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F Schaumann avatar image
F Schaumann asked

Cerbo GX - Whitescreen after downgrade

Hello,


My Cerbo GX updated from version 2.73 to 2.9x. that's when suddenly the connection to my energy meter didn't work anymore. Since I couldn't get this to work again I navigated to the backup function and told the device to restore fw 2.73.

Result: Now I have a white screen in the remote console and my SSH access is gone.. I tried the factory reset method and to activate auto-updates via SD card and USB via the venus-data.zip rcs.local script, but now a day later the Cerbo is still sitting at 2.73 and still all I get is a white screen in the remote console...

I don't know where to go from here with no SSH access and no remote console.

Can I auto force update via image on the usb or include an swu file somewhere or similar? If so I haven't found the correct documentation, yet.

firmware update
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4 Answers
ejrossouw avatar image
ejrossouw answered ·

Given you have already done a factory restore, all I can think of is to disconnect all the devices from the cerbo and also remove the power. Then try a factory reset again and work your way forward from there.

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F Schaumann avatar image
F Schaumann answered ·

I've already done that with no results :(

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ejrossouw avatar image ejrossouw commented ·
I suspected so ;) Silly one, but you have removed the SD card after the factory reset? How do you know it is actually on 2.73?
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F Schaumann avatar image F Schaumann ejrossouw commented ·

The device still shows up in the Victron connect app and in the VRM Portal where it's labelled as running 2.73. SD/USB devices have been removed after the test ofc.


Basically I can see that it works , even get the energy meter readings but I have no UI(Remote console) or SSH access to config anything.


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ejrossouw avatar image ejrossouw F Schaumann commented ·
So the plot thickens. Have you tried to directly access the rconsole via IP on the local lan? (I have a shortcut on my desktop to the fixed IP) Worth considering deleting the VRM installation completely and start fresh, try to update the device to the latest firmware again from devicelist in VRM.
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F Schaumann avatar image F Schaumann ejrossouw commented ·

The Whitescreen in the rconsole is the same no matter if it's accessed locally or via VRM and as far as I can see ior have found in the documentation you can't update the Cerbo via VRM, only the VE devices connected to it. Please correct me if I've missed something :).

It's definitely a local image problem the fw downgrade caused.

I've now ordered an usb-ttl stick to get into the serial console. Since I'm kinda running out of ideas.

IMHO it should be possible to pack an swu image into that Venus-data.zip and have it installed via RCS.local script, but I've not found the right documentation or tutorials on that, yet.

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ejrossouw avatar image ejrossouw F Schaumann commented ·

I have been using it without problem to date. If it is an option give it a shot. As you said, you are running out of ideas.

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F Schaumann avatar image F Schaumann ejrossouw commented ·

I do not see the option to upgrade via VRM. But I can see that remote support and 2 way communication are disabled which is probably due to the factory reset :(.

That's probably why I don't see the option....I guess.

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ejrossouw avatar image ejrossouw F Schaumann commented ·

Have you tried resetting the wifi/BT and see if you can setup up the device using the wifi as when you first installed it?

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F Schaumann avatar image F Schaumann ejrossouw commented ·

That came with the firmware reset. There is no way to get to the settings editor without the remote console or SSH which you need the remote console to enable.... Basically if you're on factory settings and your remote console is broken you're f*****...


I've also not found ANY documentation on how to enable functions like 2 way communication via command line or else I'd have tried putting that in the rcs locals script.

I think I'll contact Victron for the guarantee. Can't be that a 300 buck device bricks itself while using on board standard functionality.....

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klim8skeptic avatar image klim8skeptic ♦ F Schaumann commented ·

@Phrixotrichus have you removed the sd card?

You can enable the local access point via bluetooth for remote console access. Unable to toggle 2 way comms or enable lan tho.

Have you read this or this ?

Warranty seems likely.

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F Schaumann avatar image F Schaumann klim8skeptic ♦ commented ·

USB/SD devices have ofc been removed.

The Remote Console only shows a white screen and the navigation controls, no matter where it`s accessed from.

I´ve also read those sources alrdy, but with noremote console, no SSH access and no command line(script) options for all the settings those are not applicable in my case :(

yeah, warranty I guess.

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Kevin Windrem avatar image
Kevin Windrem answered ·

Were you running GuiMods? If so a blind uninstall might restore the GUI. Look in the ReadMe for SetupHelper for details.

https://github.com/kwindrem/SetupHelper/blob/main/ReadMe">https://github.com/kwindrem/SetupHelper/blob/main/ReadMe

Actually, this probably won't work since you erased the /data partition where the packages are stored with the restore to factory defaults. So you may need to do a blind INSTALL first then the blind uninstall.

