[VU+ Ultimo4K] solved - external USB drives not coming back - UDEV ?

[LbCwby]

What type of support thread are you creating?

Possible bug

What OpenViX Image build number are you using?

6.8.007

Have you tried re-flashing WITHOUT settings restore?

YES

Have you tried re-flashing WITH a settings restore?

YES

Hi all,

History
Using Standardboot, not Multiboot.
After updating (flash + settings restore) from 6.8.006 to 007, I could see my 3 external drives (see signature).
As always with a restart, I have to disconnect the USB cables first (as otherwise it will just hang on the Blue VU+ screen) and then, once the image is up and running, one by one plug them back in, and they would show without problem.
However, for whatever reason, 6.8.007 with the restore, lead to problems with the processor reaching temperatures of up to 75 degrees C. This rendered the receiver inoperable.

So, then flashed 6.8.007 on 10/05 and set up from 0, which is quite time-consuming.
Also, to rule out any of few plugins I use, would be the culprit of the processor getting cooked, I added them 1 by 1: adding 1, running with it a day and checking temp, and when OK next day, the next plugin.
(plugins in use: TMDB (as IMDB still failing to connect); Cutlist Editor and Execute Cuts; and Chefkoch.de.

Current with the problem
Yesterday it was time to add the external - and powered - USB drives. 1 being Ext4 and the other 2 NTFS. As mentioned, no problems for the past almost 1,5 years, with UDEV.
Now, no such luck:
1 - VIX - Mount Manager - Set-up mounts - USB, USB2 and USB3 - Save - Reboot (have to take the connectors out as mentioned) - Image is up - Connect the drives and ... none is there.
2 - VIX - Mount Manager - Set-up mounts - USB, USB2 and USB3 - Save - Goto the 3 drives and hit Mount - Restart GUI and ... they were there. I put my Bookmarks to the different directories, and all working.
Just now, decided to see if it would all be saved, so placed the receiver in Deep Standby, then switched off at the back, unplugged the 3 drives, waited 30 seconds, switched back on, Image up, plugged drives back in and ... none there.
In the meantime, my 1 Tb internal HDD continues to be found without any problem, every time.

Could it be the Mounts are not saved correctly, not read correctly after a restart, or have I missed a step somewhere ?

As a current workaround a can use the Step 2 as above described, but ... I'd rather have work on plugging the drives back in, as before.

Thanks in advance
Hans

PS - I just checked the Media-directory, and that shows the USB, USB2 and USB3, after my workaround now, but had not checked before doing that.
PPS - In the Debug Log, some 3 seconds after starting, the media/USB, media/USB2 and media/USB3 references do show.

 

[twol]

Did you install the ntfs drivers?

 

[twol]

Also this is not good and teh issue should be resolved…
“As always with a restart, I have to disconnect the USB cables first (as otherwise it will just hang on the Blue VU+ screen)“

 

[LbCwby]

Thanks Twol.

Yes, the ntfs driver is installed. I think it does it automatically, as I did not need to do it manually.

With regards to the “As always with a restart, I have to disconnect the USB cables first (as otherwise it will just hang on the Blue VU+ screen)“
I've had to do this for years. My reasoning is that, when restarting, it looks for connected Flash-drives / USB to flash an image. As they are not there, the VU+ startscreen (on the LCD) just hangs there, until the drives are disconnected.

If it should not behave that way, it would be nice to get resolved. Do you think it's then also linked to not re-instating the set Mounts?

I can get the Debug-log if that's of any help.

Thanks in advance,

 

[twol]

Thanks Twol.

Yes, the ntfs driver is installed. I think it does it automatically, as I did not need to do it manually.

With regards to the “As always with a restart, I have to disconnect the USB cables first (as otherwise it will just hang on the Blue VU+ screen)“
I've had to do this for years. My reasoning is that, when restarting, it looks for connected Flash-drives / USB to flash an image. As they are not there, the VU+ startscreen (on the LCD) just hangs there, until the drives are disconnected.

If it should not behave that way, it would be nice to get resolved. Do you think it's then also linked to not re-instating the set Mounts?

I can get the Debug-log if that's of any help.

Thanks in advance,

So usb hang.
Like to see boot up with them attached.
Easiest way is telnet session (e.g. putty) userid is root, password is whatever is set by you.
Type init 4 (space between) ... stops the box - leave usb drives attached.
Then type enigma2 and you will see a terminal log ...... need to see why it hangs

then you can stop the box (init 4 and then init 6 to reboot ...... I guess with usb drives removed)

Mount issues, post debug log here removing any userid/passwords.

 

[LbCwby]

Thanks again Twol.

With first part - init 4 and enigma2 - it works and the drives are there.
With second - init 4 and init 6 - it just hangs in the VU+ screen.
I hope the following logs help then in some way.

