Build failed! Can not contact the BuildServer at localhost

[Michael Xynidis]

Hi.  I've built a simple app with two canvases (for simultaneity touch input.)  I moved the app from MIT App Inventor to MR App Inventor so that I could get the multi-touch I needed (just one thumb on each canvas.)  I've done the following (with downloaded files as of today, 15SEP):

 - downloaded AI-Manifest-Editor(V1-02alpa) onto my 64-bit PC with Windows 7 and Firefox 32.0
 
- downloaded ai4a Personal Server

 - downloaded and installed MrAI Companion onto my HTC Evo 3D with Android


From ai4a Personal Server\AppEngine, I run "startAI.cmd".  The window tells me the server default is running at http://localhost:8888/; admin console at http://localhost:8888/_ah/admin.  I open the project on the MR App webpage, connect with the MR app on my phone, and the app runs fine.  Good.

I am having a problem with the build.  Here's what I'm doing:

 - start the manifest editor with either setup.exe or App inventor manifest editor.application (they seem to both work--that is, start the application);  both the 'AI Manifest' small window, and the 'Help/Instructions' larger window open.  Good -- I leave them running

 - from ai4a Personal Server\BuildServer, I run "launch-buildserver.cmd", it loads a bunch of classes, tells me that it running at http://<my.local.ip.addr>:9990, and that the Server is running.  I notice that it uses my machines actual local ip address and not localhost, and that the port is different from the startAI invocation, above (I don't know if that is correct, or bad); I see no actual errors reported, yet

Here's where the problem comes up:  When I select 'Build->App (either one...)', the website displays the message, "Build failed! Can not contact the BuildServer at localhost".

Can you help me along with this?  I believe I've reached the limits of what I can figure out for myself, and I couldn't find the topic already discussed in this forum.  Oh, here's a note (just to be complete);  I did have to change "java -Xmx1828m -cp" to "java -Xmx1024m -cp" because java didn't want to run with the larger memory amount.  I don't think that should be a problem, though.  What am I not doing right?

Thanks, in advance, for your help.

-Michael

[Gareth Haylings]

Hi Michael

A few question:

• Is it an AI2 project or AI classic project you want multitouch in?
  
• ai4a Personal Server (Is AI classic) are you using this or are you using http://mad-robot-dev.appspot.com/ ?
  

If you are using http://mad-robot-dev.appspot.com/ this is a prototype version of app inventor I made available which you can't currently build an APK with sorry. 

The ai4a Personal Server isn't mine it is a version of app inventor that is run locally and you use this in conjunction with my AI Manifest editor software. 

For further info on the ai4a personal server and getting it running on your computer want to check out the forum https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups&hl=en-GB#!forum/ai4a  

 I did have to change "java -Xmx1828m -cp" to "java -Xmx1024m -cp" because java didn't want to run with the larger memory amount. 

Yes that need to be done on some computer 

Here are some pointer to get ai4a personal Server running and to allow you to add multitouch into your app:

• Start the startAI.cmd
  
• Start launch-buildserver.cmd
  
• Start the AIManifestEditor
  
• Open google chrome and in the address bar type http://localhost:8888/ (This will open AI Classic locally from you computer)
  
• Next create a project or load a previously save AI Classic project.
• Next build the project and the AIManifestEditor will popup.
• In the AIManifestEditor tick the Advanced box and you will see the manifest file. You now need to change the minSdkVersion so it reads minSdkVersion="11"
  
• When the app is built it will now have multitouch

If you want to build an AI2 project with multitouch currently you could use AppToMarket to change the minSdkVersion to 11  Here is a link: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/apptomarket

Hope this helps

Gareth Haylings

[Michael Xynidis]

Thanks for the reply Gareth.  Hmmm.  I think I'm doing both of those things:  I originally created my app in the MIT AI2 App inventor website--when I moved it over to the  http://mad-robot-dev.appspot.com/ environment, it lost all the variable data (not a big deal--I just set it back up again, referencing the original source on the MIT AI2 website.  I am also running ai4a Personal Server; at least, I ran launch-buildserver.cmd from there.  I'll need to digest the suggestions you've given me after I get home, tonight.  I'll post the results--and any questions.

Cheers,
-Michael

[Gareth Haylings]

With ai4a Personal Server you will be able to build a project as long as to do all the work in that version of AI and build from that version.

If you are running the  launch-buildserver.cmd included with the ai4a Personal Server and are trying to build an from http://mad-robot-dev.appspot.com/  this won't work at the buildserver for ai4a Personal is completely different and does not include any of the mods I have made in Mad Robots AI.  Up to this point I have never released a build server for Mad Robots AI as I am constantly making changes which would mean ever time I made a minor change I would have to release a new build server which is a lot of work. I will be releasing a build server sometime later this year but need to stabilize the software first.