FYI, ssh access is deactivated with the restore to factory defaults. It also erases all logs so any clues to what went wrong are lost. The packages like GuiMods and SetupHelper are also erased along with the ability to uninstall them. So this is typically not the right thing to do with this kind of problem.

At this point, a serial console connection may be your only access.


If you get console access try the following first:

/opt/victronenergy/swupdate-scripts/set-version.sh 2

This will boot from the backup partition which might restore your GUI.

If that does not work, try doing a forced online update from the command line:

/opt/victronenergy/swupdate-scripts/check-updates.sh -force -update


Good luck

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F Schaumann avatar image F Schaumann commented ·

I wasn't running any custom stuff, all bog standard. I had superuser activated but never did anything with it.

I assumed a factory reset would work like I've known it from other embedded systems where the device would be reflashed from a backup drive... Had I known that it only erases the config..... Oh well, now I do.


Do you perhaps know the extent of what can be done via Venus-data/rcs.local script? Because I tried to do exactly what you suggested via that Bootscript already.

I've also found documentation for the ccgx where Autoupdate was enabled via dbus despite not showing up in the official field list. Might there be something similar for the two way communication or the SSH access perhaps?

   
                     
    
                      
  1. dbus -y com.victronenergy.settings /Settings/System/AutoUpdate SetValue 
    2.
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Kevin Windrem avatar image Kevin Windrem F Schaumann commented ·

You can pretty much do anything from /data/rc.local and /data/rcS.local. It's simply a shell script so ...

the venus-data.tgz is a special archive, it's name recognized by a running Venus OS at boot. Venus OS unpacks the archive to /data. All that is there is an rcS.local file that removes (mostly) everything in /data. rcS.local is executed on the next boot.

You could build your own venus-data.tgz file that has a different rcS.local with your commands.

Venus OS v2.90 adds pre and post scripts that can further enhance the capabilities. I haven't found a detailed explaination about this but did figure it out for my SetupHelper blind install mechanism. You could look there for an example of how to set this up.

One key point is how the archive is created. rcS.local and the rc directory if used must be at the root of the archive so they are unpacked to /data

Good luck

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F Schaumann avatar image F Schaumann Kevin Windrem commented ·
you don`t happen to know the dbus path for the activation of the two-way communication?...if there is one.
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Kevin Windrem avatar image Kevin Windrem F Schaumann commented ·

You need ssh access to run the dbus command so this isn't going to get you anywhere.

Setting the password needs to be done via the GUI. Not sure there is another way.

Some dbus parameters that might be of interest:

com.victronenergy.settings /Settings/System/SSHLocal

com.victronenergy.settings /Settings/System/VncLocal

com.victronenergy.settings /Settings/System/VncInternet

com.victronenergy.settings /Settings/System/AccessLevelt


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F Schaumann avatar image F Schaumann Kevin Windrem commented ·

"You need ssh access to run the dbus command so this isn't going to get you anywhere."


Not possible to run these blind via rcs.local?

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Kevin Windrem avatar image Kevin Windrem F Schaumann commented ·
I suppose it would but this will not give you ssh access since you still must set a password.

I looked at the SetupHelper blind uninstall and it includes a reinstall of Venus OS if the appropriate .swu file is on the same removable media. Give that a try please before doing anything else.

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F Schaumann avatar image F Schaumann Kevin Windrem commented ·

What I meant was that if there was a dbus path for the two way communication setting ( is there one??) which I could then blind-activate via RCS.local I could then try to update via VRM.

I'll have a look at the Setup helper, too, as that blind uninstall sounds like it was made for exactly such situations, thank you very much.

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F Schaumann avatar image F Schaumann Kevin Windrem commented ·

I´ve now tried the SetupHelper blind uninstall with the newest einstein.swu..at first it didn`t do anything. When I switched to the Bacup partition it worked.


I have a remote console again, thank you so much for the tip!!!!

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danny-77 avatar image danny-77 F Schaumann commented · 
Hello, I have the same problem. Unfortunately I cannot understand the solution. do you have a guide for me Thanks Danny
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andreas-siebenmorgen avatar image
andreas-siebenmorgen answered ·

Did you try to connect using Bluetooth and Victron App?

What happens when you connect a display to the local hmdi port? Still white?

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F Schaumann avatar image F Schaumann commented ·
I could solve the issue via setuphelpers blind uninstall functionality in the meantime.

:)

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