Kobo Nia: diagnostics mode on installation

[mu88]

Hi 👋🏻

I've flashed the storage of my Kobo Nia, everything worked smoothly. When turning the device on for the first time and since then, I always end up in inkbox Diagnostics and Recovery - it never booted "normally".

How can I exit this loop?

[Szybet]

https://web.archive.org/web/20230323191406/https://inkbox.ddns.net/wiki/index.php?title=Basic_diagnostics_kernel

this? it's not supported... and never tested, how? @tux-linux
this is propably a bigger issue, please join discord / matrix to figure out to fix it

[tux-linux]

Take a screen shot of the "Flags" tab in this program and send it please. Also I'm starting to realize we pretty much only encounter Nia inkbox users, quite funny @Szybet

…

On Sat, Apr 22, 2023, 1:44 p.m. Szybet ***@***.***> wrote: https://web.archive.org/web/20230323191406/https://inkbox.ddns.net/wiki/index.php?title=Basic_diagnostics_kernel this? it's not supported... and never tested, how? @tux-linux <https://github.com/tux-linux> this is propably a bigger issue, please join discord / matrix to figure out to fix it — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#47 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/APB67YAXOGVFUCTCPGAM3G3XCQKINANCNFSM6AAAAAAXH64BJE> . You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[Szybet]

Yea, I wonder why

[mu88]

Because it's listed here... https://inkbox.ddns.net/downloads.html

[mu88]

@tux-linux here you go

[tux-linux]

Please try to check, then uncheck Always boot to recovery and reboot it.

[mu88]

I've checked, unchecked, rebooted and now it is stuck in Rebooting for the last hour

When holding the power button pressed for ten seconds, I'm back in recovery mode.

[Szybet]

@tux-linux how is it even possible? Nia doesn't have a second button to enter this mode during boot?

[tux-linux]

@tux-linux how is it even possible? Nia doesn't have a second button to enter this mode during boot?

You can enter this mode by pressing the power button repeatedly or just holding it in this case. The BDK is for other devices which have a secondary button. This boots a basic GUI using FBInk with serial-only user interaction to perform first-necessity recovery operations.
This particular recovery mode is made with Qt components and allows for a broader range of recovery operations, and you can also rescue your system by flashing, say, a new rootfs via USBNet more easily than with the BDK.

[tux-linux]

I've checked, unchecked, rebooted and now it is stuck in Rebooting for the last hour

When holding the power button pressed for ten seconds, I'm back in recovery mode.

Try to reflash the image to the SD card, sync three times and report back.
--- or ---
Connect it via serial port and we can try to figure out what's wrong...
--- or ---
Enable DISPLAY_DEBUG (in Flags tab) and take a screenshot of what's happening at boot.

[mu88]

Enable DISPLAY_DEBUG (in Flags tab) and take a screenshot of what's happening at boot.

Nothing happens when enabling this option - on reboot, the display only shows Rebooting

Try to reflash the image to the SD card, sync three times and report back.

How do I sync?

[Szybet]

sync linux command
If you are on windows then format the sd card ( completly ) and flash it again, then unmount it safely

[mu88]

After reflashing on Windows, the problem remains the same: after holding and releasing the power button for three seconds and waiting five minutes, nothing happens. After holding and releasing the power button for ten seconds, the Kobo enters diagnostics mode.

So I tried it with my Raspi, but still without success. Here's what I did:

• Copy downloaded firmware from Windows to Linux via `scp -r scp -r .\inkbox-1.9-n306.xz myUser@myRaspi:/home/myUser/temp
• Detect MicroSD card via sudo fdisk l→ /dev/sdb
• Format MicroSD and install:

sudo su
mkfs -t ext2 /dev/sdb
xzcat inkbox-1.9-n306.xz | dd of=/dev/sdb status=progress

The problem is still the same, the Kobo end up in diagnostics mode.

[Szybet]

well the only option i see now is to connect a serial port to the ereader, could you do it?

[mu88]

With a manual/guidance I can give it a try, sure

[Szybet]

Could you join discord / matrix server? it would be faster to explain than here

[mu88]

Now at least the DISPLAY_DEBUG seems to work

[tux-linux]

Now at least the DISPLAY_DEBUG seems to work

You seem to have a power button stuck in place, or something else producing an unwanted input event in your hardware. It's really strange

[mu88]

[mu88]

[tux-linux]

New Nia hardware...
(Reporting back from Discord)

[mu88]

[Szybet]

for context, the original ( charging IC changed, crystal oscilator next to cpu, a new 3 pin IC on the bottom, and propably another PCb manufacturer )

[Szybet]

at least the bottom is the same

[Szybet]

also a diffrent battery ( chinesium )...

[Szybet]

Ok, the top of the PCB has a serial number, me and Kuratius have 4A2 and mu88 has 4C1

where is B?...

[mu88]

[mu88]

[mu88]

[mu88]

@Szybet and @tux-linux, is there any news about this?

[Szybet]

Maybe soon ( I got access to another Nia, maybe it's the C variant, haven't checked yet ).
Anyway, we are waiting for you to return to port InkBox to it

[mu88]

Sounds good 👍🏻 well I'm back and can try to assist you. Do we need another "interactive session" like on the weekend before my vacation? If yes, I can try to devote one or two hours on the weekend to it.

Otherwise, if we could do it asynchronously I'll see what I can do

[Szybet]

As of me I won't have time on this weekend
yep, asynchronously is the best way to go

[mu88]

Okay, so just leave me a comment here about what I shall do

[Szybet]

Go on discord to make it faster ;p

[KitKat-ok]

I also have this device

[kajusK]

Same problem here, the serial number ends with 4C1. Is there something I can do to help with debugging this? I have some Linux + embedded software background, so if you point me to a direction to look, I can help a bit.

[Szybet]

Recently released, support for kobo nia model c
downloadable here:
http://pkgs-inkbox.duckdns.org:25560/bundles/inkbox/native/n306c/inkbox-2.0-n306c.img

notes:

• dont turn on dark mode - the kernel will panick ( this will be redesigned for 2.1 so don't worry )
• xorg is unstable sometimes

@tux-linux we need add it to the download page, so people will know

Also this issue can be closed

[Szybet]

Oh and as for help you are offering: Your model has been luckely ported already as I mentioned, but you are welcome to contribute to the project in other ways 😃