[SLE] APC's PowerChute vs. apcupsd

[Robert Paulsen]

In a recent thread there were questions about UPS software for SuSE where I
pointed out that apcupsd was a good choice for APC UPS systems. I also noted
that it was a good idea to get the software from http://apcupsd.com.

Someone replied that instead of apcupsd one should use the PowerChute software
from th official APC site so I got a copy to check it out. I found that it
has some problems:

1) PowerChute for Linux is not a complete package. Here is a quote from the
documentation:

NOTE: Your Linux download only includes the Agent component of the three
PowerChute Business Edition software components. The other two components
only run on Windows...

2) PowerChute doesn't support a USB connection, which is the only type of
connection that was shipped with the APC system I recently bought (BackUPS
XS-1000). PowerChute insists on using a serial port. You will need to contact
APC to get the proper serial cable.

3) PowerChute depends on a specific version of Java.

About apcupsd:

The version that comes with SuSE 9.3 (3.10.16) works, but it has a minor
problem with the USB connection in that it gets some of the status wrong.
There are some other problems as well, but its main functions do work OK.

I got the latest source (3.10.18) from http://apcupsd.com and have been using
that successfully for some time now. I didn't use the web site's rpm version
(it only advertises SuSE support up to version 9.2) from the web site.

The rpm on the SuSE CD/DVD has been patched by SuSE to improve its init script
and a few other things. So, the best thing seems to be to install the rpm
from the SuSE 9.3 CD/DVD, save the init script, build and install the newer
version from the apcups web site, then put back the SuSE version of the init
script. This is what I have done. Building the package is fairly standard --
configure, make, make install. But configure requires some options:

./configure --enable-cgi --enable-pthreads --enable-net \
--enable-master-slave --enable-apcsmart \
--enable-dumb --enable-usb
make
make install

You may need to copy some files (e.g. the CGI files?) to their correct
directories -- I don't remember exactly what I did.

I know that all sounds like a lot of trouble, but it really isn't too hard and
once installed apcupsd is a snap to configure and run. Work it all out with
the SuSE version first then copy in the updated executables.

[Shriramana Sharma]

Post by Robert Paulsen
2) PowerChute doesn't support a USB connection,

My APC UPS shipped with a CD which had PowerChute Personal Edition for
Windows, and it works through a USB connection. Are you saying that
the corresponding version for Linux doesn't support USB connections?

[Robert Paulsen]

Post by Shriramana Sharma

Post by Robert Paulsen
2) PowerChute doesn't support a USB connection,

My APC UPS shipped with a CD which had PowerChute Personal Edition for
Windows, and it works through a USB connection. Are you saying that
the corresponding version for Linux doesn't support USB connections?

Exactly. I tried to install the Linux version and very early in the process
got to a point where I had to specify the connection. My only two choices
were ttyS0 and ttyS1.

[JB]

Post by Robert Paulsen
In a recent thread there were questions about UPS software for SuSE where I
pointed out that apcupsd was a good choice for APC UPS systems. I also
noted that it was a good idea to get the software from http://apcupsd.com.
Someone replied that instead of apcupsd one should use the PowerChute
software from th official APC site so I got a copy to check it out. I found
1) PowerChute for Linux is not a complete package. Here is a quote from the
NOTE: Your Linux download only includes the Agent component of the
three PowerChute Business Edition software components. The other two
components only run on Windows...
2) PowerChute doesn't support a USB connection, which is the only type of
connection that was shipped with the APC system I recently bought (BackUPS
XS-1000). PowerChute insists on using a serial port. You will need to
contact APC to get the proper serial cable.
3) PowerChute depends on a specific version of Java.
The version that comes with SuSE 9.3 (3.10.16) works, but it has a minor
problem with the USB connection in that it gets some of the status wrong.
There are some other problems as well, but its main functions do work OK.
I got the latest source (3.10.18) from http://apcupsd.com and have been
using that successfully for some time now. I didn't use the web site's rpm
version (it only advertises SuSE support up to version 9.2) from the web
site.
The rpm on the SuSE CD/DVD has been patched by SuSE to improve its init
script and a few other things. So, the best thing seems to be to install
the rpm from the SuSE 9.3 CD/DVD, save the init script, build and install
the newer version from the apcups web site, then put back the SuSE version
of the init script. This is what I have done. Building the package is
fairly standard -- configure, make, make install. But configure requires
./configure --enable-cgi --enable-pthreads --enable-net \
--enable-master-slave --enable-apcsmart \
--enable-dumb --enable-usb
make
make install
You may need to copy some files (e.g. the CGI files?) to their correct
directories -- I don't remember exactly what I did.
I know that all sounds like a lot of trouble, but it really isn't too hard
and once installed apcupsd is a snap to configure and run. Work it all out
with the SuSE version first then copy in the updated executables.

If you could try and remember everything you did, from initial installation
and use of your 9.3 system with your APC UPS, it'd be a great help to many of
us 'slower' users and would probably end up in the unofficial SuSE FAQ.
Thanks too for all you've shown and posted so far. Once you have it all here
in a step-by-step (if you're so inclined), you'll be a hero! ;-)

John
--
Stop the invasion of illegal aliens swarming across our borders!
<www.minutemanproject.com>

If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading it in English, thank
a soldier.

