Can't complete `dials.symmetry` or `dials.scale` jobs on some Windows machines

[dagewa]

At the CCP4 workshop in Prague, some users with Windows laptops could not complete dials.symmetry or dials.scale jobs. They would run up to a certain point at which the node would turn red and the job would appear failed.

I have a suspicion it is due to special characters in the log file, in particular the first line where "CC½" is printed for example. Some Windows computers were okay, but many had this problem. It might be related to something like a Czech locale, although that is just a guess.

[dagewa]

Something to check for DUI2

[luisodls]

I have a Windows 10 virtual machine so I can test and try to reproduce, I have couple of questions:

• Will this happen with any dataset? so I can test with the small X4_wide.

• Will I need to install Czech locale in my VM?

Thanks,

Luiso

[dagewa]

We were running with the beta lactamase tutorial dataset (https://dials.github.io/documentation/tutorials/processing_in_detail_betalactamase_dui.html)

As for the Czech locale, I'm not sure. I did not have time in the workshop to figure out what the common feature was between the laptops where this failed vs those where it worked.

[dagewa]

I've just tested this on my Windows 10 PC, where it worked okay, but what is printed to the log looked odd anyway:

Resolution estimate from CC½ > 0.60: 1.40

I will try installing a Czech locale to see if that makes a difference.

[dagewa]

I managed to reproduce this by changing my Windows system locale settings to Czech. I did that in a few places, but I think the critical one is here:

After that, the behaviour looks like this:

DUI-symmetry-log-bug.online-video-cutter.com.mp4

You can see the log gets as far as

Removing 2 Wilson outliers with E^2 >= 16.0

it probably fails on the next line, which contains the $\sigma$ character:

Resolution estimate from <I>/<σ(I)> > 4.0 : 2.09

[dagewa]

@luisodls Are you able to check if this is still a problem for DUI2?

[luisodls]

@dagewa I will check as soon as I finish what I am doing now with the dials.split_experiment feature.

I have a couple of Windows 10 virtual machines laying around, I suppose VirtualBox machines will let me reproduce, my bare metal Windows boot broke recently and I had to reformat. I will let you know how it goes.