BTW - I have recordings coming up between 16 and 18 hours, and then from 20 hours, as well as tomorrow from 12:45 hours onwards. Won't be doing any checks / tests then.

Hans

 

[twol]

Thanks again Twol.

With first part - init 4 and enigma2 - it works and the drives are there.
With second - init 4 and init 6 - it just hangs in the VU+ screen.
I hope the following logs help then in some way.

BTW - I have recordings coming up between 16 and 18 hours, and then from 20 hours, as well as tomorrow from 12:45 hours onwards. Won't be doing any checks / tests then.

Hans

That really doesn,t make sense... I expected to see a hang.
By the way logs should be set to HDD
So when running under telnet connection, you have usb attached and you can play services and do what you would normally?

It would have been nice to have multiboot so you can flash and setup afresh in a separate image.

 

[LbCwby]

Hi again Twol.

Regarding logs on HDD, the default shows home/root as the path.

With the Telnet, yes, going back to the receiver, it worked. Will try once more later.
Re. Multiboot, I've thought about it a couple of times, but remembered it was not without its problems (in the beginning). Maybe it now works well, so might give it a try next time. Any Guides on that?
The Guide and Tutorial section (https://www.openvix.co.uk/index.php/guides-and-tutorials/ ) seems quite outdated.

Hans

PS - Will do the sequence you mentioned, once more now, and see if anything is different, as I now have made the mounts to SDB, SDC and SDD, as opposed to USB, USB2 and USB3 from before.
Once done, I'll post again.

 

[twol]

You should change logs to HDD! Root is not good place to have them.
I seriously expected to hang in telnet session, so something happens later that causes issue….I don,t think it is udev …in both logs it does what I would expect

Multiboot, I use all the time… on all the boxes.
However, for a normal user, its really in my view a safety feature - better than software update and almost instant recovery if issue.

 

[LbCwby]

Update:

With first part - init 4 and enigma2 - It stopped, then "restarted" and got the Terminal log - attached. However, though the LCD shows the channel and time info, it actually is hanging as nothing more happens, the time on the LCD screen is frozen and there is no output to the TV.
... No idea what happened the previous time, I was dreaming or must go to SpecSavers, as I was sure it had started.

With second - init 4 and init 6 -
* On "init 4" nothing happens, LCD showing as mentioned, hanging.
* On "init 6" it just hangs in the VU+ screen, until I disconnect the 3 drives, then continues and starts.
Attached the Debug log, 18h48m

Fingers crossed
Hans

 

[twol]

So what do use the usb partitions for and whats on each?

 

[LbCwby]

Changed Log-setting to HDD.
Regarding Multiboot, I found this thread from 2024 Info Multiboot from post 9 onwards, by Abu Baniaz
If that is still current (without the first 8 posts), I think it would help others to have it in the Guide and Tutorial section, or Sticky somewhere.
I do seem to remember to have read several posts, longer ago, that there were some hiccups along the way.
Also with Multiboot, as it only works with a downloaded new image that is flashed and creates those slots:
- Does that have access to the previously made Backups and Imagebackups ?
- Can I load an Imagebackup, f.e. of my now running 6.8.007, then afterwards, to another free slot ?
- Any more advice you can give me ?

 

[LbCwby]

Re. the USB drives:
One has Films, lots of films (more generic), and Docs about Moviestars.
Another has films regarding Fantasy and Science Fiction.
And the last one has Animated films, docs and movies re. countries, and about cooking.

 

[LbCwby]

BTW, and just to make that clear: all those films, docs, etc have been recorded through the TV-channels, not by any illegal means.

 

[twol]

"Regarding Multiboot, I found this thread from 2024 Info Multiboot from post 9 onwards, by Abu Baniaz
If that is still current (without the first 8 posts), I think it would help others to have it in the Guide and Tutorial section, or Sticky somewhere.
I do seem to remember to have read several posts, longer ago, that there were some hiccups along the way.
Also with Multiboot, as it only works with a downloaded new image that is flashed and creates those slots:
- Does that have access to the previously made Backups and Imagebackups ?
- Can I load an Imagebackup, f.e. of my now running 6.8.007, then afterwards, to another free slot ?
- Any more advice you can give me ?"

1. you can restore all settings backups or flash an image backup into a multiboot slot.
2. just to double check the HDD is ext4 ? Has to be for multiboot or later any usb for images has to be ext4.
3. The best option to install multiboot on a Vu+ 4K receiver is the one highlighted by Abu - this gives you a "minimal" base image which in practice you should never use again except to flash an image into the first slot - it basically is there to setup the multiboot architecture.
4. So I would do an imagebackup and settings backup and then flash a new image via ImageManager and process to install multiboot at the first wizard. A little bit of patience is required as it sets things up and reboots.

