ANNOUNCE: moodss-15.3
Jean-Luc Fontaine
Check it out! (or at least the screenshots at
http://jfontain.free.fr/moodss3.gif or
http://jfontain.free.fr/moodss4.gif :).
### CHANGES ###
--- version 15.3 ---
in moodss, added open file menu entry in order to be able to edit any
saved configuration files, including those used by moomps
when saving in a configuration file, trim all trailing blanks from
free text viewers contents
in netdev module, a new dynamic interface would cause a failure
in moomps, only add current directory to Tcl packages automatic
loading path when -f option is used
in moomps rpm, previous configuration file is saved if necessary when
updating
in printing to file dialog boxes, open in currently selected file
directory
in open or save file dialog boxes, open in defined file directory or
last selected file directory
in moodss, properly report error in a message box when not being able
to save in a configuration file
successfully tested with upcoming tcllib release including stooop
MySQL modules successfully tested with MySQL 3.23.46
### README ###
This is moodss (Modular Object Oriented Dynamic SpreadSheet) version
15.3.
Moodss won in the Best System Admin Technology category (Tcl Tips and
Tricks, Valuable Real World Programming Examples) at the O'Reilly
Tcl/Tk 1999 Conference.
Linux Magazine calls it a "lifesaver".
Tucows gives it 5 stars (cows or penguins :-).
Moodss is a modular application. It displays data described and
updated in one or more modules, which can be specified in the command
line or dynamically loaded or unloaded while the application is
running. Data is originally displayed in tables. Graphical views
(graph, bar, 3D pie charts, ...), summary tables (with current,
average, minimum and maximum values) and free text viewers can be
created from any number of table cells, originating from any of the
displayed viewers. Thresholds can be set on any number of cells.
Moomps (shipped with moodss) is a monitoring daemon which works using
configuration files created by moodss. Thresholds, when crossed,
create messages in the system log, and eventually trigger the sending
of email alert messages.
Specific modules can easily be developed in the Tcl, Perl and Python
scripting languages or in C.
A thorough and intuitive drag'n'drop scheme is used for most viewer
editing tasks: creation, modification, type mutation, destruction,
... and thresholds creation. Table rows can be sorted in increasing or
decreasing order by clicking on column titles. The current
configuration (modules, tables and viewers geometry, ...) can be saved
in a file at any time, and later reused through a command line switch,
thus achieving a dashboard functionality.
The module code is the link between the moodss core and the data to be
displayed. All the specific code is kept in the module package. Since
module data access is entirely customizable (through C code, Tcl,
Perl, Python, HTTP, ...) and since several modules can be loaded at
once, applications for moodss become limitless.
For example, thoroughly monitor a dynamic web server on a single
dashboard with graphs, using the Apache, MySQL, ODBC, cpustats,
memstats, ... modules. If you have replicated servers, dynamically add
them to your view, even load the snmp module on the fly and let your
imagination take over...
Along with a core trace module, random, ps, cpustats, memstats,
diskstats, mounts, route, arp, kernmods, netdev, pci, system, MySQL
(myquery, mystatus, myprocs, myvars) modules for Linux, ping, snmp and
snmptrap for UNIX, apache and apachex modules are included (running
"wish moodss ps cpustats memstats" mimics the "top" application with a
graphic edge and remote monitoring capability).
Thorough help is provided through menus, widget tips, a message area,
a module help window and a global help window with a complete HTML
documentation.
Moodss is multi-langual thanks to Tcl internationalization
capabilities. So far only English and partially French are
supported. Help with other languages will be very warmly welcomed.
Development of moodss is continuing and as more features are added in
future versions, backward module code compatibility will be maintained.
I cannot thank the authors of the tkTable, BLT, MIME/SMTP and the HTML
libraries enough for their great work.
In order to run moodss, you need to install the following packages
(unless you can use the rpm utility, see below):
Tcl/Tk 8.3.1 or above, at (or at a mirror near you)
http://dev.scriptics.com/ or ftp://ftp.scriptics.com/
the latest tkTable widget library at:
http://tktable.sourceforge.net/
the latest BLT library at:
ftp://tcltk.sourceforge.net/pub/tcltk/blt/
eventually the latest tclperl library for writing modules in Perl, or
the latest tclpython library for writing modules in Python at:
http://jfontain.free.fr/
(see the INSTALL file for complete instructions, for UNIX and also
Windows platforms).
You also have the option of using the moodss rpm file (also in my
homepage), if you are using a Redhat Linux system (6.0 or above).
You can find the required tcl, tk, tktable, blt, tcpperl and other
rpms at: http://jfontain.free.fr/
Whether you like it (or hate it), please let me know. I would like to
hear about bugs and improvements you would like to see. I will correct
the bugs quickly, especially if you send me a test script (module code
with a data trace would be best).
