Debian 11.9 image + KiwiSDR 1 = Disaster [update: solution posted below]

jksjks
edited March 27 in Configuration and Operation

I'd like to get a rough count of how many people are in this situation. Where your Kiwi-1 (Kiwi-1, not Kiwi-2) is bricked after being re-flashed with the Debian 11.9 image. Bricked meaning the 4 LEDs show the Debian "single LED double flash" pattern and there is no network connectivity.

Please post here or email support@kiwisdr.com

Thank you.

«1

Comments

  • jksjks
    edited March 7

    Here's what's happening: https://forum.beagleboard.org/t/if-cape-eeprom-part-number-field-contains-a-space-number-the-number-is-interpreted-as-init-runlevel-lol/37682/1

    Probably George @m1geo will get a chuckle out of it. He understands these situations.

    Not quite sure how I'm going to get people out of this. I'm thinking an image you put onto and sd card. But it doesn't re-flash the Beagle. It just does the EEPROM fix when you boot from it, then powers off.

  • HB9TMCHB9TMC
    edited March 7

    I wonder why I don't have these problems, but my v1 kiwis have

    uboot_detected_capes=KIWISDR10

    Also I'm using wifi dongles, which perhaps aren't affected. But I tried it with ethernet too which works as well.

  • jksjks
    edited March 7

    KIWISDR10 is the old value used from the capes Seeed built. My latest code in D11 v1.665 would have updated these and bricked them all..

  • jksjks

    So, this may not be as widespread a problem as I first feared. I still very much want to hear from people that are having trouble though.

    As @HB9TMC points out a different, older value (KIWISDR10) was used for the Kiwi-1s built by Seeed. And the code in D11.9/v1.663 should not change that value if you re-flash a Kiwi-1 using that image.

    We started bricking Kiwi-2s here because of another bug when adjusting Kiwi-2 serial numbers which incorrectly caused the part number field to be changed to "KiwiSDR 1" instead of leaving it at "KiwiSDR 2" (which does not have the bricking problem). So that's how we first noticed the issue.

    But then there were a number of people on here who had trouble with the exact same symptoms (wrong LED pattern, no Ethernet). So that's why I was very concerned.

  • WA2TPWA2TP
    edited March 8

    I'm not sure its related however I am still having the no ethernet issue. Also with the single led double flash.

    Beagle will not take an IP address at all.

  • jksjks
    edited March 9

    Okay, I have an sd card "EEPROM fixer" for this problem. Although it isn't completely clear to me if the problems @bob53bob and @WA2TP are having is really this issue or not. Still, it's worth trying this fix. Proceed as follows.

    How to make an sd card "EEPROM fixer":

    Use a working Kiwi to make the card. If you don't have another working Kiwi the sd card can also be made using a PC/Mac like the flasher sd card are. Ask here about that.

    Connect to the admin page, console tab.

    Use the d. (dee dot) command.

    Should look like:

    Filesystem    Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on

    /dev/mmcblk0p1 3.5G  2.5G  908M  74% /

    If the "Avail" column is less than 850M then you'll need to remove some files so the image file will fit. Ask here about that.

    Download the script:

    cd

    wget http://kiwisdr.com/files/fixer.sh

    (or)

    wget http://kiwisdr.com/files/kiwiSDR-download-KiwiSDR-BBG_BBB-create-micro-SD-fixer.sh

    Run the script:

    bash fixer.sh

    (or)

    bash kiwiSDR-download-KiwiSDR-BBG_BBB-create-micro-SD-fixer.sh 

    Follow the prompts. It will ask you to insert an sd card after downloading and verifying the image file.

    At the very end it will give instructions about how to use the card.

    Read and follow them carefully. Note especially the need to use the BOOT button when booting off the card.

    I was able to fix all the Kiwi boards I had here that were bricking Beagles at power up.

  • bob53bobbob53bob

    I am not in my comfort zone doing this but am looking forward to learning. Here is where I am using the 'noisy' beagle that can still connect.

    image.png


  • jksjks
    edited March 9

    I made a simpler file name: fixer.sh

  • bob53bobbob53bob

    I got through it and did not have the SD card in all the way. It exited Console. Do I need to repeat the 2 hour download again ?

  • jksjks
    edited March 9

    No. Just run the fixer.sh script again (or the longer filename if you downloaded that).

