9.2.6 won't boot on Pi 4 (fresh install, frozen on black screen with white _ symbol)

I have upgraded to a Pi 4 today, so I backed up my settings and burned a fresh 9.2.6 Pi 4 SD card. I tried with Balena Etcher and LE's USB tool.

When I boot, I see the rainbow, then it hangs with a black screen and a `_` in the top left corner. Nothing happens then, and the device isn't visible on the network.

I tried `https://releases.libreelec.tv/LibreELEC-RPi4.arm-9.2.{0-5}.img.gz` to get an older image as 9.2.6 seems problematic (it hung often on the Pi 3 as well), but the file doesn't exist.

Where can I get an older Pi 4 image for LE 9.2 that isn't 9.2.6? Tried every 9.1 and 9.2 release, and I either get a message from the EEPROM that I need to update the software (even though I'm running the latest EEPROM, 2021-04-29) or it just does more of the same: black screen with frozen cursor.

Quote from tokul

Maybe check 10 beta?

Or archive.libreelec.tv Index of /

News page tells that they had to release 9.2.5 as bugfix for RPi4. So older versions are likely not to work.

Thanks. I'd like to avoid running the beta version... This is in the family room and we just want it to work with no fuss.

I tried the 10 beta, and it could boot properly. But it's too unstable (I'm getting no wired ethernet, CEC doesn't work reliably, reboot via menu gives a kernel panic...) so it's not a solution I can live with.

This is what happened on my latest try with explicitly setting `hdmi_group` and `hdmi_mode` in the config.txt

Still no luck. I tried everything I could think of: all 9.1 and 9.2 images, 9.2.6 but with the boot partition files from Pi OS (as this one boots normally), different SD cards (brands and sizes)... It just won't work.

Quote from DarkEther

have you tried the newly created cards on an older PI to see if they work, if they do it would suggest its a PI issue rather than software.

These cards in three other Pi (model 1 and 3): works

These cards with Pi OS/LE10beta in that Rpi 4: works

These cards with LE in that Rpi 4: hangs

A USB dongle with Pi OS/LE10beta in that Rpi 4: works

Same USB dongle with LE in that Rpi 4: hangs

The Pi is fine but only with certain images. LE 9.2 isn't one of them.

Quote from DarkEther

Id be trying a different Pi4 as i've been through various versions of Libreelec on mine with no issue. If the same card works on other Pi models it does take the focus away from the card, OS, media centre and points towards hardware. have you got someone local with a PI4 that you can put their working card in your PI to see if it works?

Unfortunately not. But the same cards work in that Pi with other images/OSes, so it would show everything is working but LE 9.2.6 on my RPi 4.

As a last ditch effort, I tried the 9.2.6 image with LE10's boot partition. It sorta boots but drops me into an emergency shell. I can't really see what's going on because it uses 4096x2160 and my TV is 3840x2160 so most of the output is truncated and invisible.

Anyway, that doesn't make 9.2.6 functional either so I'm back to where I started.

Quote from DarkEther

I'm assuming you are just putting a blank card in to your PC, using Balena to install Libre and then putting that card into your PI, no other weird and wonderful things in between.

If thats the case you could have a faulty Pi, which is causing the issue,

I'm not sure the Pi is faulty because there are others with the issue on the forum, and the same Pi, AC adapter, TV, SD card, etc but with Pi OS or Ubuntu or RetroPie or even LE 10 work just fine.

Quote from CvH

We saw that before, most of the times it was a problem with the SD card (the one or the other way).

Try a SD card writing software that verify that everything is correctly written to SD card - balenaEtcher.

If this is not working try a different SD card. Borderline power supplies can have similar effects.

I sincerely think it is something else:

- I've tried 3 SD cards: they all work fine with Ubuntu, RetroPie, Pi OS, LE 10, but not 9.2.6 on the same RPi4

- I've tried 2 USB keys to boot from: they all work fine with Ubuntu, RetroPie, Pi OS, LE 10, but not 9.2.6 on the same RPi4

- I'm using the official 15W PSU but I've also tried with an Apple Macbook Pro USB-C PSU, still freezes at boot

The fact that it hangs with the official PSU and with an Apple MBP PSU (which is rated for about 90W I think?), with three different SD cards, two different USB keys, but only when running LE 9.2.6 but not other OSes makes me very strongly suspect something is wrong with LE 9.2.6 rather than the Pi or SD or PSU.

Quote from ghtester

Make sure you are using HDMI0 output (next to the power connector).

Also try with another HDMI device (a PC display with FHD resolution if possible) to test if there's any change.

Done and done, same outcome.