHIVE=/binc/pal_arch.jar

        The setting for the path to the cab file for Windows versions of Internet Explorer is located at the top of the parameters section, which is located near the end of the instantpal.html file. The default entry is:

        document.writeln("<PARAM name=cabbase value=/binc/pal_arch.cab>");

        Files and directories that are in the wrong locations or have the wrong names can also generate a NullPointerException error. Verify that the InstantPalace files and directories are in the right places, and have the right contents. Remember that the file names and directory names are case sensitive. You can check the Required Directories and Files section for an itemized list of the default names, contents, and locations of files and directories for InstantPalace version 2.0.

      • Verify That Your Web Browser Has Java Enabled

        For InstantPalace to operate, Java has to be enabled on your browser. It is enabled by default. Instructions to verify that Java is enabled on some widely used browsers:

        Internet Explorer 5.x for Windows:

        1. Go to Tools Menu, and select Internet Options.
        2. Click the Advanced tab.
        3. Scroll down to the JavaVM section.
        4. Verify that "JIT compiler for virtual machine" is selected.
        5. Click the Security Tab.
        6. Click the Custom Level button.
        7. Scroll down to Java Permissions and make sure "Disable Java" isn't selected.

        Netscape 4.7x for Windows and Macintosh:

        1. Go to Edit Menu, and select Preferences.
        2. Click on "Advanced" in the catagory list on the left.
        3. Verify that "Enable Java" is selected.

        Internet Explorer 5.x for Macintosh:

        1. Go to Edit Menu, and select Preferences.
        2. Click on "Java" in the "Web Browser" catagory on the left.
        3. Verify that "Enable Java (Apple MRJ)" is selected.

      • Room Backgrounds Aren't Working

        The most common cause for a background picture that InstantPalace won't download, but a C-client will download is an incorrect path in the instantpal.html file. A C-client can download graphics two ways: palace protocol using the `picdir setting, and http downloads using the `fileserver setting. InstantPalace uses a path set in the instantpal.html file. In a default installation, this file is located in the palace/client directory. Open the instantpal.html file with a text editor. Near the top of the file, the web root directory is set. The default setting is:

        psRoot="/palace";

        The path itself is set by the picfolder parameter, which appears near the bottom of the instantpal.html file: 

        document.writeln("<PARAM name=picfolder value="+psRoot+"/media/>");

        Directory names are case sensitive. Check the name of the directories on your server against the name of the directories in the path. The file names (picture names) are also case sensitive, so check the name of the picture in the pserver.pat file against the name of the picture in the media directory, and make sure they are identical. If you belong to a Hosting service and you don't think your instantpal.html path settings are correct, you should contact your Host for additional information.

        There are some relatively rare occasions when you might encounter a background that C-clients will download and InstantPalace won't download, even when the instantpal.html path settings are correct. For example, if InstantPalace will download some rooms in your Palace, but won't download other rooms, then you know the path settings aren't the problem. InstantPalace demonstrates an occasional reluctance to download a background picture that includes capital letters or mixed case. While this isn't a consistently reproducible condition, should you run into a background picture that won't download for InstantPalace but will download for a C-client, and you have already verified the path settings, and you have already checked the pic name in pserver.pat and media directory to make sure they were identical, try renaming the graphic to use all lower case letters (numbers are fine also). In addition, name it something slightly different (slightly shorter usually works well) than the name InstantPalace has just tried. When changing the name of a graphic in the media directory, make sure the authoring changes are made so the the pserver.pat file is also using the identical name. In such cases, check the room for small spot pics that are also using capital letters or mixed case, and perform the same procedure on the spot pics as well.

        There is one other situation where a C-client will display a room background, and InstantPalace won't. If you have a jpeg named picture.jpg in your media directory, and you author a room with a background called picname.gif, a C-client will download picname.jpg, because a C-client always checks for jpegs first. InstantPalace will only check for picname.gif, and won't download the background. The solution would be to either provide a gif version of picname.gif in the media directory, or author the name change to picname.jpg in the Room Info box under the Operator menu, so the name of the background that is defined in the pserver.pat file is identical to the name of the file in the media directory.

