strange x264 error

[stax76]

There is a StaxRip user reporting a strange error, I guess it's something faulty with his machine since I can't reproduce it and nobody else has reported the issue, this is how it looks:

"D:\Appz\StaxRip\Settings\Applications\x264\x264.exe" --pass 1 --bitrate 767 --stats "E:\FunStuff\New Folder\abcd.stats" --bframes 16 --b-pyramid --direct auto --filter -2:-1 --merange 12 --threads auto --progress --sar 12:11 --no-psnr --no-ssim --subme 1 --partitions none --me dia --output NUL "E:\FunStuff\New Folder\abcd.avs"

x264 [error]: can't open output file `NUL'

He is running Vista x64 (which I don't know StaxRip works with) but claims the same problem occurs with Vista x86.

[Sharktooth]

uhm? the commandline is wrong.
"--output NUL "E:\FunStuff\New Folder\abcd.avs"

[DarkZell666]

Syntax: x264 [options] -o outfile infile [widthxheight]
...
-o, --output Specify output file


abcd.avs is the infile, and NUL is the outfile (for 1st pass ?), and there doesn't seem to be any "" missing either ... wierd :confused:
Is NUL actually supposed to work ? I've never even used it ...

[talen9]

NUL is (more or less, I suppose) the Windows equivalent of "/dev/null" in UNIX (-like) os's ... I suppose StaxRip uses it when the output file is not relevant (such as in this case, it's the command line of a first pass).

The point is, is "NUL" a valid "device file" in Vista too? Remember that it's something like a legacy from DOS ....

EDIT: partially overlapped with DarkZell666 :)

[stax76]

uhm? the commandline is wrong.

What's wrong with it and why does it fail only on the machine of a single user and work everywhere else?

[DarkZell666]

NUL is (more or less, I suppose) the Windows equivalent of "/dev/null" in UNIX (-like) os's ... I suppose StaxRip uses it when the output file is not relevant (such as in this case, it's the command line of a first pass).

The point is, is "NUL" a valid "device file" in Vista too? Remember that it's something like a legacy from DOS ....

EDIT: partially overlapped with DarkZell666 :)

I would have thought NUL was a keyword provided by x264 itself to tell it not to output anything. If it isn't, I just learnt that windows had a /dev/null equivalent :D *levels up*

Actually yeah, what happens for him if he replaces the "--output NUL" by "--output tmp.avi" ?

Edit : Could it be vista's security system having a tantrum ?

[Dark Shikari]

I would have thought NUL was a keyword provided by x264 itself to tell it not to output anything. If it isn't, I just learnt that windows had a /dev/null equivalent :D *levels up*Correct, its a Windows keyword, not x264.

[talen9]

Edit : Could it be vista's security system having a tantrum ?

I suppose that's possible .... even probable :)

[Sharktooth]

damn ... i confused NUL with NULL. Yes, it's NUL on windows, so the commandline is ok.
also ask him if he tried running staxrip as roo... ehrr... administator

[stax76]

staxrip as roo... ehrr... administator

I don't think it could be due to missing privilegs since the paths StaxRip passes to x264 are writeable otherwise StaxRip would have failed earlier. I'll ask him anyway. I don't know if a process launched by another process inherits the privilegs.

Could it be vista's security system having a tantrum ?

It works in Vista x86 with UAC enabled, I've just checked that in VirtualBox.

[Sharktooth]

megui uses NUL too. and it works.
maybe the user use some weird localization (weird character set...)

[stax76]

maybe the user use some weird localization (weird character set...)

StaxRip won't allow filenames with unicode as DGIndex don't support unicode and commas in filenames.

I'm pretty ignorant in the command shell area, so I have no clue what NUL is, the error message looks strange however, it's

`NUL'

shouldn't it be rather:

'NUL'

Where can I find information about NUL? Maybe this NUL file is not available on his system for whatever reason, maybe he has played with security settings. Maybe I should check the x264 source code for this error.

[Sharktooth]

NUL is a windows device that represents the same as /dev/null on linux.
anything sent to NUL is just... "destroyed".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOS#Reserved_device_names_under_DOS

[audyovydeo]

I'm pretty ignorant in the command shell area, so I have no clue what NUL is, the error message looks strange however, it's

`NUL'



NUL is a device in the DOS (or WinXXXX cmdline) environment.
Equivalent to /dev/nul in unices.

You can redirect to it, which is how it is used in the command-line above.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/110930


In this specific case, and after a quick search 'cos I don't have Vista, I suspect that :
- Vista may have a problem with NUL (as has been suggested above, it may be security)
- maybe the x264 parser does not like the quotes that Stax adds to NUL in the cmdline it passes on.

my 2 cents
audyovydeo

[stax76]

@audyovydeo

Thanks for explaining.

The quotes are only in the error message from x264, not in the command line, so it's probably security related or the system is damaged.

Actually yeah, what happens for him if he replaces the "--output NUL" by "--output tmp.avi" ?

Would this work in general?

[GodofaGap]

I can't think of any security related things that would break redirecting to nul. For what it's worth nul works fine here (Vista SP1, 32 bit, UAC enabled).

[Sharktooth]

yes but it will create a tmp.avi file.

EDIT: maybe some weird security policy set by mistake.

[gruntster]

Works fine here too on Vista SP1 64-bit. Both manually running the x264 command above and using StaxRip 1.1.0.1.

For some reason StaxRip doubles up the "--output NUL" parameter for me:

"C:\Users\Gruntster\AppData\Local\StaxRip\Applications\x264\x264.exe" --pass 1 --bitrate 3444 --stats "D:\test.stats" --bframes 1 --direct auto --threads auto --progress --no-psnr --no-ssim --subme 1 --partitions none --me dia --output NUL --output NUL "D:\test.avs"

[Sharktooth]

that's a bug in staxrip :)
however if NUL works for you than the "user" system is screwed

[stax76]

Works fine here too on Vista SP1 64-bit.

Thanks for testing.

For some reason StaxRip doubles up the "--output NUL"

I've noticed this while investigating this issue, I'll remove one.

I'll suggest the user considering using CRF mode.

[stax76]

The user was able to solve the problem:


I read the thread at doom9 , they referred to a driver called Null , which was infact disabled in my OS ,dont know how , i suppose it might be an app that changed it , i enabled it back and guess what , 2-pass works now lol

Thanks for the co-operation and support :)

Will post here more when i come across some more bugs

----------------------------

Can you please describe how to enable/disable it?

----------------------------

In the Device Manager

View - Select Show Hidden Devices

In the devices list expand the Non Plug and Play Devices

There is a driver called Null in the list

Right click it - properties - in the driver tab there are options to enable/disable the driver

[audyovydeo]

The user was able to solve the problem:

Good user !

Whoever said that Windows is a closed system ? Its bowels are spread wide open, through the GUI !!

cheers
audyovydeo