Why does a tool not execute when I get the following error?

pget: parameter not found...

parammatch : can't find parameter PARAMNAME in reference list
parameter error?

Each of these error messages indicates that there is a mismatch between the local copy of the parameter file (the one that the tool is trying to read) and the CIAO default version. This often occurs when a new version of CIAO is installed and the parameter file directory is not initialized.

To fix this problem, delete the tool's parameter file from your own directory ($HOME/cxcds_param4) so that the software can access the correct default file:

unix% dmlist acis_evt2.fits blocks
pget: parameter not found : verbose
unix% plist dmlist

Parameters for /home/username/cxcds_param4/dmlist.par

        infile = acis_evt2.fits Input dataset/block specification
           opt = blocks           Option
      (outfile = )                Output file (optional)
         (rows = )                Range of table rows to print (min:max)
        (cells = )                Range of array indices to print (min:max)
         (mode = ql)              

unix% rm /home/username/cxcds_param4/dmlist.par

As visible in the example, you have to delete the parameter file that is displayed at the top of the plist output. Re-issuing the plist command shows the default file being accessed (here we assume that $ASCDS_INSTALL is /soft/ciao):

unix% plist dmlist

Parameters for /soft/ciao/param/dmlist.par

        infile =                  Input dataset/block specification
           opt = data             Option
      (outfile = )                Output file (optional)
         (rows = )                Range of table rows to print (min:max)
        (cells = )                Range of array indices to print (min:max)
      (verbose = 0)               Debug Level(0-5)
         (mode = ql)

The verbose parameter is now present in the parameter listing.