      • Transparent Sections of Spot Pics Aren't Transparent

        When visiting your Palace with InstantPalace, you may notice that spot pics which have always had transparent backgrounds for C-clients don't appear to be transparent to InstantPalace. For InstantPalace to perceive a pic as having transparency, it must be saved as a transparent GIF. Some people have authored spot pics that use TRANSCOLOR values, a proprietary Palace transparency designation which C-clients will perceive as transparent, but InstantPalace will ignore. This is especially true with older Palaces. You will need to remake the spot pics so they are transparent GIFs using a graphics program, and then replace the pics that are in your palace/media directory. In such cases, you don't have to change the names of the pics, or re-author anything in Palace. However, once the GIFs have been changed and replaced in the media directory, you may need to clear your browser's cache for the change to be perceived by InstantPalace.

      • C-Client Sees A Spot Pic That InstantPalace Can't See

        InstantPalace doesn't interact well with the Draw Frame option that appears in the Door Info box. If the Draw Frame option is activated, InstantPalace will not display a spot pic contained by that spot, even if it has already downloaded the pic and has it cached. One workaround would be to turn off Draw Frame, and incorporate such spot outlines into the spot pic or background graphic. Another workaround would be to use one spot for the Draw Frame function, and use a different spot to contain the spot pics. If the multiple spot approach is used, make sure that the layering is adjusted appropriately if one of the spots is a passage, or contains ON SELECT scripts.

      • InstantPalace Sounds Aren't Working

        For InstantPalace sounds to be activated, the media directory must contain the sounds you want to use in .au format, and include a text file called soundlist.txt, which tells InstantPalace which sounds to use. This file contains the name of each sound, one per line, without the .au extension. If you have misplaced your default .au sounds, you can download the default sounds and soundlist.txt file and place them in your palace/media directory. This should help with testing the default sounds. Remember that everything is case sensitive, so be sure to verify the case in soundlist.txt, the sounds themselves, and in any scripts that use sounds. If you are having problems with custom made sounds, check the Using Sounds with InstantPalace web page for additional information on sound applications and configuration.

      • ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException Error

        The ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException error is a browser java error that occurs when InstantPalace encounters a string that is longer than expected or too long to be processed. Two files that can create this condition during InstantPalace launch are strings.txt and urllist.txt. It is possible for the return characters to be stripped from these files, possibly because of the way the file was saved or because of something that happened during the upload process, which would result in this java error. If this condition is encountered, the InstantPalace window will remain grey when loading, and this line will appear in the status bar of your browser window:

        exception:java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: 1 >= 1

        If you receive this error, check the contents of the urllist.txt and strings.txt files, which are located in the palace/client/appletdata/resource directory, and if these files contain data that appears as one long string, then resave and replace the files. By default, urllist.txt contains 3 lines of text, and strings.txt contains 5 lines of text. When editing these files to customize an InstantPalace configuration, it is recommended that they be saved as a regular text file. If these files have corrupted, you can download a zip file that contains a default strings.txt and urllist.txt file.

      • java.lang.ClassFormatError

        This error recently surfaced, and its source is currently unknown. Very few browsers appear to be affected, and it may be something that was in one of Microsoft's Virtual Machine updates. If you encounter this error, your Java Virtual Machine may need the most recent update. This error has been resolved on a Windows system using Internet Explorer 5.5 by installing a Microsoft Security Update for Internet Explorer dated August 2, 2001, which resolves the "Microsoft VM ActiveX Component" security vulnerability in Microsoft virtual machine, and is dicussed in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS00-075. The latest version of the Microsoft Virtual Machine for Internet Explorer also includes the security update.

