Program settings won't read starting_folder setting from configuration file

[jolopezl]

The CARTA backend crashes when starting it with the following backend settings file:

{
    "verbosity": 5,
    "port": 3020,
    "grpc_port": 50071,
    "starting_folder": "/home/cartadev/temp/CARTAvis/data",
    "top_level_folder": "/home/cartadev/temp/CARTAvis/data",
    "frontend_folder": "/home/cartadev/temp/CARTAvis/carta-frontend/build",
    "omp_threads": 4
}

with the following message:

[2021-06-28 20:39:19.490] [info] Writing to the log file: /home/cartadev/.carta/log/carta.log
[2021-06-28 20:39:19.491] [debug] Reading user settings from /home/cartadev/.carta/backend.json.
[2021-06-28 20:39:19.491] [info] /home/cartadev/temp/CARTAvis/carta-backend/build/./carta_backend: Version 2.0.0-dev.21.04.27
[2021-06-28 20:39:19.491] [critical] Starting /home/cartadev/temp/CARTAvis/carta-backend/build must be a subdirectory of top level /home/cartadev/temp/CARTAvis/data. Exiting carta.

It also fails if one attempts to start CARTA as:

> ./carta_backend --starting_folder=/home/cartadev/temp/CARTAvis/data --top_level_folder=/home/cartadev/temp/CARTAvis/data
[2021-06-28 20:41:29.167] [critical] Option ‘starting_folder’ does not exist

which is the natural guess for the starting_folder command-line setting. It works if one uses base instead:

> ./carta_backend --base=/home/cartadev/temp/CARTAvis/data --top_level_folder=/home/cartadev/temp/CARTAvis/data
[2021-06-28 20:42:29.665] [info] Writing to the log file: /home/cartadev/.carta/log/carta.log
[2021-06-28 20:42:29.665] [debug] Using command-line settings
[2021-06-28 20:42:29.665] [debug] Reading user settings from /home/cartadev/.carta/backend.json.
[2021-06-28 20:42:29.665] [info] /home/cartadev/temp/CARTAvis/carta-backend/build/./carta_backend: Version 2.0.0-dev.21.04.27
[2021-06-28 20:42:29.671] [info] CARTA gRPC service available at 0.0.0.0:50071
[2021-06-28 20:42:29.672] [info] Serving CARTA frontend from /home/cartadev/temp/CARTAvis/carta-frontend/build
[2021-06-28 20:42:29.672] [info] Listening on port 3020 with top level folder /home/cartadev/temp/CARTAvis/data, starting folder /home/cartadev/temp/CARTAvis/data, and 4 OpenMP worker threads
[2021-06-28 20:42:29.879] [info] CARTA is accessible at http://localhost:3020/?token=6D49DBB9-67E7-47CB-A70A-14FA9B57F3C7
[2021-06-28 20:42:31.402] [debug] Updated 1 preferences
[2021-06-28 20:42:31.418] [debug] Updated 2 preferences
[2021-06-28 20:42:31.926] [debug] 0x7fdc6a009200 ::Session (1)
[2021-06-28 20:42:31.926] [info] Session 1 [127.0.0.1] Connected. Num sessions: 1
[2021-06-28 20:42:36.692] [debug] WebSocket closed with code 1006 and message ''.
[2021-06-28 20:42:36.693] [info] Client 1 [127.0.0.1] Deleted. Remaining sessions: 1
[2021-06-28 20:42:36.693] [debug] 0x7fdc6a009200 ~Session 0
[2021-06-28 20:42:36.693] [info] No remaining sessions.
^C[2021-06-28 20:42:38.577] [info] Exiting backend.

These are two different problems but involves a similar change. I propose updating the command line settings arguments, adding starting_folder to the command line arguments, and fixing the first case, which is a bug for a missing keyword in the program setting dictionaries.

To-do:
- [ ] add starting_folder option to the command line,

• add missing keyword for starting_folder in the program setting dictionaries.

[jolopezl]

I guess this is partly duplicated since we already have #807

[pford]

If you run carta_backend --help you can see the parameters. base has been deprecated as a parameter for the starting folder, which is now a positional parameter instead of an option: carta {OPTION...] <starting_folder>

[veggiesaurus]

the positional argument is used for the starting folder. For example,
carta_backend /home/angus/data will use the top level folder of / (default) and /home/angus/data as the starting folder

[jolopezl]

Ok! Thanks, @pford, and @veggiesaurus. I got confused while getting CARTA crashing with what I was aiming to test for other things. I was trying to get it working using backend json-based settings, but I kept failing there with starting_folder (which is really missing for that) but tested the command line differently using what I guessed what correct --starting_folder.

[veggiesaurus]

@jolopezl can we close this in favour of #807?

[jolopezl]

Yes, of course!. I am ashamed of having opened this issue now.

[veggiesaurus]

Yes, of course!. I am ashamed of having opened this issue now.

At least now we're all on the same page 👍