I'm using Buzztouch Server, and my apps show a blank black screen in the Android emulator for Eclipse. On an actual Android phone, the main menu loads but when you click yes to refresh the content, it works for a moment and then the same refresh option comes up again. After clicking yes five or six times, it gives me this error message: "There was a problem loading the app's configuration data. See the LogCat (console) output in Eclipse." The console in Eclipse shows no errors or problems. On iPhone, the emulator gives me this error: "The configuration data for this application is invalid." I've tried copying and pasting the configuration data from my server console into the configuration files, but that doesn't change anything. I haven't installed any third-party plugins on my server. I'm stumped. Anyone have any idea what could be wrong?

I've had a black screen a couple of times this week. Once was where I hadn't assigned the right screen as the home screen and the other, for some reason, was where I had some settings in the global settings that should have been over-ridden by individual screen settings. I don't think it was working as it should. I removed global settings and it was ok. Might help you? Also, does LogCat really not show anything? It really should have some useful info in there.

This might sound dumb, but a computer restart fixes some weird behavior sometimes.

Thanks for the advice everyone, but no luck. I've double-checked the home screen and global settings. Nothing wrong there. I'm not sure what would cause the configuration data to come up as invalid. I'd try reinstalling the server software, but I'm afraid I'll lose my free license if I do that.

Have you done the JSON verification on the config file?

I'm not quite sure what that means. :P

In your server installation, open your app, on the left hit Configuration Data. Copy the entirety of the configuration data. Click on JSON Validation Tool in the paragraph near the top of the screen. Paste and validate. If it doesn't pass it might show you the problem.

Thanks for the help. It's showing up as valid, though.

So, the app works before you hit refresh, but not after?

If you choose not to refresh, it shows the menus, but trying to go to anything fancier (like a custom html page) gives the error "File not downloaded yet."

In your core properties screen there are a couple of links: Configuration Data URL Report to Cloud URL 1st one should show your config data, check that. 2nd shows some info about last modification, check that. Depending on your results, they could help in narrowing down if it's the config file, or server, or app code or something else.

The proper configuration data shows up, so that's good. The report to cloud output seems fine as well. Okay, we're getting closer to figuring this out. I just updated my content on the server and tested the app again. I still get the same repeated requests to refresh the content after clicking yes, but it's actually updating the content now. The "do you want to refresh?" notification will never stop popping up until I press no, but it's actually updating after the first time I click yes. It's just a question of what in the configuration or elsewhere is keeping the app from realizing the content has been updated.

At least you're now on the problem that a number of people have posted about! No solution or reason forthcoming yet though. Seems like an issue with the timestamp. Incorrect timestamp? Timestamp not being processed correctly on server or app? Server time vs local time? Something totally different? Dunno...

Just a thought... I think the decision to update or not is based on a time stamp on the config file. Is it possible that not having your server installations time zone set correctly would screw it up?

Ah. Ya beat me to it.

I tried a load of server time settings in the admin panel, but nothing changed anything. Didn't try them all though, very boring! Also, the report to cloud timestamp 'appeared' to be correct after I made an update, but I don't really know.

fuddes try activating the theme, the same error happs to me and i fix it activating the theme. Good luck!

Thanks for the help, Vydrus, but it didn't work. I'm going to try replacing all the files in my installation and see if it helps. I tried using some buzztouchmods.com stuff a few weeks ago, and even though I've uninstalled those menus, I'm wondering if there isn't something leftover that's screwing things up.