Box in a bit of a mess and web if will not load - any ideas?

[Frankblr]

First of all - fantastic work by all those who have contributed to the customised firmware. It works like a dream and I have had no issues with my Humax HDR Fox T2 till recently. The box itself started playing up. Recordings not working sometimes, some recorded files "slightly corrupted" and then last week things got worse when scheduled recordings simply did not work at all. At this point pausing live TV didn't work either. So to cut a long story short, I removed the custom firmware via the web interface, re-loaded the standard firmware, carried out the disk check through maintenance mode (did find and fix a number of errors), re-loaded the custom firmware - various iterations of this process from v028 to v032 and still I cannot load the web interface - I even tried the telnet force re-install of web-if command but to no avail - despite everything appearing fine in software and firmware land it still isn't.

When I type in the IP address of the Humax from a browser, all I get is two lines - one saying Status and the other saying release notes. When I click on these it just takes me to hummy tv forum pages. Occasionally I might get some scrambled text underneath as well. I can still ping and telnet the box using the same address so it's definitely alive and definitely network enabled.

I don't know what I've managed to do to the box now through so much re-installing of standard and custom firmware but the inability to load or configure custom firmware packages through the webif is leading to believe that the only way to fix this is to re-format everything and re-set back to factory default settings. That's quite a radical step and I'm not even sure it will work.

The odd thing is that despite "removing custom firmware" via the web if and clicking on the various "are you really, really sure?" boxes - some if not all of the custom firmware packages are clearly visible through the telnet list package command (can't remember what it is okpg something or other ;-) - not sure if that means anything or whether they all appear by default every time you re-install the custom f/w. Strange that my PC could still access the Humax external disks via Windows explorer though (indicates Samba didn't remove itself?)

I am pretty sure that the disk is now OK as I am able to record content from the TV but I think I've messed up the firmware.

I'm not particularly technically adept but still appreciate the content of this forum and of course the functionality of the custom firmware.

Can anybody advise me on how to return my box to a state where I can re-install and re-configure the custom firmware from scratch using the web if?

Thanks very much in advance

Frank

 

[Black Hole]

I'm rather confused by some of that. If you reloaded a standard firmware image (without adding the CF again) I don't see how you could have got access to maintenance mode. Your problems seem to be disk related, probably culminating in the disk going read-only. This may be why stuff is still hanging about.

I think you had better start from scratch. If you still have Telnet access, locate and delete the /mod folder (rm -r, if it lets you). Now load the latest standard firmware 1.02.32. At this point it should be clean (or as clean as possible).

Now load CF 2.15 but don't go for the full install at this point - fire up Telnet and go into maintenance mode, reconnect Telnet when it reboots and run the disk repair option. Only when that is successful do the full install.

 

[af123]

If you still have Telnet access, locate and delete the /mod folder (rm -r, if it lets you).

Using telnet to force remove the contents of /mod is not the best way to do this any more (you'd also run into problems because /mod itself is a symbolic link).

What you need to do via telnet is:

humax# diag remove_mod_yes_i_am_sure

(humax# bit is the prompt, shown for context)

Save the output of the command as it will be informative if it doesn't work properly for any reason.

Then you should be able to point a browser at the box and reinstall all of the custom web interface components (no restart required).

As BH said, the original removal through the web interface wouldn't have worked properly if your disk had gone into read-only mode due to a fault.

Once you're all back up and running again I would recommend doing another maintenance mode disk check via the telnet menu interface.

 

[Frankblr]

Thanks for the quick response guys. So I did the diag remove command, shut the box down, turned it on again and still can't get the web if I'm afraid. The output of the remove mod command was:

Running: remove_mod_yes_i_am_sure
Unloaded CIFS kernel module
killall: crond: no processes killed
Unloaded FUSE kernel module
killall: dropbear: no processes killed

Connection to host lost

At which point I re-booted and found web-if was still not working.

Below is what I get when I run opkg list-installed.

I haven't tried the standard firmware, custom firmware, clean disk option this morning yet but I did go through that yesterday - I even tried the same steps (without the disk checks) with earlier releases e.g. v028.

