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How to get FrameMaker BETA for Linux to work??

I have downloaded the FrameMaker for Linux BETA from the Adobe website. When I start it, it says that there is no registration number and do I want to run the DEMO version. The notes with it say to say yes, but that it may die (which it does) because portmap/rpcbind isn't found, and I need to make this accessible to it. I have looked on their website, I have looked in all my Linux books, and have found nothing that helps me.

Has anyone had this problem? If so, what did you do to get it to work? Being for the BETA version, Adobe gives NO support. Thanks.

jlevie

"portmap/rpcbind" is a basic Unix networking function that is normally started at boot time to handle RPC binding. On Linux the program is called portmap and on SysV Unixes (Solaris, etc) the same service is provided by rpcbind. Take a look at "man portmap" to see what it does. If the box is a standalone, with no NIC card or if networking isn't configured, portmap won't be started.

You can check to see if it's running via "ps -ef | grep portmap" (and you can start it as root by executing "portmap").

wgmrd

ASKER

When I do ps ax, portmap is running, but I still get the failure. I've read the man pages, but I still do not know what to do.

jlevie

Okay, I think I've duplicated your problem. I downloaded the Linux beta and tried it. When Networking is active (I'm on a laptop with a pcmcia NIC) maker will start up just fine in demo more, or live after I setup the license.

When I tried it on a system that has only a dialup capability, I got the RPC error like you see. I also got the RPC error if I "took networking down" on the Laptop by pulling the pcmcia NIC.

The laptop always comes up with networking enabled, as it's been told that the NIC will be configured via DHCP. When the NIC isn't in, "ifconfig -a" is up and running (on 127.0.0.1) and FrameMaker works.

It's not entirely clear to me that it would work, but if you don't have a NIC you might be able to configure and enable networking on a "dummy" interface.

wgmrd

ASKER

So how does one go about setting up a dummy interface to do that? Will it screw up my dial-up setup?

Another question this brings up is - will it work if I dial up my ISP, and am connected to the Internet?

I'm really nerw to all this.

jlevie

You set up network interfaces via linuxconf->Config->Netwoking-Client Tasks. Give your system a hostname and set up the dummy interface with an IP, 192.168.0.1 will work, and enable it. Again, I don't know if this will work, but it's worth a shot and I don't believe it otherwise cause any problems.

You could try starting maker while connected to your ISP. Since at that time the machine should have a hostname and IP, portmapper ought to work.

wgmrd

ASKER

Well, I tried this, but it made absolutely no difference. Portmapper is running now just as it was before. My hostname is set and the IP is 192.168.0.1 instead of 127.0.0.1, but this makes no difference.

I tried to start it when connected to the internet through my ISP, but it just hung with no windows - I got further the other way.

Any ideas?

jlevie

Now those are very interesting data points. You didn't say, but I suppose you got the portmapper errors when off line. Let me think a bit about what maker is probably trying to do and why it would fail under either of those conditions.

jlevie

Just a quick note... I've found lots of ways to get this thing to fail and there seems to be little pattern to the failures. Right now it doesn't work at all and it's failure seems to be that it can't find the fonts that it could yesterday... Wierd...

wgmrd

ASKER

Well, this IS a BETA version, but, "Give me a breal, Adobe!" I am about to dlete it from my machine and email them to tell them I think thier BETA stinks since it doesn't work at all. ;-) The thing abou this is that they have a very good working version for UNIX that we use at work all the time. Can it really be so hard to get it to work on Linux? And these people are supposed to be professionals! ;-)

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jlevie

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wgmrd

ASKER

I think you are right. That's all one can do at this point. I'm going to delete it and send a report to that email address saying that I have done that, and they can keep FrameMaker for Linux. ;-)

Thanks. I am going to try to accept your answer, if this page lets me.

jlevie

Maybe they'll update the beta soon. The real shame, in my mind ,is that when I could get it to run, it seemed to work really well. I was able to feed it any of my existing FM docs and never encountered a problem.

Ah, well, maybe later...