# Help tracking this error - oops

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-tracking-this-error-oops/20525>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [18 January 2020 03:00 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-tracking-this-error-oops/20525 "2020-01-18T03:00:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 18\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [18 January 2020 03:00 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-tracking-this-error-oops/20525/1 "2020-01-18T03:00:39Z")

</div>

This is a repost of what I accidentally deleted.

This is what I had found and I deleted the question a bit too quickly.  
I found the problem, and edited the node to stop the error.  
Why wasn't the node's _name_ shown?

(This is the original post)  
I _thought_ I had things working with error catching but I don't.

When I boot up a machine an error is generated and I get this in my error catch _routine_:

```auto
{"topic":"","payload":"go","_msgid":"1817f8a6.03a9e7","error":"go","time":"1/18/2020, 12:53:27 PM","ttl":0,"_queuetimestamp":1579312407818,"_queueCount":1}

```

Usually when I get errors it includes a _source node_ field, or something to help me find out from where it came.

Anyone?

This is the part of the error catch flow:

```auto
[{"id":"f255b915.f898f8","type":"catch","z":"5b95490e.a46ab8","name":"","scope":null,"x":3545,"y":279,"wires":[["d73967aa.b378b8"]]},{"id":"d73967aa.b378b8","type":"function","z":"5b95490e.a46ab8","name":"Name flow","func":"var device_name =global.get('myDeviceName');\nvar flow_name = flow.get('name');\nmsg.topic =\"ERROR_REPORT/\" + device_name + \"/\" + flow_name + \"/\" + msg.topic;\nreturn msg;\n","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":3695,"y":279,"wires":[["9db5c552.31a0d","e342bbda.9915"]]}]

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [18 January 2020 07:30 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-tracking-this-error-oops/20525/2 "2020-01-18T07:30:38Z")

</div>

> [@Trying\_to\_learn](#):
>
> When I boot up a machine an error is generated

I presume you mean a node red error. As always please post the node red startup log including the error.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [18 January 2020 20:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-tracking-this-error-oops/20525/3 "2020-01-18T20:28:44Z")

</div>

Looking where I believe the logs to be this is all I get - and I know: It is too old/_wrong_:

```auto
pi@PIFACE:/var/log $ cat node-red.log

Node-RED service start: Sun Jun 5 13:59:12 AEST 2016

Welcome to Node-RED
===================

5 Jun 13:59:16 - [info] Node-RED version: v0.12.1
5 Jun 13:59:16 - [info] Node.js version: v0.10.29
5 Jun 13:59:16 - [info] Loading palette nodes
5 Jun 13:59:25 - [info] Settings file : /usr/lib/node_modules/node-red/settings.js
5 Jun 13:59:25 - [info] User directory : /home/pi/.node-red
5 Jun 13:59:25 - [info] Flows file : /home/pi/.node-red/flows_PIFACE.json
5 Jun 13:59:25 - [info] Server now running at http://127.0.0.1:1880/
5 Jun 13:59:25 - [info] Creating new flow file
5 Jun 13:59:25 - [info] Starting flows
5 Jun 13:59:25 - [info] Started flows

Node-RED service stop: Sun Jun 5 14:29:18 AEST 2016
pi@PIFACE:/var/log $ 

```

So I can't paste anything useful.

I guess the question now is: Why isn't NR logging?  
I haven't turned it off sice 5 June (year?)

And to show what is in the directory:

