Server: Back off reading logs in the log tab on error

python/PiFinder/main.py

@@ -868,25 +868,36 @@ def main(
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
+    import sys
+
+    debug_no_file_logs = "--debug-no-file-logs" in sys.argv
+    if debug_no_file_logs:
+        os.environ["PIFINDER_DEBUG_NO_FILE_LOGS"] = "1"
+
     print("Bootstrap logging configuration ...")
     logging.basicConfig(format="%(asctime)s BASIC %(name)s: %(levelname)s %(message)s")
     rlogger = logging.getLogger()
-    rlogger.setLevel(logging.INFO)
-    log_path = utils.data_dir / "pifinder.log"
-    try:
-        log_helper = MultiprocLogging(
-            Path("pifinder_logconf.json"),
-            log_path,
-        )
+    rlogger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG if debug_no_file_logs else logging.INFO)
+
+    if debug_no_file_logs:
+        log_helper = MultiprocLogging(Path("pifinder_logconf.json"), console_only=True)
         MultiprocLogging.configurer(log_helper.get_queue())
-    except FileNotFoundError:
-        rlogger.warning(
-            "Cannot find log configuration file, proceeding with basic configuration."
-        )
-        rlogger.warning("Logs will not be stored on disk, unless you use --log")
-        logging.getLogger("PIL.PngImagePlugin").setLevel(logging.WARNING)
-        logging.getLogger("tetra3.Tetra3").setLevel(logging.WARNING)
-        logging.getLogger("picamera2.picamera2").setLevel(logging.WARNING)
+    else:
+        log_path = utils.data_dir / "pifinder.log"
+        try:
+            log_helper = MultiprocLogging(
+                Path("pifinder_logconf.json"),
+                log_path,
+            )
+            MultiprocLogging.configurer(log_helper.get_queue())
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            rlogger.warning(
+                "Cannot find log configuration file, proceeding with basic configuration."
+            )
+            rlogger.warning("Logs will not be stored on disk, unless you use --log")
+            logging.getLogger("PIL.PngImagePlugin").setLevel(logging.WARNING)
+            logging.getLogger("tetra3.Tetra3").setLevel(logging.WARNING)
+            logging.getLogger("picamera2.picamera2").setLevel(logging.WARNING)
 
     rlogger.info("Starting PiFinder ...")
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="eFinder")
@@ -948,6 +959,11 @@ def main(
         "-x", "--verbose", help="Set logging to debug mode", action="store_true"
     )
     parser.add_argument("-l", "--log", help="Log to file", action="store_true")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--debug-no-file-logs",
+        help="Debug: log everything at DEBUG level to console only, bypassing log configuration and file output",
+        action="store_true",
+    )
     parser.add_argument(
         "--lang",
         help="Force user interface language (iso2 code). Changes configuration",

python/PiFinder/multiproclogging.py

@@ -67,14 +67,18 @@ def __init__(
         log_conf: Optional[Path] = None,
         out_file: Optional[Path] = None,
         formatter: str = "%(asctime)s %(processName)s-%(name)s:%(levelname)s:%(message)s",
+        console_only: bool = False,
     ):
         self._queues: List[Queue] = []
         self._log_conf_file = log_conf
         self._log_output_file = out_file
         self._formatter = formatter
+        self._console_only = console_only
         self._proc: Optional[Process] = None
 
         self.apply_config()
+        if console_only:
+            logging.getLogger().setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
 
     def apply_config(self):
         if self._log_conf_file is not None:
@@ -94,7 +98,7 @@ def start(self, initial_queue: Optional[Queue] = None):
         self._proc = Process(
             target=self._run_sink,
             args=(
-                self._log_output_file,
+                None if self._console_only else self._log_output_file,
                 self._queues,
             ),
         )
@@ -109,7 +113,7 @@ def join(self):
         self._queues[0].put(None)
         self._proc.join()
 
-    def _run_sink(self, output: Path, queues: List[Queue]):
+    def _run_sink(self, output: Optional[Path], queues: List[Queue]):
         """
         This is the process that consumes every log message (sink)
 
@@ -124,15 +128,22 @@ def _run_sink(self, output: Path, queues: List[Queue]):
         for hdlr in hdlrs:
             rLogger.removeHandler(hdlr)
 
