TivoHD Reboots Every 20 Minutes

3007 Views 24 Replies 7 Participants Last post by Soapm, Feb 6, 2012

Soapm

Discussion Starter · Oct 13, 2011

Tivo has been running well then last night it started this perpetual reboot cycle. After a few times of it I ran mfsassert -please then went to bed but woke this morning to find the Tivo stuck booting up. Here is my kernel log. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

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Soapm

Discussion Starter · #2 · Oct 13, 2011

Lets do this another way, anyone have an idea what this is about? It seems to consistently precede the reboots.

Oct 12 21:19:30 (none) kernel: Bit Rate information not available for Audio type 3
Oct 12 21:19:30 (none) kernel: Digital Channel - InBand Rating = No Rating
Oct 12 21:21:15 (none) kernel: assert: Tmk Assertion Failure:
Oct 12 21:21:15 (none) kernel: assert: Audit, line 38 ()
Oct 12 21:21:15 (none) kernel: Tmk Fatal Error: Activity TvSyncActivity <547> strayed!
Oct 12 21:21:15 (none) kernel: Paste the following into a shell to get a backtrace...

Oct 12 21:44:54 (none) kernel: Bit Rate information not available for Audio type 3
Oct 12 21:44:54 (none) kernel: Digital Channel - InBand Rating = No Rating
Oct 12 21:45:00 (none) kernel: Digital Channel - InBand Rating = No Rating
Oct 12 21:47:32 (none) kernel: Gen06ScdTsInput[1]: Total 1000 unrecognized SCT_ENTRY_TYPE_TF events
Oct 12 21:47:32 (none) kernel: RAW_SCT [0]0x01088013 [1]0x05B63C61 [2]0x00001000 [3]0x0DC7DB70 [4]0x05764E03 [5]0x1D932809
Oct 12 21:49:31 (none) kernel: assert: Tmk Assertion Failure:
Oct 12 21:49:31 (none) kernel: assert: Audit, line 38 ()
Oct 12 21:49:31 (none) kernel: Tmk Fatal Error: Activity TvSyncActivity <752> strayed!

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tootal2

· #3 · Oct 14, 2011

I think your need to replace your hard drive. You can use winmfs to copy your old drive to your new drive. it only takes about a hour to do.

Soapm

Discussion Starter · #4 · Oct 14, 2011

tootal2 said:
I think your need to replace your hard drive. You can use winmfs to copy your old drive to your new drive. it only takes about a hour to do.

Really, the drive isn't two weeks old. I guess I can do the warranty but that really bites if its gone bad already...

lew

· #5 · Oct 14, 2011

What size hard drive? What tool did you use to prepare the drive? Did you save recordings?

I'd start trying the clear and delete options.

tiassa

· #6 · Oct 14, 2011

if it is rebooting every 20 mins it might be a heat build up problem, check to see if the fan is spinning or if there is dust inside on any of the components. If the drive is relatively new as you say (and has been properly set up) then the other problem might be the power supply -- check for "capacitor disease".

Soapm

Discussion Starter · #7 · Oct 14, 2011

lew said:
What size hard drive? What tool did you use to prepare the drive? Did you save recordings?

I'd start trying the clear and delete options.

2TB.
I used WinMFS exclusively to prepare the drive
I did a clear and delete everything just after completing the guided setup during the initial install...

I am using a kernel I got from the other place (Jamie) and I saw it had a patch for drive larger than 1TB but there were no instructions on how to apply the patch. After I got my set working with this drive I thought I was over the hurdle but my suspicion is I have reached the point where I'm beginning to go over the 1TB storage barrier so now need to figure out how to apply that patch or switch back to the stock kernel.

That's all I can think of because this thing was working beautifully. It reboots just fine then it starts to record and after a few minutes of that REBOOT. I tested the drive overnight and it checks out ok (I know it could still be faulty) so I think my weekend plans just changed to figuring out how to apply that patch.

The good news is I was thankfully given a virgin trunkated image and was able to restore it to my stock drive. It is running fine and I am waiting for the update to the latest OS so this solves my problem about not having a stock back up image. If nothing else I guess I can start over and get more practice...

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dlfl

· #8 · Oct 14, 2011

You may be paying the price for doing the first 2TB drive upgrade with just WinMFS --- there may be a reason they said it couldn't be done.

Soapm

Discussion Starter · #9 · Oct 14, 2011

dlfl said:
You may be paying the price for doing the first 2TB drive upgrade with just WinMFS --- there may be a reason they said it couldn't be done.

I tried using the other tool (jfms?) but it wouldn't recognize my stock drive. Is there a 3rd tool for moving to 2TB on a TivoHD? You could very well be right...

Soapm

Discussion Starter · #10 · Oct 15, 2011

I let the trunkated image update to 11.0K so I now I have a true stock drive. It recognized in jmfs so I am now upgrading the proper way. I hope this works out better even though I will now have to figure out how to hack it manually. We live and learn I guess...

