cat: read error: I/O error

25 posts / 0 new

Thu, 08/22/2019 - 17:03

w9khp

Hi group,

Wondering what in the world this issue is that I am seeing with these M5 Bullet(XM) models. I just got them a couple of days ago used. I have attempted to install the 3.19 firmware on 3 different ones now with the same result, the initial configuration will not save (callsign, password, distance) nothing else changed, Save Changes, reboot right back where I started.

Now the latest thing I am seeing is the error posted as the Topic. Flashing these devices have never given me any trouble in the past, well not like this any way.

Any suggestions?

W9KHP - Ray

Support File Attachment:

No save config

Thu, 08/22/2019 - 18:51

AE6XE

It looks like something is

It looks like something is going on with the flash on this device. In the system log:

[    7.923845] mount_root: jffs2 not ready yet, using temporary tmpfs overlay

Thus, probably when the settings are saved, they are being written to RAM.  RAM is lost on reboot.
It doesn't look like the kernel could mount the flash space where settings should be saved and persistent.

Filesystem           1K-blocks      Used Available Use% Mounted on
tmpfs                    13992        80     13912   1% /tmp/root

[   37.820519] jffs2_scan_eraseblock(): End of filesystem marker found at 0x0
[   37.827511] jffs2_build_filesystem(): unlocking the mtd device... 
[   37.865038] done.
[   37.866996] jffs2_build_filesystem(): erasing all blocks after the end marker... 
[   39.303653] jffs2: Newly-erased block contained word 0xdeadc0de at offset 0x00000000
[   39.328742] done.
[   39.330743] jffs2: notice: (1294) jffs2_build_xattr_subsystem: complete building xattr subsystem, 0 of xdatum (0 unchecked, 0 orphan) and 0 of xref (0 dead, 0 orphan) found.

Maybe eventually, it initialized the flash to be usable.  Did you try rebooting, then saving settings again?

Joe AE6XE

Fri, 08/23/2019 - 07:38

w9khp

Thanks for taking a look Joe,

Thanks for taking a look Joe, yes I have tried on 3 different devices same model.

Ray

Fri, 08/23/2019 - 19:17

(Reply to #3) #4

AE6XE

These are the bullet models

These are the bullet models with 8Mb Flash and 32Mb RAM? There are some older Bullets with less space and insufficient for AREDN to function. Getting to firstboot state, would seem to indicate these are the right models, but just in case...

Joe AE6XE

Sat, 08/24/2019 - 10:08

w9khp

Free Space not total available

Joe I am not able to find anything from the ubnt gui or the aredn flashed gui that gives me the full information on the total flash or ram.

Only info I can see is free space on the node status page at the bottom

free space:
flash = 1488 KB
/tmp:13896 KB
memory: 4992 KB

Sat, 08/24/2019 - 10:46

AE6XE

In the past when I've seen

In the past when I've seen weirdness like this, sometimes this procedure has resolved:

1) tftp install current version of AirOS
2) From the AirOS UI, upload the airos image again (from the UI, it will update the bootloader and reset other flash settings, only reset by this step)
3) reinstall AREDN image

The device has sufficient flash/RAM given the free space.

Joe AE6XE

Sun, 08/25/2019 - 09:19

(Reply to #6) #7

w9khp

Will give it a shot

Thanks Joe, I will give that a shot. Will let post on the results for others.

W9KHP - Ray

Sun, 08/25/2019 - 11:00

(Reply to #7) #8

w9khp

No Joy - Steps Taken

Here is what I have tried to do following your last post.

1. tftp Airos image 5.6.15 back onto the M5 - reboot
2. AirOS interface login.... Upload newest bin(for this device which at this time is XM.v6.2.0) - upgrade, reboot AirOs login again to verify it installed. Good there.
3. Put device back in tftp and uploaded aredn image 3.18.9 factory - let it finish
4. login at localnode url
5. Changed default settings as normal (callsign, password, distance) saved changes - rebooted
6. Change NIC back to DHCP (disable/enable) received IP 192.168.1.23 (which is what I have been getting, NOT my network subnet)
7. Same as before changes not saved.
8. Opened Administration tab - Uploaded 3.19.3 firmware - let it finish and reboot and it is still on 3.18.9 after reboot.

I am totally at a lose here. 5 devices all doing the same thing no matter what I try.

We all know this isn't rocket science to flash these devices to do. It has been made pretty damn easy even for a non techy person, which I am not one of.

Click - type - type - Click done.

Sun, 08/25/2019 - 11:39

(Reply to #8) #9

AE6XE

On the node that went thought

On the node that went thought the airos back to aredn cycle, can you capture the support download file and attach here? Let me scan through one more time. cover the basics and compare to a working Bullet -- what flash chip it is finding.

The troublesome error message is:

[   39.303653] jffs2: Newly-erased block contained word 0xdeadc0de at offset 0x00000000

When the image is loaded, there is one big flash partition defined for both the initial filesystem from the image and this overlay file system. When the kernel boots, it prepares the remaining space in this partition to the overlay. The overlay is the delta changes to the initial file system from the image -- the persistent changes, settings etc. Erase/Reset this overlay and back to firstboot state.

Possibly there is a miss-match in what the kernel is configured for and the flash chip, the 0xdeadc0de is a deprecated marker where to start and prepare the overlay filesystem. Messages of "the flash block doesn't look erased" suggests this miss-match.

These bullets were sourced from ebay and used? The manufacture date is several years old?

