Black or Rainbow screen on boot - Suggestion welcome

Hi there.

I’m new to [url=https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwij6LqFlqjQAhUFl5QKHS9iA7AQjBAIIjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwiki.libreelec.tv%2F&usg=AFQjCNHkNsfjWPy75rLC0iPfzyy3u_L0uQ&bvm=bv.138493631,d.dGo]LibreELEC[/url], Raspberry Pi and Linux, and I would welcome some help to install LibreELEC on my new Pi2.

Failed technique 1: When I try using NOOBSv2.0.0 (to install dual-boot Raspbian and LibreELEC or solo-boot LibreELEC only) the result is a black screen. The download works fine using NOOBS but when I try to boot LibreELEC the screen goes black. It doesn’t get to an icon/logo screen or any form of menu, and just stays black.

Failed technique 2: When I try using the special LibreELEC.USB-SD.Creator for Windows (using LibreELEC-RPi2.arm-7.0.2.img.gz as the image file) the result is (what the forums seem to call) the rainbow screen. I’m using Windows 8.1.

Failed technique 3: When I try using Rufuv2.1.1 (using LibreELEC-RPi2.arm-7.0.2.img.gz as the image file) the result is the same as 2.

Failed technique 4: When I try using Win32diskimagerv0.9.5 (using LibreELEC-RPi2.arm-7.0.2.img.gz as the image file) and extracting it using 7zipv16.04 the result is the same as 2.

Based upon reading forums (Pi, LibreELEC, OpenELEC, and Linux) some people have had success with one of the below suggestions so I have tried them all but none have worked for me:

• Checked the file that I downloaded is the correct Pi2 file – I name it above.
• Replaced the kernel.img file with a known good one - I've downloaded the Pi2 image file (which should include the "good" kernel.img) on a different computer on a different day, just in case the first/original was corrupted during download
• Checked my SD card is compatible (elinux.org/RPi_SD_cards)
• Used a different SD card (I’m using SanDisk Ultra microSDHC 32GB) – both cards have loaded & install Raspbian before and after LibreELEC attempts (each attempt I reformat the card)
• Waited 20 minutes on both the rainbow screen and the black screen, just in case it did start.
• Tried adding boot_delay=1 to config.txt
• Changed my HDMI cable to one I know works (unplugged and used the DVD one)
• Power – I use a Pi branded power lead, but I have also tried plugging it directly into a socket rather than through a power board
• Checked I have a Pi2 (CPU and package) – as funny as this one sounds

Any other suggestions?

Quote from Klojum

Other suggestions...: Do you really need NOOBS on your RPi2 ? Try a direct installation of LibrELEC instead. If you tried that in attempt #2, then the SD card boot sector may be corrupt. Try cleaning it with this Windows tool: HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool Download . Some people say they have benefited from it.

Thanks for your reply Klojum.

I don’t need to use NOOBS, but it does seem to get one step further than the other techniques (ie to the black screen rather than the rainbow), so I have left it as a technique that I’ll keep trying with any new suggestions (where appropriate).

Using your suggested software (HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool v2.2.3), I did a full (not quick) reformat of the SD card, then using technique 2 outlined above in the original post I reimaged the card. The result was the same: Rainbow screen. I also left it for 20 minutes just in case, and nothing changed. I then reformatted the card using the format tool I have been using SDFormatter v4.0 (both full and quick), reimaged it with Raspbian Jessiev4.4 and it booted no problems.
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Quote from lrusak

Another question, do you really have an RPi2 and not an RPI B+ maybe?

I have checked I have a Pi2 rather than PiB+ and indicated it in the original post above. But let me outline how I checked it and maybe you can offer a better way.

I found a couple of sites that suggest the following ways to check:

• On the board: Pi2 has Raspberry Pi 2 printed on the board near the GPIO connector – and mine has this.
• CPU: What CPU does it have.The site indicated that Pi B+ has BCM2835, whereas Pi2 & Pi3 have BCM2836 or higher. My Pi CPU is a BCM2837.
• RAM chip.The Pi2 has the RAM chip on the bottom of the circuit board whereas the B+ does not have one at all. Mine has the chip on the bottom.
• Packaging: What does it say on the packaging the Pi came in. The pack my Pi came in is titled Raspberry Pi 2 in red letter and has a big red 2 on the front cover and on the back cover a number of dot points stating Raspberry Pi 2 in black font

Quote from Grimson

Looks like you have an Pi2+ (see here: http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=269814&pid=2420617#pid2420617), so try one of the current Milhouse builds or an LE alpha build. The firmware in LE 7.0.2 doesn't support the Pi2+.

Thanks for your reply Grimson.

If you are right it would means that:

• The official LE site is referring people with a Raspberry Pi 2 (Pi2 Model B or Pi2+ as you called it) to a file/image that won’t work,
• The official LE SD Creator tool is linked to a file/image that won’t work for some RPi2, and
• Probably NOOBS is downloading and installing a file/image/software that won’t work for some RPi2

This would certainly explain why I haven’t been able to boot LE on my Pi. It would also be very frustrating after all the things I’ve tried to find out that the referenced Pi2/Pi3 file/image won’t work on Pi2.

AND …

You are right Grimson.

Even though the site (LibreELEC Alpha/Beta Preview Builds – LibreELEC) says :
WARNING : … If you have no idea what a debug log is or so-called “wife acceptance factor” is critical to daily use; preview builds are not for you.

And I certainly don’t, but after everything I’ve tried I was willing to try anything and so using Grimson’s suggestion I downloaded LibreELEC-RPi2.arm-7.90.008.img.gz from the same page. Then I reimaged the SD card, put it into my Pi and LE booted straight away. No black screen. No rainbow screen. I haven’t configured it yet but did plug in a USB that had a movie file. LE auto recognised the USB and I have part-played the movie (just a quick test), and it worked fine.

So if you have a Raspberry Pi 2 and you can’t get LibreELEC to start/boot, then chances are you are being referred to a file that won’t work. But given that the preview (alpha/beta) build does works it probably won’t be long before this is corrected.

Grimson, I didn’t try the Milhouse builds. It looks like they are all tar files and I am still learning (in a windows environment) how to go from a tar file to a bootable SD card. I’ve tried a number of ways (outlined in various web-sites) but none of them have worked yet. Using image files are much easier in Windows with the Win32DiskImager. But I’m still working on it.

My next step is to configure LE to play live TV and to record it. I’ll probably use the add-on Tvheadend.

In closing a big thank you to you Grimson, and to the people who run this forum (and offer support) without whom my Pi won’t have booted LE.

Cheers.

Question/Issue resolved.