After update - White screen - No UI - system is running

Well 2020 being what it is, I haven’t been on my Zynthian or music machines at all for many months. Today I fired up my Zynthian v3 and figure I should do the software update. The update seemed to go okay and in fact finished and booted back to the normal Zynthian UI. However, shortly after that I requested a reboot from the UI. It rebooted, but then went into a loop where the screen turns white for about 30 seconds and then flashes off and the whole process repeats indefinitely. I can get to the webconfig and that remains connected even while the screen goes through it’s flashing cycles. Here is the debug output that seems to just repeat.

If I force a reboot or shutdown from the webconfig, then it will come up and show the Zythian logo on the next power up, before going into the white screen flashing loop.

It looks like the update lost track of some files. Any ideas how I can get it running again without blowing everything out?

Thanks,

Scott

Restarting UI in debug mode
– Logs begin at Thu 2019-02-14 10:11:59 GMT. –
Dec 06 17:14:29 zynthian systemd[1]: Started Zynthian User Interface (DEBUG).
Dec 06 17:14:29 zynthian startx[15934]: X.Org X Server 1.20.4
Dec 06 17:14:29 zynthian startx[15934]: X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Dec 06 17:14:29 zynthian startx[15934]: Build Operating System: Linux 4.15.0-48-generic armv8l Raspbian
Dec 06 17:14:29 zynthian startx[15934]: Current Operating System: Linux zynthian 4.19.66-v7+ #1253 SMP Thu Aug 15 11:49:46 BST 2019 armv7l
Dec 06 17:14:29 zynthian startx[15934]: Kernel command line: coherent_pool=1M 8250.nr_uarts=1 bcm2708_fb.fbwidth=640 bcm2708_fb.fbheight=480 bcm2708_fb.fbswap=1 vc_mem.mem_base=0x3ec00000 vc_mem.mem_size=0x40000000 dwc_otg.lpm_enable=0 console=tty1 root=/dev/mmcblk0p2 rootfstype=ext4 elevator=deadline fsck.repair=yes rootwait
Dec 06 17:14:29 zynthian startx[15934]: Build Date: 05 June 2019 12:49:54PM
Dec 06 17:14:29 zynthian startx[15934]: xorg-server 2:1.20.4-1+rpt1 (https://www.debian.org/support)
Dec 06 17:14:29 zynthian startx[15934]: Current version of pixman: 0.36.0
Dec 06 17:14:29 zynthian startx[15934]: Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
Dec 06 17:14:29 zynthian startx[15934]: to make sure that you have the latest version.
Dec 06 17:14:29 zynthian startx[15934]: Markers: (–) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
Dec 06 17:14:29 zynthian startx[15934]: (++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
Dec 06 17:14:29 zynthian startx[15934]: (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
Dec 06 17:14:29 zynthian startx[15934]: (==) Log file: “/var/log/Xorg.0.log”, Time: Sun Dec 6 17:14:29 2020
Dec 06 17:14:29 zynthian startx[15934]: (==) Using config directory: “/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d”
Dec 06 17:14:29 zynthian startx[15934]: (==) Using system config directory “/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d”
Dec 06 17:14:30 zynthian startx[15934]: INFO:zynthian_gui_config.: ZYNTHIAN-UI CONFIG …
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: INFO:zynthian_gui_config.: Wiring Layout MCP23017_ZynScreen
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: DEBUG:zynthian_gui_config.: ZYNCODER A: [102, 105, 110, 113]
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: DEBUG:zynthian_gui_config.: ZYNCODER B: [101, 104, 109, 112]
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: DEBUG:zynthian_gui_config.: SWITCHES layout: [100, 103, 108, 111, 106, 107, 114, 115]
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: DEBUG:zynthian_config.get_disabled_midi_in_ports: DISABLED_MIDI_IN = [’’]
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: DEBUG:zynthian_config.get_enabled_midi_out_ports: ENABLED_MIDI_OUT = [‘ttymidi:MIDI_out’]
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: DEBUG:zynthian_config.get_enabled_midi_fb_ports: ENABLED_MIDI_FB = [’’]
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: DEBUG:zynthian_gui_config.set_midi_config: MMC Bank Change CCNum: 32
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: DEBUG:zynthian_gui_config.set_midi_config: MMC Bank Change UP: 12517503
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: DEBUG:zynthian_gui_config.set_midi_config: MMC Bank Change DOWN: 12517376
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: DEBUG:zynthian_gui_config.set_midi_config: MMC Program Change UP: 13598464
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: DEBUG:zynthian_gui_config.set_midi_config: MMC Program Change DOWN: 13565952
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian systemd[1]: Stopping Zynthian User Interface (DEBUG)…
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: Terminated
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: identify-im6.q16: unable to open image /zynthian/config/img/fb_zynthian_error.png': No such file or directory @ error/blob.c/OpenBlob/2874. Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: identify-im6.q16: unable to open image /zynthian/config/img/fb_zynthian_error.png’: No such file or directory @ error/blob.c/OpenBlob/2874.
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: expr: syntax error: unexpected argument ‘100’
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: expr: syntax error: unexpected argument ‘100’
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: expr: syntax error: unexpected argument ‘24’
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: convert-im6.q16: invalid argument for option `-pointsize’: -fill @ error/convert.c/ConvertImageCommand/2359.
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: /zynthian/config/img/fb_zynthian_error_ip.png: image not found
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: didn’t find evidence of prior run.
Dec 06 17:14:31 zynthian startx[15934]: Building XImage…done

