{"id":5715,"date":"2018-10-26T11:48:31","date_gmt":"2018-10-26T11:48:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.use-snip.com\/kb\/?post_type=ht_kb&p=5715"},"modified":"2020-07-26T23:37:01","modified_gmt":"2020-07-26T23:37:01","slug":"5715","status":"publish","type":"ht_kb","link":"https:\/\/www.use-snip.com\/kb\/knowledge-base\/5715\/","title":{"rendered":"Server 2012 Blank Maps, solved"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few users running copies of SNIP<\/strong><\/span> on remote machines (often with TeamViewer or with Microsoft’s MSTSC Client) have reported blank screens at times for both Maps and Documents.\u00a0 While SNIP<\/strong><\/span> runs fine (servicing clients etc.), none of the reports can be viewed. \u00a0 This article<\/a> describes this issue further and states that incorrect screen drivers were partly to blame.\u00a0 That is correct, but not the full story.<\/p>\n

The problem is most prevalent on server OS machines such as Windows Server 2012<\/strong> (all releases).\u00a0 In some of these machines OpenGL is not correctly started, in a few there is simply no OpenGL support present.\u00a0 [And this is a different issue than trying to run SNIP<\/strong><\/span> on a single-core<\/em> under-powered<\/em> machine.\u00a0 A two-core machine is highly recommended.]<\/p>\n

Solution #1, starting with a script<\/h2>\n

SNIP<\/strong><\/span> operator Alan Merkel describes the root cause and how to overcome it in the below email.\u00a0 In essence, SNIP<\/strong><\/span> needs to be started locally for the correct local screen drivers to work.<\/p>\n

Update, Late 2018<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n

The root issue involved in this is the use of the desktop openGL drivers vs the remote drivers.\u00a0 From SNIP<\/strong><\/span> release 2.07 onward, some additional startup code has been added to ensure the use of the correct drivers.\u00a0 This is observed to fix the problem of ‘blank’ document screens for some uses, but we are not sure if it will address it for all user machines.\u00a0 The machines that seems to be most often affected have settings or both English and another language installed.<\/p>\n

\n

The Windows Server Screen Issue & Solution<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
On 10\/16\/2018 6:31 PM, Alan Merkel wrote:<\/div>\n
\n

First, thanks for a GREAT hunk of software – well done sir.
\nNow on to the what, why, and fix for the map issue…<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

What –<\/p>\n

Described on your website very well.\u00a0 Blank screen on Map viewer window.<\/p>\n

Why –<\/p>\n

The software (not your fault I think) does not like the remote desktop protocol for the graphics.<\/p>\n

How to make it happen –<\/p>\n

Close SNIP.\u00a0 RDP (MSTSC Client) into the server.\u00a0 Open SNIP.\u00a0 Blank map screen.<\/p>\n

How to make it NOT happen –<\/p>\n

Close SNIP.\u00a0 From the server console open SNIP.\u00a0 Working map screen.<\/p>\n

Next, RDP into the server as the logged in user from the console session.\u00a0 Working map screen.<\/p>\n

How to prove it –<\/p>\n

From the RDP session (previous step) close, then re-open SNIP.\u00a0 Blank map screen.<\/p>\n

Screen resolution and video drivers make no difference.\u00a0 Only where it was started from (console or RDP).<\/p>\n

Can I run SNIP as a service to avoid this, and how?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Thanks again,
\nAlan Merkel
\nMerkel & Associates, Inc.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

A useful Script<\/h3>\n

In a subsequent email Alan provided a clever but simple batch script which can be placed alongside the Windows copy of SNIP<\/strong><\/span> (typically found at the folder: C:\\Program Files (x86)\\SNIP\\bin<\/em>) and run to overcome this.\u00a0\u00a0 Here is the resulting script, slightly modified by SNIP<\/strong><\/span> developers.\u00a0 This will be included in all future SNIP<\/strong><\/span> installer releases.<\/p>\n