    If the script finds the file already downloaded it will use it. It will recompute the checksum to make sure the file is intact.

    Why on earth did it take 2 hours to download an 850 MB file? It's 2024!

  • bob53bobbob53bob

    It said it was downloading at about 128K even though I have a 100mb connection. In any case, I tried it again on a new 8GB card and I believe it said no space available ? 

    root@kiwisdr:~# 
root@kiwisdr:~# bash kiwiSDR-download-KiwiSDR-BBG_BBB-create-micro-SD-fixer.sh 
--- Get KiwiSDR BBG_BBB EEPROM fixer image from net and create micro-SD.
--- Hit enter to proceed: 
Filesystem      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/mmcblk0p1  3.6G  2.6G  797M  77% /
--- Make sure at least 850M is listed in the "Avail" column above.
--- If not, type ^C and remove some files to make room.
--- Hit ^C to stop or enter to proceed: 
--- Already seem to have the image file, verify checksum below to be sure.
--- Computing checksum...
0d1c93ff0c175e2cfae0c02e199a65709cea8441b4b1f893b77f8368df2ec006  /root/KiwiSDR_BBG_BBB_EEPROM_fixer.img.xz
--- Verify above checksum against:
0d1c93ff0c175e2cfae0c02e199a65709cea8441b4b1f893b77f8368df2ec006  Correct checksum
--- Hit enter when ready: 
--- Insert micro-SD card
--- Hit enter when ready: 
--- lsblk:
NAME         MAJ:MIN RM  SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
mmcblk0boot0 179:8    0    2M  1 disk 
mmcblk0boot1 179:16   0    2M  1 disk 
mmcblk0      179:0    0  3.7G  0 disk 
└─mmcblk0p1  179:1    0  3.7G  0 part /
mmcblk1      179:24   0  7.5G  0 disk 
└─mmcblk1p1  179:25   0  7.4G  0 part 
--- Will now copy to /dev/mmcblk1 which should be the micro-SD card.
--- CHECK lsblk ABOVE THAT /dev/mmcblk1 IS THE CORRECT DEVICE BEFORE PROCEEDING!
--- Hit enter when ready: 
--- Copying to micro-SD card, will take about 15 minutes.
/root/KiwiSDR_BBG_BBB_EEPROM_fixer.img.xz (1/1)
dd: writing to ‘/dev/mmcblk1’: No space left on device        0:01             
20481+0 records in
20480+0 records out
10485760 bytes (10 MB) copied, 1.6613 s, 6.3 MB/s
  0.1 %        581.0 KiB / 10.0 MiB = 0.057                   0:01             
BLKFLSBUF: Inappropriate ioctl for device
--- IMPORTANT: How to use this EEPROM fixer SD card.
--- Please read all of these instructions carefully before proceeding.
--- 
--- Power off the Kiwi you need to fix. Insert the sd card.
--- Locate the "boot" button on the other side of the Beagle board from the SD card socket.
--- See kiwisdr.com/boot.png for the location of the boot button/switch.
 
--- Then you MUST hold down the Beagle "boot" button, then apply power,
--- then release the button a few moments after all four blue LEDs light up.
--- The button will give a noticeable "click" when it is pressed.
 
--- Now the Beagle should be running from the SD card.
--- In about two minutes the Beagle will power off if the fix was successful.
--- During this time the blue LED closest to the outside edge of the board will double-flash.
--- If there is no power down within two minutes the fix didn't work. Try the procedure again.
--- Remove the SD card after the power down.
--- Power up and you should have a working Ethernet and Kiwi server.


  • jksjks
    edited March 9

    That's crazy. No space after copying 10 MB?

    Has to be a bad SD card. The lsblk says right there it's got 7.5 GB of space.

    Please try a different card.

    Also, BLKFLSBUF: Inappropriate ioctl for device is an error you'd get if not copying to a block device, which this most certainly is.

  • bob53bobbob53bob
    edited March 9

    Tried the 32 and another new 8 and got this each time. To be sure I get this, the new Micro SD card is to be installed in the Kiwi that I am using to create this image.... How do I do it from a PC and create the image that way ? Maybe there is something in that noisy beaglebone that is messing the process up?

