Stuck on Deleting Loop and can't work out how to use Telnet

[Penster]

Please help.

I've spent this morning reading many of the advice threads about being stuck on deleting / deleting loop which it seems my HDR-FOX-T2 has typical symptoms:

• "* Deleting" is constant when looking at the media list.
• There is no record action, even though the screen says it is recording.
• When I restart the box, anything I've deleted previously is back.
• There is no playback/rewind function on live tv.

I've managed to download the Custom Firmware and have installed it on my box using a thumb drive - Version FHTCP 1.03.12

I'm now stuck on how to access and use Telnet to connect to my box. It doesn't have web connection, so I've tried:

• Connecting an internet cable from my router to the box, which doesn't seem to do anything.
• Connecting using the same cable from my laptop to the box with no joy.

Maybe I'm just not technical enough?
Thank you

 

[Black Hole]

I've spent this morning reading many of the advice threads about being stuck on deleting / deleting loop which it seems my HDR-FOX-T2 has typical symptoms:

• "* Deleting" is constant when looking at the media list.
• There is no record action, even though the screen says it is recording.
• When I restart the box, anything I've deleted previously is back.
• There is no playback/rewind function on live tv.

I presume, therefore, you are following this guide: Quick Guide to Disk Recovery (click)

I'm now stuck on how to access and use Telnet to connect to my box.

To use Telnet both your computer and the HDR-FOX need to be connected to your home network. Presumably this is not a problem for your computer (you are, after all, reading this on the Internet). If you have the HDR-FOX set up and able to access the TV Portal (eg BBC iPlayer), the HDR-FOX must also be on your home network. If this is not the case, and if it is not possible to connect computer and HDR-FOX to the home network, an alternative is to connect the two directly using an Ethernet cable. However, instructions to make this work are beyond this simple guide and will vary according to the operating system in use.

It should be quite easy.

Connecting an internet cable from my router to the box, which doesn't seem to do anything.

It needs setting up: Menu >> Settings >> System >> Internet Setting >> Configure LAN >> Configure IP = DHCP and then select "Apply". The HDR-FOX will think for a short while (it's obtaining a local IP address allocated by your router), then tell you (hopefully) you are connected. The digits shown at IP Address are is what you then need to enter in your Telnet client to connect, eg 192.168.1.32

Connecting using the same cable from my laptop to the box with no joy.

This will not work unless you configure your PC to behave like a router, or at least you set the HDR-FOX to the same static sub-address and net mask as the PC.

More info here: Configuring IP Address (click)

PS: This thread will be moved to the appropriate place: the Custom Firmware section of the forum.

 

[prpr]

I'm now stuck on how to access and use Telnet to connect to my box.

Forget Telnet. Assuming you downloaded CF 3.13 you don't need it as you can just use a browser for command line access (the so-called Webshell).

It doesn't have web connection

What does that mean?

Connecting an internet cable from my router to the box, which doesn't seem to do anything.

What did you expect it to do? It's certainly a requirement to have your laptop on the same network as the HDR and connection via the router is the easiest way.
You need to go in to the On-screen menu on the HDR and setup the network - Menu, Settings, System, Internet Setting, Configure LAN and make sure Configure IP is set to DHCP. Then you need to read off the IP address from the line below e.g. probably 192.168.x.y (for some values of x and y) and enter that in to your browser's address bar like any other web site.

 

[Black Hole]

Assuming you downloaded CF 3.13 you don't need it as you can just use a browser for command line access (the so-called Webshell).

I didn't realise that's built in?

 

[prpr]

Has been for ages, since 3.11 or maybe 3.10 - ICBA to check.

 

[Black Hole]

I've managed to download the Custom Firmware and have installed it on my box using a thumb drive - Version FHTCP 1.03.12

That's not the CF version number, that's the original Humax firmware. Are you sure you have installed Custom Firmware at all?

 

[Black Hole]

Has been for ages, probably since 3.11 or maybe 3.10 - ICBA to check.

Oh. So I need to revise all my stuff...

@Penster: assuming webshell is indeed built in (and assuming you manage to install CF), instead of using a Telnet client you can simply try connecting with your web browser to the IP address for the HDR-FOX as per post 2. If that doesn't work, try a Telnet client!

 

[Penster]

Thank you both @Black Hole & @prpr.

I managed to get into the telnet menu and I'm currently running fixdisk which found something wrong in the short test and has now started the long disk self test. I may not be awake when it completes, so watch this space in the morning.

Menu version 1.23
Enter system PIN: ****

/---------------------------------------------\
| M A I N T E N A N C E M O D E M E N U |
\---------------------------------------------/

[ Humax HDR-Fox T2 (humax) 1.03.12/3.13 ]

fixdisk - Check and repair hard disk.
short - Run short hard-disk self test.
long - Run long hard-disk self test.
check - Check self-test progress.
gptf - Re-format disk using GPT scheme.
epg - Clear persistent EPG data.
dlna - Reset DLNA server database.
x - Leave maintenance mode (Humax will restart).
diag - Run a diagnostic.
cli - System command line (advanced users).

