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Mundosat

07-07-20, 09:45

Hi
I have been keeping this receiver on testing for the last week or so.

After finally managing to understand the 'general' knowledge of it - thanks to this forums and set it almost all up, I set all recordings as in my old Humax - to see what it does and what happens in general - not just recordings.

Well, guess - as expected I had problems.

1. initially signal was interrupting itself for a few seconds - sometimes up to 6 times in a row and all within the first 1/2 hour
Since it was my relatives keeping an eye, their description was not quite clear.
So I swapped LNB twin from Humax to Gigablue and it seemed to be fixed - I wonder why as in BOTH signal is almost top end and I had NO problems with Humax with either [NEW] LNB connections.

I did reboots etc, in case it needed to reset [whatever!], then I seemed to have found that also HDMI port had problems - NO, it is not broken! I am VERY careful with my gear, I have gear from the 1980s still working fine! I am not a heavy user.

I ended up changing HDMI and all seemed OK

Than last night, I switched TV on Gigablue HDMI [ I prefer manually] and nothing was coming up.
Front LCD was OK - I guess that is the main reason designers have added it - in case something goes wrong the output side, Good!

I did go stupid for 15 minutes, changing cables, inputs, outputs, then I rebooted AGAIN and it was showing normally!
NO, no false contacts on ports or cables - they ALL work, they have been there for a many years untouched and they were new at the timer - I NEVER had a problem before.

This is something it keeps happening 'sporadically'
I will check LNB signal soon as I can and tune the dish/LNB to its best, I know I can improve it, but that is NOT the problem in my view.

I am no expert on Satellite - that is why I am here to ask those of you with a lot of experience in Satellite equipment + OpenVix, but I have 45 years experience in Electronics/Radio Communications etc. - my guess is from experience - I am usually right, sometime wrong of course - I am human not perfect. ;p)

2. Last I decided to watch a programme recorded Gigablue [in parallel with Humax, so I would NOT lose anything], well guess the Media folder was inexistent - it was there night before with ALL recordings.

In the end I had to re-initialise HDD - working at present - I wasted 2 hours last night - I hoped I was relaxing after a hard day at work, instead I had 2 unpaid extra hours!

See below some images shot with my phone - not necessarily timed, but just about some of what happened!

6040360404604056040660407604086040960410

Can anyone 'Expert' shade some light on tall of this?
I am at loss, at present and very deflated.

It feels like I have been forced to go to the gym, when I was already tired.

;p)

Thank you
Mundosat

PS so much for starting to prepare for a quiet retirement [still years ahead!]

ADDITION:
HDD is new and was tested using HD Tune - all green lights - it has not been dropped.
Tomorrow I will take HDD out and test it again and even try to recover Media folder lost files [as a curiosity] - no, I will not touch the system files

... and the last image, I was trying to do a 'quick' recording from that Kids channel and that is what I got.

After I re-initialised HDD all went OK, but still lost media folder recordings!

Mundosat

07-07-20, 09:49

... OpenVix was installed by WOS upon ordering it, then updated when received and installed.

Are there inner problems with OpenVix?
Do I need [really?] to re-flash OpenVix myself and lose all settings - well I could caved them in HDD [if no problems there].

Is there a more reliable system other than OpenVix?
I am asking as I do not wish to be bothered every single day with a problem.

Do not get me wrong, I am a technician, therefore 'problems' are every day bread and butter, but 'my' problems and customers problems - when they are solved, they are solved.

They do not come back, unless user caused them...
again - that is OK.

I am not there tweaking OpenVix system at all, I am just trying to use this 'damp' receiver in peace = enjoy it.

Mundosat

07-07-20, 10:05

This is an old thread - 2015, but very similar to my problems!
https://www.world-of-satellite.com/archive/index.php/t-47247.html - OLD thread (https://www.world-of-satellite.com/archive/index.php/t-47247.html)

ccs

07-07-20, 10:23

Mundosat

07-07-20, 10:58

Yes.
I followed one of the thread, just in case I got it wrong.

If there are no problems with OpenVix [pleased to hear it], then why am I having signal/output problems and then this?
I mean the signal + HDMI output has nothing to do with HDD or has it?

1. Please, kindly suggest correct steps for HDD preparation, so I will re do it tonight.

2. Do I need to backup settings into a external USB Stick or internal flash is fine?

Thanks for your time

Mundosat

07-07-20, 11:25

I am guessing the HDD gets probably set to OFF and OpenVix does not mount it back [when it did not find it], but when Movie folder disappears, I do not understand it.

Even if HDD was not mounted, has nothing to do with a folder 'disappearing', right?

They are or should be two different problems.

I mean the checksum error is simply that Linux did not manage to mount it right? Having corrupted block .. i.e. the Error: JBD2: Invalid checksum recovering block 1 in log.
Invalid checksum is when command is not correct to mount drive, I believe or corrupted in this case.

ronand

07-07-20, 13:48

Mundosat

07-07-20, 14:18

The movie folder disappearing is caused by yourself - you said you initialised the drive - initialising is formatting. Its very possible you have a faulty HDD - linux is not very tolerant of any errors. The next time the drive disappears just mount it again instead of initialising it. The drive cannot be mounted if the system cannot access it.

The movie folder disappearing is caused by yourself - you said you initialised the drive - initialising is formatting. Its very possible you have a faulty HDD - linux is not very tolerant of any errors. The next time the drive disappears just mount it again instead of initialising it. The drive cannot be mounted if the system cannot access it.

The Movie folder was NOT there when I accessed it the first time I went to watch my first recording... after I rebooted to fix the 'sporadic' non HDMI output- initialising happened about 1 hour after - when Media folder had already disappeared.

