Specify's Automated Error Feedback Facility

Within Specify 6, we added a user option to enable feedback reporting to us in the background over the Internet, whenever Specify encounters a problem. This technical feedback has proven useful as we have been able to correct problems in subsequent releases after identifying them from information in the logs. We've noticed two issues arising in the incident logs that are worth mentioning: the Specify Updater and Checking for Updates.

Specify Updater and the "IT" User

When an update release of Specify is issued, the downloaded Updater program may need to modify the table and field structure of your installed database. To effect those kinds of changes, Specify must invoke the 'root' user credentials of the MySQL installation (we call them the "IT user" ID and password). The Specify 'Master' user account and regular Specify user accounts do not have permission to update MySQL database structures. Specify will only prompt for the "IT user" name and password during Specify updates when a change to Specify's data tables or fields is needed. Not all updates do that. But we have noticed that updater database changes are failing for some users because the user ID and password specified are not those of the IT user. We surmise this because the incident logs tell us that the updates are failing because the user ID specified does not have update (ALTER) privileges on the database. As a consequence, the Updater attempts to modify Specify data tables but fails and leaves the database in an unusable state. That's bad.

In our next release (6.1.05--January 2010), the Specify Updater will not allow an update that makes changes to the database to take any action unless the IT user ID and password are correct and verified. In the meantime, if you attempted to update Specify and were asked for the IT user ID and password (remember not the Master user ID and password) and if you did not give the correct values causing Specify to be in a partially-updated state and spewing errors, please contact us and we will help you complete the update. If you register your installation, we will be able to contact you directly; the anonymous error logs we receive do not have personally identifiable information. And again, we will eliminate this particular update problem in the next release by stricter checking of IT user credentials.

Checking for Updates

We have also noted that several sites are not updating their Specify installations and are encountering bugs which have already been corrected. These sites are not registered, so we do not know who you are. If you choose not to register your installation from within Specify, be sure to use the 'Check for Updates' menu item to see if the Project has issued an update. In the next release, we will remove the requirement that installations register in order to automatically receive software update alerts when Specify is started; we will notify everyone if a Specify update is available. All workstations sharing a Specify collection database must run the same version of Specify. Specify will issue a warning message if a workstation has not been upgraded to the same level as others at a site.

Database Conversions to Specify 6

Por fin, database conversions to Specify 6 are gaining momentum! We are currently converting data from the Sam Noble Museum of Oklahoma Natural History, Old Dominion University, Michigan State University, Louisiana State University, University of Massachusetts, Charleston Museum of Natural History, and the mammal collection here at the University of Kansas. We recently completed implementation of the Specify Converter which automatically moves Specify 5 data into Specify 6. The Converter also now converts Specify 5 databases which contain multiple catalog Series to Specify 6 as multiple Collections. We engineered the Converter to be run in house without an end user interface; if you are a Specify 5 installation and not in the queue to be converted, send e-mail to Theresa Lammer (specify@ku.edu), who is adroitly handling conversion scheduling, including the customization of Specify 6 forms and reports.

Next Release

We plan to issue Specify 6.1.05 during the week of January 11, 2010. That release will fix a small number of issues, including the ones above, and it will add some requested data fields and lengthen others. If you have a constraint with field size or missing fields, e-mail us.

We shall return with more in early 2010, concentrating over the next few months on migrating Specify 5 databases to Specify 6. We will look forward to working with you in the new year.

Season's greetings from all of us here in the Specify Lab and best wishes for 2010.