Please select option: fixdisk
Any additional options (-h for list or press return for none): -y
Are you sure you wish to run the hard disk checker (-y)? [Y/N] y
Running /bin/fix-disk

Checking disk sda (512 byte sectors)

Unmounted /dev/sda1
Unmounted /dev/sda2
Unmounted /dev/sda3


Running short disk self test
Error at LBA 1342971077

/dev/sda:
re-writing sector 1342971077: succeeded

Running short disk self test

Pending sector error(s) found

LBA has not yet been found
A long test is required - this could take 3 hour(s) 38 minutes
Do you wish to continue? [Y/N]: y
Running long disk self test
Waiting...

 

[Black Hole]

I may not be awake when it completes

That is probably an understatement by a considerable margin! The "long disk test" is just the hardware checking itself. By far the longer process will be the file system being checked and corrected (which is where your problem is).

 

[Penster]

That is probably an understatement by a considerable margin!

Thank you for the heads up.
It's currently finding errors and rewriting sectors... one by one.

 

[MymsMan]

Once fix disk (eventually) completes it is worth running it a second time to confirm it has actually cleared all the errors - but it should take less time 2nd time around

 

[Luke]

Has been for ages, since 3.11 or maybe 3.10 - ICBA to check.

Access to the c/f telnet menu via a browser was available earlier, but needed the webshell package to be installed.

Thread '[webshell] Command line access from web browser'

Feb 9, 2016

Here's a new package that gives you command line access to your Humax from a web browser as an alternative to using telnet. Once installed, it's accessed via the Diagnostics menu using the icon that will appear at the bottom right. It even works in maintenance mode (although there is no menu bar at the top then) and I've successfully used it to run a disk check.

I've had this running on my box for 6 months or so without problems but one of the people testing it on their box has reported that it does strange things in Safari with old versions of IOS (fine with IOS 9 though). Thanks...

• af123
• Replies: 58
• Forum: HD/HDR-FOX T2 Customised Firmware

• 

According to that thread's first post this access method is an alternative to using telnet. I.e. it is not telnet.

A recent post implies that access to the telnet menu via a browser still relies on the the webshell package, but also states that method of access to the telnet menu is now using a Telnet session.

I'm sitting here in maintenance mode, reluctant to change to PuTTY

Is that display from your web browser? If so, you are in a Telnet session in webshell.

 

[prpr]

Access to the c/f telnet menu via a browser was available earlier, but needed the webshell package to be installed.

Yes.

A recent post implies that access to the telnet menu via a browser still relies on the the webshell package

It's wrong. It doesn't.

but also states that method of access to the telnet menu is now using a Telnet session.

It's an option, not a necessity.

 

[Black Hole]

According to that thread's first post this access method is an alternative to using telnet. I.e. it is not telnet.

Yes, but for communication purposes we still call it Telnet because it is accessing the Telnet Menu and providing access to the command line. The result is the same, subsequent instructions are the same regardless of the connection method, so it is simpler to explain them as versions of the same thing. No user trying to follow instructions to repair their HDR-FOX cares whether the communication is via Telnet or HTML, neither does it matter (HTML is obviously a lot more convenient for most people).

Had we had the technology originally, we wouldn't have needed Telnet at all, and things would have been named differently. Be aware it was a lot easier to provide Telnet than webshell, which only came along much later in the CF development.

A recent post implies that access to the telnet menu via a browser still relies on the the webshell package, but also states that method of access to the telnet menu is now using a Telnet session.

I was unaware the webshell package is no longer needed, although I was aware that in Maintenance Mode a webshell-like interface is presented over HTML. I don't recall any announcement the webshell package is not needed, although there might have been. I made this clear up the thread:

I didn't realise that's built in?

Has been for ages, since 3.11

Oh. So I need to revise all my stuff...

All my major documentation has assumed it is necessary to install a package to get HTML access to the Telnet Menu / command line, and therefore is now in need of review and revision. A lot of it was written prior to 3.11. For my own satisfaction I will verify, of course, but that requires a tuit.

It is possible the built-in version of webshell is only accessible when WebIF is off-line, and the webshell package is still needed for access via WebIF >> Diagnostics >> Command Line. Comments, anyone?

I managed to get into the telnet menu

Which method?

 

[Penster]

Which method?

I have an internet cable between the back of my box and my laptop (for my reference, it's the long one).
I am using a Google Chrome browser.
I typed in the IP address that I found Menu >> Settings >> System >> Internet Setting >> Configure LAN (Wi-Fi) >> IP Address into the browser.
Somehow it all connected up and I had the Telnet menu so I've worked from there. (There's so much magic here!)

It's still running fixdisk... Glad I'm out most of today

 

[Penster]

I will verify, of course, but that requires a tuit.

I've got a round one somewhere, but I've not found it useful at all

 

[prpr]

It is possible the built-in version of webshell is only accessible when WebIF is off-line, and the webshell package is still needed for access via WebIF >> Diagnostics >> Command Line. Comments, anyone?

Correct.

 

[Black Hole]

I am using a Google Chrome browser.

Okay, not a Telnet client (eg PuTTY) then. As you have not had an opportunity to install the webshell package, that's pretty conclusive and perhaps I don't need a tuit (round or otherwise).