Ptolemy II 1.0.1 Limitations

Note that there is a more recent version of Ptolemy II is available for download.
Rather than using this older version of Ptolemy II, please use the more recent version.

The Ptolemy II 1.0.1 Release notes list limitations. The Vergil welcome window has a link to a similar list.

Below we list limitations found after the Ptolemy II 1.0.1 release.

Installer limitations

  • Unfortunately, the Installshield Installer has a number of bugs. See the Installshield bugs section for details.
  • We have only tested the Installshield Installers under Windows 2000 and Windows 98. Unix users should install from the ptII1.0.1.src.tar.gz tar file and follow the Installation Instructions.
  • Under Linux SuSe 6.4, jdk1.3.0_02, you may see a Java compiler exception 
    make[5]: Leaving directory 
`/opt/ptolemy/ptII1.0.1/ptolemy/actor/lib/logic/test'rm -f `basename 
LogicFunction.java .java`.class
CLASSPATH="../../../.." "/usr/java/jdk1.3/bin/javac" -g -O 
LogicFunction.java
../../../../ptolemy/kernel/util/StringAttribute.java:144: cannot access 
ptolemy.kernel.util.Settable.Visibility
file ptolemy/kernel/util/Settable$Visibility.class not found
    public Settable.Visibility getVisibility() {
                   ^
An exception has occurred in the compiler (1.3.0). Please file a bug at 
the Java Developer Connection (http://java.sun.com/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi). 
 Include your program and the following diagnostic in your report.  Thank 
you.
java.lang.NullPointerException
        at com.sun.tools.javac.v8.comp.Check$Validator._case(Check.java:440)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.v8.tree.Tree$Select.visit(Tree.java:963)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.v8.comp.Check.validate(Check.java:403)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.v8.comp.Attr._case(Attr.java:361)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.v8.tree.Tree$MethodDef.visit(Tree.java:441)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.v8.comp.Attr.attribTree(Attr.java:234)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.v8.comp.Attr.attribStat(Attr.java:276)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.v8.comp.Attr.attribClass(Attr.java:1415)
        at 
com.sun.tools.javac.v8.JavaCompiler.compile(JavaCompiler.java:378)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.v8.Main.compile(Main.java:247)
        at com.sun.tools.javac.Main.main(Main.java:16)
make[4]: *** [LogicFunction.class] Error 4
    The solution is to either run 
    ./configure; make clean; make install
    or to upgrade to JDK1.3.1rc1.
    Thanks to Christian Stimming for reporting this.

    • Runtime limitations

  • Under Linux SuSe 6.4, jdk1.3.0_02, you may have problems entering a * (asterisk) in a parameter editing textbox. Upgrading to JDK1.3.1rc1 may help. Other test to try include running the swing demos and trying to the entry widget in the the Ptplot Edit->Format window.
    Thanks to Christian Stimming for reporting this.
  • Under Netscape 4.7 and Windows 2000, the applets won't start when installed on a local file system. The Java 1.3 Plug-in console window says: 
    Error: access denied (java.lang.RuntimePermission modifyThreadGroup)
java.security.AccessControlException: access denied (java.lang.RuntimePermission modifyThreadGroup)
	at java.security.AccessControlContext.checkPermission(Unknown Source)
	at java.security.AccessController.checkPermission(Unknown Source)
	at java.lang.SecurityManager.checkPermission(Unknown Source)
    This error occurs when Netscape is not yet running, and HTML Demos and Docs starts a new Netscape process. A workaround is to start up Netscape by hand and then click on the HTML Demos and Docs menu choice.

    The fix is to change the Start in directory of the HTML Demos and Docs shortcut to include the doc directory.

    1. Start -> Programs -> Ptolemy -> Ptolemy II 1.0.1
    2. Right click on HTML Demos and Docs
    3. In Start in, change:
      "C:\Program Files\Ptolemy\Ptolemy II 1.0.1\"
      to: "C:\Program Files\Ptolemy\Ptolemy II 1.0.1\doc"
  • The DDE Zeno demo produces an error message in the Java Plug-in console window: 
    java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: LowerJoin - Attempt to set current time to the past; time = 50.001. The _lastTime was 54.0
	at ptolemy.domains.dde.kernel.PrioritizedTimedQueue.put(PrioritizedTimedQueue.java:297)
	at ptolemy.domains.dde.kernel.DDEReceiver.put(DDEReceiver.java:580)
	at ptolemy.domains.dde.kernel.DDEReceiver.put(DDEReceiver.java:549)
	at ptolemy.domains.dde.kernel.FeedBackDelay._sendOutToken(FeedBackDelay.java:247)
	at ptolemy.domains.dde.kernel.FeedBackDelay.fire(FeedBackDelay.java:175)
	at ptolemy.actor.process.ProcessThread.run(ProcessThread.java:126)
ptolemy.actor.Manager run(): elapsed time: 23004 ms
  • Running the Networked demo via an applet on the local file system results in an AccessControlException. 
    com.microstar.xml.XmlException: XML element "entity" triggers exception:
  java.lang.Exception: Attempted to lookup 'Waveform', but got: 
  java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: Waveform
Attempted to find as a moml class, but got: java.security.AccessControlException: access denied (java.net.SocketPermission ptolemy.eecs.berkeley.edu resolve) in file:/C:/Program Files/Ptolemy/Ptolemy II 1.0 beta2/ptolemy/moml/demo/Networked/ at line 62 and column 118
	at ptolemy.moml.MoMLParser.startElement(MoMLParser.java:1341)
	at com.microstar.xml.XmlParser.parseElement(XmlParser.java:944)
	at com.microstar.xml.XmlParser.parseContent(XmlParser.java:1117)
	at com.microstar.xml.XmlParser.parseElement(XmlParser.java:946)
	at com.microstar.xml.XmlParser.parseDocument(XmlParser.java:495)
	at com.microstar.xml.XmlParser.doParse(XmlParser.java:175)
	at com.microstar.xml.XmlParser.parse(XmlParser.java:145)
	at ptolemy.moml.MoMLParser.parse(MoMLParser.java:492)
	at ptolemy.moml.MoMLParser.parse(MoMLParser.java:471)
	at ptolemy.moml.MoMLParser.parse(MoMLParser.java:456)
	at ptolemy.actor.gui.MoMLApplet._createModel(MoMLApplet.java:188)
    The Network demo does not work as a local applet because the xml file includes a reference to http://ptolemy.eecs.berkeley.edu, which is not on the local file system, so we get a SecurityException.
  • When running Vergil under the IBM JDK1.3.0, sometimes the images in the html file are very small.
  • vergil foo hangs. No window comes up if foo does not exist.
  • The documentation for custom actors used in demonstrations is not included in the release.
    • If you find bugs, check the limitations page inside Vergil, then check this page, and then send email to ptolemy at eecs berkeley edu.

    In your email, please be sure to list

  • What operating system you are operating under (Windows 2000 SR1? Solaris 7?)
  • What version of Java you are running. (Run java -version, or use our Java Version Applet )
  • Whether the problem occurs in
  • Vergil
  • The local version of the web pages
  • The PtolemyII 1.0.1 website version of the web pages