[Matt Devo]

Hey Matt,

Just saw this post. Would love to get your opinion on my sort-of related post regarding updating OE:

http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=247138

Thanks!

$.02 added

[Matt Devo]

just split off the Kodibuntu/lubuntu discussion to a new thread in the Linux/Live forum, since it's pertinent to all Intel GPUs

[denz13]

Thanks for splitting this out Matt.

Quick question, my current firmware is probably one from back in July. Is it worth upgrading this to the most recent? If so, how would I go about doing so without having to reinstall the OS?

[Matt Devo]

Thanks for splitting this out Matt.

Quick question, my current firmware is probably one from back in July. Is it worth upgrading this to the most recent? If so, how would I go about doing so without having to reinstall the OS?

it wouldn't hurt, but I don't believe there have been any major improvements. You can update by running the EZ Setup Script from *buntu or using the ChromeBox firmware update script (link in the OP). Updating the firmware has nothing to do with installing the OS, outside of being a prerequisite for the initial install.

[rodalpho]

Good point, booting with acpi=off allows you to avoid installing 15.04 just to upgrade it.

No (!) and no (!) and no(!) - never do this on modern hardware!

Not even for under an hour, just to install a different kernel? Does it permanently damage the hardware somehow, is that what you're saying?

[Matt Devo]

Good point, booting with acpi=off allows you to avoid installing 15.04 just to upgrade it.

No (!) and no (!) and no(!) - never do this on modern hardware!

Not even for under an hour, just to install a different kernel? Does it permanently damage the hardware somehow, is that what you're saying?

I haven't found anything to substantiate this, just that OS-level power management is disabled. Firmware-level safeguards for processor temp, etc are still in effect, as far as I can tell. Though my CPU never got even above 60°C when installing 15.10

[WhiteWidow]

Hey @matt Devo I have a Asus chromebox cn60 I did for a friend that i think may be bricked. It only a few months old. Standalone install. Sometimes It get stuck at the seabios booting from hard drive other times I get no signal out of the HDMI. I have tried booting a generic build of openelec and ubutnu on a usb and just get a black screen. Ive tried swapping ram out. but any ram I put in results in a black screen at boot (no bios). Only time i can ge tthe bios is having the 2gb stick in that came with the box. What else can you recommend I try to get this box recovered?

FYI, From what he told me is it just locked up on him one day and he rebooted it and it stuck at the bios screen for booting hard drive.

*EDIT* I switched to a display port to DVI cable and I can get to boot options on every boot now. But booting from an ubutnu live usb or openelec install will get stuck with either a black screen or a white cursor.

[rodalpho]

No (!) and no (!) and no(!) - never do this on modern hardware!

Not even for under an hour, just to install a different kernel? Does it permanently damage the hardware somehow, is that what you're saying?

I haven't found anything to substantiate this, just that OS-level power management is disabled. Firmware-level safeguards for processor temp, etc are still in effect, as far as I can tell. Though my CPU never got even above 60°C when installing 15.10

I ran my chromebox for an entire day with acpi=off and saw zero impact beyond one of my CPUs being disabled. That's a short time and a small sample size, though. And Fritsch certainly seems sure about it!

[fritsch]

"beyond one of my CPUs being disabled" :-) and "Firmware-level safeguards for processor temp, etc are still in efect, as far as I can tell"

Basically that's the issue I have with it - if MattDevo says: the latter _is_ the case - then all is fine. I have seen too much hardware, especially notebooks - that did not have such a working firmware ... so handle with care and don't use the box without paying attention while it is running.

[teki4u]

No (!) and no (!) and no(!) - never do this on modern hardware!

Not even for under an hour, just to install a different kernel? Does it permanently damage the hardware somehow, is that what you're saying?

I haven't found anything to substantiate this, just that OS-level power management is disabled. Firmware-level safeguards for processor temp, etc are still in effect, as far as I can tell. Though my CPU never got even above 60°C when installing 15.10

So after acpi=off, installing 15.10 and upgrading kernel one should get acpi back on (acpi=on) and everything will be back to normal running stable right?