FYI - when I tried the rm - r /mod before af123's suggestion, it wouldn't allow me to (read only folder)

Grateful for any further suggestions

Many thanks again

Frank

____________


Humax HDR-Fox T2 (humax) 1.02.32/2.15

To return to the menu, type: exit

humax# opkg list-installed
anacron - 2.3-1
auto-unprotect - 1.0.8
auto-update - 1.0.0
betaftpd - 0.0.8pre17-3
busybox - 1.20.2-1
bzip2 - 1.0.4
cifs - 2.6.18
cron-daemon - 1.18.3-1
custom-portal - 1.12
disable-dso - 0.2
disable-ota - 0.1
dropbear-ssh - 2012.55
e2fsprogs - 1.41.14-2
epg - 1.0.9-1
ffmpeg - 0.10
file - 5.0.4
fuse - 2.7.6-1
hmt - 1.1.11
id3v2 - 0.1.11-1
inotify-tools - 3.14
ir - 1.02-1
jim - 0.73-1
jim-binary - 0.73
jim-cgi - 0.6
jim-oo - 0.71
jim-sqlite3 - 0.73-1
lamemp3 - 3.98.4
libevent - 2.0.11
libutil - 0.9.29
lsof - 4.82
mediatomb - 0.11.0r2-6
mongoose - 3.0-7
multienv - 1.5
ncurses - 5.9
net-tools - 1.60
nicesplice - 1.4
nicesplice-magic-folders - 1.2
ntfs-3g - 2013.1.13-1
ntfsprogs - 2013.1.13-1
openssl-command - 1.0.0.d
portal-xtra1 - 1.12.064.300-2
procps - 3.2.8-3
redring - 2.10
rs - 0.7.1
rsvsync - 1.0.3
rsync - 1.0
samba - 2.2.12-3
screensaver - 0.3.2
screensaver-3X5 - 1.0.0
screensaver-7Seg - 1.0.0
screensaver-Agen - 1.0.0
screensaver-Avatar - 1.0.0
screensaver-Cursor - 1.0.0
screensaver-Dot - 1.0.0
screensaver-Neon - 1.0.0
screensaver-Neon-Blue - 1.0.0
screensaver-VFD - 1.0.0
screensaver-Wedge - 1.0.0
screensaver-all - 1.0.0
screensaver-black - 1.0.0
screensaver-glass-blue - 1.0.0
screensaver-random - 1.0.0
service-control - 1.2
smartmontools - 5.41
sqlite3 - 3.7.6
ssmtp - 2.64
stripts - 1.1.2
sysmon - 1.0.9
tcpdump - 3.9.5
tmenu - 1.05
transmission - 2.73-1
trm - 1.1
unencrypt - 0.1.4
utelnetd - 0.1.9
virtual-disk - 1.1
webif - 0.11.0-4
webif-channelicons - 1.0.4-1
webif-charts - 1.2
webif-epgkeywords - 1.0.1
webif-iphone - 1.0.1
humax#

 

[af123]

Were you connected via SSH when you ran the command?
It needs to be done from a telnet session. If you have previously disabled telnet via the web interface settings then use maintenance mode and connect via telnet to port 24 where an emergency recovery telnet server will be waiting.

 

[Black Hole]

So I did the diag remove command, shut the box down, turned it on again and still can't get the web if I'm afraid.

I don't understand why you think you should be able to access the WebIF. At the moment you have a disk drive in a seriously dicky situation, and the WebIF plus CF packages are on the disk drive. While they are still there, the firmware elements of the CF (resident in the non-volatile store, not the disk) think you don't need the installer screen and won't present it to you - and it would be useless with a read-only disk anyway.

Presuming you have CF 2.15 installed, access the Telnet menu on port 24* and do some disk maintenance. Once the drive has been repaired (no longer read-only), you will be able to diag remove... from the Telnet command line. Only then will you be able to reinstall properly.

* Error: should read "port 23"

 

[Frankblr]

Hello again. As I eluded to earlier, I don't believe the disk is "read only" any more. I managed a test recording earlier and I just copied a file across to the Humax using Windows Explorer. No problems there. Furthermore I have just deleted a small file from the Humax \my video directory.

