Random Restart on Rpi2 (8.2.4)

  • vamp this would suggest a firmware issue, but so far you (and Mario77) are the only people reporting it.

    Unfortunately there are 6 months of firmware changes between 8.2.3 and 8.2.4: Comparing 89a2371~1...3347884 · raspberrypi/firmware · GitHub

    In order to determine which change is causing your random reboot, which is extremely rare (only two of you out of hundreds of thousands), you'll need to identify which firmware introduced the problem - although it seems more likely to be a hardware issue (maybe a marginal SOC) given how rare it is.

    You could try testing the LE nightly builds from early this year to late last year, which covers the period for 8.2.3 to 8.2.4:

    #0313: LibreELEC Testbuilds for RaspberryPi (Kodi 18.0)

    #0309: LibreELEC Testbuilds for RaspberryPi (Kodi 18.0)

    #0307: LibreELEC Testbuilds for RaspberryPi (Kodi 18.0)

    #0305: LibreELEC Testbuilds for RaspberryPi (Kodi 18.0)

    #0226: LibreELEC Testbuilds for RaspberryPi (Kodi 18.0)

    #0209: LibreELEC Testbuilds for RaspberryPi (Kodi 18.0)

    #0207: LibreELEC Testbuilds for RaspberryPi (Kodi 18.0)

    #0202: LibreELEC Testbuilds for RaspberryPi (Kodi 18.0)

    #0131: LibreELEC Testbuilds for RaspberryPi (Kodi 18.0)

    #0125: LibreELEC Testbuilds for RaspberryPi (Kodi 18.0)

    #0117: LibreELEC Testbuilds for RaspberryPi (Kodi 18.0)

    #0111: LibreELEC Testbuilds for RaspberryPi (Kodi 18.0)

    #0108: LibreELEC Testbuilds for RaspberryPi (Kodi 18.0)

    #1201: LibreELEC Testbuilds for RaspberryPi (Kodi 18.0)

    #1117: LibreELEC Testbuilds for RaspberryPi (Kodi 18.0)

    #1103: LibreELEC Testbuilds for RaspberryPi (Kodi 18.0)

    #1024: LibreELEC Testbuilds for RaspberryPi (Kodi 18.0)

    #0313 is the most recent build you should test, and includes the same firmware that is used by 8.2.4 - in theory, you should experience random reboots.

    #1024 is the oldest build you should test, and includes firmware from about the time of 8.2.3 - in theory, you should not experience random reboots.

    If you test #1024 (and have no reboots) and then #0313 (and have reboots), then somewhere between those two builds you should be able to determine the build when the rebooting starts. Once we know this, we can identify what changed in the firmware.

    Please continue testing with your 2.5A power supply.

  • Hello there,

    milhouse

    I think i found the "dividing line"

    I tested this builds:

    #0313

    #0309

    #0307

    #0305

    #0226


    From #0313 to #0305. all builds is random restart maximum 10-15 min after that i start the movie. On the #0226 i watched about 1 hour without problem. No restart.

    So i think the problem between #0305-#0226

    Edited once, last by vamp (June 20, 2018 at 12:46 AM).

  • So i think the problem between #0305-#0226

    That's interesting, and you're sure that #0226 is stable? There's not much change in the #0305 firmware, but popcornmix will know for sure.

    Can you confirm the device you have - is it RPi2 or RPi3B? I'm assuming it's not a RPi3B+ based on the versions you have been testing. Edit: You've already said it is RPi2

    Just to be sure there's nothing non-firmware involved, can you also test the individual builds between #0226 and #0305 (ie. #0227, #0228, #0301, #0302, #0303 and #0304) and confirm that they are all stable - if any of them start rebooting then it's not exclusively a firmware issue.

    I appreciate this is a lot of tedious, slow work but hopefully it will prove fruitful in the end!

    Mario77 if you still have your RPi2 are you able to confirm that #0305 reboots, and #0226 is stable?

  • That's interesting, and you're sure that #0226 is stable? There's not much change in the #0305 firmware, but popcornmix will know for sure.

    Can you confirm the device you have - is it RPi2 or RPi3B? I'm assuming it's not a RPi3B+ based on the versions you have been testing. Edit: You've already said it is RPi2

    Just to be sure there's nothing non-firmware involved, can you also test the individual builds between #0226 and #0305 (ie. #0227, #0228, #0301, #0302, #0303 and #0304) and confirm that they are all stable - if any of them start rebooting then it's not exclusively a firmware issue.