-        # Set maxBytes to 50MB (50 * 1024 * 1024 bytes) and keep 5 backup files
-        h = logging.handlers.RotatingFileHandler(
-            output, maxBytes=50 * 1024 * 1024, backupCount=5, encoding="utf-8"
-        )
+        if output is None:
+            import sys
+
+            h: logging.Handler = logging.StreamHandler(sys.stderr)
+            rLogger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
+            rLogger.warning("Starting logging process (console only, no file output)")
+        else:
+            # Set maxBytes to 50MB (50 * 1024 * 1024 bytes) and keep 5 backup files
+            h = logging.handlers.RotatingFileHandler(
+                output, maxBytes=50 * 1024 * 1024, backupCount=5, encoding="utf-8"
+            )
+            rLogger.warning("Starting logging process")
+            rLogger.warning("Logging to %s", output)
         f = logging.Formatter(self._formatter)
         h.setFormatter(f)
         rLogger.addHandler(h)
-        rLogger.warning("Starting logging process")
-        rLogger.warning("Logging to %s", output)
 
         # import logging_tree
         # logging_tree.printout()
@@ -172,6 +183,8 @@ def configurer(queue: Queue):
         This method needs to be called once in each process, so that log records get forwarded to the single process writing
         log messages.
         """
+        import os
+
         assert queue is not None, "You passed a None to configurer! You cannot do that"
         assert isinstance(
             queue, multiprocessing.queues.Queue
@@ -182,8 +195,11 @@ def configurer(queue: Queue):
             config = json5.load(logconf)
             logging.config.dictConfig(config)
 
-        h = logging.handlers.QueueHandler(queue)
         root = logging.getLogger()
+        if os.environ.get("PIFINDER_DEBUG_NO_FILE_LOGS"):
+            root.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
+
+        h = logging.handlers.QueueHandler(queue)
         root.addHandler(h)
 
     def set_log_conf_file(self, config: Path) -> None:

python/PiFinder/server.py

@@ -802,8 +802,8 @@ def stream_logs():
                     else:
                         return {"logs": [], "position": position}
                 except FileNotFoundError:
-                    logger.error(f"Log file not found: {log_file}")
-                    return {"logs": [], "position": 0}
+                    logger.warning(f"Log file not found: {log_file}")
+                    return {"logs": [], "position": 0, "file_not_found": True}
 
             except Exception as e:
                 logger.error(f"Error streaming logs: {e}")

python/views/logs.tpl

@@ -164,30 +164,54 @@ const LINE_HEIGHT = 20;
 let updateInterval;
 let lastLine = '';
 
+// Backoff state for when the log file is not yet available.
+// This page intentionally does NOT fetch the home route, so iwgetid is never triggered here.
+const MIN_POLL_INTERVAL = 1000;
+const MAX_POLL_INTERVAL = 10000;
+let currentPollInterval = MIN_POLL_INTERVAL;
+
+function scheduleFetch() {
+    clearInterval(updateInterval);
+    updateInterval = setInterval(fetchLogs, currentPollInterval);
+}
+
 function fetchLogs() {
     if (isPaused) return;
-    
+
     fetch(`/logs/stream?position=${currentPosition}`)
         .then(response => response.json())
         .then(data => {
+            if (data.file_not_found) {
+                // Back off exponentially up to MAX_POLL_INTERVAL
+                currentPollInterval = Math.min(currentPollInterval * 2, MAX_POLL_INTERVAL);
+                scheduleFetch();
+                return;
+            }
+
+            // Reset backoff on a successful response
+            if (currentPollInterval !== MIN_POLL_INTERVAL) {
+                currentPollInterval = MIN_POLL_INTERVAL;
+                scheduleFetch();
+            }
+
             if (!data.logs || data.logs.length === 0) return;
-            
+
             currentPosition = data.position;
             const logContent = document.getElementById('logContent');
-            
+
             // Add new logs to buffer, skipping duplicates
             data.logs.forEach(line => {
                 if (line !== lastLine) {
                     logBuffer.push(line);
                     lastLine = line;
                 }
             });
-            
+
             // Trim buffer if it exceeds size
             if (logBuffer.length > BUFFER_SIZE) {
                 logBuffer = logBuffer.slice(-BUFFER_SIZE);
             }
-            
+
             // Update display
             updateLogDisplay();
         })
@@ -239,8 +263,10 @@ function restartFromEnd() {
     currentPosition = 0;
     logBuffer = [];
     isPaused = false;
+    currentPollInterval = MIN_POLL_INTERVAL;
     document.getElementById('pauseButton').textContent = 'Pause';
     fetchLogs();
+    scheduleFetch();
 }
 
 // Start fetching logs when page loads
@@ -251,7 +277,7 @@ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
 
     // Start log fetching
     fetchLogs();
-    updateInterval = setInterval(fetchLogs, 1000);
+    scheduleFetch();
 
     // Hide loading message after first logs appear
     const observer = new MutationObserver((mutations) => {