SabNZBd Problems (and others for that matter)

[Beck38]

This was posted in another thread, but I decided not to 'hijack' it and instead started a new thread:



Stop using all these 'automated' repair and de-crunch 'tools', virtually all of them 'integrated' into transfer programs have major problems. In short, d/l the thing and process MANUALLY with quickpar and winrar, and you'll find that you'll get a lot more than trying to let someone you've never met whose code you don't get to 'review' take control of your machine and leave you most times than not with.... nothing.

Don't be so paranoid.

SAB source code: https://github.com/sabnzbd/sabnzbd

It does a fine job of post-processing and is updated quickly to maintain this standard. Very few complete or partial+par downloads will fail as a consequence of automating post-processing with SAB. I can't speak about recent versions of other applications.

Manual pp may give you better insight into any problems you experience but it won't fundamentally change the result all that often, if ever.


SabNABd started out as a really excellent tool, free (of course), and extremely stable. Unequivocal thumbs up, universally.

Slowly but surely, the folks programming it started adding 'bells and whistles', trying to fill all sorts of requests fo this and that. First, adding 'automated' par and rar and then more and more other 'requests'. The program started getting 'wobbly', then more so, until it's where it is now, very unstable (running on the same machines it started out on, btw).

Where one could launch the thing and let it grind away d/l'ing for hours and hours (necessary due to the speed of my link and the huge files), but where now it barley lasts 2-3 hours at a stretch before coming to a screeching halt - not a crash per se, as the base machine and the web browser it's using (Firefox in my case) don't report any problems, but it's in a 'halt' status nonetheless

'Mission Creep' has overtaken a once lightweight, stable program. Typical effect of too many programmers trying to justify their 'work', something that is endemic with commercial software.

So, when folks report some wacky things going on with one of these Swiss-Army knifes of software, I suggest stripping out all the bells and whistles and going 'back to basics'.

[pootystomp]

I like sabnzbd, all processing since last update has been perfect. The problems lie with the server or the original poster. I used mac par in the past for fixing things that sab couldn't correct but haven't had any that wouldn't process recently.

[MultiForce]

This was posted in another thread, but I decided not to 'hijack' it and instead started a new thread:




Don't be so paranoid.

SAB source code: https://github.com/sabnzbd/sabnzbd

It does a fine job of post-processing and is updated quickly to maintain this standard. Very few complete or partial+par downloads will fail as a consequence of automating post-processing with SAB. I can't speak about recent versions of other applications.

Manual pp may give you better insight into any problems you experience but it won't fundamentally change the result all that often, if ever.


SabNABd started out as a really excellent tool, free (of course), and extremely stable. Unequivocal thumbs up, universally.

Slowly but surely, the folks programming it started adding 'bells and whistles', trying to fill all sorts of requests fo this and that. First, adding 'automated' par and rar and then more and more other 'requests'. The program started getting 'wobbly', then more so, until it's where it is now, very unstable (running on the same machines it started out on, btw).

Where one could launch the thing and let it grind away d/l'ing for hours and hours (necessary due to the speed of my link and the huge files), but where now it barley lasts 2-3 hours at a stretch before coming to a screeching halt - not a crash per se, as the base machine and the web browser it's using (Firefox in my case) don't report any problems, but it's in a 'halt' status nonetheless

'Mission Creep' has overtaken a once lightweight, stable program. Typical effect of too many programmers trying to justify their 'work', something that is endemic with commercial software.

So, when folks report some wacky things going on with one of these Swiss-Army knifes of software, I suggest stripping out all the bells and whistles and going 'back to basics'.


I've only used it on Linux and I haven't really had a problem with it at all. More stable than any of the Windows programs I used before. Newsbin Pro was pretty good on Windows, but still a bit of a resource hog on big downloads (like Windows itself I guess:P).

[piercerseth]

I don't use SAB personally, although experiences with it seem universally positive. Or so I hear. If I were looking for a pared down and automated solution it'd be NZBGet, which seems to run on just about anything.

[Disme]

Been using SAB for years now, also used NZBGet before, when SAB used to affect my NAS-cpu-power too much, but that's a thing of the past.

I've had several errors in the past with SAB when something went wrong with Unpacking and repairing, but I always managed to get them solved using manual repairing and parring.

All in all SAB is still rocking imo. Not using too many ressources, nor does it hangs on 45+GB downloads so I can't complain :cool:

[Hypatia]

adding 'automated' par and rar hmmmm... do you want to take us back to Medieval when we downloaded stuff using NZB-O-matic and then manually repaired it\unpacked?
Considering amount of data i download i would prefer not to do it too often only if i had to.

I've been having sab installed for a long time on my PC and although i dont always use it(not for the reasons you've mentioned in your post, if we may call them reasons at all, to be honest) ,but i can't say that it got overloaded with "features". Not at all. It is still what it used to be - a very efficient nzb downloader, nothing more, nothing less. Ive just opened sab config and i dont really get what "features" that "corrupted" once good software we are talking about here. Well, as for me i dont use notifications, schedule,sorting and rss and not using them yet having available as an option doesn't affect my experience with sab in the slightest.

It works on all platforms, developers make fixes in a timely manner, and all (in my experience) obfuscated releases work just fine, even the most fraked up. There might be happening a glitch here and there from time to time(EVERY newsreader and nzb downloader has them, even the most primitive) but overall it's nothing to worry about compared to sheer volumes that get processed perfectly fine.

[Disme]

I've been having some problems with SAB lately when I have an extensive queue (+ 1TB) ... SAB tends to open very slowly and after like 10 minutes it stops functioning (it does not download anymore), and I cannot connect to it with my browser anymore. I have to shut down the process manually with 'ctrl+alt+del' and only than I can reopen it, but after some time it crashes again.

I reduced my queue and have no more problems now, but I guess that the amount of data waiting to be downloaded may cause this erronous behavior.

[Beck38]

I've found that the most major screw-up happening with SAB in the 'latest' incarnations is it's inability to properly process NZB's fully and completely, and that may be the root of your problems, don't know.

But I've run into LOTS of nzb's that 'pass' the nzb format 'checkers' I have that were released in the early days of the nzb format to give programmers a way to 'check' their proper implementation, that SAB chocks on (and I might add my other 'collection' of nzb downloaders have no problems with).

I would say that the programmers of SAB have gone a bit or more 'off the rails' in failing to properly check their work, or have fallen into the usual programmer failing of 'my **** don't stink' it's gotten so bad. I've taken the advice a few replies previously and am trying out NZBget at the moment, and so far no problems with it, knock on wood.