Problems in UM introduction course

Hello.

I have been working through the introduction course NCAS Unified Model Introduction Course — NCAS Unified Model Introduction. It is looking great!

However I have had some problems. I got stuck in section 5.3 by not getting the error I was expecting. I also got stuck running my copy of the coupled model (section 7.4; suite=u-cs147). In both cases I get a similar error -however the output from section 7.4 is pasted below.

Because I am new to the UM I have no idea what it means. Everything worked great until section 5.3. Can you help?

Many thanks

Julia

[FAIL] use = /home/n02/n02/grenvill/cylc-run/u-cs147/share/fcm_make_um: incorrect value in declaration
[FAIL] config-file=/home4/home/n02-puma/jtinda/cylc-run/u-dv874/work/19600101T0000Z/fcm_make_um/fcm-make.cfg:1
[FAIL] /home/n02/n02/grenvill/cylc-run/u-cs147/share/fcm_make_um/.fcm-make/ctx.gz: cannot retrieve cache
[FAIL] No such file or directory at /home4/home/n02-puma/fcm/metomi/fcm-2021.05.0/bin/../lib/FCM/System/Make/Share/Dest.pm line 106, <$handle> line 1.

[FAIL] fcm make -f /home4/home/n02-puma/jtinda/cylc-run/u-dv874/work/19600101T0000Z/fcm_make_um/fcm-make.cfg -C /home/n02/n02/jtinda/cylc-run/u-dv874/share/fcm_make_um -j 6 mirror.target=ln04:cylc-run/u-dv874/share/fcm_make_um mirror.prop{config-file.name}=2 # return-code=2
2026-01-06T15:45:30Z CRITICAL - failed/EXIT

Hi Julia

u-dv874 is trying to use a PRE-BUILD (to reduce build times) that no longer exists - I probably deleted it in a drive to reduce disk usage, forgetting that it might be needed. In u-dv874, just remove the prebuild (fcm_make_um→env→Basic compliation) (I think) - and rebuild.

Not sure why you didn’t get the expected error in 5.3 - I’ll look.

Grenville

Thanks Grenville,

The u-dv874 now appears to be working. (The compile has not finished yet but I am feeling hopeful).

For Section 5.3 I initially got this error:

The following have been reloaded with a version change:

  1. cce/16.0.1 => cce/15.0.0 2) cray-mpich/8.1.27 => cray-mpich/8.1.23

[FAIL] use = /home1/home/n02/n02/ros/cylc-run/u-cc654/share/fcm_make_um: incorrect value in declaration

[FAIL] config-file=/work/n02/n02/jtinda/cylc-run/u-dv868/share/fcm_make_um/fcm-make2.cfg:6

[FAIL] /home1/home/n02/n02/ros/cylc-run/u-cc654/share/fcm_make_um/.fcm-make/ctx.gz: cannot retrieve cache

[FAIL] No such file or directory at /mnt/lustre/a2fs-work1/work/y07/shared/umshared/metomi/fcm-2021.05.0/bin/../lib/FCM/System/Make/Share/Dest.pm line 106, <$handle> line 6.

[FAIL] fcm make -C /work/n02/n02/jtinda/cylc-run/u-dv868/share/fcm_make_um -n 2 -j 128 # return-code=2

2026-01-07T06:38:22Z CRITICAL - failed/EXIT

I have removed the prebuild but that didn’t fix things this time. The error is now:

The following have been reloaded with a version change:

  1. cce/16.0.1 => cce/15.0.0 2) cray-mpich/8.1.27 => cray-mpich/8.1.23

[FAIL] preprocess-atmos.prop{fpp.flags}[um/src/control/coupling] = -E -P -C -undef -nostdinc: bad name-space

[FAIL] preprocess-atmos.prop{cpp.flags}[um/src/control/c_code/exceptions/exceptions.c] = -E -C -fopenmp -Wno-disabled-macro-expansion: bad name-space

[FAIL] preprocess-atmos.prop{cpp.flags}[um/src/control/c_code/exceptions/exceptions-platform/exceptions-linux.c] = -E -C -fopenmp -Wno-disabled-macro-expansion: bad name-space

[FAIL] fcm make -C /work/n02/n02/jtinda/cylc-run/u-dv868/share/fcm_make_um -n 2 -j 128 # return-code=2

2026-01-07T06:43:36Z CRITICAL - failed/EXIT

Best wishes,

Julia

Julia

We are doing UM training in Leeds in Feb (3rd -5th) - it will be cylc8 based. Maybe you could attend. You’re looking at cylc7 suites in the old training material, which will only become unsupported over a relatively short time.

Grenville

Julia

I ran u-cc654 (without prebuild) without any problem. I suggest that you rerun from the beginning of section 5 (without prebuilds.)

Grenville

Thanks Grenville and also for the information about the training course.

Julia