Nightly update issue on Generic/Legacy – only one update visible after switching to test channel?

    Hello everyone,

    I installed LibreELEC Generic Stable 12.0.2 on an SSD alongside Google TV (installed via a YouTube tutorial).

    I now want to install LibreELEC Generic Legacy Nightly as a third operating system on the same SSD, ideally by extracting the ISO file to its own partition (as recommended for Google TV). The goal is to run a second Kodi profile, as I've had issues using multiple profiles with different skins/add-ons in a single LibreELEC installation.


    My hardware:

    ▶️HP EliteDesk 800 G1 TWR Tower-PC

    ▶️Display via DisplayPort to HDMI adapter

    ▶️Intel Core i7 (4th Gen)

    ▶️Integrated Intel GPU

    ▶️20 GB RAM

    ▶️SSD 1: Windows 11 24H2

    ▶️SSD 2: LibreELEC + Google TV


    The issue:

    I tested LibreELEC Generic and Generic Legacy Nightly on MicroSD (Run and installed mode) and also by cloning the install to SSD.

    Each time, I was only able to install one Nightly update after switching to the test feed (https://test.libreelec.tv/).

    After the update, the sub-version list disappears – I can still see the main version (e.g. 13.0), but no further builds are shown.

    I also tested Nightly without first installing Stable, and in those cases, no sub-versions were shown at all, even immediately after switching to the test link.

    This makes me wonder: Is the test URL even needed when Nightly is already preinstalled?

    Oddly, Stable shows all available builds correctly – including both main and sub-versions.


    What worked before:

    Before I switched to this SSD setup (which I've been using for about two years), LibreELEC Generic 11 was running from a microSD card in run mode.

    There, I switched to Nightly via the test URL and was always able to install updates without any problems, including version 13.

    Unfortunately, I had to overwrite this microSD card because I didn't have another one available.

    Does anyone know this issue with nightly builds, where no more updates appear after the first one?

    Would a debug log be helpful in this case?

    Thanks in advance!

    I think the linked problem is the same but the only way for me to install 2 LE on an SSD was to clone it from the Micro SD, where not everything was always copied from the storage partition and in one of my tests the 2nd LE installation even wouldn't start. However, I would find it better if I create 2 empty partitions and copiedthe required files from the ISO into them, or is cloning the MicroSD installation the only option?

    Quote from Stream Nerd

    ideally by extracting the ISO file to its own partition (as recommended for Google TV)

    Good luck with that. We don't ship an ISO image; never have and never will.

    Quote from Stream Nerd

    I would find it better if I create 2 empty partitions and copiedthe required files from the ISO into them

    Assuming you mean the .img file (not .iso) then you are thinking in the right direction. No need to clone anything. Just copy KERNEL and SYSTEM to a dedicated LE boot partition and create whatever bootloader entries are required for whatever bootloader you are using; crib the general content from syslinux.cfg. Note that the boot partition can be VFAT or EXT4 but the /storage partition MUST be EXT4 to support Linux permissions. Also note that we do not provide support for multi-boot configurations.

    Quote from chewitt

    Assuming you mean the .img file (not .iso) then you are thinking in the right direction. No need to clone anything.

    I have now cloned sector by sector from the MicroSD to the SSD with Aomei Partition Assistant LE and the only thing I noticed when booting was that, compared to the MicroSD, the Kodi welcome screen was not displayed and if something is missing, it will surely be reinstalled with the next update (which comes out almost every 2 days anyway).

    Sector by sector cloning is (literally) a waste of time. It's faster to copy data in the source filesystem to a target filesystem than to copy the entire filesystem. It also ensures you don't need to fix the incorrect partition/filesystem geometry data that you cloned.

    Quote from chewitt

    It also ensures you don't need to fix the incorrect partition/filesystem geometry data that you cloned.

    But I didn't mean that I have to fix the clone errors, I meant that they will be fixed with the next update. I also looked at the boot partition of the first LE installation on the SSD again, and when I open the downloaded .img.gz file in 7zip, the same files are in there. That would mean that I only have to copy these to a new boot partition and the storage ones to a new storage partition?

    To boot LE you need:

    a) Bootloader installed to the disk. Can be syslinux or Grub2 or whatever you are using for the multi-boot; with a configuration file somewhere (as defined by the needs of that bootloader) that creates an LE item and tells it where the KERNEL and SYSTEM files are to be found.

    b) Boot files partition containing KERNEL and SYSTEM. Can be VFAT or EXT4 and 512MB or 1GB sized.

    c) Storage partition. Must be EXT4 and whatever size you like for your needs. No files required as the OS will populate anything it needs on /storage on first boot.

    The complicated bit is A and we don't support multi-boot setups because it's a pain in the rear to figure out what's needed and then support the resulting mess and inevitable deletion of Windows + Music Collection + Photo's of kids that happens when things aren't done right. When we say not supported we mean "we are not even remotely interested in touching that problem" so you really do need to go figure out that bit for yourself.

    Quote from chewitt

    The complicated bit is A and we don't support multi-boot setups because it's a pain in the rear to figure out what's needed and then support

    There's already been a tutorial on the forum for dual boot using grub2win, which I used for the first LE installation. I'm sure I can use it for the second installation as well. All I need to do is copy everything in the .img.gz file using 7zip to boot to a fat16 partition and create an empty ext4 storage partition. That's it. Or do I also need to edit a file so that LE starts directly?