Error "Invalid preference file format"

[Bernhard Pieber]

We are evaluating pulse for our team. I created a profile with our workspace settings and shared it with a colleague.

When he launches the profile he gets 11 collaborative updates. When applying them the following error appears:

Updating Workspace
Could not apply all workspace updates
Invalid preference file format

See screenshot below.

We are stuck. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Bernhard Pieber

Screen Shot 2012-04-05 at 10.39.46.png

[Bernhard Pieber]

I just tried to launch the profile using a new local workspace. I get 12 instead of 11 collaborative updates. Huh? When I apply the same error happens.

I wonder if this forum is the official channel for bug reports and support requests?

Regards,
Bernhard Pieber

[Pulse Support]

Bernhard,

First, this is the correct place for support requests. We do strive to reply to all requests in a timely manner but just understand that most of our support staff live in North America so our hours tend to be a bit skewed from Europe's and Asia's.

Looking into your issue. I would like to first say that we use standard Eclipse APIs for preferences so I would like to know more of how you put the preferences into the profile. Did you export the preferences and then upload them to the profile? Did you have the Software and Workspace Center (SAWC) upload it for you? If you exported the preferences do you get the same error when importing them in the running eclipse instance?

As for the difference in updates to apply. Without knowing more about the 2 systems, all I can really say is that one workspace could have already had a default preference the other did not or even have a project the other did not. The different numbers could even be caused by different OSs.

If you could provide me with the name of your profile, I could take a look at it on our servers and may be able to gleen a few other suggestions to fix this issue.

Thanks for evaluating Pulse and feel free to continue asking questions here. We do strive to provide excellent customer support in our forums. However, you can always contact Genuitec sales if you want/require a specific support level that is greater than what is provided in our forums.

Cheers
--Ray
Pulse Support

[Bernhard Pieber]

The name of the profile is Modellierung.

We did not export preferences and upload them to the profile. I am not sure how to do this.

I created and installed the profile, then launched it with a new workspace. Then I changed the preferences using Eclipse's preference UI – I did import my standard formatter preferences without any errors. Then I switched to the SAWC, shared the workspace preferences there and synced the profile.

My colleague installed the profile and launched it with a new workspace. He gets informed there are 11 changes to apply. When applying the above error appears.

Regards,
Bernhard Pieber

[Pulse Support]

Bernhard,

In order to help isolate where the error is occurring I would like you to try something.

Please export your preferences from your eclipse instance. To do this, just select File -> Export... from the menu and look for Eclipse Preferences and follow the instructions on the wizard. Then I would like you to use File -> Import... to bring your preferences into another eclipse instance. If you still get the error, then the problem is with the preferences you are trying to share rather than Pulse code. If it works properly then we do in fact have a bug in the Pulse code.

In the meantime, thank you for providing me with the profile name. I will use that to take a look at it on my end.

Cheers,
--Ray
Pulse Support

[Bernhard Pieber]

Ray,

I just tried it. I launched the profile with the workspace where I set the preferences, exported all of them in the EclipseSettings.epf. Then I launched Eclipse (Indigo SR2), switched to a new workspace and imported the preferences. It worked without error. I did not check all of the preferences, but at least some of them were set correctly.

Thanks for your support.

Regards,
Bernhard Pieber

[Pulse Support]

Bernhard,

Thanks for the info. I will continue looking into this but it is very odd that this is occurring. It has been a while since we have made significant changes in this area so right now I am at a loss as to what is occurring.

Can you send me one last thing? I would like to get a support bundle from you. All you need to do is:

1) Start one of the Pulse managed eclipse instances that is seeing this issue.
2) Reproduce the issue one more time (so I have a recent stack trace).
3) Open the Software and Workspace Center. It will be found under the Help menu.
4) in the lower left section you should see a life saver icon in the title area. Use this to create and send a support bundle. All I ask is that you please refer to this forum thread so we will have some context with the bundle submission.

Thanks and we'll get to the bottom of this,
--Ray
Pulse Support

[Pulse Support]

Bernhard,

I finally have been able to take a look at your profile (I apologize for taking so long but we are in the throws of a release). A few things stick out at me.

1) You installed the profile on Mac and I assume this is also where you uploaded the preferences from. Are all the accounts you shared this with also running Mac? If not, did you by chance set anything in your prefs in a Mac specific way (i.e. paths)

2) While it should not be an issue, I did notice that you shared preferences for software that is also not shared, mainly MercurialEclipse. Eclipse should allow you to proceed with the preference import but perhaps we have a bug in Pulse pertaining to this.

Based on what I saw, I would suggest you shared Mercurial and see what happens when you try to apply updates again. If you do not wish to share Mercurial then you should remove the prefernces for it from what you share.

Cheers,
--Ray
Pulse Support

[Bernhard Pieber]

Ray,

My colleague uploaded a support bundle from the image after the error occurs when applying the changes. The Bundle ID is 1162-zpE-4570.

As to your questions:
1) We both run Macs.

2) The software should be shared. We thought we had shared it. Anyway, I shared it now from the workspace I used to change the preferences. My colleague saw the software changes in Pulse and applied them without error. When he started the workspace he saw 12 changes. However, the same "Invalid Preference File Format" error occurred again during applying. So the error seems to be caused by something else.

Regards,
Bernhard

[Pulse Support]

Bernhard,

I have received the support bundle and will let you know what I find from it.

Cheers,
--Ray
Pulse Support