Anyway, I will try re-mounting, if it happens again.
I will see to re-test HDD again tomorrow morning ... when grandson sleeps!!!
I have about 2 hours to do testing ... then the lovely warrior returns on Cbeebies!

I do not discount I might have done a stupid thing the night before, but I do not believe I initialised it.
I mean I fix computers as part of my work [although not many lately] and I would not have done it, but you never know at around midnight anything can happen.

I remember now about Linux being very delicate in handling bad HDD behaviour now you mention it ... I only did a bit of experimenting with Linux 'many' years ago -Ubuntu etc. - still have a laptop with Linux in it.
;p]

Thanks for input Ronand.

Mundosat

08-07-20, 08:42

I am currently testing HDD - [off receiver] - with my usual app.

While doing that I flashed receiver - I purchased already flashed with OpenVix.

All went well and I am re-setting it up again.
Just letting Receiver get channels - scanning now.

HDD tested OK, but I am now doing a DEEP scan of the HDD - makes it work, but takes ages. I might have to stop it when I am read it to use it.

It does not really matter a deep scan in my experience I never seen 'any' difference from Quick scan, as if you cannot access clusters, that happens on quick scan.

I am re-flashing because PICONS disappeared and could not reload ... yes used Plugin [as I already did and worked first time] - but last night noticed receiver showing error [only for 3-4 seconds] could not read - I guessed System was corrupted.

So far so good.

I only need to know which decent app to use for creating/renaming/deleting etc. folders?

Sorry to have few different subjects on those thread, but it could actually be helpful to others less acknowledged than me.

ronand

08-07-20, 09:20

I suppose you had the picons on the hard drive? You have loads of flash memory so try installing them there instead. Try testing with a usb stick instead of that hard drive and see how you get on.

Mundosat

08-07-20, 11:14

I will have to try this later on - I have a grandson now, almost always here - so it is difficult.
It constantly is on cBeebies!

Bear in mind I initially installed Picons before this all this happened.

One thing I noticed when installing Picons from Virgin, I get an error for a few seconds - I have to be ready with a phone to take image - I prefer to get that bit, rather than the Log [long story].

This error started after I had problems and obviously icons were on the HDD.

It does not matter what I do, they do not show, because the Virgin UK is not loaded.

Unfortunately I seem not to get any peace and quiet to do it.

I went there to check the Log and get a mobile photo, for a few seconds and I got shouted at!
hahahaha

I need to set an email address, as if I remember well, you can send logs to email.

Imagine trying to fix receiver in my situation ....

Mundosat

08-07-20, 11:57

Attached image of the problem with Virgin UK Picons -recommended on this forum and installed initially - not since problems started.

Chosen Virgin UK Picons
Green button
Seems loading
Then I get this PrintScr - done via phone for now.

All I can do at present - settings set to show Picons + Service [all active]

Cannot send log at present, also cannot send to me as my email needs Auth login - not found out how to set the SMTP yet.

PS Picons installed in Flash memory now - as they were initially, then I moved them to HDD and now back to Flash.

ccs

08-07-20, 13:06

I'd forget about picons until you've got a working system.

ronand

08-07-20, 13:40

Use an ftp program like filezilla to access the filesystem and retrieve your logs. You can do it while cbeebies is on too. The log will be found in the location specified in your screenshot. Username for ftp is root and there wont be a password unless you set one.

ccs

08-07-20, 17:09

... OpenWebif is another possibility, simply connect to your GB using its ip address/hostname in a web browser.

You'll pretty much have full control, and there's no need for a tv screen.

And you can take screenshots, so no need for a camera either.:)

Mundosat

10-07-20, 10:10

Yes, I got that already - did not have time to check it out yet.

Mundosat

10-07-20, 10:26

Anyway.
I had to re-flash a second time and it reminds me of flashing an Android phone - sometimes you flash and you get NO problems coming up, until something does not work!

i.e. sometime flashing and all OK is in fact NOT all OK.

This second time I flashed, I managed to do everything within 1 hour and I firmly believe the 'Flashing' is the one that 'might' cause problems sometime - probably part of it is is corrupted while flashing but 'not' detected as corrupted until it is used.

I am back where I was, so I will setup recordings emulating my old Humax and see how it goes - also to get used to it.

My main steps still to do are:

1. I need to get head round 'properly' and swiftly set Auto-Recording 'series' without losing any episodes
2. Probably use a second USB stick for Picons/Image recovery/storage
3. See how I can create/delete folders on HDD to organise recordings as for what I see, OpenVix does not auto-create folders per each series of recording or repeating recording of same titled programme
4. DONE - I have a small USB FAT formatted with OpenVix - in case of re-flashing
5. I have an old HDD I keep 'some' of my family images and might use it to backup recordings - have to see how to do it from OpenVix GIU/Addons - then when I can afford it, I will get a second 2Tb HDD and clone 1st one - I wonder if possible to get a Linux based Cloning - like Clonezilla into OpenVix as main HDD is internal !

Is there a mini Windows or Linus Virtual environment install into internal HDD and run it as a PC GIU and manage HDDs/USB sticks etc. ?

A lot to learn, I am the kind of person that likes to setup everything to run as smoothly as possible and manage it all myself.

Then I will switch to use Gigablue as MAIN receiver and slowly watch what is recorded in the Humax, until is all are gone and then I will reformat it and re-flash it for secondary use.

The only problem I have with old Humax is that system is 'probably' corrupted.
Re-flashing once or twice or even 'three times' might resolve situation.

I hope this thread helps others as it covers various subjects on he same receiver.

ccs

10-07-20, 10:51

Flashing doesn't cause problems/corruptions, it's what you do (or not do) afterwards which will cause you issues if you get it wrong.

You can record series easily on ViX, I do it all the time. Try not to mimic the Humax, ViX will do everything you want (and more), but in a different way.