Troubleshooting Guide¶

This guide helps you diagnose and fix common issues with SNID SAGE installation, setup, and usage.

Emergency Quick Fixes¶

GUI Won't Start¶

# Try CLI instead
sage --version

Analysis Fails Immediately¶

# Test with sample data
sage data\SN2018bif.fits --output-dir test_results\

No Results/Poor Classification¶

# Check input file format
Get-Content your_spectrum.dat -Head 10

# Try with preprocessing
sage spectrum.dat --output-dir results\ --savgol-window 11

Installation Issues¶

Problem: "Module not found" errors¶

Symptoms:¶

ImportError: No module named 'snid_sage'
ImportError: No module named 'numpy'
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'matplotlib'

Solutions:¶

1. Verify Installation

# Check if package is installed
python -c "import snid_sage; print('SNID SAGE OK')"

2. Reinstall Package

python -m pip install --upgrade pip
python -m pip install --force-reinstall --no-cache-dir snid-sage

3. Virtual Environment Issues

# Ensure virtual environment is activated
which python  # Should point to venv/bin/python if using venv

# Recreate if needed
deactivate
rm -rf venv
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # Linux/macOS
# or venv\Scripts\activate  # Windows
python -m pip install --upgrade pip
python -m pip install snid-sage

Problem: GUI doesn't start¶

Symptoms:¶

Black screen or no window appears
Qt-related errors
Graphics/display issues

Solutions:¶

1. Verify installation

python -c "import snid_sage; print('SNID SAGE OK')"

2. Display Issues (Linux)

# Check DISPLAY variable
echo $DISPLAY

# If using SSH, enable X11 forwarding
ssh -X username@hostname

# Or use CLI interface instead
sage spectrum.dat --output-dir results/

3. Windows Graphics Issues - Update graphics drivers - Run as administrator - Try different Python version (3.9 or 3.10)

Data Loading Issues¶

Problem: Spectrum won't load¶

Symptoms:¶

Error: Unable to read spectrum file
Error: Invalid file format
Error: No data found in file

Diagnosis:¶

# Check file format (first 20 lines)
Get-Content your_spectrum.dat -Head 20

# Check line count
(Get-Content your_spectrum.dat).Count

# Count comment lines
(Get-Content your_spectrum.dat | Where-Object { $_ -match "^#" }).Count

Solutions:¶

1. Fix File Format

# Convert to proper format
import numpy as np
data = np.loadtxt('spectrum.dat', comments='#')
np.savetxt('spectrum_fixed.dat', data, fmt='%.6f %.6e')

2. Handle Special Characters

# Check and convert encoding
with open('spectrum.dat', 'rb') as f:
    raw = f.read()
# Re-encode to UTF-8
with open('spectrum_utf8.dat', 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f:
    f.write(raw.decode('iso-8859-1'))

3. FITS File Issues

from astropy.io import fits
hdul = fits.open('spectrum.fits')
hdul.info()
print(hdul[0].header)

Problem: Wavelength calibration errors¶

Symptoms:¶

Results don't match expected classification
Wrong redshift determination
Features at wrong wavelengths

Solutions:¶

1. Check Wavelength Units

# Verify wavelength range
import numpy as np
data = np.loadtxt('spectrum.dat')
print(f"Wavelength range: {data[:,0].min():.1f} - {data[:,0].max():.1f}")
# Should be ~3000-10000 for Angstroms

2. Convert Units if Needed

# Convert nm to Angstroms
data = np.loadtxt('spectrum.dat')
data[:,0] *= 10  # nm to Angstroms
np.savetxt('spectrum_angstroms.dat', data)

3. Verify Rest Frame

# Specify known redshift
snid spectrum.dat --output-dir results/ --forced-redshift 0.034

Analysis Problems¶

Problem: No good matches found¶

Symptoms:¶

Best match confidence: 2.1/10
No templates above quality threshold
Analysis completed with low confidence

Diagnosis:¶

# Check spectrum quality
snid spectrum.dat --output-dir results/ --verbose

Solutions:¶

1. Improve Data Quality

# Apply preprocessing
snid spectrum.dat --output-dir results/ \
    --savgol-window 15 --savgol-order 3

2. Adjust Parameters

# Broader search
snid spectrum.dat --output-dir results/ \
    --zmin 0.0 --zmax 0.1

3. Check Template Selection

# Use all templates
snid spectrum.dat --output-dir results/

# Try specific types
snid spectrum.dat --output-dir results/ --type-filter Ia Ib Ic

Problem: Wrong classification¶

Symptoms:¶

Obvious Type Ia classified as Type II
Classification conflicts with literature
Unrealistic parameters

