Error writing intermediate file: rX250423

[millette]

Hi,

I am running an LL test and was probably very low on hd space for a
short while and noticed this error:

"Error writing intermediate file: rX250423"

The equivalent p and q files seem to be written correctly, and the
program is going ahead with more iterations. I checked the faq (btw, the
footer of the list messages is misleading: the faq it points to is 404)
on the http://www.mersenne.org/ site. I also googled and found an old
1998 message in a mailing list archive. Only a question, no answer.

Since I'm almost 10% done, I was wondering if it's ok to continue, or
would it be safer to start over? I guess prime95 would have
automatically stopped, but I just want to be sure :)

Oh, happy new year!

[lycorn]

As long as you have the p and q files, it´s safe to continue. An error writing to an intermediate file will at most cause a loss of some iterations (since the last save). Why the name of that particular file start by r I´m not sure, but from my past experience getting an error like that poses no problem. Keep on crunching...
Note that Prime95 doesn´t automatically stop on errors, rather it gives out error messages to warn the user that something may be wrong. Read Prime95´s help for a description of the errors and their potential severity.

Ah, Happy New Year to you, too!

[millette]

Originally posted by lycorn
Note that Prime95 doesn´t automatically stop on errors, rather it gives out error messages to warn the user that something may be wrong. Read Prime95´s help for a description of the errors and their potential severity.

You know what? I only now looked into the help file - I search the net first :) But now I did, but didn't find any reference to my error in the prime95 help.

Your information and the confirmations I got on the mailing list were all reassuring, thanks!

[cheesehead]

Originally posted by millette
"Error writing intermediate file: rX250423"

The equivalent p and q files seem to be written correctly,

When it's time for Prime95 to write the next save file, it doesn't delete either of the existing save files until it has successfully written the new one. So (IIRC) it first writes the new save file with an "r" prefix on its name. Once that is successfully written, Prime95 deletes the existing "p" save file, then renames the "q" save file to be the new "p" save file, then renames the "r" save file to be the new "q" save file. (So, normally. the "r" file exists with that name prefix for only a few seconds until it is renamed to "q".)

In your case, the preceding two save files had been successfully written, but (probably) there wasn't enough room for a third save file. In that case, Prime95 leaves the existing save files alone, restarts its timer for the next save file write interval, then continues calculations. The "p" and "q" save files will remain as the rwo most recently written save files until Prime95 is able to write a newer one, after which it will then, as above, erase the "p", rename the "q" to "p", and rename the "r" it has just then successfully written to "q".

[Reboot It]

Right, cheesehead, except I think you've got your p and q the wrong way around: the p file is the more recent intermediate file, the q file is the older of the pair. An amended version of your text is below, with changes emboldened.

When it's time for Prime95 to write the next save file, it doesn't delete either of the existing save files until it has successfully written the new one. So it first writes the new save file with an "r" prefix on its name. Once that is successfully written, Prime95 deletes the existing "q" save file, then renames the "p" save file to be the new "q" save file, then renames the "r" save file to be the new "p" save file. (So, normally. the "r" file exists with that name prefix for only a few seconds until it is renamed to "p".)

In your case, the preceding two save files had been successfully written, but (probably) there wasn't enough room for a third save file. In that case, Prime95 leaves the existing save files alone, restarts its timer for the next save file write interval, then continues calculations. The "p" and "q" save files will remain as the rwo most recently written save files until Prime95 is able to write a newer one, after which it will then, as above, erase the "q", rename the "p" to "q", and rename the "r" it has just then successfully written to "p".

[patrik]

Yes, you have to mind your p's and q's.

[Reboot It]

Originally posted by patrik
Yes, you have to mind your p's and q's.

And you managed to remember the saying and extract the joke that I was trying to think up all the while while writing my previous post!

[cheesehead]

Good to see you guys are awake.