```auto
pi@PIFACE:/var/log $ lf
apt/ alternatives.log.3.gz daemon.log.1 dpkg.log.3.gz messages.2.gz syslog.6.gz
cups/ alternatives.log.4.gz daemon.log.2.gz dpkg.log.4.gz messages.3.gz syslog.7.gz
fsck/ aptitude daemon.log.3.gz dpkg.log.5.gz messages.4.gz user.log
lightdm/ auth.log daemon.log.4.gz faillog nodered-install.log user.log.1
mosquitto/ auth.log.1 debug fontconfig.log node-red.log user.log.2.gz
ntpstats/ auth.log.2.gz debug.1 kern.log rbfeeder.log user.log.3.gz
samba/ auth.log.3.gz debug.2.gz kern.log.1 regen_ssh_keys.log user.log.4.gz
teamviewer11/ auth.log.4.gz debug.3.gz kern.log.2.gz syslog wtmp
teamviewer13/ boot.log debug.4.gz kern.log.3.gz syslog.1 wtmp.1
watchdog/ bootstrap.log dmesg kern.log.4.gz syslog.2.gz Xorg.0.log
alternatives.log btmp dpkg.log lastlog syslog.3.gz Xorg.0.log.old
alternatives.log.1 btmp.1 dpkg.log.1 messages syslog.4.gz
alternatives.log.2.gz daemon.log dpkg.log.2.gz messages.1 syslog.5.gz
pi@PIFACE:/var/log $ 

```

So it isn't that it has been zipped.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [18 January 2020 21:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-tracking-this-error-oops/20525/4 "2020-01-18T21:44:18Z")

</div>

Node red generally logs to syslog. To get the startup log run node-red-stop then node-red-start. I think you have done that numerous times before.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [18 January 2020 21:54 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-tracking-this-error-oops/20525/5 "2020-01-18T21:54:08Z")

</div>

I totally agree Colin. But until I become fully understanding of what I am doing, I am going to have to live with ignorance.

I have a text file which tells me that node red logs are in `/var/log/`  
(This is the whole file I have)

```auto
# Most logs are:
NR logs are in /var/log/
# also NPM logs are in:
~/.npm/_logs/......

# Node-Red install log errors, etc are in:
/var/log/nodered-install.log

# to start logging in the CLI enter this:
sudo journalctl -f -u nodered -o cat

# Or this one.
sudo journalctl -f -n 25 -u nodered -o cat

```

If these notes are wrong I should maybe get them updated first.

I just looked at the syslog file in that directory:

```auto
pi@PIFACE:/var/log $ ll syslog*
-rw-r----- 1 root adm 177252025 Jan 19 08:49 syslog
-rw-r----- 1 root adm 17928282 Apr 8 2017 syslog.1
-rw-r----- 1 root adm 1143972 Nov 29 2016 syslog.2.gz
-rw-r----- 1 root adm 256323 Oct 3 2016 syslog.3.gz
-rw-r----- 1 root adm 262707 Sep 21 2016 syslog.4.gz
-rw-r----- 1 root adm 72148 Sep 8 2016 syslog.5.gz
-rw-r----- 1 root adm 631442 Sep 4 2016 syslog.6.gz
-rw-r----- 1 root adm 1396698 Aug 16 2016 syslog.7.gz
pi@PIFACE:/var/log $ tail syslog
Jan 19 08:17:01 PiFace CRON[3305]: (root) CMD ( cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.hourly)
Jan 19 08:24:46 PiFace Node-RED[416]: 19 Jan 08:24:46 - [info] Stopping modified nodes
Jan 19 08:24:46 PiFace rsyslogd-2007: action 'action 17' suspended, next retry is Sun Jan 19 08:25:16 2020 [try http://www.rsyslog.com/e/2007]
Jan 19 08:24:46 PiFace Node-RED[416]: 19 Jan 08:24:46 - [info] Stopped modified nodes
Jan 19 08:24:46 PiFace Node-RED[416]: 19 Jan 08:24:46 - [info] Starting modified nodes
Jan 19 08:24:46 PiFace Node-RED[416]: 19 Jan 08:24:46 - [info] [python-function:Python code in this node NEW] Python function 'Python code in this node NEW' running on PID 3563
Jan 19 08:24:46 PiFace Node-RED[416]: 19 Jan 08:24:46 - [info] Started modified nodes
Jan 19 08:49:44 PiFace rsyslogd-2007: action 'action 17' suspended, next retry is Sun Jan 19 08:50:14 2020 [try http://www.rsyslog.com/e/2007]
Jan 19 08:49:44 PiFace systemd[1]: Starting Session c7 of user pi.
Jan 19 08:49:44 PiFace systemd[1]: Started Session c7 of user pi.
pi@PIFACE:/var/log $ 

```

As I have found/fixed the problem I was more asking why it (the error report) wasn't telling me which node caused the error.  
On most (all?) other error reports I get it has an `origin` field - or something - which tells me the node which caused the problem.

Granted there was the recent problem I had which was driving me crazy. The error was in the part of the flow which caught the errors so it just looped so fast it locked up the machine and it took HOURS to find it.

Thanks for the update on the `syslog` part.  
I'll include it in my notes.

But I guess I will just have to chalk this up to _unknown_.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![knolleary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/knolleary/32/3_2.png) [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)\
**Post date:** [18 January 2020 21:58 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-tracking-this-error-oops/20525/6 "2020-01-18T21:58:19Z")

</div>

If it is coming from a node inside a subflow which is inside another subflow, then it won't have the source property.

I only fixed that yesterday.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [18 January 2020 22:02 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-tracking-this-error-oops/20525/7 "2020-01-18T22:02:03Z")

</div>

Thanks Nic.

The _problem_ was stupid me.  
I was using a `gate` node and hadn't set the topic to turn the `gate` `on`.  
So the node was throwing an `invalid command` I think.

The payload was simply `go` and that is shown in the error message.

As soon as I tracked down all the `go` in that flow and found one with out a `topic` set which was controlling the gate the problem stopped.

So: _The village idiot strikes again._

Now I am trying to get my head around python in a node and what is going on.  
(But now I am getting off topic)

But thanks to you and Colin for the help.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [18 January 2020 22:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-tracking-this-error-oops/20525/8 "2020-01-18T22:03:48Z")

</div>

> [@knolleary](#):
>
> a node inside a subflow which is inside another subflow

Wow! Can that be done? Subflows in subflows!??

(It's subflows all the way down)  
[A poor attempt at humour](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtles_all_the_way_down)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [24 January 2020 21:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-tracking-this-error-oops/20525/9 "2020-01-24T21:03:39Z")

</div>

Hi again.

Ok, today - this morning - I rebooted one of my machines.

I am getting the same _vague_ error.