However, despite running disk maintenance twice over the past 2 days, I cannot remove the custom firmware packages listed above - no change at all. And webif is still not working.

This is what I have just done:

1. Checked af123's point about Telnet - using port 23 (trying port 24 on Putty just gave me a screen that just disappeared - no idea if this matters or not - this is way beyond stuff I normally tinker with). Anyway - logged in to Humax via telnet

2. Ran disk maintenance - all seemed OK

3. Re-loaded standard firmware v32

4. Re-loaded custom firmware v32 / 2.15

5. Logged in via Telnet and ran the diag-remove command. Message the same as last time

Unloaded CIFS kernel module
killall: crond: no processes killed
Unloaded FUSE kernel module
killall: dropbear: no processes killed

opkg list-installed is the same as last time.

Still no joy on webif

6. Tried the webif force re-install command I saw on another thread
Seemed to remove and re-install in root ok at the right version number

I'm afraid this made no difference either

The basic box is OK - looks to me like if I can find a way of removing all the custom firmware files I will have "won" and will feel confident of a vanilla re-install. Any more suggestions or do you think I have "broken" something irreparably?

Thanks a lot

Frank

F

 

[af123]

Any more suggestions or do you think I have "broken" something irreparably?

It won't be irreparable - just trying to understand why it hasn't worked so far.

Try running the diagnostic called remove_mod_on_next_boot - from normal mode is fine. Then shut the box down making sure that the hard disk clicks off before you start it up again.

 

[Frankblr]

Apologies for lack of detailed telnet knowledge but do you mean running this command from the telnet prompt? If so, I get "not found" as the response.

 

[xyz321]

It won't be irreparable - just trying to understand why it hasn't worked so far.

I think it is failing because the telnet server is being killed. He has the old utelnetd package installed so its init script will kill all utelnetd processes.

 

[xyz321]

Apologies for lack of detailed telnet knowledge but do you mean running this command from the telnet prompt? If so, I get "not found" as the response.

You could either run:

diag remove_mod_on_next_boot

and then reboot or alternatively:

diag remove_mod_yes_i_am_sure &

The latter will give a similar result to that previously but if you wait a few minutes it should reset everything and then you should be able to bring up the web interface installer.

PS. The utelnetd package is quite old and should not be installed with recent versions of CF.

 

[af123]

I think it is failing because the telnet server is being killed. He has the old utelnetd package installed so its init script will kill all utelnetd processes.

Ah, yes, that explains it.
I've removed the package from the repository - you're right, nobody should need that nowadays.

 

[Frankblr]

Looking promising..... Will update in a wee while.

 

[Frankblr]

Excellent - now back to webif and have been able to re-install all packages successfully.

(1) I ran diag remove_mod_yes_i_am_sure &

(2) I waited for a few mins

(3) I rebooted the Humax

(4) I waited another minute or so

(5) Tried the IP address and voila! Webif appeared again and started the set up.

Thanks all very much - shall put in a contribution via the Paypal button on the RS page.

PS Did get this error when attempting to install one of the packages - can't remember which - but doesn't look serious to me so will ignore!


Runtime Error: /mod/webif/lib/pkg.class:16: Collected errors: * opkg_conf_load: Could not lock /tmp/opkg.lock: Resource temporarily unavailable. in procedure 'pkg' called at file "pkg.jim", line 89 in procedure '.00000000000000000158>' called at file "/mod/webif/lib/pkg.class", line 27 in procedure 'pkg _load' called at file "/mod/lib/jim/oo.tcl", line 46 at file "/mod/lib/jim/oo.tcl", line 62 at file "/mod/webif/lib/pkg.class", line 16

 

[Ezra Pound]

Ah, yes, that explains it.
I've removed the package from the repository - you're right, nobody should need that nowadays.

Just a quick BTW, The utelnetd_0.1.9_mipsel.opb has been removed but the bundle utelnetd_0.1.9_mipsel.opb is still available, I have removed both links from the wiki