RepRapFirmware 3.01-RC6 released

Danal

@chas2706 said in RepRapFirmware 3.01-RC6 released:

because there is no indication anywhere how we SBC users can download a specific version of DWC.

apt allows specification of a version after the thing you are installing.
sudo apt install duetsoftwareframework=1.2.4.0

This, plus a few more commands below, gives you total control over the duet installation on the Pi. You can force it into a good (or bad!) state.

You may want to do 'uninstall' in certain circumstances, or use the --reinstall flag (which forces a complete install even if apt thinks that version is already installed) Examples:
sudo apt uninstall duetsoftwareframework
sudo apt install duetsoftwareframework --reinstall

You can list all available versions via:

sudo apt list -a duetsoftwareframework
Listing... Done
duetsoftwareframework/unstable,now 1.3.0 armhf [installed]
duetsoftwareframework/unstable 1.2.5.0 armhf
duetsoftwareframework/unstable,stable 1.2.4.0 armhf
duetsoftwareframework/unstable 1.2.3.1 armhf
duetsoftwareframework/unstable,stable 1.2.3.0 armhf
duetsoftwareframework/unstable,stable 1.2.2.1 armhf
duetsoftwareframework/unstable 1.2.2.0 armhf
duetsoftwareframework/unstable 1.2.1.0 armhf
duetsoftwareframework/unstable 1.2.0.0 armhf
duetsoftwareframework/unstable,stable 1.1.0.5 armhf
duetsoftwareframework/unstable 1.1.0.4 armhf
duetsoftwareframework/unstable 1.1.0.3 armhf
duetsoftwareframework/unstable 1.1.0.2 armhf
duetsoftwareframework/unstable 1.1.0.1 armhf
duetsoftwareframework/unstable 1.1.0.0 armhf
duetsoftwareframework/unstable,stable 1.0.4.1 armhf
duetsoftwareframework/unstable 1.0.4.0 armhf
duetsoftwareframework/unstable 1.0.3.5 armhf
duetsoftwareframework/unstable 1.0.3.3 armhf
duetsoftwareframework/unstable 1.0.3.2 armhf
duetsoftwareframework/stable 1.0.3.1 armhf

Generally, when doing a simple install, apt will deal properly with dependencies. During uninstalls and reinstalls in often does not. You can list all dependencies via:

apt-cache depends duetsoftwareframework
duetsoftwareframework
  Depends: duetcontrolserver
  Depends: duetsd
  Depends: duettools
  Depends: duetwebserver
  Depends: duetwebcontrol
  Depends: reprapfirmware
  Depends: reprapfirmware

A Former User

@Danal said in RepRapFirmware 3.01-RC6 released:

Generally, when doing a simple install, apt will deal properly with dependencies. During uninstalls and reinstalls in often does not. You can list all dependencies via:

not when downgrading dsf it seems

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ sudo apt install duetsoftwareframework=1.2.4.0
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 duetsoftwareframework : Depends: duetcontrolserver (= 1.2.4.0) but 1.3.0 is to be installed
                         Depends: duettools (= 1.2.4.0) but 1.3.0 is to be installed
                         Depends: reprapfirmware (<= 1.2.4.0-999) but 1.3.0-2 is to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.
pi@raspberrypi:~ $

thus my post detailing all the verions..

Danal

Agreed, during anything but a simple install, it often does not.

That's why I showed the commands that list dependencies and versions.

chas2706

@bearer said in RepRapFirmware 3.01-RC6 released:

edit: NOPE, that was not a good idea.
maybe this works better, specifying all the packages to fulfill dependencies for duetsoftwareframework=1.2.5.0