    I appreciate this is a lot of tedious, slow work but hopefully it will prove fruitful in the end!

    Mario77 if you still have your RPi2 are you able to confirm that #0305 reboots, and #0226 is stable?

    My issue wasn't really just restarting......restarts are rare....I was having this issue like the one in this thread

    The stream plays for few minutes, then the audio starts glitching and after few moments screen comes black. UI is responsive sometimes so I can exit out.

    Which I temporarily fixed by changing firmware files from 8.2.5 with the ones from 8.2.3..

    Maybe @deancan can elaborate a bit more on his issue and if is facing restarts too?

  • Hi milhouse

    Now i tried a another thing. I copy the latest working firmware files (#0226) to most recent build that you link (#0313 ) Now i watched a movie about 1 hour and this build working like a charm! (no reboot)

    I copy these files:

    Code
    /flash/bootcode.bin
    /flash/fixup.dat
    /flash/start.elf


    My next plan, to copy this firmware to latest test build ( #0620)

    If it working and no reboot, i think it is sure the the problem is only the firmware.

    After i test this, i try the other daily builds that you link me.

    Edited 3 times, last by vamp (June 21, 2018 at 12:28 AM).

  • Now i finish the test. It no restart ( #0620 + #0226 firmware files)

    What do you think milhouse it is possible to create a test release that include the latest firmware, but not include this changes?

    Code
    Firmware (Mar 5):
    firmware: dtoverlay: Also allow fragment-<n> in overlays
    firmware: i2c_gpio: Optimise and run clients faster

    Now i try to test daily builds:(#0227, #0228, #0301, #0302, #0303 #0304)

  • What do you think milhouse it is possible to create a test release that include the latest firmware, but not include this changes?

    There's no need for a test release, copying the #0226 firmware is sufficient.

    Please try the remaining daily builds (#0227, #0228 etc.) just to be sure, but it's quite interesting that #0620 + 0226 firmware is stable.

    Can you post the contents of your /flash/config.txt ?

  • Sure:

    Today i watch about 2 hour movie constantly and no random reboot ( #0620 + #0226 firmware files)

    Tomorrow i will test remaining builds.

  • That's interesting, and you're sure that #0226 is stable? There's not much change in the #0305 firmware, but popcornmix will know for sure.

    Can you confirm the device you have - is it RPi2 or RPi3B? I'm assuming it's not a RPi3B+ based on the versions you have been testing. Edit: You've already said it is RPi2

    Just to be sure there's nothing non-firmware involved, can you also test the individual builds between #0226 and #0305 (ie. #0227, #0228, #0301, #0302, #0303 and #0304) and confirm that they are all stable - if any of them start rebooting then it's not exclusively a firmware issue.

    I appreciate this is a lot of tedious, slow work but hopefully it will prove fruitful in the end!

    Mario77 if you still have your RPi2 are you able to confirm that #0305 reboots, and #0226 is stable?

    Hi milhouse

    I tested all daily builds that you suggest me. All stable, no reboot.

    What is the next step?

  • Sorry, been a bit busy.

    I'll ask popcornmix if he can determine what changed in the firmware between #0226 (stable) and #0305 (unstable) that might explain the instability. It's very strange that this is only affecting a very small number of users (you, maybe Mario).

  • Sorry, been a bit busy.

    I'll ask popcornmix if he can determine what changed in the firmware between #0226 (stable) and #0305 (unstable) that might explain the instability. It's very strange that this is only affecting a very small number of users (you, maybe Mario).

    OK, i will wait the solution.

  • vamp could you test the latest Milhouse nightly build?

    The firmware you identified had an increase to the i2c clock frequency used for setting chip voltages

    which we found caused problems on some boards, and more recent firmware has reverted this change.

  • Just to say for LibreELEC there's a couple of extra steps when extracting the firmware:

    1. Extract bootcode.bin, start_x.elf, fixup_x.dat from the popcornmix zip

    2. Rename start_x.elf to start.elf

    3. Rename fixup_x.dat to fixup.dat

    4. Copy bootcode.bin, start.elf and fixup.dat to /flash