I periodically, but rarely, see a "WriteFile" error=38 show up in my log file. It occurred most recently while a user was playing a DOS door (Operation Overkill). Unfortunately it crashed the game in progress.

Any way to know what's causing this?

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Re: !VDD WriteFile failure (Error=38)
By: Codefenix to All on Mon Aug 24 2020 08:01 am

I periodically, but rarely, see a "WriteFile" error=38 show up in my log file. It occurred most recently while a user was playing a DOS door (Operation Overkill). Unfortunately it crashed the game in progress.

Any way to know what's causing this?

More details of the error could be helpful (e.g. check the message in your data/error.log and report back?).

Error=38 is ENAMETOOLONG, so that seems unlikely to be the actual error code. WinError value would be more helpful in this case.

digital man

Synchronet/BBS Terminology Definition #75:
SyncTERM = The Synchronet Terminal Emulator/BBS-client program
Norco, CA WX: 91.7øF, 44.0% humidity, 16 mph ENE wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs

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Re: !VDD WriteFile failure (Error=38)
By: Digital Man to Codefenix on Mon Aug 24 2020 03:31 pm

More details of the error could be helpful (e.g. check the message in your data/error.log and report back?).
Error=38 is ENAMETOOLONG, so that seems unlikely to be the actual error code. WinError value would be more helpful in this case.

Checked data/error.log. Indeed shows Error=38. Hopefully the extra detail is enough.

Sun Aug 23 21:56:09 2020 conchaos.synchro.net
term Node 1 <*user*> !VDD WriteFile(0x3a08, 2) FAILURE (Error=38)

Sun Aug 23 21:57:35 2020 conchaos.synchro.net
term Node 1 <*user*> !VDD WriteFile(0x3950, 1) FAILURE (Error=38)

Sun Aug 23 21:57:35 2020 conchaos.synchro.net
term Node 1 <*user*> !VDD WriteFile(0x3950, 1) FAILURE (Error=38)

I didn't copy that last error twice; it appears twice in the log with the same datetime and message.

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Re: !VDD WriteFile failure (Error=38)
By: Codefenix to Digital Man on Tue Aug 25 2020 07:35 am

Re: !VDD WriteFile failure (Error=38)
By: Digital Man to Codefenix on Mon Aug 24 2020 03:31 pm

More details of the error could be helpful (e.g. check the message in your data/error.log and report back?).
Error=38 is ENAMETOOLONG, so that seems unlikely to be the actual error code. WinError value would be more helpful in this case.

Checked data/error.log. Indeed shows Error=38. Hopefully the extra detail is enough.

Sun Aug 23 21:56:09 2020 conchaos.synchro.net
term Node 1 <*user*> !VDD WriteFile(0x3a08, 2) FAILURE (Error=38)

Okay, here's the Microsoft description of that error:

ERROR_HANDLE_EOF
38 (0x26)
Reached the end of the file.

SBBS is trying to write to the mailslot that it uses to communicate with SBBSEXEC.DLL

It sounds like SBBSEXEC.DLL has terminated or not started (not sure). To know more, edit the file exec/sbbsecho.ini and set the single line "Debug=true". Then run a Windows debug viewer (like https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/debugview) to capture the debug output from "sbbsexec" and hopefully see something useful that you can report back here.


digital man

Sling Blade quote #10:
Morris: I stand on the hill, not for thrill, but for the breath of a fresh kill Norco, CA WX: 94.1øF, 38.0% humidity, 7 mph E wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs

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Re: !VDD WriteFile failure (Error=38)
By: Digital Man to Codefenix on Tue Aug 25 2020 01:40 pm

edit the file exec/sbbsecho.ini and set the single line
"Debug=true". Then run a Windows debug viewer (like https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/debugview)

I assume you meant exec/sbbsexec.ini, so that's the file I modified :)

Debugger is running. Hopefully I capture something interesting the next time a crash happens.

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Re: !VDD WriteFile failure (Error=38)
By: Codefenix to Digital Man on Thu Aug 27 2020 09:29 am

Re: !VDD WriteFile failure (Error=38)
By: Digital Man to Codefenix on Tue Aug 25 2020 01:40 pm

edit the file exec/sbbsecho.ini and set the single line
"Debug=true". Then run a Windows debug viewer (like https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/debugview)

I assume you meant exec/sbbsexec.ini, so that's the file I modified :)

I did. :-)

Debugger is running. Hopefully I capture something interesting the next time a crash happens.

Cool. You have to run it DbgView as Administrator too. You should be seeing log messages whenever any online 16-bit DOS programs are run from sbbs.

digital man

Sling Blade quote #16:
Karl Childers (to Doyle, re: lawn mower blade): I aim to kill you with it. Mmm. Norco, CA WX: 98.3øF, 23.0% humidity, 11 mph ESE wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs

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Re: !VDD WriteFile failure (Error=38)
By: Digital Man to Codefenix on Thu Aug 27 2020 02:10 pm

Re: !VDD WriteFile failure (Error=38)
By: Codefenix to Digital Man on Thu Aug 27 2020 09:29 am

Re: !VDD WriteFile failure (Error=38)
By: Digital Man to Codefenix on Tue Aug 25 2020 01:40 pm

edit the file exec/sbbsecho.ini and set the single line "Debug=true". Then run a Windows debug viewer (like https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/debugview)

I assume you meant exec/sbbsexec.ini, so that's the file I modified :)

I did. :-)

Debugger is running. Hopefully I capture something interesting the next time a crash happens.

Cool. You have to run it DbgView as Administrator too. You should be seeing log messages whenever any online 16-bit DOS programs are run from sbbs.

This logged error is likely the same issue reported by DesotoFireflite and recently resolved:
https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/commit/9445866c80a38b5ee6c170ea8d68227c8497de03

There's no reports if it causing a door game to crash however. It was just a logged error that was in fact a harmless condition (trying to send data to a process that has terminated).
--
digital man (rob)

Synchronet "Real Fact" #99:
The Synchronet Wiki (wiki.synchro.net) went online in April of 2010
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