###
you may find it now at my homepage:
http://jfontain.free.fr/moodss-15.3.tar.bz2
http://jfontain.free.fr/moodss-15.3-1.i386.rpm
http://jfontain.free.fr/moomps-1.0.1-1.i386.rpm
http://jfontain.free.fr/moodss-15.3-1.spec
Enjoy and please let me know what you think.
Jean-Luc mailto:jfon...@free.fr
lvi...@yahoo.com
How many of you are making use of this tool? What kinds of things do you
do with it? I'd like to here some success stories - the kinds of interesting
things that can be done with this very interesting sounding tool.
--
"I know of vanishingly few people ... who choose to use ksh." "I'm a minority!"
<URL: mailto:lvi...@cas.org> <URL: http://www.purl.org/NET/lvirden/>
Even if explicitly stated to the contrary, nothing in this posting
should be construed as representing my employer's opinions.
Jean-Luc Fontaine
> How many of you are making use of this tool? What kinds of things do you
> do with it? I'd like to here some success stories - the kinds of interesting
> things that can be done with this very interesting sounding tool.
>
Thanks Larry :-).
I think this tool would be a good replacement for all those top like
graphical utilities in Linux distributions. Linux moodss modules already
cover CPU, disk, memory, network devices statistics, ARP, kernel
modules, PCI devices, mounted filesystems, processes, system data and
routes, locally or remotely through ssh.
I tried to contact Redhat to suggest that moodss be included in the
distribution, but never got a reply.
Isn't Mo Dejong working there?
Jean-Luc
Reinhard Max
> I think this tool would be a good replacement for all those top like
> graphical utilities in Linux distributions. Linux moodss modules
> already cover CPU, disk, memory, network devices statistics, ARP,
> kernel modules, PCI devices, mounted filesystems, processes, system
> data and routes, locally or remotely through ssh.
Sounds interesting...
> I tried to contact Redhat to suggest that moodss be included in the
> distribution, but never got a reply.
Maybe you should have contacted SuSE ;)
I am considering to put moodss on our next release, but the bziped
tarball on your homepage seems to be corrupted. I've downloaded it
several times, but bzip2 keeps throwing CRC errors on me.
> Isn't Mo Dejong working there?
Yes, but AFAIK he is not directly involved with the distribution.
cu
Reinhard
David Wijnants
got it working on 2.4 Linux if I hadn't had a look at moodss. An amazing piece of
work, and a valuable source of information.
Dave.
lvi...@yahoo.com wrote:
--
Think how many biscuits you'd get for a fiver.
D. Fender.
--
Jean-Luc Fontaine
> Jean-Luc Fontaine <jfon...@winealley.com> wrote:
>
>
>>I think this tool would be a good replacement for all those top like
>>graphical utilities in Linux distributions. Linux moodss modules
>>already cover CPU, disk, memory, network devices statistics, ARP,
>>kernel modules, PCI devices, mounted filesystems, processes, system
>>data and routes, locally or remotely through ssh.
>>
>
> Sounds interesting...
>
>
>>I tried to contact Redhat to suggest that moodss be included in the
>>distribution, but never got a reply.
>>
>
> Maybe you should have contacted SuSE ;)
I think I will try. Would you know a person there to make things easier? :-)
> I am considering to put moodss on our next release, but the bziped
> tarball on your homepage seems to be corrupted. I've downloaded it
> several times, but bzip2 keeps throwing CRC errors on me.
You are right. I'll upload it again in 3 hours when I get home. The file
must have been corrupted on the diskette I used. :-(
Cheers,
Jean-Luc
Jeffrey Hobbs
>
> How many of you are making use of this tool? What kinds of things do you
> do with it? I'd like to here some success stories - the kinds of interesting
> things that can be done with this very interesting sounding tool.
I've used this myself, more just to play than anything else. I
so rarely have problems on my Linux machine related to regular
system operation that it's mostly overkill for me. Now if there
was just something as nice for Windows ... ;^)
--
Jeff Hobbs The Tcl Guy
Senior Developer http://www.ActiveState.com/
Tcl Support and Productivity Solutions
Kevin Kenny
> I've used [moodss] myself, more just to play than anything else. I
> so rarely have problems on my Linux machine related to regular
> system operation that it's mostly overkill for me. Now if there
> was just something as nice for Windows ... ;^)
Sounds as if there's a project in there, integrating moodss with
HKEY_PERFORMANCE_DATA and PDH.DLL.
Any takers?
--
73 de ke9tv/2, Kevin KENNY GE Corporate R&D, Niskayuna, New York, USA
Reinhard Max
> Reinhard Max wrote:
>> Maybe you should have contacted SuSE ;)
> I think I will try. Would you know a person there to make things easier? :-)
Are you joking, or have you really not noticed the domain part of my
email address?