It basically repeats this whole sequence over and over.

The way to get to the actual element that causes this requires two basic steps …

1/ Stop the systemd process from repeatably starting the zynth process and watch it fail ( where you are at the moment)
2/ Start the zynthian process manually so it tells you where it hurts ( probably jack related)

for the first … log onto the zynth and mutter the magic incantation …

systemctl stop zynthian

Then

cd /zynthian/zynthian-ui

this will shift you to the right place to start the zynth manually, which you do with …

./zynthian.sh

That should generate a standard python traceback which will tell you what’s the cause rather than the repeated error messages it will spit out if systemctl is still restarting it, and having another go . . .

Thanks for the tips. Here is the repeating output. It appears it can’t actually access the display because the environment got screwed up?

root@zynthian:/zynthian/zynthian-ui# ./zynthian.sh
xset: unable to open display “”
xset: unable to open display “”
xset: unable to open display “”
Unable to connect to X server
ERROR:zynthian_gui_config.: Failed to configure geometry => no display name and no $DISPLAY environment variable
lilv_world_load_bundle(): warning: Replacing version 2058.0 of http://gareus.org/oss/lv2/b_whirl#extended from <file:///zynthian/zynthian-plugins/lv2/b_whirl_xt/>
lilv_world_load_bundle(): note: New version 2071.11 found in <file:///zynthian/zynthian-plugins/lv2/b_whirl/>
error: failed to open file /zynthian/zynthian-plugins/lv2/ProM.lv2/manifest.ttl (No such file or directory)
lilv_world_load_file(): error: Error loading file file:///zynthian/zynthian-plugins/lv2/ProM.lv2/manifest.ttl' lilv_world_load_bundle(): error: Error reading file:///zynthian/zynthian-plugins/lv2/ProM.lv2/manifest.ttl error: failed to open file /zynthian/zynthian-my-data/presets/lv2/manifest.ttl/manifest.ttl (Not a directory) lilv_world_load_file(): error: Error loading file file:///zynthian/zynthian-my-data/presets/lv2/manifest.ttl/manifest.ttl’
lilv_world_load_bundle(): error: Error reading file:///zynthian/zynthian-my-data/presets/lv2/manifest.ttl/manifest.ttl
error: failed to open file /zynthian/zynthian-my-data/presets/lv2/Clavinet.ttl/manifest.ttl (Not a directory)
lilv_world_load_file(): error: Error loading file file:///zynthian/zynthian-my-data/presets/lv2/Clavinet.ttl/manifest.ttl' lilv_world_load_bundle(): error: Error reading file:///zynthian/zynthian-my-data/presets/lv2/Clavinet.ttl/manifest.ttl Cannot connect to server socket err = No such file or directory Cannot connect to server request channel jack server is not running or cannot be started JackShmReadWritePtr::~JackShmReadWritePtr - Init not done for -1, skipping unlock JackShmReadWritePtr::~JackShmReadWritePtr - Init not done for -1, skipping unlock libjackpeak failed to start jack client: 17 identify-im6.q16: unable to open image /zynthian/config/img/fb_zynthian_error.png’: No such file or directory @ error/blob.c/OpenBlob/2874.
identify-im6.q16: unable to open image /zynthian/config/img/fb_zynthian_error.png': No such file or directory @ error/blob.c/OpenBlob/2874. expr: syntax error: unexpected argument ‘100’ expr: syntax error: unexpected argument ‘100’ expr: syntax error: unexpected argument ‘24’ convert-im6.q16: invalid argument for option -pointsize’: -fill @ error/convert.c/ConvertImageCommand/2359.
: Cannot open display

