Re: [Condor-users] KeyboardIdle not functioning correctly in Windows 7

[Todd Tannenbaum <tannenba@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Craig Struble wrote:
> Actually, both Vista and Windows 7 exhibit this problem due to new 
> security session models for Windows services. I'm not sure if it's yet 
> been fixed in Condor 7.4.x. Sounds like the issue still remains.
>
>     Craig

For the Condor v7.4.2 release, the Windows keyboard detection should all 
"just work" out of the box.

For right now w/ Condor v7.4.1 or v7.5.1, you can likely get keyboard 
detection working as follows.

Set the following into you condor_config:
  KBDD = $(SBIN)/condor_kbdd.exe
  KBDD_LOG = C:\NUL

Then if you are running Windows 2000 or XP, you'll want to add KBDD to 
the DAEMON_LIST knob, e.g.
  DAEMON_LIST = MASTER STARTD KBDD

If you are running on Vista or Windows 7, a new security model requires 
users to run the condor_kbdd.exe as themselves upon login.  You can have 
Windows start the condor_kbdd automatically upon user login and kill it 
on user logout by placing the following into the Windows registry (you 
can do this by saving the next four lines into a file "forcondor.reg" 
and then run the file)
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"CONDOR_KBDD"="c:\\condor\\bin\\condor_kbdd.exe"

In Condor v7.4.1, the Condor Installer will add the above key in the 
registry.  But if you upgraded by not running the installer (perhaps by 
simply copying the files into place), then what is likely happening is 
the kbdd is not running and thus keyboard activity is not being 
detected.  **ALSO NOTE*** how above I specified KBDD_LOG to be C:\NUL - 
this essentially disables the kbdd log file, as in Windows a file 
written to NUL goes nowhere (like /dev/null on Unix).  I purposefully 
recommend this because if the condor_kbdd does not have permission to 
write to the log file specified in KBDD_LOG it will simply immediately 
exit (thus resulting in Condor not noticing keypresses).  By making it 
C:\NUL I know this won't be a problem, even if the user who logs in 
doesn't have permission to write to wherever Condor logs are normally kept.

For the upcoming v7.4.2, the plan is to make this all "automatic" and 
not require any condor_config tinkering.  I.e. the condor_master itself 
will be smart enough to start the kbdd on Windows XP/2000, and also the 
condor_master will insert the registry key automatically if it isn't 
already there (instead of relying on the installer program).  Also, the 
condor_kbdd.exe will have some command line options to virtually "poke" 
a keyboard key (for testing purposes).

Hope the above helps,
Todd


> On Mar 1, 2010, at 8:02 PM, <Greg.Hitchen@xxxxxxxx> 
> <Greg.Hitchen@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > Yes, we have noticed this problem. It is related to the new way MS have
> > separated security priveleges in win7. If you search the condor-wiki 
> > there
> > are a bunch of ticket items related to this. Search for condor_kbdd, 
> > this is
> > a new windows daemon in 7.4.1 that now handles keyboard activity (it 
> > used to
> > be in the startd I think, there was a condor_kbdd_dll.dll in the 7.2 
> > series).
> >
> > We have started some testing and keyboardidle works fine for 7.2.* and 
> > 7.4.*
> > on XP but does not work even for 7.2.* on win7.
> >
> > Maybe someone in the Condor Team can comment on the current status and 
> > plans?
> >
> > We have a bunch of other issues with our deployment of condor on win7 
> > machines
> > (nothing to do with condor itself) but the different way that win7 
> > handles
> > things like schtasks and different places in the registry for storing 
> > items
> > (particularly with the 64bit version of win7).
> >
> >
> > Cheers
> >
> > Greg
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: condor-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxx 
> > [mailto:condor-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Willem Hough
> > Sent: Saturday, 27 February 2010 3:37 AM
> > To: Condor-Users Mail List
> > Subject: [Condor-users] KeyboardIdle not functioning correctly in 
> > Windows 7
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > Im running Condor 7.4.1 on Windows 7. KeyboardIdle in the classAds does
> > not reset to zero when there is keyboard/mouse activity.
> >
> > Has anyone else noticed this aswell? Or can someone confirm correct
> > operation of KeyboardIdle on Windows 7?
> >
> >
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> --
> Craig A. Struble, Ph.D. | 369 Cudahy Hall  | Marquette University
> Associate Professor of Computer Science    | (414)288-3783
> Director, Master of Bioinformatics Program | (414)288-5472 (fax)
> http://www.mscs.mu.edu/~cstruble | craig.struble@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
>
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--
Todd Tannenbaum                       University of Wisconsin-Madison
Center for High Throughput Computing  Department of Computer Sciences
tannenba@xxxxxxxxxxx                  1210 W. Dayton St. Rm #4257
Phone: (608) 263-7132                 Madison, WI 53706-1685