ANNOUNCE: moodss-15.8
Jean-Luc Fontaine
--- version 15.8 ---
- MySQL myerrorlog module changes:
- can now monitor UNIX servers from a Windows client (using plink
from the Windows putty software ensemble)
- can now monitor Windows servers from Windows and UNIX clients
using the new --file option
- displays messages in all supported MySQL languages (japanese,
russian, ...)
- displays complete multi-line messages instead of just first line
- in MySQL myvars module, do not display variables related to table
types (bdb, innodb, myisam) if they are not enabled or supported
by the server, in order to reduce the displayed table height
- added printing support on Windows (requires the Tkprint extension)
- added thresholds script support on Windows, although limited to
commands with arguments, not complex scripts as in UNIX
- added File/New menu to unload all modules and delete existing
viewers
- in thresholds scripts, use environment shell or commands interpreter
when available
- overlap bar charts are now dynamically ordered so that all bars
remain visible with the largest values in the back
- in remote capable modules, no longer hardcode remote shell command
(rsh or ssh) path in case it is not to be found in a standard
directory
- on Windows, using the plink command from the great putty software
ensemble, it is now possible to remotely monitor Linux from Windows
with the following modules: cpustats, interrupts, kernmods, memstats,
mounts, netdev, pci, ps, sensors, system
- do not allow screen shots in thresholds when running on Windows
- with the trace module loaded, some update messages could stick at
the bottom of the main window
- on windows, sorting arrow no longer steps on column title bottom
border line
- when updating, the module name as defined by the module code,
appears in the update message at the bottom of the main window
- added a FAQ section in the moodss HTML documentation: please feel
free to contribute questions, and even answers ;-)
- added a main features section to the moodss HTML documentation
- added install.txt to windows distribution zip file
- uses tkpiechart extension version 6.3.1
- MySQL modules successfully tested with MySQL 3.23.48
- on UNIX, no longer use bold font for menus, right justified help
menu and right justified eraser drop zone for consistency with
latest graphical environments such as KDE and Gnome
- on Windows, for modules specified on command line, when an error
occurs when initializing a module, a dialog box is displayed
instead of sending the error message to the standard error channel
- watch (busy) cursor is now systematically used on all modules
initializations and updates, for better user feedback on slow modules
### README ###
This is moodss (Modular Object Oriented Dynamic SpreadSheet) version
15.8.
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, arp, cpustats, diskstats, interrupts,
kernmods, memstats, minimal, mounts, netdev, pci, ps, random, route,
sensors, system modules for Linux, MySQL (myerrorlog, myhealth,
myprocs, myquery, mystatus, myvars), odbcquery, ping, snmp, snmptrap
for UNIX, apache and apachex, Minimal and Random Perl modules, minipy
and randpy Python 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-15.8.tar.bz2
http://jfontain.free.fr/moodss-15.8.zip
http://jfontain.free.fr/moodss-15.8-1.i386.rpm
http://jfontain.free.fr/moomps-1.3-1.i386.rpm
http://jfontain.free.fr/moodss-15.8-1.spec
Enjoy and please let me know what you think.
--
Jean-Luc Fontaine mailto:jfon...@free.fr http://jfontain.free.fr/