Soapm

Discussion Starter · #11 · Nov 27, 2011

I am back to rebooting every 20 or 30 minutes. I know what's causing the reboots now but I need some idea's how to fix the problem.

I've been studying my logs for the last few days and the problem seems to have to do with this;

Code:

Tmk Fatal Error: Activity TvSyncActivity <547> strayed!

I found a very old post using google that said TvSyncActivity has to do with Tivo chat. My understanding is Tivo calls home about every 20 or 30 minutes which is how it receives SP that you schedule on line etc...

I found I can change my network settings to use phone and the problem will go away. It stays up all night last night on phone but as soon as I change it back to using network the problem returns.

Now here is the strange part, I can force a call to Tivo via tcp and it works just fine. I've been moving shows on and off the Tivo using TCP and all of that works fine. But it seems this chat of phone home must be causing me reboots.

Any idea how to further proceed trouble shooting this? In the thread I found googling it suggested the iptables were corrupted but I don't know how to verify or fix this if that is the problem? It also makes me wonder why I can otherwise use tcp just not with this chat???

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lpwcomp

· #12 · Nov 27, 2011

Soapm said:
I am back to rebooting every 20 or 30 minutes. I know what's causing the reboots now but I need some idea's how to fix the problem.

I've been studying my logs for the last few days and the problem seems to have to do with this;

Code:

Tmk Fatal Error: Activity TvSyncActivity <547> strayed!

I found a very old post using google that said TvSyncActivity has to do with Tivo chat. My understanding is Tivo calls home about every 20 or 30 minutes which is how it receives SP that you schedule on line etc...

I found I can change my network settings to use phone and the problem will go away. It stays up all night last night on phone but as soon as I change it back to using network the problem returns.

Now here is the strange part, I can force a call to Tivo via tcp and it works just fine. I've been moving shows on and off the Tivo using TCP and all of that works fine. But it seems this chat of phone home must be causing me reboots.

Any idea how to further proceed trouble shooting this? In the thread I found googling it suggested the iptables were corrupted but I don't know how to verify or fix this if that is the problem? It also makes me wonder why I can otherwise use tcp just not with this chat???

While it is most likely some weird network problem, you might try a kistart 52 in case same piece of the s/w got trashed.

This is yet another example of my biggest problem with TiVo s/w - its error handling sucks and always has.

Soapm

Discussion Starter · #13 · Nov 28, 2011

lpwcomp said:
While it is most likely some weird network problem, you might try a kistart 52 in case same piece of the s/w got trashed.

This is yet another example of my biggest problem with TiVo s/w - its error handling sucks and always has.

I guess I can try that as a last resort but I'm all hacked up and running great. That kickstart would force me to pull the drive and rehack her with whatever OS lands on it then have to repeat the hacks after it updates to 11.0k again.

Not that I couldn't use the practice but I wasn't looking forward to all that work.

Edited to add...

The post I found by googling the error was at the other forum here showthread.php?62515-S3-rebooting-every-20-minutes

It says that error has to do with xmpp services.

lpwcomp

· #14 · Nov 28, 2011

Soapm said:
I guess I can try that as a last resort but I'm all hacked up and running great. That kickstart would force me to pull the drive and rehack her with whatever OS lands on it then have to repeat the hacks after it updates to 11.0k again.

Not that I couldn't use the practice but I wasn't looking forward to all that work.

Edited to add...

The post I found by googling the error was at the other forum here showthread.php?62515-S3-rebooting-every-20-minutes

It says that error has to do with xmpp services.

Have you given any thought to the idea that your problems might be related to the hacks? I think I remember some posts about possible problems with large drives when they got beyond a certain level of used space.

Soapm

Discussion Starter · #15 · Nov 28, 2011

lpwcomp said:
Have you given any thought to the idea that your problems might be related to the hacks? I think I remember some posts about possible problems with large drives when they got beyond a certain level of used space.

I do... I was planning on restoring the original tivoapp file to see if that has anything to do with it.

Soapm

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jan 31, 2012

I gave up on having a 2tb drive in my HD so a few weeks ago I installed a 1tb drive and figure I would call it a day. I got up this morning to see that the 1tb drive is now doing the 20 minute reboot. I am so puzzled and frustrated I don't know where to go from here. This thing just refuses to run.

Like with the 2tb, the same error... Sure wish I knew what this meant.

Jan 30 09:31:55 (none) Activity TvInfluxRequestServiceA[365]: Tmk Fatal Error: Activity TvInfluxRequestServiceActivity <365> strayed! (block timestamp 56440178853)

unitron

· #17 · Jan 31, 2012

Soapm said:
I gave up on having a 2tb drive in my HD so a few weeks ago I installed a 1tb drive and figure I would call it a day. I got up this morning to see that the 1tb drive is now doing the 20 minute reboot. I am so puzzled and frustrated I don't know where to go from here. This thing just refuses to run.

Like with the 2tb, the same error... Sure wish I knew what this meant.

