Troubleshooting

Use this page to diagnose common Mother OS setup and command issues. If a problem persists, note the command you ran, the Programmable Block's output, and any relevant Custom Data before asking for help.

; Semi-colons tell Mother a command is complete.
; Pipes ensure we can continue a routine on a new line.
BigCommand=
| FirstCommand;
| light/color "Main Lights" green;
| ThirdCommand;
; Outbound script calls should use quotes when 
; passing multiple arguments.
TurretRangeAuto=
| pb/run PB.WhipsTurretBasedRadar "range auto";

Mother OS is Missing from the Script List

1. Confirm that you have subscribed to Mother OS on the Steam Workshop.
2. In the Programmable Block editor, use the refresh button above the script search.
3. Reopen the script list and check again.

See Installation for the complete setup steps.

Mother OS Does Not Start

• Confirm that Mother OS is selected in the Programmable Block's editor and that you saved the change.
• Press Recompile or run the boot command in the Programmable Block terminal.
• Confirm that the grid has a Remote Control block - it enables a lot of features.
• Check that you are not running multiple Mother OS instances on the same ship or station construct. Multiple instances can duplicate event monitoring and compete to render LCDs. Don't worry, she can handle it.

For initial setup instructions, see Installation. For details about the multiple-instance limitation, see Compatibility.

A Command Is Not Recognized

• Run help in the Programmable Block terminal to see the available commands.
• Check that the command name and its arguments match the documented syntax. See the Command Line Interface and Cheatsheet.
• If you are running a custom command, confirm that it is defined in the [commands] section of Custom Data and that you are running it with the same name.

See Configuration for examples of commands and routines in Custom Data.

A Command Runs but Does Not Affect the Expected Blocks

• Check the target block, group, or tag name. Use double quotes around names containing spaces, for example light/color "Landing Lights" red;.
• Confirm that the target block type is supported by that command. The Cheatsheet and the relevant module page list command details.
• If you target blocks with a tag, confirm the tag is defined in the block's Custom Data under [general] as tags=....
• If the command is a custom routine, check each command in the routine separately to identify which step is not taking effect.

For more on block targeting and tags, see Targeting Blocks and Configuration.

Custom Data Configuration Is Not Taking Effect

• Check that the settings are in the correct Custom Data field: commands and shared hooks can be defined in Mother's Custom Data, while block-specific tags and hooks can be defined in that block's Custom Data.
• Check section names such as [commands], [hooks], and [general].
• Check for missing semicolons, misspelled command names, and unquoted values that contain spaces.
• For multiline routines, use the | continuation marker as shown in the Configuration examples.

Another Programmable Block Script Does Not Respond

Some scripts may not accept arguments when invoked by another script. If you are developing the other script, its Main method should accept the Script update type and handle that update source. See Compatibility for an example.

A Routine or Flight Plan Does Not Behave as Expected

Test each command in the routine individually before combining them. For flight plans, check that the GPS entries and any commands enclosed at waypoints are formatted as shown in Examples.

The general.debug setting can be enabled in Mother's Custom Data to highlight script complexity in the terminal. See Configuration.

My Script Keeps Crashing and I Don't know What to Do!

Assuming you've tried all of the above, then jump into the Mother Discord Server and please tell me everything you can! It's a lively bunch who can probably help, and there is no shortage of cool things to break.