[Robert Paulsen]

Post by JB

Post by Robert Paulsen
In a recent thread there were questions about UPS software for SuSE where
I pointed out that apcupsd was a good choice for APC UPS systems. I also
noted that it was a good idea to get the software from
http://apcupsd.com.
Someone replied that instead of apcupsd one should use the PowerChute
software from th official APC site so I got a copy to check it out. I
1) PowerChute for Linux is not a complete package. Here is a quote from
NOTE: Your Linux download only includes the Agent component of the
three PowerChute Business Edition software components. The other two
components only run on Windows...
2) PowerChute doesn't support a USB connection, which is the only type of
connection that was shipped with the APC system I recently bought
(BackUPS XS-1000). PowerChute insists on using a serial port. You will
need to contact APC to get the proper serial cable.
3) PowerChute depends on a specific version of Java.
The version that comes with SuSE 9.3 (3.10.16) works, but it has a minor
problem with the USB connection in that it gets some of the status wrong.
There are some other problems as well, but its main functions do work OK.
I got the latest source (3.10.18) from http://apcupsd.com and have been
using that successfully for some time now. I didn't use the web site's
rpm version (it only advertises SuSE support up to version 9.2) from the
web site.
The rpm on the SuSE CD/DVD has been patched by SuSE to improve its init
script and a few other things. So, the best thing seems to be to install
the rpm from the SuSE 9.3 CD/DVD, save the init script, build and install
the newer version from the apcups web site, then put back the SuSE
version of the init script. This is what I have done. Building the
package is fairly standard -- configure, make, make install. But
./configure --enable-cgi --enable-pthreads --enable-net \
--enable-master-slave --enable-apcsmart \
--enable-dumb --enable-usb
make
make install
You may need to copy some files (e.g. the CGI files?) to their correct
directories -- I don't remember exactly what I did.
I know that all sounds like a lot of trouble, but it really isn't too
hard and once installed apcupsd is a snap to configure and run. Work it
all out with the SuSE version first then copy in the updated executables.

If you could try and remember everything you did, from initial
installation and use of your 9.3 system with your APC UPS, it'd be a great
help to many of us 'slower' users and would probably end up in the
unofficial SuSE FAQ. Thanks too for all you've shown and posted so far.
Once you have it all here in a step-by-step (if you're so inclined), you'll
be a hero! ;-)

Well, the only way I could be sure would be to uninstall everything and do it
all over. I'm not up to that right now!

[Dave Howorth]

Post by Robert Paulsen
In a recent thread there were questions about UPS software for SuSE where I
pointed out that apcupsd was a good choice for APC UPS systems. I also noted
that it was a good idea to get the software from http://apcupsd.com.
Someone replied that instead of apcupsd one should use the PowerChute software
from th official APC site so I got a copy to check it out. I found that it
1) PowerChute for Linux is not a complete package. Here is a quote from the
NOTE: Your Linux download only includes the Agent component of the three
PowerChute Business Edition software components. The other two components
only run on Windows...

When I got my UPS, I tried PowerChute and found that it is incomplete as
you say. I asked APC about it; they were very helpful and they were the
ones who recommended apcupsd to me! It works very well for me to date.

I wrote to APC suggesting that they support the apcupsd project rather
than build and support their own software, which just distracts them
from their core business. I'd suggest everybody else do the same.

Cheers, Dave

[Michael James]

Post by Dave Howorth
I wrote to APC suggesting that they support the apcupsd project rather
than build and support their own software, which just distracts them
from their core business. I'd suggest everybody else do the same.

A long time ago I had to install powerchute onto a Solaris box.
I was very impressed at the way the install script
documented what it did, kept backups of all the files it changed,
and slotted itself in. If only all software was as polite.

It worked well too (over serial with the crazy cable)

michaelj
--
Michael James ***@csiro.au
System Administrator voice: 02 6246 5040
CSIRO Bioinformatics Facility fax: [phone]

No matter how much you pay for software,
you always get less than you hoped.
Unless you pay nothing, then you get more.

[Robert Paulsen]

Post by Michael James

Post by Dave Howorth
I wrote to APC suggesting that they support the apcupsd project rather
than build and support their own software, which just distracts them
from their core business. I'd suggest everybody else do the same.

A long time ago I had to install powerchute onto a Solaris box.
I was very impressed at the way the install script
documented what it did, kept backups of all the files it changed,
and slotted itself in. If only all software was as polite.
It worked well too (over serial with the crazy cable)

According to APC, there are three components to PowerChute:

agent
server
console

Only the agent is supported on Linux. The other two components require
Windows.

Does your configuration include a Windows system? Is the agent alone somehow
useful?

[Michael James]

Post by Robert Paulsen

Post by Michael James
A long time ago I had to install powerchute onto a Solaris box.
I was very impressed at the way the install script
documented what it did, kept backups of all the files it changed,
and slotted itself in. If only all software was as polite.
It worked well too (over serial with the crazy cable)

agent
server
console
Only the agent is supported on Linux.
The other two components require Windows.

It was a long time ago. It cost, or at least the crazy cable cost.
It gave me all I needed to set it up and get reliable shutting down.
I could also look at a GUI log of all the power fluctuations.
It was very generic Unix, would have run on Linux.

michaelj
--
Michael James ***@csiro.au
System Administrator voice: 02 6246 5040
CSIRO Bioinformatics Facility fax: [phone]

No matter how much you pay for software,
you always get less than you hoped.
Unless you pay nothing, then you get more.