>> I am considering to put moodss on our next release, but the bziped
>> tarball on your homepage seems to be corrupted. I've downloaded it
>> several times, but bzip2 keeps throwing CRC errors on me.
> You are right. I'll upload it again in 3 hours when I get home. The file
> must have been corrupted on the diskette I used. :-(
Thanks. I'll try it again tomorrow.
cu
Reinhard
Jeffrey Hobbs
>
> Jeffrey Hobbs wrote:
> > I've used [moodss] myself, more just to play than anything else. I
> > so rarely have problems on my Linux machine related to regular
> > system operation that it's mostly overkill for me. Now if there
> > was just something as nice for Windows ... ;^)
>
> Sounds as if there's a project in there, integrating moodss with
> HKEY_PERFORMANCE_DATA and PDH.DLL.
IIRC, don't you have to set a magic registry variable or some
setting and reboot to even get that performance data to show
on Windows? I do remember trying to do extensive performance
analysis on a Windows box before, and it did require tweaking
around base settings.
Jean-Luc Fontaine
> Jean-Luc Fontaine <jfon...@winealley.com> wrote:
>
>>Reinhard Max wrote:
>>
>
>>>Maybe you should have contacted SuSE ;)
>>>
>
>>I think I will try. Would you know a person there to make things easier? :-)
>>
>
> Are you joking, or have you really not noticed the domain part of my
> email address?
Yes, I was...
>>>I am considering to put moodss on our next release, but the bziped
>>>tarball on your homepage seems to be corrupted. I've downloaded it
>>>several times, but bzip2 keeps throwing CRC errors on me.
>>>
>
>>You are right. I'll upload it again in 3 hours when I get home. The file
>>must have been corrupted on the diskette I used. :-(
>>
>
> Thanks. I'll try it again tomorrow.
It should be OK now.
I understand that Suse is rpm based.
Are there any modifications to make to the moodss spec file for Redhat
so that it would also work on Suse? I unfortunately do not have any Suse
installation around here.
I noticed that tktable rpm is not included in Redhat: is it in Suse?
Please let me know if you need any help at all: I would really like to
make it work on Suse as well.
Jean-Luc.
Jean-Luc Fontaine
> lvi...@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>>How many of you are making use of this tool? What kinds of things do you
>>do with it? I'd like to here some success stories - the kinds of interesting
>>things that can be done with this very interesting sounding tool.
>>
>
> I've used this myself, more just to play than anything else. I
> so rarely have problems on my Linux machine
Indeed. Same here.
We use moodss to monitor a MySQL replicated database. The master server
is here in Bordeaux, with slaves in New-York and Paris, which also act
as web servers. A moodss dashboard allows us to verify that all is in
sync using the myquery module with 'SHOW SLAVE STATUS' and 'SHOW MASTER
STATUS' queries. Additionally thresholds are set on the master on data
output and queries rates. Apache modules are sometimes loaded to check
the web servers activity, although there has never been a problem in
that area. The dashboard runs 24h a day, with no memory leaks (memory
use actually goes down after a while :-).
> related to regular
> system operation that it's mostly overkill for me. Now if there
> was just something as nice for Windows ... ;^)
Moodss used to work on Windows (I haven't checked in a long time due to
the lack of demand). There would likely be problems with printing
(moodss use ghostscript for previewing and lpr), thresholds actions
(shell scripts) and possibly emails, although I don't see why the tcllib
smtp package would not work...
Jean-Luc
Kevin Kenny
> > Sounds as if there's a project in there, integrating moodss with
> > HKEY_PERFORMANCE_DATA and PDH.DLL.
>
> IIRC, don't you have to set a magic registry variable or some
> setting and reboot to even get that performance data to show
> on Windows? I do remember trying to do extensive performance
> analysis on a Windows box before, and it did require tweaking
> around base settings.
How much system administration on Windows *doesn't* involve tweaking
registry settings? Actually, the perfmon interfaces are fairly well
documented (by Microsoft standards, at least):
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/perfmon/perfmon_intro_0pgn.asp
The registry stuff gets really weird only if you have a need to install
new performance counters to support a specific app. (Even that isn't
too bad, if you understand how to update CurrentCOntrolSet.)
Of course, 95/98/Me don't have this stuff, but NT/2k/XP do.
Reinhard Max
> Are there any modifications to make to the moodss spec file for
> Redhat so that it would also work on Suse? I unfortunately do not
> have any Suse installation around here.
Yes, there are some differences in directory paths and so, but most of
them can be addressed by using predefined RPM macros like %{prefix}
and %{docdir}. I'll adjust the spec file for SuSE and send it to you
after my vacation.
> I noticed that tktable rpm is not included in Redhat: is it in Suse?
Not yet, but I think it will come. :)
cu
Reinhard