Thanks for the suggestion but here's what I got:

pi@Duet3:~ $ sudo apt install duetcontrolserver=1.2.5.0 duetsd=1.0.5 duettools=1.2.5.0 duetwebserver=1.2.3.1 duetwebcontrol=2.0.7-1 reprapfirmware=1.2.5.0-1 duetruntime=1.2.5.0 duetsoftwareframework=1.2.5.0
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Version '1.2.5.0' for 'duetcontrolserver' was not found
E: Version '1.2.5.0' for 'duettools' was not found
E: Version '1.2.3.1' for 'duetwebserver' was not found
E: Version '2.0.7-1' for 'duetwebcontrol' was not found
E: Version '1.2.5.0-1' for 'reprapfirmware' was not found
E: Version '1.2.5.0' for 'duetruntime' was not found
E: Version '1.2.5.0' for 'duetsoftwareframework' was not found
pi@Duet3:~ $

For me there are a number of issues.
After you have installed a beta version and run into difficulties, re-installing a back up can create a number of issues.
Firstly you don't know which specific version of RRF your back up was on unless you were smart enough to include the version number in the backup name (all versions are named " Duet3Firmware_MB6HC.bin")!. So by default your back up will fail because your board is flashed with the latest version.
Secondly, your version of DWC will be the wrong version and for SBC users apparently, this is just tough luck.
Summing it up, a backup will only work if you never upgraded in the first place!

Danal

When running a Pi, there is more to a backup than the binary file loaded into the Duet board (and/or the contents of sys and macros). A lot more.

A backup of the entire SD in the Pi will always work to execute a recovery. After booting from such a full SD card backup, it is necessary to load firmware into the board. That backup of the entire SD card, by definition, has the firmware .bin files that were loaded sometime in the past. No name problems, no downloads, "just works". If the backup is of the entire card.

Maybe this should all be on a dozuki somewhere... and I'd be happy to write it up.

(P.S. For anybody that doesn't know, I have no association with Duet the company. I am just a vocal user)

chas2706

@Danal said in RepRapFirmware 3.01-RC6 released:

When running a Pi, there is more to a backup than the binary file loaded into the Duet board (and/or the contents of sys and macros). A lot more.
A backup of the entire SD in the Pi will always work to execute a recovery. After booting from such a full SD card backup, it is necessary to load firmware into the board. That backup of the entire SD card, by definition, has the firmware .bin files that were loaded sometime in the past. No name problems, no downloads, "just works". If the backup is of the entire card.
Maybe this should all be on a dozuki somewhere... and I'd be happy to write it up.
(P.S. For anybody that doesn't know, I have no association with Duet the company. I am just a vocal user)

The backup was of the entire card and I initially realised that there were problems because the firmware on the board was of the new build so I grabbed a copy of Duet3Firmware_MB6HC.bin found in /opt/dsf/sd/sys i.e "Duet3Firmware_MB6HC.bin" and flashed it to the board but still have the above mentioned issues.

chas2706

If a full backup of the entire SD "always works" how come the DWC does not downgrade to the correct version?

Danal

Also, if you want to backup the entire Pi SD card to a windows PC without physically touching the card in the Duet+Pi, here is an outline of how to do that:

One time installation tasks:

#At your windows machine, create a shared drive to receive the backups. Allow user 'guest' read/write access (assuming your home network is physically secure, or you are otherwise comfortable with this)

#On the Pi
sudo apt-get install pv
git clone https://github.com/lzkelley/bkup_rpimage.git

#Edit file /etc/fstab, add a line at the end:
//windows-machine-name/shared-drive-name /linux-mount-point cifs user=pi,password=raspberry 0 0
mkidir a directory that matches the mount point above

Each Time, to run a backup:

sudo mount linux-mount-point
sudo sh ./bkup_rpimage/bkup_rpimage.sh start -cz /linux-mount-point/$(uname -n).img

NOTE: The running backup WILL disrupt a running print, do not backup while doing anything else.

In a recovery situation, the file deposited on the shared drive is used as an input to balena etcher (or other similar tools) to make a recovery SD for the Pi.

Danal

@chas2706 said in RepRapFirmware 3.01-RC6 released:

If a full backup of the entire SD "always works" how come the DWC does not downgrade to the correct version?

If you put a physically different SD card, that was copied before any upgrades, if you put that card in the Pi and boot, then every file on that card will be at the version it was the moment that backup was taken. Including DWC.