    --- Get KiwiSDR BBG_BBB EEPROM fixer image from net and create micro-SD.
Filesystem      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/mmcblk0p1  3.6G  2.6G  805M  77% /
--- Make sure at least 850M is listed in the "Avail" column above.
--- If not, type ^C and remove some files to make room.
--- Hit ^C to stop or enter to proceed: ^[OAc
--- Already seem to have the image file, verify checksum below to be sure.
--- Computing checksum...
0d1c93ff0c175e2cfae0c02e199a65709cea8441b4b1f893b77f8368df2ec006  /root/KiwiSDR_BBG_BBB_EEPROM_fixer.img.xz
--- Verify above checksum against:
0d1c93ff0c175e2cfae0c02e199a65709cea8441b4b1f893b77f8368df2ec006  Correct checksum
NAME         MAJ:MIN RM  SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
mmcblk0boot0 179:8    0    2M  1 disk 
mmcblk0boot1 179:16   0    2M  1 disk 
mmcblk0      179:0    0  3.7G  0 disk 
└─mmcblk0p1  179:1    0  3.7G  0 part /
mmcblk1      179:24   0  7.5G  0 disk 
└─mmcblk1p1  179:25   0  7.4G  0 part 
--- Will now copy to /dev/mmcblk1 which should be the micro-SD card.
/root/KiwiSDR_BBG_BBB_EEPROM_fixer.img.xz (1/1)
dd: writing to ‘/dev/mmcblk1’: No space left on device        0:01             
20481+0 records in
20480+0 records out
10485760 bytes (10 MB) copied, 1.68483 s, 6.2 MB/s
  0.1 %        581.0 KiB / 10.0 MiB = 0.057                   0:01             
BLKFLSBUF: Inappropriate ioctl for device
--- Get KiwiSDR BBG_BBB EEPROM fixer image from net and create micro-SD.
--- Hit enter to proceed: 
Filesystem      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/mmcblk0p1  3.6G  2.6G  805M  77% /
--- Make sure at least 850M is listed in the "Avail" column above.
--- If not, type ^C and remove some files to make room.
--- Hit ^C to stop or enter to proceed: ^[OAc
--- Already seem to have the image file, verify checksum below to be sure.
--- Computing checksum...
0d1c93ff0c175e2cfae0c02e199a65709cea8441b4b1f893b77f8368df2ec006  /root/KiwiSDR_BBG_BBB_EEPROM_fixer.img.xz
--- Verify above checksum against:
0d1c93ff0c175e2cfae0c02e199a65709cea8441b4b1f893b77f8368df2ec006  Correct checksum
--- Hit enter when ready: 
--- Insert micro-SD card
--- Hit enter when ready: 
--- lsblk:
NAME         MAJ:MIN RM  SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
mmcblk0boot0 179:8    0    2M  1 disk 
mmcblk0boot1 179:16   0    2M  1 disk 
mmcblk0      179:0    0  3.7G  0 disk 
└─mmcblk0p1  179:1    0  3.7G  0 part /
mmcblk1      179:24   0  7.5G  0 disk 
└─mmcblk1p1  179:25   0  7.4G  0 part 
--- Will now copy to /dev/mmcblk1 which should be the micro-SD card.
--- CHECK lsblk ABOVE THAT /dev/mmcblk1 IS THE CORRECT DEVICE BEFORE PROCEEDING!
--- Hit enter when ready: 
--- Copying to micro-SD card, will take about 15 minutes.
/root/KiwiSDR_BBG_BBB_EEPROM_fixer.img.xz (1/1)
dd: writing to ‘/dev/mmcblk1’: No space left on device        0:01             
20481+0 records in
20480+0 records out
10485760 bytes (10 MB) copied, 1.68483 s, 6.2 MB/s
  0.1 %        581.0 KiB / 10.0 MiB = 0.057                   0:01             
BLKFLSBUF: Inappropriate ioctl for device


  • HB9TMCHB9TMC

    I tried the script on a spare BBG and it runs fine here...

    @bob53bob It is http://kiwisdr.com/files/KiwiSDR_BBG_BBB_EEPROM_fixer.img.xz if you can write it on a PC. But I wouldn't trust that BBG in this case...

  • bob53bobbob53bob

    That was easy test but it never did power down. After a couple minutes, the left led started blinking twice and that seemed to go on indefinitely.

  • HB9TMCHB9TMC
    edited March 9 
    --- If there is no power down within two minutes the fix didn't work. Try the procedure again.

    It would be also interesting to know if it is getting an IP address from the router while it is blinking twice.

