# Problems with RetroShare...



## KenGordon (Jan 17, 2020)

I don't know if this is the correct section of the forum to ask questions on the use of RetroShare on FreeBSD, so if this is not the correct place for this, perhaps one of the moderators can move it to the correct place, or tell me where to put it.

Anyway, on my new installation of FreeBSD (via FuryBSD) I am quite pleased with the way everything is working...with the exception of an installation of RetroShare via `pkg install retroshare`. FYI, I have WinDOZE Windows versions of RS running correctly on two other boxes. I am configuring my FreeBSD version in as close to a copy of my working versions as possible, but some things have popped up:
1) RS completely "goes away" after a certain period of inactivity with it, and I have to completely restart it and log back into it. No other "app" I have on the machine does this.
2) There is a strange error message that constantly shows in the Preferences tab, which says  "!!The RetroShare's desktop file is missing or wrong!!", and that message stays there no matter what I do, yet the desktop LOOKS correct and appears to be there.
3) When joining a "Chat" group, messages I type into the chat window are not passed to anyone whom I have connected to.
4) Some connections/friends whom I exchange info with one day, are gone the next,
5) Both DHT and NAT change to green shortly after I fire RS up and stay that way as long as I have RS open and am doing something with it. I would think that this would indicate that my network settings are correct and working.

Anyone have any ideas on this?

Ken Gordon


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## Lamia (Jan 18, 2020)

RetroShare! What a beautiful piece of software with privacy at heart. I used it back then on some RH distros.


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## KenGordon (Jan 18, 2020)

Lamia said:


> RetroShare! What a beautiful piece of software with privacy at heart. I used it back then on some RH distros.



Oh, I certainly agree. I use it regularly on my Windoze Windows box and help other locals with their setups. I only hope I can get this set up on my "new" FreeBSD box working correctly. 

Thanks,

Ken Gordon


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## KenGordon (Jan 19, 2020)

After doing some more "research", deleting retroshare and any and all directories and files associated with it like /var/cache, those in my user home like .retroshare..., then reinstalling it by `pkg install restroshare`, then working with it for most of the day, I have determined the following issues:

1) RetroShare will close immediately and completely once the time shown in "Preferences" "Idle Time" (default 300 seconds) is exceeded, and all user input has ceased. Furthermore, setting the time to its maximum, 1000 seconds, appears to be interpreted by....something....as 1 second. Thus 999 seconds is max.

2) Although one can add "friends" and "contacts", and one can then join a "chat" group, nothing input to the chat group window shows up anywhere but in the local window.

3) Any friends input into RetroShare always see the installation as off-line, always.

4) Both the DHT and the NAT "lights" illuminate shortly after RS is started, which would normally indicate that the network connections are correct. In this case, due to the above, there is still something screwy with the net set up.

5) None of those listed in either "Friends" or "Contacts" ever show up in the chat window, yet other RS installs on other WInDOZE Windows computers show those and work correctly.

I have filed a bug report and have also sent an e-mail to the port maintainer about these issues.

Anyone else here having similar issues?

Ken Gordon


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## glocke (Mar 25, 2020)

Hello Ken, 

I have not used it in years and was never an active user. I wrote the port for fun and to get experience with the FreeBSD ports system. I am not a C++ developer and mainly resolved compiling issues with a quick web search or copy&pasting code from OpenBSD sections in the qmake files.

I would really like to give up my maintainer role on this port, as I'm not using FreeBSD at the moment and have no time and setup to maintain it any further.

As the documentation says:


> As your interests and commitments change, you may find that you no longer have time to continue some (or all) of your ports contributions.  That is fine!  Please let us know if you are no longer using a port or have otherwise lost time or interest in being a maintainer.


Does anyone know how this contact should be made?


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## diizzy (Feb 15, 2021)

glocke said:


> Hello Ken,
> 
> I have not used it in years and was never an active user. I wrote the port for fun and to get experience with the FreeBSD ports system. I am not a C++ developer and mainly resolved compiling issues with a quick web search or copy&pasting code from OpenBSD sections in the qmake files.
> 
> ...


Create a PR via bugs.freebsd.org although given that it's also marked as broken I'd suggest that you also request removal while at it.


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