Java Exception Error When Attempting to Add New Connection for Online Banking
I downloaded Moneydance yesterday (Linux x86 processor, includes Java) and am running it on Ubuntu 7.10. When I attempt to set up online banking by choosing "New Connection" in the Online Banking Signup window, I get the following error:
Error:java.net.UnknownHostException:moneydance.com
I'm not sure if it's related, but when I initially start Moneydance and am prompted to sign up for Moneydance News, I also get an error that says:
Moneydance was unable to contact the registration server. Please try again later.
I was able to successfully enter my registration key but I'm not sure if there was some other step I missed in making a connection with Moneydance.
Thanks!
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1 Posted by ljb on 25 Jan, 2010 01:43 AM
That sounds like a DNS (hostname lookup) error.
Is that same PC able to reach the moneydance.com web site from a browser?
If you type at a command line: dig moneydance.com
does it respond with an ANSWER Section and an IP Address?
Any unusual firewall setup on that PC?
The registration key thing is all local, so that would work even if you had no network connection at all.
2 Posted by ljb on 25 Jan, 2010 01:45 AM
Oops, one other thought. Ubuntu 7.10 is kind of old so your Java version could be the problem too. What does Help > About Moneydance say about Java? Hopefully it is 1.6_something.
3 Posted by Sarah on 25 Jan, 2010 03:41 AM
Yep, I can reach moneydance.com and yes, I get an ANSWER and IP when I dig moneydance.com. I have no particular firewall setup that I know of, just whatever (if any) defaults exist on my wireless router and cable modem. My Java version is 1.6.0_16.
I'm not opposed to upgrading Ubuntu, just lazy. :-) If you think that would help, I can try it...
Thanks!
Sarah
4 Posted by ljb on 25 Jan, 2010 03:26 PM
Your Java version is up to date, so I really doubt the Ubuntu version itself is the problem. I'm at a loss here, so I'll list what I know and hope somebody else can add.
I know 3 places where MD tries to contact moneydance.com: If you register for news, if you try to create a new connection for online banking and don't use manual setup, and if you ask it for a list of available extensions (Extensions > Add). You got your error on 2 of those, and I'm sure you would get it on the third, too.
The error you saw has been reported by others, but only when trying to connect to a bank where MD has out-of-date information. No reports of it to moneydance.com in these forums.
But here is someone with the same problem with Moneydance on Ubuntu 8.04:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=839448
Probably won't help - says it fixed itself...
5 Posted by Sarah on 26 Jan, 2010 02:58 PM
I went ahead and upgraded to Ubuntu 9.04, checking after each step up to if I could connect to Moneydance yet, but still no luck, still getting the same error.
6 Posted by ljb on 26 Jan, 2010 07:19 PM
Just to be sure, when you say your Java version is 1.6.0_16, you do mean that's what Moneydance reports with Help > About Moneydance, right? I'm only asking because I've heard issues with having multiple versions of Java installed, and the wrong one gets used. (You said you downloaded the version with Java included, so I would hope it is using that version.)
I found more references to Java hostname resolution errors with Ubuntu and similar Linux distributions. There are a few fixes suggested, but here is one you can try without much risk: edit the file /etc/nsswitch.conf (you will have to do this as root with something like gksudo). The line that starts "hosts" controls hostname resolution. What you want to do is move the "dns" word up towards the front, before the mdns4 words, so the line ends up looking like this:
Apparently the problem was with the MDNS4 resolver and specific to Java applications, and moving DNS up in priority fixed it. Try that and see if it helps.
7 Posted by Jon Hoover on 26 Jan, 2010 07:38 PM
Sarah, I think ljb is giving you excellent advice. I will be keeping an eye on this discussion thread to see if I can lend any assistance as well.
Jon Hoover, Moneydance Support
8 Posted by Sarah on 27 Jan, 2010 04:57 AM
Yes! Swapping the order definitely fixed it!
Thanks so much for your help, a million thanks!
9 Posted by Angie Rauscher on 27 Jan, 2010 02:52 PM
Sarah,
Glad to hear it! Please let us know if we can be of further assistance,
Angie Rauscher
Moneydance Support
Angie Rauscher closed this discussion on 27 Jan, 2010 02:55 PM.