ProTop config files are sensitive to unexpected characters and non-alphanumerics. Even if everything "appears" correct, you can experience issues if your config file contains a misplaced return (CR/LF) or other invisible character.
The symptoms of the misplaced characters include:
- Everything "looks" right, but the expected events do not occur.
- The appearance of this error message: "** Invalid character in numeric input b. (76)" in your pt3agent log file.
How do they get there?
These characters are most commonly introduced through the use of copy-and-paste. Long comment lines can be broken into two if what is being pasted is wider than the window being pasted into. Odd characters can also be introduced by copying from something other than a plain text editor (like a browser) and then pasting it into your plain text configuration file.
If you must use copy and paste, first copy from your source and paste into a plain text editor (no formatting), then copy from the editor to your config file.
How do I find them?
Open the configuration file in an editor that can reveal non alpha numeric characters and hunt for them. Look for lines that do not begin $ (newline), # (comment), or a camelcase metric name. If you see a blank or part of a word, it is likely that the line above has been broken into two. If the issue is not obvious, look for the same line in the default version of the config file you are editing and compare.
Also, look for unrecognizable combinations of characters that represent non-alphanumerics and remove them.
Linux
Open the file with "vi" and use the ":set list" command to reveal non-alphanumerics.
Windows
Open the file with Notepad++ and select Menu View > Show Symbol > Show All Characters.
And Remember
ALWAYS end config files with a comment, a line that begins with a "#".