What is your display configuration?

It’s just a standard Zynthian V3.

I checked the display from the Webconfig UI. The only available display was the ZynScreen 3.5 (v1). This cannot be changed as the system properly sees itself as a v3 Kit.

I was able to make a data backup from the webconfig. After that I decided that it might be best to just start over with a clean OS image since it’s been quite a while since my Zynthian was initially setup.

I downloaded the latest stable image from here:

I tried it twice. The sequence appears normal. It comes up with the initial Zynthian logo with the red ERROR and then goes to the normal logo. Then it sticks on the logo for a number of minutes and reboots. Finally I end up at the Zynthian screen with a red ERROR screen and “IP:” displayed below it. That displays for about 30 seconds and then the screen flashes and the Zythian logo with the red ERROR displays again. And so it goes.

Not much success today with my Zynthian. :frowning:

I know this thing works just fine. It was completely normal early today until I started the software update.

I reformatted the card, burned it with Etcher again and still the same results. This is the same card I had been using on the Zynthian for months.

This leads me to conclude that the latest stable build - which is what I was upgrading to is somehow not compatible with my standard v3 kit? That seems odd.

Should I try a nightly?

Although the web page says the image is configured for V3 & V4 kits you log shows a lack of X running so maybe you screen differs. You could try selecting Custom from the webconf hardware options and configuring a different display.

I just happen to have kept an old image - probably the last one I built from.

2019-09-24-zynthianos-buster-lite-1.0.0-RC1.zip

I reformatted the card, burned this image with Etcher, and my Zynthian V3 is running normally again.

It would appear somehow my V3 has been knocked out of the standard image. But how? It’s even detected as a standard V3 kit.

Could my ZynScreen 3.5 (v1) hardware be too old?

Here is the setup description when running that vanilla image.

Is there anything here that shouldn’t work with the latest v3, v4 image?

HARDWARE

Raspberry Pi 3 Model B Plus Rev 1.3
Soundcard: HifiBerry DAC+ ADC
Display: ZynScreen 3.5 (v1)
Wiring: MCP23017_ZynScreen

SYSTEM

Hostname: zynthian (10.0.0.126 )
OS: Raspbian GNU/Linux 10 (buster)
Memory: 11% (106M/926M)
SD Card: 19% (11G/59G)

MIDI

Profile: default.sh
Fine Tuning: 440 Hz
Master Channel: 16
QmidiNet: False
TouchOSC: False

SOFTWARE

zyncoder: master (f01eb07)
zynthian-ui: master (d82d176)
zynthian-sys: master (011666c)
zynthian-data: master (c8d15e7)
zynthian-webconf: master (21a234a)

LIBRARY

Snapshots: 0
User Presets: 8
User Soundfonts: 0
Audio Captures: 0
MIDI Captures: 0

Please, burn the latest official Buster RC3. As it’s pre-configured for v4, the first thing you have to do is accessing the webconf and selecting your kit version, etc.

Zynthian doesn’t auto-detect the hardware in anyway. You have to explicitly select it …

Regards,

@jofemodo you may wish to change the webpage referenced above which currently says, " This SD-image is pre-configured for official kits v4 & v3".

1 Like

Thanks guys. I’ll do that. I agree on the web page change. It gives the impression that the webconf hardware selection only needs to be accessed for hardware other than stock v3/v4 kits.

I assume that’s the build included here.

Official ZynthianOS SD-Images

This is the last official Zynthian SD-Image, based on Raspberry Pi OS:

Last Stable ZynthianOS (MD5-sum)