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Hi all,
up to now I am using Media Portal based on Windows 7. But since I would like to switch to a Linux based media center I wanted to test XBMCbuntu. So I installed the System to a USB stick and booting works fine. I also get into XBMC and can start customizing it, but after some time the systen powers off without any input from my side. There are no shutting down messages, the system is just powered off from one second to the other.
I already checked /var/log/syslog but I couldn't find an explanation for this behavior in there.
Does anyone observe the same behavior or had the same problem? Are there any other log-files that could help to find the problem?
Cheers and Thanks,
Sierra
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Good morning everybody,
I had some time to dive deeper into this problem. But first things first, as already mentioned I try to run XBMCbuntu on an Dell Zino HD, the GPU is an ATI Radeon Mobility HD 4300 and the XBMCbuntu version is 11.0 "Eden". I installed all necessary kernel updates.
My suspicion now is that the GPU overheats and triggers a system shutdown. Since I wasn't able to read out the GPU temperature it is only a guess. Maybe the fancontrol routine can't get the temperature either and in turn it is not able to start the fans ...
I tried to get the GPU temperature with "aticontrol --od-gettemperature" with no success. I also tried to install the "fglrx" driver which just resulted in a system that won't boot into XBMC. So I'll probably just roll back to the old driver and start searching for a solution from there.
If someone could tell me which driver to use, or how to get the GPU temperature it would be a big help.
Cheers and Thanks,
Sierra
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artrafael
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Check System/Settings > System > Power savings. What do you have set for the "Shutdown function timer" and "Shutdown function" values?
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Thanks for the reply artrafael,
to check that I first have to install a working graphics driver, but I checked these options right after the problem occured and as far as I remember the timer was switched off. Besides, wouldn't that result in a normal shutdown which would take some seconds to complete? In the moment the system behaves like someone pulled the power-plug. That's why I rather suspect a hardware related emergency stop.
But as soon as I have a working graphics driver I'll check these settings.
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artrafael
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2012-09-07, 09:40
(This post was last modified: 2012-09-07, 09:43 by artrafael.)
Yes, the Shutdown function timer would perform a normal system shutdown.
What does that system normally boot-up into when the USB stick isn't inserted? Or do you not have an OS installed on that system's hard disk? Just wondering if you boot-up without the USB stick (XBMCbuntu), does the system also shutdown spontaneously after a while?
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Normally I boot into Win7 which is running Media Portal. So I haven't tried to install XBMCbuntu to the primary HDD. And frankly speaking I do not intend to install XBMCbuntu to the HDD if I am not 100% sure that it works and has all the features I want ... never touch a running system ...
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artrafael
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So your system doesn't shutdown spontaneously when it's running Win7 and Media Portal? And you're thinking the GPU only overheats while running Linux and not with Win7 (assuming that's the actual cause)?
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2012-09-07, 10:22
(This post was last modified: 2012-09-07, 10:27 by Sierra.)
Well, since I cannot read out the GPU temperature that's my guess. The CPU temperature looks fine. Under Win7 and MediaPortal the system runs for hours/days with no problems, but with XBMCbuntu it shuts down after 10-20 minutes. Since it is a hard shut-down I don't think that it is triggered by the software, especially since nothing can be found in /var/log/syslog
Just a follow-up, under Win7 I am able to get the GPU temperature so I guess that the fancontrol is working properly. Under XBMCbuntu my guess is that the fancontrol deamon does not get the GPU temperature and in turn cannot start up the fans as needed.
The whole shutdown thing might have a completely different reason but I have to start somewhere.
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artrafael
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2012-09-07, 10:40
(This post was last modified: 2012-09-07, 10:42 by artrafael.)
This is not a solution, but just a test to help narrow down the problem. Restart your system with the USB stick inserted and when the log-in screen appears, click the arrow to open the input field that shows "XBMC" and select, instead, "XBMCbuntu". Enter your username and password and log-in. This will boot-up to the XBMCbuntu desktop. Just leave the system on the desktop and see if it still shuts down spontaneously after 10-20 minutes. If it doesn't shutdown after 30 minutes or so, launch XBMC from the desktop (Start menu > Sound & Video > XBMC Media Center). Again, let it sit and see if the system now shuts down after 10-20 minutes.
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you need fglrx-legacy for your amd 4300
newer "standard" fglrx drivers(>12.4) don't support series <=5xxx
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Thanks for the hint. I'll switch to this graphics driver. Btw. do you happen to know how to get the GPU temperature from that one?
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you probably can't. seems those onboard GPUs don't have a temp sensor, it doesn't work on my hd 4250 onboard either
) I'll do that. I had the XBMCbuntu desktop running yesterday w/o a shutdown, but unfortunately I have no idea how long it was running, anyway, I check that after the weekend and keep you informed. Thanks again.
