help help

hanabez wrote on Aug 27, 2007

Hello
yesterday I install a extern package,mscred,then today when I run "help",it shows:

Cannot open help database file finder$lib/helpdb.mip
Cannot open help database file gemini$lib/helpdb.mip
Cannot open help database file mxtools$lib/helpdb.mip
Cannot open help database file ace$lib/helpdb.mip
Cannot open help database file guiapps$lib/helpdb.mip
package name `_stsdas' (hd=stsdas$lib/rootstsdas.hd) is not unique
package name `stsdas' (hd=stsdas$stsdas.hd) is not unique
package name `dither' (hd=dither$dither.hd) is not unique
package name `fitting' (hd=fitting$fitting.hd) is not unique
package name `fourier' (hd=fourier$fourier.hd) is not unique
package name `gasp' (hd=gasp$gasp.hd) is not unique
package name `isophote' (hd=isophote$isophote.hd) is not unique
package name `nebular' (hd=nebular$nebular.hd) is not unique
package name `restore' (hd=restore$restore.hd) is not unique
package name `statistics' (hd=statistics$statistics.hd) is not unique
package name `redshift' (hd=stsdas$pkg/contrib/redshift/redshift.hd) is not unique
package name `spfitpkg' (hd=stsdas$pkg/contrib/spfitpkg/spfitpkg.hd) is not unique
package name `vla' (hd=vla$vla.hd) is not unique
package name `sdisplay' (hd=sdisplay$sdisplay.hd) is not unique
package name `stplot' (hd=stplot$stplot.hd) is not unique
package name `focprism' (hd=focprism$focprism.hd) is not unique
package name `spec_polar' (hd=spec_polar$spec_polar.hd) is not unique
package name `acs' (hd=acs$acs.hd) is not unique
package name `ctools' (hd=ctools$ctools.hd) is not unique
package name `foc' (hd=foc$foc.hd) is not unique
package name `fos' (hd=fos$fos.hd) is not unique
package name `hrs' (hd=hrs$hrs.hd) is not unique
package name `nicmos' (hd=nicmos$nicmos.hd) is not unique
package name `paperprod' (hd=paperprod$paperprod.hd) is not unique
package name `stis' (hd=stis$stis.hd) is not unique
package name `synphot' (hd=synphot$synphot.hd) is not unique
package name `wfpc' (hd=wfpc$wfpc.hd) is not unique
package name `simulators' (hd=simulators$simulators.hd) is not unique
package name `w_calib' (hd=w_calib$w_calib.hd) is not unique
package name `foccs' (hd=foccs$foccs.hd) is not unique
package name `focgeom' (hd=focgeom$focgeom.hd) is not unique
package name `focphot' (hd=focphot$focphot.hd) is not unique
package name `focutility' (hd=focutility$focutility.hd) is not unique
package name `hsp' (hd=hsp$hsp.hd) is not unique
package name `registration' (hd=registration$registration.hd) is not unique
package name `testdata' (hd=testdata$testdata.hd) is not unique
package name `timeseries' (hd=timeseries$timeseries.hd) is not unique
package name `y_calib' (hd=y_calib$y_calib.hd) is not unique
package name `z_calib' (hd=z_calib$z_calib.hd) is not unique
package name `mstools' (hd=mstools$mstools.hd) is not unique
package name `convfile' (hd=convfile$convfile.hd) is not unique
package name `headers' (hd=headers$headers.hd) is not unique
package name `imgtools' (hd=imgtools$imgtools.hd) is not unique
package name `tools' (hd=tools$tools.hd) is not unique
package name `analysis' (hd=analysis$analysis.hd) is not unique
package name `contrib' (hd=contrib$contrib.hd) is not unique
package name `graphics' (hd=graphics$graphics.hd) is not unique
package name `hst_calib' (hd=hst_calib$hst_calib.hd) is not unique
package name `playpen' (hd=playpen$playpen.hd) is not unique
package name `sobsolete' (hd=sobsolete$sobsolete.hd) is not unique
package name `toolbox' (hd=toolbox$toolbox.hd) is not unique
package name `_tables' (hd=tables$lib/roottables.hd) is not unique
package name `tables' (hd=tables$tables.hd) is not unique
package name `fitsio' (hd=fitsio$fitsio.hd) is not unique
package name `tbplot' (hd=tbplot$tbplot.hd) is not unique

PANIC in `/iraf/iraf/bin.redhat/x_system.e': Memory has been corrupted
package name `tobsolete' (hd=tobsolete$tobsolete.hd) is not unique
package name `ttools' (hd=ttools$ttools.hd) is not unique

What's the problem?

---

Mike Fitzpatrick wrote on Aug 27, 2007

The messages probably mean that you just somehow got the 'helpdb' string definition in the hlib$extern.pkg file messed up. This is an environment variable that defines a comma-delimited list of help database file to be searched. As it is written in the file each package database is defined on a separate line where the newline is escaped with a backslash. Check the definition of this string to be sure all of the lines are properly escaped, that there is a comma between the values, and that the string is properly terminated with a double quote. Note that a 'keep' must be the last statement in the file.

Less common errors can occur if the help database itself is corrupted or if you used some sort of package installer (e.g. rpm file) that failed to properly create/edit the extern.pkg file. If you did the installation by hand you can ignore this, otherwise please post what platform you're on and the extern.pkg file if necessary.

-Mike

---

hanabez wrote on Aug 27, 2007

Thank you,Mike
I opened the "extern.pkg",then I found that there were two same files.After I deleted one,the task can run without warning.

---

Last post on Aug 27, 2007