A Former User

@chas2706 said in RepRapFirmware 3.01-RC6 released:

Thanks for the suggestion but here's what I got:

huh, thats odd; you'd have to have the unstabe list to do the upgrade so the old versions should still be on the list; i did try it just before.

if you accept flashing the duet 3 using usb+bossa then backing up the sd card will work as the matching firmware file should be in /opt/dsf/sd/sys

if you hook the duet to the pi with usb this would flash that firmware to the duet without worrying about iap files or anything.

wget https://pastebin.com/raw/Wa1kYf3G -O - | tr -d "\r" | bash

and if dcs happened to be working echo M997 S0| sudo /opt/dsf/bin/CodeConsole should achieve the same without having to deal with usb.

Danal

This post is deleted!

chas2706

@Danal said in RepRapFirmware 3.01-RC6 released:

Also, if you want to backup the entire Pi SD card to a windows PC without physically touching the card in the Duet+Pi, here is an outline of how to do that

I made the back up by taking out the sd card, inserting it in my pc and then using win32disk manager and I can verify that it works because while I was on the same RRF version I deliberately flashed a different sd card and re-installed using my backup. In the process I made lots of changes, backed them up and re- installed - all with success but when you "upgrade" the result is so different

Danal

@chas2706 said in RepRapFirmware 3.01-RC6 released:

I made the back up by taking out the sd card, inserting it in my pc and then using win32disk manager and I can verify that it works because while I was on the same RRF version I deliberately flashed a different sd card and re-installed using my backup. In the process I made lots of changes, backed them up and re- installed - all with success but when you "upgrade" the result is so different

The Duet board has flash that has the running firmware. It absolutely does have to be re-flashed to change the firmware release.

EVERYTHING else is on the SD card. That is the physical setup of a Raspberry Pi. I don't doubt what you are seeing, your symptoms. At the same time, if a backup SD card was taken before the upgrade, and that backup was properly restored (such as a physically different card with the prior copy being put in the Pi), then it is absolutely not possible that the files are somehow at a different level than the backup. Pi hardware does not have any other storage than the SD.

So again, I'm just a fellow user, trying to help improve understanding so that people don't get painted into corners... if DWC didn't regress to the level it was when the backup was taken, the the backup/restore procedure is the thing to fix for next time.

Danal

Wait a minute... "Win32 disk manager"??? That won't deal with the Unix partitions on that card. Will it?

A Former User

This ought be a passing problem for most people as a stable release becomes available that most people can actually use without being recommended to switch to the unstable list where stuff like this so to some degree is acceptable.

And for now; we can try to make the best of it.

A Former User

@Danal said in RepRapFirmware 3.01-RC6 released:

Wait a minute... "Win32 disk manager"??? That won't deal with the Unix partitions on that card. Will it?

indirectly; as in it'll do a bit for bit copy that will work unless you want to restore to a smaller sd card

(not sure if it applies to SD cards as it did with old harddrives, but I always leave a few megabytes unused to allow for X gigabyte from vendor A not being the same as X gigabyte from vendor B)

Danal

Are we talking about this:

A Former User

@Danal yaeh - dd for windows basically

Danal

Win32 disk imager has been known to copy portions of a card, and not copy other portions, in certain SD readers. Which makes it very difficult for other people to diagnose.

Personally, I would never use it. Balena etcher or SD Writer or...

Probably not what happened here; but something did happen to that backup. Some confusion.

chas2706

@Danal said in RepRapFirmware 3.01-RC6 released:

o again, I'm just a fellow user, trying to help improve understanding so that people don't get painted into corners... if DWC didn't regress to the level it was when the backup was taken, the the backup/restore procedure is the thing to fix for next time.

Thanks for your help danal. I really appreciate your input.
I am just so frustrated with the problems I am experiencing.

@Danal
Wait a minute... "Win32 disk manager"??? That won't deal with the Unix partitions on that card. Will it?

I am no Linux expert but I can confirm that win32 disk manager deals with the unix partitions because I have used it for many years on my rpi projects.
It was available for the rpi way before etcher or raspberry pi imager.