0.5.0 RC3 - Linux Unrar version check error message confusing

[ringojo]

I received an error warning message saying: "Your UNRAR version is not recommended"

I tracked down the error to this function:

newsunpack.py: def unrar_check

The function actually checks rar, not unrar for the version.

Is this the intended behavior?  It could be confusing for people trying to update their rar or unrar executables.

[shypike]

It checks for RAR or UNRAR from rarlabs and whether it's version is at least 3.80
What do you have?

[ringojo]

I  update unrar to 3.91 but didn't update rar.  The order of the check looks like:  rar, unrar, rar3, unrar3.  So if you have both rar and unrar, it'll only check rar as it's the first in the array.

Not a big problem, just the error message could be: unrar or rar is wrong version.

[shypike]

That's because SABnzbd will actually use rar when unrar and rar are both available.
Even when rar is older than unrar.

[starheart]

I am running 0.5.0RC3 on Fedora 12 with unrar-3.8.5-5.fc12.x86_64. I get the error message.

Though the package name says 3.8.5, unrar says "UNRAR 3.80 freeware      Copyright (c) 1993-2008 Alexander Roshal". I don't have rar installed.

[starheart]

I created my own rar rpm based on atrpms rar src rpm for Fedora 12. It seems to have made the error message go away. What is rar good for over just unrar in the context of sabnzbd?

I also made an updated copy of the RPMFusion unrar rpm for Fedora 12.

rar-3.9.1-1.11.fc12.x86_64
unrar-3.9.7-1.11.fc12.x86_64

[shypike]

Some people do have the payed version of rar.
The payed version has a feature called authentication validation.
(yeah, like you're going to see authenticated uploads on Usenet )

Seriously, SABnzbd contains this preference since the pre-0.2.5 days,
nobody complained about it before.
Maybe it's just time to drop "rar" support and use only "unrar".
We're always a bit afraid to change such things, there's always
someone affected by this.
As you witnessed when we introduced a mere check.

[mrchris76]

This is a minor annoyance for me on my Netgear ReadyNAS Duo, the error msg is always there and I am limited to what version of rar/unrar I can install on this box.. be nice to be able to configure it to "ignore" the warning for folk like me

Otherwise, this is one fcking awesome application guys keep up the good work!!! 

[shypike]

Lookup the sabnzbd.ini file and change
ignore_wrong_unrar = 0
to
ignore_wrong_unrar = 1

But don't say we didn't warn you!
Which unrar are you using?

[beezel]

I'm on fc10, and unfortunately it looks like ive been abandoned a while back version-wise:
Installed Packages
unrar.x86_64                  3.7.8-3.fc10                    installed
Available Packages
unrar.x86_64                  3.7.8-3.fc10                    rpmfusion-nonfree

is there any reason i should try fixing this? I dont seem to have any problems, and haven't for a while. is it a performance or reliability increase?

thanks,

beezel

[shypike]

Reliability and format support.
Especially the "free" ones (those not using rarlabs open source code) are unreliable.
Also the older unrar may not support newer compression methods used by posters.
If works for you, it's OK.
But we do recommend installing the original rarlabs releases.
SABnzbd checks specifically for the copyright notice and a minimum version of 3.80.

If all is OK and you're tired of the warning, look here for a fix:
http://wiki.sabnzbd.org/configure-special

[beezel]

shy, thanks for the quick reply.

i removed unrar via yum and installed the x64 from rarlabs.com, but now sab isn't seeing rar at all.

i checked sabnzbd.ini but couldn't find a place to specify where rar is located.

im seeing: unrar binary... NOT found

tho a simple rar or unrar yeilds:  unrar

UNRAR 3.92 beta 1 freeware      Copyright (c) 1993-2010 Alexander Roshal


Thanks!

[beezel]

little more info...

[beezel@julian ~]$ which rar
/usr/local/bin/rar
[beezel@julian ~]$ $PATH
-bash: /usr/lib64/qt-3.3/bin:/usr/kerberos/bin:/usr/lib64/ccache:/usr/local/bin:/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:

and im starting sab as user beezel

[beezel]

ln -s /usr/local/bin/rar /usr/bin fixed it, but its strange that it wouldn't find it even tho my path was correct.

[shypike]

SABnzbd looks first for unrar, then for rar.
It has a preference for unrar.