Jan 30 09:31:55 (none) Activity TvInfluxRequestServiceA[365]: Tmk Fatal Error: Activity TvInfluxRequestServiceActivity <365> strayed! (block timestamp 56440178853)

So, do you still have the original drive, or one the same size or slightly larger?

You might need to run the stock version for a while to see if it's a software or hardware problem.

Soapm

Discussion Starter · #18 · Jan 31, 2012

unitron said:
So, do you still have the original drive, or one the same size or slightly larger?

You might need to run the stock version for a while to see if it's a software or hardware problem.

Good idea, yes I still have the stock image.

Soapm

Discussion Starter · #19 · Feb 5, 2012

I believe I had an epiphany today in Church while listening to the sermon and envisioning Scott Brady winning the superbowl. It was as if I finally saw the tree in the midst of the forest.

What I've been calling a stock drive is actually my original 160gb drive with a WinMFS restored image. I've been using that drive and it's full and I can see old recordings expire and get deleted etc... IOW, it seems to work just fine using the original two MFS regions. But as you all know, when I begin to fill a larger drive I eventually end up in a perpetual reboot loop.

Here is what I never noticed about my WinMFS restored image, I don't have the 3GB SQLite partition puffdaddy described on the other forum. I consistently get partition 14 as a small apple free partition but what I don't have is the 3GB SQLite partition.

So this means I really screwed myself when I accidentally overwrite the stock drive and thought restoring the backup with WinMFS was the same as having a stock drive. This might also explain the difference I saw between how jmfs and WinMFS deals with partiton 14 in the superblock Has anyone gotten a restored 160gb WinMFS truncated image to work on an expanded drive?

Theory: All previous tools created MFS partitions in pairs. jmfs expands by creating a single partition instead of a pair of partitions. I have to wonder if TivoHD [XL] and premiers don't use this SQLlite partition as a substitute for or combining of the 288mb MFS application region's (10 & 12) to be used by any additional partitions as well as the drive in the expander. This gives you a little more expanding capability since each expansion creates one instead of a pair of partitions and something about the superblock is the key to making partition 14 work.

If my theory is right this leaves me in a tough spot. I either need a true stock backup of the whole drive (partition 14 in tact) or I have to figure out from puffdaddy instructions how to recreate that SQLlite partition. Option 1 which I prefer means someone sending me an intact 160gm image. Option 2 is a learning curve but a challenge I will none the less take on since I got myself into this mess. I guess option 3 would be to buy a parts only TivoHD hoping the image is original and intact.

Anyone willing to host a complete TivoHD image?? I need the whole 160gb??? Please???

Now on the puffdaddy recreate fix, believe it or not I've gotten as far as installing mfstools and can delete and create partitions, the two sticking points I have are:

1. hexedit the MFS superblock (found in partition 10) to remove (overwrite with zeros) "/dev/sda16" and anyone know of a cli hexeditor for debian and how to access the superblock on partition 10 with it?

2. correct the superblock checksum (corrupted when you manually removed /dev/sda16) using "mfs_info -f" will the step above correct the checksum because mfsinfo -f doesn't seem to do anything that I can see?

3. initialize their filesystems by hand (i.e., "mke2fs -t ext2 /dev/sdb9; mke2fs -t ext3 /dev/sdb14"). How do I initialize a filesystem?

Code:

1 : start= 1, size= 63 ( 31.50K), type='Apple_partition_map', name='Apple'
13: start= 64, size= 343828320 (163.95G), type='MFS' , name='MFS media region 2'
2 : start= 343828384, size= 1 (512.00b), type='Image' , name='Bootstrap 1'
3 : start= 343828385, size= 16384 ( 8.00M), type='Image' , name='Kernel 1'
4 : start= 343844769, size= 524288 (256.00M), type='Ext2' , name='Root 1'
5 : start= 344369057, size= 1 (512.00b), type='Image' , name='Bootstrap 2'
6 : start= 344369058, size= 16384 ( 8.00M), type='Image' , name='Kernel 2'
7 : start= 344385442, size= 524288 (256.00M), type='Ext2' , name='Root 2'
8 : start= 344909730, size= 262144 (128.00M), type='Swap' , name='Linux swap'
9 : start= 345171874, size= 1048576 (512.00M), type='Ext2' , name='/var'
[B]14: start= 346220450, size= 6291456 ( 3.00G), type='Ext2' , name='SQLite'[/B]
10: start= 352511906, size= 1638400 (800.00M), type='MFS' , name='MFS application region'
12: start= 354150306, size= 1638400 (800.00M), type='MFS' , name='MFS application region 2'
11: start= 355788706, size= 269353742 (128.44G), type='MFS' , name='MFS media region'

Sorry for the length of this post...

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lpwcomp

· #20 · Feb 5, 2012

I guess it was appropriate that you had this thought in church since, if Scott Brady wins the Super Bowl, it will be a true miracle since a) He was an actor, not a football player and b) He died in 1985. Tom Brady on the other hand...

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