Invalid notes.ini during server setup

HCL Domino Domino Forum
1

Hi there!

I teach a long-distance course on Domino system administration. The students install the server software on their machines with two partitions defined, then run a short LotusScript that adds the port forwarding lines to the two notes.ini files, then go through the server setup for the first server.

This routine has been functioning for a few years now for dozens of students. Just recently, two of my students have run into the same problem: when running the first server setup, the setup returns an “invalid notes.ini file” error. Here are the relevant lines from setuplog.txt:

(From the beginning of the file)

Startup arguments = =C:\Program Files\Lotus\Domino\rockdata\notes.ini

Creating new WizardData instance

argument 0 =C:\Program Files\Lotus\Domino\rockdata\notes.ini

Processing = parameter =C:\Program Files\Lotus\Domino\rockdata\notes.ini

iniFile path= C:\Program Files\Lotus\Domino\rockdata\notes.ini

getNotesINIValue

getNotesINIValue exit - C:\Program Files\Lotus\Domino\rockdata

data dir path from iniFile= C:\Program Files\Lotus\Domino\rockdata

Valid data directory detected as C:\Program Files\Lotus\Domino\rockdata

About to wait on DominoAPIThread.callAPI()

dominoAPI.run.init

(…from later in the file…)

DominoConstants.getWritableDirectory()

writable directory = C:\Program Files\Lotus\Domino

Default data directory = C:\Program Files\Lotus\Domino\rockdata

getNotesINIValue key= ServerSetup

Trying to opening notes.ini file at C:\Program Files\Lotus\Domino\rockdata\notes.ini

getNotesINIValue ServerSetup=null

Server has not been setup yet

getNotesINIValue key= KitType

Trying to opening notes.ini file at C:\Program Files\Lotus\Domino\rockdata\notes.ini

getNotesINIValue KitType=2

About to wait on DominoAPIThread.callAPI()

Woke up from wait on run

(…from the end of the file…)

Woke up from wait on run

dominoAPI.run.setValue

setValue LocalDomainAdmins=1

About to notify api caller

About to wait on run

Woke in DominoAPIThread.callAPI()

About to wait on DominoAPIThread.callAPI()

Woke up from wait on run

dominoAPI.run.saveDocument

Document saved NoteID= 8F6

DominoServer - SetupProgressBar

SetupProgressBar - changeProgressBar//

SetupProgressBar - *call SetupProgressBar(msg, cmd, status)

SetupProgressBar - callback

message=

command=16

status=8366

*Error - bad notes.ini kittype!=2 detected

SetupProgressBar - *call SetupProgressBar(msg, cmd, status) exit;

I’ve had the students try everything I can think of. They’ve used the backup copies of the notes.ini files made before the LotusScript ran. They’ve double-checked that the file permissions are set correctly on the notes.ini and ID files. They’ve uninstalled everything, deleted all the folders, and tried again. They’ve even downloaded other installers. This has happened with both 7.01 and 7.02. Both students are using Windows (one is using XP Pro, to be more specific).

Any ideas what might be going on here?

Thanks very much!

Rowan

2

Subject: Invalid notes.ini during server setup

Hi,

I faced a similar problem with Domino 7.0.2.

To resolve this problem i searched for notes.ini file on the system and found out one in c:\windows folder.

After deleting that file my setup worked like a charm…

Hope this may be helpful for your as well…

3

Subject: Invalid notes.ini during server setup

I had the same issue when I first installed a normal Domino server in the folder D:\lotus\domino. Afterwards I removed the server and installed a partitioned server on it in the folder D:\lotus\domino\data1.

For the partitioned server, the notes.ini file was located in the folder D:\lotus\domino\data1. During the server setup, I got the mentioned error message “notes.ini file for this server is invalid”.

At the end we managed to solve the problem by putting a copy of the notes.ini file also in the folder D:\lotus\domino. Apparently Domino was looking in there for the notes.ini file.

Cheers, Phuoc.

4

Subject: RE: Invalid notes.ini during server setup

Yes, I found a notes.ini file in c:\windows directory. After deleting that file, I started setup again, and it worked.

Thanks

Benu

5

Subject: Invalid notes.ini during server setup

I think your kicker is that end line… in the beginning of the notes.ini it should refer to the kittype (KitType=2) for a server, 1 being for a client.

Actually it says 2 could be Server or Both, but that’s probably from the days when it was “ok” to run the client on the server.

Have them check for that value, perhaps that reference is =1 ?

6

Subject: RE: Invalid notes.ini during server setup

Yes, I noticed that too. It reads the value correctly as “2” at the beginning of the process, but later fails because the value is not “2”. I had them check that line in the notes.ini file and it’s fine.

Thanks,

Rowan

7

Subject: RE: Invalid notes.ini during server setup

Rowan - any resolution to this issue? I am having a similar problem and can’t seem to find the solution. Trying to install 7.02 on Win2k3 - partitioned server. Thanks for any help you can provide.