Can you also capture the version for the bootloader installed: "cat /dev/mtd0 | grep -i u-boot"

Joe

Sun, 08/25/2019 - 19:33

(Reply to #9) #10

w9khp

Telnet output

Joe you asked for this earlier and I missed it. Find what I think you asked for attached
Also yes purchased used on ebay not sure on the manufacture date

W9KHP

File Attachment:

Both AirOS and AREDN Firmware Outputs

Sun, 08/25/2019 - 12:38

(Reply to #10) #11

KG7GDB

Step 3 is unclear-using sysupgrade image?

You said in step 3:
>3. Put device back in tftp and uploaded aredn image 3.18.9 factory - let it finish
You were flashing after having loaded 3.18, right? I think that may be the problem.

Here is what happened when I tried to load Factory image onto a node running 3.18:
I had weird results flashing 3.19.3.0 onto an AirGrid M5 XM running 3.18 until I realized I was trying to install factory image file, not sysupgrade image via tftp.
That was a mistake, but the node came back with old version running. I also think the "Keep Settings" box was checked, because it had the 192 address, not an AREDN 10 address when rebooting.
So,
I re-flashed it with the proper sysupgrade image file using tftp and Unchecked the "Keep Settings" box on the Administration tab when uploading firmware and rebooted.
I was then able to configure the node per the instructions for a new install starting with password, node name, etc.
I don't know if that is where you are having problems, but I hope that helps.
-Brett
KG7GDB, Salem OR

Sun, 08/25/2019 - 13:20

(Reply to #11) #12

AE6XE

w9khp, Maybe 3.18.x.x was a

w9khp, Maybe 3.18.x.x was a typo? Be sure to only use 3.19.3.0 or nightly builds images. Not sure if there are any differences (would be from different versions of OpenWrt). But let's only use the latest just in case there are more recent fixes from OpenWrt we inherited. The step should be starting from AirOS of step 2, then with tftp upload the factory AREDN image (from the airOs UI, it expects the Ubiquiti signed firmware, so not an option to upload AREDN).

Sun, 08/25/2019 - 19:01

(Reply to #12) #13

w9khp

Not a typo

Joe,
I started this entire adventure with the latest AREDN firmware 3.19.3, after I had already exhausted all of the other options, I had nothing to lose and tried the 3.18 version, so no it was not a typo. I have since tried the same with a M2 Bullet with the same results with the 3.19.3 firmware. There is not a separately listed firmware for the M5 and M2s, so I used the one I had already. Still no joy. About to pull out the antenna laucher and see how they work as projectiles. :)

Sun, 08/25/2019 - 19:08

(Reply to #13) #14

AE6XE

Send me one or two at QRZ

Send me one or two at QRZ address? I'm concerned we might see more symptoms if happening with multiple devices.

Joe AE6XE

Sun, 08/25/2019 - 18:55

(Reply to #14) #15

w9khp

Read Step 2

Brett read step 2. I re-installed the AirOS firmware then rebooted into tftp to install the AREDN firmware

Sun, 08/25/2019 - 10:41

(Reply to #15) #16

AE6XE

Do a check in the process on

Do a check in the process on airOS to see if it also has symptoms. Can you save settings and reboot to retain, etc. Process of elimination of hardware/firmware...

Sun, 08/25/2019 - 11:09

(Reply to #16) #17

w9khp

Yes it saves from AirOS

I changed wireless mode to Access Point, SSID and password. After reboot everything was there as set.

Tue, 08/27/2019 - 16:23

#18

w9khp

Package in route

Joe,
I have 2 of these M5s on the way to you. Should be there in a couple of days from tomorrow. Also if you missed it, I posted the "cat /dev/mtd0 | grep -i u-boot"
output and linked above for you to purse before hand.

I flashed these back to the same firmware they arrived to me with, so you have what I have been working with.

W9KHP - 73

Thu, 01/02/2020 - 10:57

#19

AK4FA

NSM5 XM

I'm getting this issue on a NSM5 XM, board ID 0xe005. Did you have any luck with the devices shipped to you?

Sat, 01/11/2020 - 09:27

(Reply to #19) #20

AE6XE

I did manage to load new

I did manage to load new firmware on one of the devices, after a few tries. It was not clear why there were failures and if it would repeat in the future. The 2nd device, as near as I could determine had flash failures -- from a serial console at the boot loader prompt, I did low level commands to read and write to flash memory, and it would not take the changes.

Joe AE6XE

Thu, 01/02/2020 - 13:39

#21

w6abj

I have ran in to a similar

I have ran in to a similar issue using Google Chrome, try using Internet explorer, or Chrome in incoginito mode.

Rich
W6ABJ

Mon, 01/06/2020 - 08:33

(Reply to #21) #22

AK4FA

I've tried both, as well as

I've tried both, as well as Firefox, and Safari on a mac, all with the same result.
It will take the TFTP load of AirOS, 1234 Nightly, 3.19.3, and 3.15.1, but none of them save after entering only the minimum of password and range. It always goes back to nocall.

Sat, 01/11/2020 - 09:31

(Reply to #22) #23

AE6XE

Can you capture and upload

Can you capture and upload the support data file? Maybe this will give a clue. Link is at the bottom of the Setup->Administration page.

Joe AE6XE

Fri, 01/31/2020 - 21:59

(Reply to #23) #24

w9khp

Good luck

Hope you have better luck than I have with these. Joe has been great trying to troubleshoot these but I have since flashed them all back to AirOs or used them as actual projectiles just for fun.

Wed, 02/05/2020 - 07:59

(Reply to #24) #25

AK4FA

Thanks file is in github

Thanks, I also gave the device over to K1KY who had the same results I did. He was able to add the support file to github to see Joe has any luck.

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