Why proof needs to create /afs/cern.ch/user/q/qing/.proof?

Dear Proof expert:

I set a crontab to submit proof jobs automatically:

[valtical00] /work/users/qing/dq2 > crontab -l | grep sam_proof.sh
*/10 * * * * source /data5/qing/SAM_proof/sam_proof.sh >/dev/null 2>&1

[valtical00] /data5/qing/SAM_proof > cat sam_proof.sh

#!/bin/bash
export rootpath=/data5/qing/SAM_proof
cd $rootpath

echo pwd > /data5/qing/SAM_proof/log
source /etc/profile
source /afs/cern.ch/sw/lcg/contrib/gcc/4.3/x86_64-slc5-gcc43-opt/setup.sh
export ROOTSYS=/afs/cern.ch/sw/lcg/app/releases/ROOT/5.26.00/x86_64-slc5-gcc43-opt/root
export PATH=/afs/cern.ch/sw/lcg/external/Python/2.5.4p2/x86_64-slc5-gcc43-opt/bin:$ROOTSYS/bin:$PATH
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$ROOTSYS/lib:/afs/cern.ch/sw/lcg/external/Python/2.5.4p2/x86_64-slc5-gcc43-opt/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
export PYTHONPATH=$PYTHONPATH:$ROOTSYS/lib

export cmd=ps eux | grep 'python sam_proof.py' | grep -v grep | grep -v 'ps eux'
echo $cmd

if [ “$cmd” == “” ] ; then
echo 'Running sam_proof.py now’
python sam_proof.py >> /data5/qing/SAM_proof/log 2>&1

else
echo 'python sam_proof.py is already running’
fi

#echo “” >> $rootpath/log

cd $rootpath

When I run directly from the terminal, everything goes fine. But when run in crond, the following error appeared in the log file:

[valtical00] /data5/qing/SAM_proof > cat log
/data5/qing/SAM_proof
Error in TProof::AssertPath: could not create path /afs/cern.ch/user/q/qing/.proof
Error in TProof::Init: failure asserting directory /afs/cern.ch/user/q/qing/.proof
Error in TProof::Open: new session could not be created
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “sam_proof.py”, line 72, in
main()
File “sam_proof.py”, line 64, in main
submit_newjob()
File “sam_proof.py”, line 44, in submit_newjob
p.SetParameter(“PROOF_RateEstimation”,“average”)
TypeError: none of the 5 overloaded methods succeeded. Full details:
attempt to access a null-pointer
void TProof::SetParameter(const char* par, Int_t value) =>
could not convert argument 2 (Objects/longobject.c:225: bad argument to internal function)
void TProof::SetParameter(const char* par, Long_t value) =>
could not convert argument 2 (Objects/longobject.c:225: bad argument to internal function)
void TProof::SetParameter(const char* par, Long64_t value) =>
could not convert argument 2 (an integer is required)
void TProof::SetParameter(const char* par, Double_t value) =>
could not convert argument 2 (a float is required)

I am wondering why proof needs to create /afs/cern.ch/user/q/qing/.proof instead of /data5/qing/SAM_proof/.proof in crond?

Cheers,Gang

Hi,

Because the default location for the sandboxes is under $HOME, which is set under AFS in your case.
You should be able to use ‘ProofLite.Sandbox’ variable in $HOME/.rootrc to change that.

G. Ganis

Dear Ganis:

Thanks for the prompt reply:

[valtical00] /data5/qing/SAM_proof > echo $HOME
/afs/cern.ch/user/q/qing

[valtical00] /data5/qing/SAM_proof > cat $HOME/.rootrc
cat: /afs/cern.ch/user/q/qing/.rootrc: No such file or directory

So in this case I should create the $HOME/.rootrc file with the following line:
roofLite.Sandbox /data5/qing/SAM_proof/prooflite

correct?

Or do you think that I can add a line ‘export HOME=/data5/qing/SAM_proof’ in the sam_proof.sh file?

Cheers,Gang

Hi, Ganis:

I have tried both methods, but the problem remains:

[lxplus423] /afs/cern.ch/user/q/qing > cat .rootrc
ProofLite.Sandbox /data5/qing/SAM_proof/prooflite

any idea?

Cheers,Gang

Hi,

You mean that it still tries to access AFS?
Can you add a

gEnv->Print()

to check if the setting is really effective?

G. Ganis

Dear Ganis:

Thanks for the prompt reply. The problem is now clear:

No matter proof is trying to access .proof or .rootrc in my AFS home directory, it will need acrond instead of crond to do that work. After installing arc-server, acrond works, and then everything works fine.

Cheers,Gang