Right now my chromebox is a headless server running in Ubuntu server 14.04.03 (its been like that for more than a year I think) but now that my main Win desktop broke I need the Chromebox to run kodi on top of Ubuntu server as an alternative for now (main kodi box is an amlogic Android box which I'm planning to sell and get the Wetek core) as I want to test it deeply and see if it works as it should with that top-level hardware, I want no more surprises like last time I tried and there was that annoying freezing bug.
I can't be left with just one kodi box I need alternatives and as I live in South America every international purchase I make takes long to arrive soooo .
I did my homework and the latest how to I found specifically for this device (which is great) to install kodi on Ubuntu server was @fritsch thread about the new VAAPI with EGL work:
231955 (thread)
Problem is I'm on version 14.04.03 so guess I need to do fresh install and set up everything again? (ahahah what a pain).

@matt are you planning to add that to your script? Hey if I had the knowledge and my PC alive I would make a custom .iso distro with it.

I know I should not dirty upgrade 14.04 to 15.10 so is there no other choice really?
BTW i would appreciate feedback from the ones that used that how-to and have the new EGL installed in 15.10, mostly about stability and bugs.

T.I.A

[Matt Devo]

So after acpi=off, installing 15.10 and upgrading kernel one should get acpi back on (acpi=on) and everything will be back to normal running stable right?

yes.

Right now my chromebox is a headless server running in Ubuntu server 14.04.03 (its been like that for more than a year I think) but now that my main Win desktop broke I need the Chromebox to run kodi on top of Ubuntu server as an alternative for now (main kodi box is an amlogic Android box which I'm planning to sell and get the Wetek core) as I want to test it deeply and see if it works as it should with that top-level hardware, I want no more surprises like last time I tried and there was that annoying freezing bug.
I can't be left with just one kodi box I need alternatives and as I live in South America every international purchase I make takes long to arrive soooo .
I did my homework and the latest how to I found specifically for this device which is great to install kodi on Ubuntu server was @fritsch thread about the new VAAPI with EGL work:
231955 (thread)
Problem is I'm on version 14.04.03 so guess I need to do fresh install and set up everything again (what a pain).

@matt are you planning to add that to your script? Hey if I had the knowledge and my PC alive I would make a custom distribution .iso with it just like the kodibuntu one.

I know I should not dirty upgrade 14.04 to 15.10 so is there no other choice really?
BTW i would appreciate feedback from the ones that used that how-to and have the new EGL installed in 15.10, mostly about stability and bugs.

T.I.A

your best source of feedback on Ubuntu 15.10 + EGL is going to be that thread, that's where all the users/testers are. I have no plans to touch anything Ubuntu-related in the script; the vast majority of users (including myself) use OpenELEC and I just don't have the time/interest. I do accept pull requests via github though

[teki4u]

your best source of feedback on Ubuntu 15.10 + EGL is going to be that thread, that's where all the users/testers are. I have no plans to touch anything Ubuntu-related in the script; the vast majority of users (including myself) use OpenELEC and I just don't have the time/interest. I do accept pull requests via github though

Alright then @matt, thanks.
Just one more question: is that thread really for in general people that want to run kodi in Ubuntu server on the Chromebox or is it more for the ones with deinterlaced/live TV content? Because I'm a normal average user, in fact is really hard to find a decent isdb-tb tuner yet. Still in the search though.

[Matt Devo]

Alright then @matt, thanks.
Just one more question: is that thread really for in general people that want to run kodi in Ubuntu server on the Chromebox or is it more for the ones with deinterlaced/live TV content? Because I'm a normal average user, in fact is really hard to find a decent isdb-tb tuner yet. Still in the search though.

"average user" and "ubuntu server" generally don't go together . The EGL thread is for users who want to run the EGL version with a minimal Ubuntu install; the server version just happens to be the easiest way to do that. The EGL builds give the best PQ on Intel hardware regardless of the video file type (progressive/interlaced).

[BoxFreak]

Sometimes kswapd0 is using nearly 50% of CPU while idling. On Openelec system information it seems that one core is nearly 100% all the time when this happens. Is this common bug or is it just me? Running latest EGL build.

[fritsch]

Nobody knowssss without a Debug Log ...

via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeqndFdgakE