helics_app clone fails to produce a clone

[trevorhardy]

Describe the bug
Using the command line example provided in the documentation here does not produce the defined clone file.

Input:

helics_app clone Battery -o battery_clone.json

No output file "battery_clone.json" is produced.

What is the expected behavior?
The "battery_clone.json" should be produced

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

I used the fundamental default example and appended the runner file so that it looks like this:

{
  "name": "fundamental_default",
  "broker": true,
  "federates": [
    {
      "directory": ".",
      "exec": "python -u Charger.py 1",
      "host": "localhost",
      "name": "Charger"
    },
    {
      "directory": ".",
      "exec": "python -u Battery.py 1",
      "host": "localhost",
      "name": "Battery"
    },
    {
      "directory": ".",
      "exec": "helics_app clone Battery -o battery_clone.json --loglevel=trace",
      "host": "localhost",
      "name": "battery_clone"
    }
  ]
}

Environment (please complete the following information):

• Operating System: macOS 14.7.2
• Language Extension: Python
• what compiler or setup process did you use: build from source + pip install helics
• HELICS version:

$ helics --version

helics, version 3.6.0

Python HELICS version 3.6.0

HELICS Library version 3.6.0 (2024-12-09)

HELICS Apps version 3.6.0

$ helics_app --version
3.6.0 (2024-12-09)

Additional context and information
@phlptp and I did a small amount of live debugging and the "trace" log-level didn't show near the amount of activity as we would have expected.

[2025-01-15 09:03:03.355] [console] [trace] Clone_core_a9z0js (1879048192)[connected]::|| priority_cmd:fed_ack:Clone--131072 from 1
[2025-01-15 09:03:03.355] [console] [trace] Clone (131072)[created]::processing command fed_ack:Clone--131072
clone subcommand
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.251] [console] [trace] Clone_core_a9z0js (1879048192)[connected]::|| cmd:tick:From 0 from 0
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.436] [console] [trace] Clone_core_a9z0js (1879048192)[connected]::|| cmd:init:From 131072 from 131072
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.437] [console] [trace] Clone_core_a9z0js (1879048192)[initializing]::|| cmd:init_grant:From 1 from 1
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.437] [console] [trace] Clone (131072)[created]::processing command init_grant:From 1
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.437] [console] [debug] Clone (131072)[initializing]::Granting Initialization
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.437] [console] [debug] Clone (131072)[initializing]::Granted Time=-9223372036.854776
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.437] [console] [trace] Clone (131072)[initializing]::processing command exec_check:From 0
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.437] [console] [trace] Clone_core_a9z0js (1879048192)[operating]::|| cmd:exec_request:From 131072 from 131072
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.437] [console] [trace] Clone (131072)[initializing]::processing command exec_request:From 131072
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.437] [console] [trace] Clone (131072)[initializing]::processing command exec_check:From 131072
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.437] [console] [debug] Clone (131072)[executing]::Granting Execution
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.437] [console] [debug] Clone (131072)[0]::Granted Time=0
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.437] [console] [trace] Clone (131072)[0]::{"granted_time":0,"requested_time":9223372036.854776, "exec":9223372036.854776, "allow":9223372036.854776, "value":9223372036.854776, "message":9223372036.854776, "minDe":9223372036.854776, "minminDe":9223372036.854776}
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.437] [console] [trace] Clone_core_a9z0js (1879048192)[operating]::|| cmd:time_request:From (131072) Time(9223372036.854776, 0, 0) to (131072) from 131072
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.437] [console] [trace] Clone (131072)[0]::processing command time_request:From (131072) Time(9223372036.854776, 0, 0) to (131072)
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.437] [console] [debug] Clone (131072)[MAXTIME]::Granted Time=9223372036.854776
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.437] [console] [trace] Clone_core_a9z0js (1879048192)[operating]::|| cmd:disconnect:From 131072 from 131072
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.437] [console] [trace] Clone (131072)[MAXTIME]::processing command disconnect:From 131072
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.437] [console] [trace] Clone_core_a9z0js (1879048192)[operating]::|| cmd:disconnect:From 131072 from 131072
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.438] [console] [trace] Clone_core_a9z0js (1879048192)[terminating]::|| cmd:disconnect core acknowledge:From 1 from 1
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.438] [console] [trace] Clone (131072)[MAXTIME]::processing command disconnect fed acknowledge:From 0
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.438] [console] [debug] Clone (131072)[MAXTIME]::Terminating
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.438] [console] [debug] Clone (131072)[MAXTIME]::Granted Time=9223372036.854776
[2025-01-15 09:03:13.440] [console] [trace] Clone_core_a9z0js (1879048192)[terminating]::|| cmd:stop:From 0 from 0

[trevorhardy]

@phlptp, using #2726, I'm still getting a blank clone file and the same trace log file.

[phlptp]

You might need —capture=federate

[trevorhardy]

Still no luck with this command line: helics_app clone --capture=Battery --output=battery_clone.json