@echo off\r\nREM The active session has an arrow as the first character\r\nsetlocal EnableDelayedExpansion\r\nFOR \/F %%A in ('qwinsta') do (\r\nset tempSessionName=%%A\r\nif \"!tempSessionName:~0,1!\"==\">\" \u00a0(\u00a0\r\n@echo off\r\ntscon.exe !tempSessionName:~1! \/v \/dest:console\u00a0\r\n)\r\n)\r\ncd \"C:\\Program Files (x86)\\SNIP\\bin\"\r\nstart simpleNTRIP.exe\r\ncls\r\nexit<\/pre>\n
This is quite similar to the script which is used to create environment variables and then to start SNIP<\/strong><\/span> in Ubuntu.\u00a0 Be sure to edit the path to the SNIP<\/strong><\/span> executable\u00a0 (simpleNTRIP.exe<\/em>) if you have installed in another folder.<\/p>\n
And in reply to<\/h3>\n
Can I run SNIP as a service to avoid this, and how?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
We are developing a suitable solution to this now, which will also integrate with our pending 24\/7 monitoring service.\u00a0 Because SNIP<\/strong><\/span> manages several open log files containing the state of the machine, data logs, and users, using simple 3rd party tools to periodically hard restart the process can run the risk of damaging these files. This is not recommended.\u00a0 Because SNIP<\/strong><\/span> is a GUI application it does require access to the desktop.<\/p>\n
Some deployments report that they are using utility tools like SrvStart<\/a> to run SNIP<\/strong><\/span> as a service in this way.<\/p>\n
Solution #2, adding OpenGL support in software<\/h2>\n
SNIP<\/strong><\/span> operator Ola Torgeir Bue has found a 3rd Party OpenGL software DLL called “Mesa3D” that resolves the problem as well.\u00a0\u00a0 We have used it here on other Windows Server 2012 machines as well.\u00a0 In the machines we have seen with this issue, the default language and keyboard has never been English (but it is not clear if this is part of the cause).<\/p>\n
The link is:\u00a0 https:\/\/fdossena.com\/?p=mesa\/index.frag <\/a><\/p>\n
From that site:<\/p>\n
Mesa3D can be used to provide a Software Renderer to OpenGL applications. It is especially useful to run old apps and games that use an old version of OpenGL and do not work properly on modern hardware. Please note that this renderer is far from perfect, and many games will not work.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
And it works for SNIP<\/strong><\/span>.<\/p>\n
The project is in active development\u00a0 (Version 19.04 released May 9th 2019).
\nWhile intended for use with older Windows PCs, it seems to work fine on Windows Servers.
\nBe sure to take a look at the open license as well: https:\/\/mesa3d.org\/license.html<\/p>\n
Simply download it, extract it, and place it alongside simpleNTRIP.exe in your SNIP<\/strong><\/span> \/bin folder.\u00a0 Restart SNIP<\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0 That’s it.<\/p>\n
 <\/p>\n
 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A few users running copies of SNIP on remote machines (often with TeamViewer or with Microsoft’s MSTSC Client) have reported blank screens at times for both Maps and Documents.\u00a0 While SNIP runs fine (servicing clients etc.), none of the reports can be viewed. \u00a0 This article describes this issue further […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"ht-kb-category":[115],"ht-kb-tag":[416,92],"class_list":["post-5715","ht_kb","type-ht_kb","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","ht_kb_category-getting-started","ht_kb_tag-remote-desktop","ht_kb_tag-server"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.use-snip.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb\/5715","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.use-snip.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.use-snip.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/ht_kb"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.use-snip.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.use-snip.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5715"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/www.use-snip.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb\/5715\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6305,"href":"https:\/\/www.use-snip.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb\/5715\/revisions\/6305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.use-snip.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"ht_kb_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.use-snip.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb-category?post=5715"},{"taxonomy":"ht_kb_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.use-snip.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb-tag?post=5715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}