Diagnosis Steps:¶

1. Visual Inspection

# Generate plots
snid spectrum.dat --output-dir results/ --complete
# Examine snid_comparison.png

2. Manual Redshift

# Try known redshift
snid spectrum.dat --output-dir results/ --forced-redshift 0.0234

Common Causes & Solutions:¶

Host Galaxy Contamination:

# Strong emission lines can affect classification
# Try masking emission regions
snid spectrum.dat --output-dir results/ \
    --wavelength-masks 6550:6570 4850:4870

Wrong Observational Phase: - Very early/late phases are challenging - Check age range in results - Compare with literature phases

Poor S/N Ratio:

# Increase smoothing
snid spectrum.dat --output-dir results/ --savgol-window 21

AI Integration Issues¶

Problem: AI analysis fails¶

Symptoms:¶

Error: OpenRouter API key not found
Error: Model not available
Timeout: Request timed out after 60s

Solutions:¶

1. API Key Issues

# Check environment variable
echo $OPENROUTER_API_KEY

# Set API key in GUI
# Settings → Configure AI → Enter API key

2. Network Issues

# Test internet connection
curl -I https://openrouter.ai

# Try different model in GUI AI Assistant

Performance Issues¶

Problem: Analysis too slow¶

Symptoms:¶

Analysis takes >2 minutes
GUI becomes unresponsive
Memory usage keeps increasing

Solutions:¶

1. Template Optimization

# Limit templates
snid spectrum.dat --output-dir results/ \
    --type-filter Ia \
    --age-min -10 --age-max 30

2. System Optimization - Check system resources (Task Manager/Activity Monitor) - Close unnecessary applications - Use SSD storage for templates

Problem: High memory usage¶

Solutions:¶

# Use minimal mode
snid spectrum.dat --output-dir results/ --minimal

# Use CLI for batch processing
snid batch "data/*.dat" templates/ --output-dir results/

Configuration Issues¶

Problem: Settings not saved¶

Symptoms:¶

Configuration changes don't persist
Defaults reset after restart

Solutions:¶

1. Check Config Files

# Main GUI Settings covers GUI preferences only
# User Templates Folder: manage it from snid-sage-templates -> Change User Folder
# Use sage config show/get to inspect effective defaults

2. Reset Configuration - Re-apply the needed GUI preference in Settings - Re-select the User Templates Folder from snid-sage-templates if needed

Error Messages & Solutions¶

Common Error Messages:¶

"Template directory not found"¶

# Templates should be included with installation
# Verify installation:
python -c "import snid_sage; print('SNID SAGE OK')"

"Correlation failed"¶

Check input spectrum format
Verify wavelength calibration
Try different preprocessing options

"Memory allocation failed"¶

# Reduce memory usage
snid spectrum.dat --output-dir results/ --minimal

"OpenRouter authentication failed"¶

Check API key format (should start with sk-or-)
Verify account has credits
Try different model

Getting Help¶

Before Asking for Help:¶

Check this guide - Most issues are covered here
Search documentation - Use the main documentation index
Try verbose mode - --verbose provides detailed info
Check system requirements - Ensure compatibility

When Reporting Issues:¶

Include this information:

# System info
python --version
python -c "import snid_sage; print('SNID SAGE version:', snid_sage.__version__)"

# Error message (full traceback)
# Steps to reproduce
# Sample data (if possible)

Support Channels:¶

GitHub Issues: Report bugs
Discussions: Ask questions
Email: fiorenzo.stoppa@physics.ox.ac.uk

Common Workflows¶

Basic Analysis Workflow¶

# 1. Load spectrum in GUI
snid-sage

# 2. Preprocessing (amber button)
# 3. SNID Analysis (magenta button)
# 4. Review results
# 5. Optional: AI Analysis (deep blue button)

CLI Batch Processing¶

# Process all spectra in directory
snid batch "data/*.dat" templates/ --output-dir results/

# With specific parameters
snid batch "data/*.dat" templates/ --output-dir results/ \
    --type-filter Ia Ib Ic --complete

Still having issues? Don't hesitate to reach out through our support channels!