How do I turn off the Scala Fast Compilation server's (FSC) timeout?

Question

I am using a Scala compilation server. This is probably not related to my IDE IntelliJ IDEA, but I will just inform you that I start the Scala compilation server through a special run configuration in that IDE.

After some time that goes by without compiling anything, the compilation server terminates, without any message. Usually, I only notice this when I try to compile something and compilation fails. Then, I need to start the compilation server again, and of course the next compilation takes a long time, because it's once more the first compilation since starting the compilation server.

How do I turn off that timeout? I looked at the manpage for scalac, and there seems to be no option for it. I can add VM options for that run configuration.

Grater

I think your problem has to do with the fact that the compiler server doesn't automatically restart itself the next time you need it. Is that correct? – Typesetter

It would be great if the compilation server would (re-)start automatically when needed. If you know how I can do that, please tell me. However, it would still be better if it wouldn't stop by itself after some time. – Grater

This question should contain the keyword FSC (Fast Scala Compiler) so that it's easier to Google it out. – Voltmer

@Jakub Holý: My score at StackOverflow is too low to create a new tag. – Grater

Answer 1

Pass -max-idle 0 as parameter. It will work on a very (very!) recent nightly, and it should be available on Scala 2.9.0 when it comes out. However, there's no guarantee the name won't change until then.

Fluoride

Answer 2

I don't think you can. Here is a code snippet from the compilation server:

object SocketServer
{
  // After 30 idle minutes, politely exit.
  // Should the port file disappear, and the clients
  // therefore unable to contact this server instance,
  // the process will just eventually terminate by itself.
  val IdleTimeout = 1800000
  val BufferSize  = 10240

  def bufferedReader(s: Socket) = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(s.getInputStream()))
  def bufferedOutput(s: Socket) = new BufferedOutputStream(s.getOutputStream, BufferSize)
}

I think you should open a feature request in scala-lang.org

Accept

Thanks. A hardcoded timeout that cannot be overridden, hmm. Not really best practice. I will open a feature request. – Grater

The timeout will be configurable in the next version of FSC as mentioned in a blog comment. – Voltmer