      • NullPointerException Error

        The java.lang.NullPointerException error usually means that the paths set in the instantpal.html file are incorrect, or there is a problem with the directory structure. For more information on how to resolve this, read the section above titled InstantPalace Isn't Loading.

      • class instantpal not found Error

        The class instantpal not found error usually means that a required file was missing, or there is a problem with the directory structure. Verify that all of the Required Directories and Files are in place. This error can also appear as:

        java.io.FileNotFoundException
java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: instantpal

        For more information on how to resolve this, read the section above titled InstantPalace Isn't Loading.

      • Verify That Guests Are Allowed

        If guests aren't allowed on your server, then InstantPalace won't have access. To allow guests, enter Owner mode and type `guests on.

      • Check The Java Console

        Both Internet Explorer and Netscape have a Java Console, and sometimes checking the contents can offer clues to solutions when encountering an InstantPalace problem. To access the Java Console in Internet Explorer 5.x for Windows, go to View Menu, Java Console. To access the Java Console in Netscape for Windows or Macintosh, go to Communicator Menu, Tools, Java Console. With Internet Explorer for Macintosh, go to View Menu, Java Messages.

        If the Java Console isn't working, check your preferences or settings, and make sure it has been activated:

        Internet Explorer 5.x for Windows:

        1. Go to Tools Menu, and select Internet Options.
        2. Click the Advanced tab.
        3. Scroll down to the JavaVM section.
        4. Verify that "Java Console Enabled" and "Java Logging Enabled" are selected.
        5. Your browser needs to be restarted for these changes to take effect.

        Netscape 4.7x for Windows and Macintosh:

        1. Go to Edit Menu, and select Preferences.
        2. Click on "Advanced" in the catagory list on the left.
        3. Verify that "Enable Java" is selected.

        Internet Explorer 5.x for Macintosh:

        1. Go to Edit Menu, and select Preferences.
        2. Click on "Java" in the "Web Browser" catagory on the left.
        3. Verify that "Log Java Output" and "Log Java Exceptions" are selected.

      • Some Of My Scripts Aren't Working With InstantPalace

        InstantPalace uses a subset of the iptscrae language. Not all of the iptscrae commands were implemented for InstantPalace. For example, InstantPalace can't see paint, or interact with scripts that use painting commands. In some cases, there are workarounds that will allow some scripts to work with both C-clients and InstantPalace. Check the Scripting for InstantPalace web page for additional information on iptscrae and InstantPalace.

      • Changing Port Numbers

        A default InstantPalace installation uses relative paths, and the web server port number can be changed without needing to adjust the InstantPalace files. The address (URL) used to access InstantPalace will change when the web server port number is changed, so any files that have that data recorded in them will need to be updated, such as browser bookmarks and web page links.

        The avatarurl and fileserver settings need to be updated to reflect the new web server port number. You can use the `fileserver and `avatarurl owner commands, the server's preferences panels (if applicable), or manually edit them in the pserver.prefs file.

        If a change is made to the port number the server uses for Palace connections, change this entry at the top of the instantpal.html (or equivalent) file:

        psPort="9998";

        If the Resource Center applet is being used, change this entry in the pal_admin_stat.html file:

        <PARAM name="palaceport"	value="9998">

        Check the pserver.prefs file to see if the entry in the URL field needs to be updated to reflect the new port being used for Palace connections.

        When editing the paths in files such as the instantpal.html file, it is a good idea to use relative paths instead of complete URLs so future updates like port number changes can be made more easily.

      • Additional Resources

        • InstantPalace Resources Index
        • Scripting for InstantPalace
        • Customizing InstantPalace
        • InstantPalace Installation
        • 104 Avatars for InstantPalace
        • Using Larger Avatars with InstantPalace
        • Using Sounds with InstantPalace
        • InstantPalace with 4.4 Windows Server
        • Mac InstantPalace and Browser Issues
        • Iptscrae Quick Reference Table
        • InstantPalace Demos
        • InstantPalace Parameters
        • InstantPalace Discussion Group

        © 2002