```auto
{"topic":"","payload":"go","_msgid":"a27c8451.d305d8","error":"go","time":"2020-1-25 07:33:48","ttl":0,"_queuetimestamp":1579898028962,"_queueCount":0}

```

This is the part of the flow which captures the error and a bit more which I thought - with the other machine - was the cause of the error.  
Alas it isn't.

External required nodes:  
`node-red-contrib-fan``node-red-contrib-simple-gate` `node-red-contrib-simple-message-queue`

Screen shot:  
(and explination)

 ![Screenshot from 2020-01-25 07-49-50](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/9/2/9269c58d616e66df3c791e6b17ece2f1caac337d.png)

Left to right:  
Catch the error. Name the flow. Gate to stop messages if/when needed). Move msg.error to msg.payload. (FAN) Split flow. 1 - to _local_ queue node (back to the left) 2 - get ready to send via `MQTT`. Another gate allowing errors to be kept local while testing. MQTT send.  
Quickly back to #1. Time stamp the message and add it to queue.  
The `next` and `wipe` buttons control the messages from the queue node to be displayed in the `debug` node.

Oh, you can see the error I just posted above in the debug column on the right of the screen.

So that message was displayed in the `local readings error list` debug node.

My ORIGINAL suspicion was that the `GO(1)` node (top line of nodes in about the middle) was the problem.  
The `gate` node is set for the topic to be `CONTROL`. The `inject` node is sending `control`. (Lower case) I try to keep topics like that uppercase because .... well just to keep a standard.

The node injects a `go` after 1 second of _booting_/deployment.

Yeah, ok. I know. The node is set to default _open_ (which means it allows messages to pass.

For the sake of checking, I pressed the `STOP` node - not shown here - and the `gate` node changed state. (It is on the screen grab)  
The acid test was pressing the `GO` button and seeing if I get an error.  
The `gate` changed and there is/was no error.

So to me the question remains: **who** generated this error?

This is the code:

```auto
[{"id":"b416af8c.231478","type":"catch","z":"675e227d.d158b4","name":"","scope":null,"x":3550,"y":310,"wires":[["a0c40b2c.3900a"]]},{"id":"a0c40b2c.3900a","type":"function","z":"675e227d.d158b4","name":"Name flow","func":"var device_name =global.get('myDeviceName');\nvar flow_name = flow.get('name');\nmsg.topic =\"ERROR_REPORT/\" + device_name + \"/\" + flow_name + \"/\" + msg.topic;\nreturn msg;","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":3700,"y":310,"wires":[["841acbda.0ae54","e782ee14.d63f08"]]},{"id":"e782ee14.d63f08","type":"gate","z":"675e227d.d158b4","name":"","controlTopic":"control","defaultState":"open","openCmd":"go","closeCmd":"stop","toggleCmd":"toggle","defaultCmd":"default","persist":false,"x":3890,"y":310,"wires":[["fbab1d7d.c9ba5"]]},{"id":"fbab1d7d.c9ba5","type":"change","z":"675e227d.d158b4","name":"","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"error","pt":"msg","to":"payload","tot":"msg"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":4115,"y":311,"wires":[["71a23f53.7e46a8"]]},{"id":"71a23f53.7e46a8","type":"fan","z":"675e227d.d158b4","x":4335,"y":310,"wires":[["610ba2c8.37e164","b664e555.9b8ef8","1c8fd235.c2c3ce","d87b4467.fe187"]]},{"id":"610ba2c8.37e164","type":"fan","z":"675e227d.d158b4","x":4500,"y":310,"wires":[["6b92a3f6.f002c4"]]},{"id":"6b92a3f6.f002c4","type":"gate","z":"675e227d.d158b4","name":"","controlTopic":"CONTROL","defaultState":"open","openCmd":"GO","closeCmd":"STOP","toggleCmd":"toggle","defaultCmd":"default","persist":false,"x":4640,"y":310,"wires":[["a66da046.dbc09","65e3d118.a54d08"]]},{"id":"454aa1a7.126448","type":"inject","z":"675e227d.d158b4","name":"Go","topic":"control","payload":"GO","payloadType":"str","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":true,"onceDelay":"3","x":4330,"y":270,"wires":[["610ba2c8.37e164","66cff3f0.59f8dc"]]},{"id":"1c8fd235.c2c3ce","type":"function","z":"675e227d.d158b4","name":"Time stamp","func":"msg.time = new Date().toLocaleString();\nreturn msg;","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":3700,"y":360,"wires":[["8cc00760.5d3c2"]]},{"id":"8cc00760.5d3c2","type":"simple-queue","z":"675e227d.d158b4","name":"queue1","firstMessageBypass":false,"bypassInterval":"0","x":3895,"y":361,"wires":[["600e4c9e.063f0c"]]},{"id":"600e4c9e.063f0c","type":"debug","z":"675e227d.d158b4","name":"Local Readings error list","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","x":4125,"y":361,"wires":[]},{"id":"bf4463e5.7fe6b8","type":"inject","z":"675e227d.d158b4","name":"Read","topic":"","payload":" ","payloadType":"str","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":"","x":3555,"y":400,"wires":[["7cd91921.194678"]]},{"id":"7cd91921.194678","type":"change","z":"675e227d.d158b4","name":"Read","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"trigger","pt":"msg","to":"1","tot":"str"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":3685,"y":400,"wires":[["8cc00760.5d3c2"]]},{"id":"c7530652.e9b6d","type":"change","z":"675e227d.d158b4","name":"Wipe","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"reset","pt":"msg","to":"1","tot":"str"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":3685,"y":440,"wires":[["8cc00760.5d3c2"]]},{"id":"804d7e70.a33be","type":"inject","z":"675e227d.d158b4","name":"Wipe","topic":"","payload":" ","payloadType":"str","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":"","x":3555,"y":440,"wires":[["c7530652.e9b6d"]]}]

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![zenofmud](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/zenofmud/32/316_2.png) [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)\
**Post date:** [24 January 2020 21:13 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-tracking-this-error-oops/20525/10 "2020-01-24T21:13:43Z")

</div>

![Screen Shot 2020-01-24 at 4.12.19 PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/f/6/f6e902753ccd2e9a24064a10a512ea2475b1d828.png)  
See the top line of your debug? What does it say?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [24 January 2020 21:17 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-tracking-this-error-oops/20525/11 "2020-01-24T21:17:49Z")

</div>

Yes, that is who is _showing_ the message - isn't it?

I want to know who _made_ the error.

That is my problem. I can't find who is making it and fix it.  
Of course now I am also running around with boot times as they are/seem to be in Z time when in the time stamp they show `T` not `Z`.