 

[twol]

Update:

With first part - init 4 and enigma2 - It stopped, then "restarted" and got the Terminal log - attached. However, though the LCD shows the channel and time info, it actually is hanging as nothing more happens, the time on the LCD screen is frozen and there is no output to the TV.
... No idea what happened the previous time, I was dreaming or must go to SpecSavers, as I was sure it had started.

With second - init 4 and init 6 -
* On "init 4" nothing happens, LCD showing as mentioned, hanging.
* On "init 6" it just hangs in the VU+ screen, until I disconnect the 3 drives, then continues and starts.
Attached the Debug log, 18h48m

Fingers crossed
Hans

so I am puzzled as there is really nothing obvious in the logs.
Both @Ev0 and I, shunted devices around and in and out of different usb ports on many receivers as we finished off the udev implementation and the naming of every port on a receiver.
I used many devices, some with multiple partitions and we never had issues - and I am afraid I never usually have the patience to mount/dismount devices properly.

However, to the best of my knowledge we and the OpenATV team never used devices with NTFS partitions - usually they are FAT32 or ext4.
So I am just wondering if that is causing the initial hang.

Obviously a painful transtion to move everything around, but I cannot at this moment see another good reason and this is a really isolated issue - which should not happen.

 

[LbCwby]

Multiboot
"1. you can restore all settings backups or flash an image backup into a multiboot slot"
- Thanks for confirming
"2. just to double check the HDD is ext4 ?"
- It is.
"3. The best option to install multiboot on a Vu+ 4K receiver is the one highlighted by Abu - this gives you a "minimal" base image ..."
- Is that the so-called "recovery" ?
"4. So I would do an imagebackup and settings backup and ..."
- Will do

Fingers crossed
Hans

PS - one more question: if I were to try a non-Openvix image (ATV / Pli f.e.): is that multiboot.py file I saw mentioned a few times, still necessary within those to be able to change between the different slots ?

(edit for the PS-question)

 

[LbCwby]

so I am puzzled as there is really nothing obvious in the logs.
Both @Ev0 and I, shunted devices around and in and out of different usb ports on many receivers as we finished off the udev implementation and the naming of every port on a receiver.
I used many devices, some with multiple partitions and we never had issues - and I am afraid I never usually have the patience to mount/dismount devices properly.

However, to the best of my knowledge we and the OpenATV team never used devices with NTFS partitions - usually they are FAT32 or ext4.
So I am just wondering if that is causing the initial hang.

Obviously a painful transition to move everything around, but I cannot at this moment see another good reason and this is a really isolated issue - which should not happen.

Thanks, and the transition might not be as painful, as I bought a 10Tb drive a while back, but had not started to move things around - thankfully
Will definitely initialize that to Ext4, and then start the happy Copying for the coming days.
I kept the two drives on ntfs to be able to see the files in a Windows environment as well, but I hardly use that anyway.

And more fingers crossed please.
If and when that works, or not, I will post the outcome

Hans

 

[twol]

Multiboot
"1. you can restore all settings backups or flash an image backup into a multiboot slot"
- Thanks for confirming
"2. just to double check the HDD is ext4 ?"
- It is.
"3. The best option to install multiboot on a Vu+ 4K receiver is the one highlighted by Abu - this gives you a "minimal" base image ..."
- Is that the so-called "recovery" ?
"4. So I would do an imagebackup and settings backup and ..."
- Will do

Fingers crossed
Hans

PS - one more question: if I were to try a non-Openvix image (ATV / Pli f.e.): is that multiboot.py file I saw mentioned a few times, still necessary within those to be able to change between the different slots ?

(edit for the PS-question)

Both OpenATV & OpenPli images work with Vu+ Multiboot (it was our code originally with @eddi and openbh) except as usual OpenPli will not support images on usb.
On OpenViX & openbh we use multiboot.py and ImageManager to handle multiboot & slots, OpenATV (multiboot.py / FlashManager), OpenPli (multiboot.py & FlashImage) - nothing like commonality!!.
Code in multiboot.py varies between images but controls the slots, the other package handles (amongst other things) flashing images.
Other images(other than openbh) do not have the capability to change to multiboot at the wizard boot stage.

The minimal base image is the Recovery image and is hidden in "slot 0" - we remove unnecessary modules/data out of this image before rebooting to slot 1 to make it "minimal", that is not true of other images such as OpenPli and OpenATV.

 

[LbCwby]

Thanks for the response.

Well, Multiboot is active now with the 6.8.007 in Slot-1 and working - yay !

So those Multiboot.py files for OpenBH, OpenATV and OpenPli will be setup / placed / copied automatically in the correct place when installing one of those ? No copying manually (anymore) ?

Hans