Installed decoder pro for the first time and got a java error .
Java (TM)Platform SE Binary has stopped working.
I uninstalled docoder pro and java and reinstalled both with the latest versions.
Still no luck.
Any suggestions.
John Dorrell
John, I have two suggestions:
First, if you have an actual DCC interface device of some sort connected to your computer, be sure you have the device's drivers correctly installed and have the correct COM port selected in your Decoder Pro preferences. If you don't have an interface connected, your preferences should be set for one of the simulated connections.
Second suggestion: If the above doesn't improve your results, post your question on the JMRI Yahoo group. You will need to provide more info than you have here, so you may want to look at the "How to ask" doc.
x2 on checking the COM port setting. That's the first thing that causes a stumble with DP out of the box.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
John,
Some questions:
As previously mentioned, the 'com port' needs to be configured. If you have a Windows PC, 'Control Panel - System - Device Manager' should show your ports. A review of the ports should show what is attached. Note the port number and add it to the Decoder Pro configuration(Edit-Preferences).
If you do not have a DCC system attached, use one of the 'simulators' in the JMRI-Decoder Pro configuration.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
Correct me if I am wrong but I believe the OP is saying that he can't even get the program to run. A com port issue will not prevent the program from starting. This will be an issue further down the line but from what I can tell he isn't even to that stage yet.
Which Operating system are you using? Windows, OSX, or Linux?
Which version of JMRI/Decoder Pro are you installing? Are you using the production version or the development version? I would highly recommend using the production version as it is generally more stable and is less prone to glitches.
Colorado Front Range Railroad: http://www.coloradofrontrangerr.com/
Actually, it does. I can not believe the JMRI developers don't have sanity checks in their software - in fact, I know they do because if you cnage the device it sometimes will prompt you to update the preferences. But all the checkign in the world doesn;t help a poorly written Java I/O module that crashes when told to check a com port that doesn;t exist. I'm sure the Java people will blame Microsoft for this, but the fault is squarely on the JVM and its libraries.
One thing that you can try is if you are trying to launch fromt he DecoderPro icon, try the PanelPro icon, or vice-versa. The really boh run the same thing, but with different preference files, one may be set with an invalid com port, the other never set and at the default so it might be enough to get the program to start and get to the point where you can select the interface.
I think it's gotten worse - I WAS using a late 2.x version (2.10 maybe) on my laptop and everythign worked great, never had a problem with my PR3. Before the recent show, I upgraded to the latest production release - and started having many of the problems other people have reported, with it crashing when starting with the PR3, or it just gettting timeout errors when trying to read or program anything with the PR3. The only solution seemed to be to quit JMRI, unplug the PR3 USB cable, wait a few minutes, then plug it back in - in the same USB port. The JMRI would load, and evertthign woudl work great, even reading Tsunami decoders, until the machine was idle for a while (not sleep mode - I have it set to never sleep when on AC power). The ONLY thing that changed was the JMRI version, no Java update. And OS updates over time. Somethign that used to be 100% reliable is now only about 75% reliable.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Renegade1c Correct me if I am wrong but I believe the OP is saying that he can't even get the program to run. A com port issue will not prevent the program from starting. This will be an issue further down the line but from what I can tell he isn't even to that stage yet.
Sure it can, or at least it can give the appearance that's what's happening.
One of the first things JMRI does is try to initialize the COM port, so it can report on the splash screen that it's "Connected to xxx on COM nnn". If it hits an error during that initialization, you never get the splash screen and from all indications (and for all practical purposes), JMRI "didn't start".
You can manually reproduce this behavior at will on a working installation. All you have to do is manually edit your preferences file to reflect the wrong COM port and start JMRI. Change it back and the error goes away.
I second the suggestion to join the JMRI users mailing list on Yahoo Groups.
The first thing they will ask for is the error messages from the console. It gives a lot more information as to what is happening. If you don't know how to do that, someone will tell you how.
It is also important to post enough info about your system that they can see what you have.
Operating system, processor, version of JAVA, Version of JMRI. That way incompatibilities can be seen right away.
Also buried in the download package is a test utility that makes sure you have the correct Java and all that sort of thing. It may also give some clue. The folks on the JMRI Group can help out.