    If not, it is probably something wrong with your BBG

  • jksjks

    Bob, what does your last comment mean? That you got the image onto the sd card using a PC successfully?

    If powering up with the sd fixer card installed doesn't power down within two minutes that means you didn't hold down the boot button before powering up. Or that the image on the sd card is actually bad and the Beagle is reverting to running off the Beagle's on-board flash which of course is bricked (will double-flash forever).

    Holding the boot button down before plugging the power in is tricky. The boot button is between the two circuit boards and hard to reach. Make sure you can feel it "click" when holding it down.

  • bob53bobbob53bob

    I got the image onto a new SD card using using Win32DiskManager. There are 2 buttons. I am holding down the one closer to the center of the board while powering up. I believe the other one is called Reset. I have tried releasing it as soon as I saw any LED lit as well as waiting until I saw flashing LED's. In no case does anything result in the power going off. my.kiwi.sdr does not find it.

  • jksjks
    edited March 9

    Wrong buttons!!! You have to use the correct button. The instructions had a link to this: kiwisdr.com/boot.png

    The boot button/switch is on the other side of the Beagle PCB from the SD card slot.

  • WA2TPWA2TP

    I only show 783M avail on the kiwi.

    what should I delete?

  • jksjks
    edited March 10

    Well, since it's going to rebuild on the next update anyway do:

    cdp

    mc

    pkc

    This will no effect on the server running on that Kiwi since it uses files out of /usr/local/bin

    If that's not enough we'll have to trim the log files.

  • bob53bobbob53bob

    OK on the wrong button...corrected. How long is a few moments ? I held it for 3 minutes and the LED's never lit. Exactly how long do I have to hold it ?

  • jksjks
    edited March 10

    The instructions tell you precisely what to do:

    --- IMPORTANT: How to use this EEPROM fixer SD card.
--- Please read all of these instructions carefully before proceeding.
--- 
--- Power off the Kiwi you need to fix. Insert the sd card.
--- Locate the "boot" button on the other side of the Beagle board from the SD card socket.
--- See kiwisdr.com/boot.png for the location of the boot button/switch.
 
--- Then you MUST hold down the Beagle "boot" button, then apply power,
--- then release the button a few moments after all four blue LEDs light up.
--- The button will give a noticeable "click" when it is pressed.
 
--- Now the Beagle should be running from the SD card.
--- In about two minutes the Beagle will power off if the fix was successful.
--- During this time the blue LED closest to the outside edge of the board will double-flash.
--- If there is no power down within two minutes the fix didn't work. Try the procedure again.
--- Remove the SD card after the power down.
--- Power up and you should have a working Ethernet and Kiwi server.

    "release it a few moments after all four blue LEDs light up", after you apply power. Like 2 seconds.

    But the button has to be held down before power is applied. That's the critical point.

    If you never get the 4 LEDs to light up then the image on the card is no good or the card is bad.

  • bob53bobbob53bob

    The 4 LED's never lit. I am downloading a fresh copy to be used on a fresh card but unfortunately, it is taking well over an hour to download again.

    image.png

    My ISP is good :

    image.png


  • bob53bobbob53bob

    New download, new Micro SD Card, held boot button down and the powered up. Continued to hold button for 15 seconds and none of the LED's flashed.

  • WA2TPWA2TP

    I was able to perform the above as instructed. All appeared to work ok,

    However, the beagle eth0 will not take an IP address.


    When I had originally set it to static I also disabled "register at kiwisdr.com" and I set it to 10 Mbps.


    could something else still be stuck?

    When i connect via USB this is what ipconfig returns


    debian@kiwisdr_ ~ 3_10_2024 12_17_33 PM.png


  • WA2TPWA2TP

    I can connect to the kiwi via usb @ 192.168.7.2:8073 and i get spectrum and waterfall.

    If i append with 192.168.7.2:8073/admin

    i get:

    No admin password set. Can only connect from same local network as kiwi.

    clinet IP=192.168.7.1

  • jksjks

    @WA2TP I can't keep all these individual problems straight: Are you running Debian 11? Use the dog command to find out.

    You could try and configure the eth0 port manually. But I need to know which Debian you're running.

  • WA2TPWA2TP

    debian 11 bullseye.

    this is the beagle that shipped with kiwi2 that is acting up.

  • jksjks

    What do these say?

    cat /etc/systemd/network/eth0.network

    networkctl status

    ip


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