But that's another story.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![knolleary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/knolleary/32/3_2.png) [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)\
**Post date:** [24 January 2020 21:21 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-tracking-this-error-oops/20525/12 "2020-01-24T21:21:56Z")

</div>

@Trying_to_learn from the help text of the Catch node:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/3/7/376b861293e937b10a4c1759d291306b6d0c83f7.png)

So have you looked at the value of `msg.error.source` coming straight out of the Catch node? In your flow you have a change node overwriting `msg.error` so you are losing the information you are looking.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [24 January 2020 21:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-tracking-this-error-oops/20525/13 "2020-01-24T21:38:18Z")

</div>

Ok. Indulge _the village idiot_:

The `catch` node _catches_ the error. (`error.message` etc)  
The next node names the flow - that isn't a problem.  
(Skipping the gate)  
The `change` node:  
That sets the `payload` to the `error`. I am not sure if that takes all the other _branches_ with it or not.  
(Skipping the `FAN` and `GATE` nodes.)  
Looping back to the `function` node named **Time stamp**.  
All that does is set the `msg.time`. Again: I don't think that would change any of the existing `error` message parts.

Then it is sent into the `queue` node and ultimately to the `debug` node.

If originally there was an `error.source.id` Will it be _destroyed_ by me moving (or as the node says: **set** ) the `error` to `payload`?

A long time ago I asked for an error generating bit of code to help me test my error catching routine, and suffice to say it works. It tells me the name of the node which made the error.

Stupid me, looking at it, it seemed to work because I could identify the node making the error.  
But this was a mistake because of reasons I don't want to go into.

So - I'll stop waffing on - the `change` node **destroys** the `error.x` parts of the message when it **sets** msg.payload to msg.error.

That would explain a lot.

Semi rhetorical but - why?  
To me there is no reason you would destroy/wipe the error.x parts.  
(I'd better stop now. I detect I am looping with what I am saying)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![knolleary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/knolleary/32/3_2.png) [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)\
**Post date:** [24 January 2020 21:40 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-tracking-this-error-oops/20525/14 "2020-01-24T21:40:47Z")

</div>

> [@Trying\_to\_learn](#):
>
> If originally there was an `error.source.id` Will it be _destroyed_ by me moving (or as the node says: **set** ) the `error` to `payload` ?

But that isn't what your node is doing. Your change node is overwriting `msg.error` with the value of `msg.payload`.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [24 January 2020 21:46 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-tracking-this-error-oops/20525/15 "2020-01-24T21:46:39Z")

</div>

ARGH!

I read it as set the `msg.payload` to `msg.error`.

SET, MOVE ...... Sorry. I know I've fallen for this before. I should have learnt by now.

Obviously not.

Ok. That does explain a lot. Though luckily I don't get that many errors, and the ones I get are usually informative enough for me to find the error.  
(That is after it has been through `MQTT` and on a remote machine.)

So if I want to send the error from the local machine (via `mqtt`) to another machine.....  
The msg.payload is all that is sent.  
So I have to _move_ the `msg.error` (and all branches) to `msg.payload`.

So..... if I reverse what is in the `change` node, will all the branches of `error` be put in the `payload`?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![zenofmud](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/zenofmud/32/316_2.png) [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)\
**Post date:** [24 January 2020 21:47 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-tracking-this-error-oops/20525/16 "2020-01-24T21:47:01Z")

</div>

@Trying_to_learn Andrew, add a debug node to the output of the catch node and set it to display the Complete msg object

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [24 January 2020 21:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-tracking-this-error-oops/20525/17 "2020-01-24T21:48:00Z")

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Thanks. I did and that was the _bingo_ moment when I kind of saw what was happening.

Though I thought (yes: dangerous for me) that all the `error` stuff was put in `payload`.  
I had it the wrong way around.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [24 January 2020 23:29 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-tracking-this-error-oops/20525/18 "2020-01-24T23:29:05Z")

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Wow! That was fun.

In one flow I had the two names in the `change` node the right way around.  
Silly me: I hadn't got to the stage of learning where I would copy an entire block of code onto other tabs.  
All other tabs I goofed and had them the wrong way around. Thus the problem.

I have just had to go through about 20 tabs on 2 machines (40-ish) in total, and fix that up.  
Now I have another 8 RasPies to check.

Oh well. I hope that is the end of that problem.

Thanks Nic and Paul.