Author Topic: Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide  (Read 143023 times)

Bouvrie (OP)

  • Posts: 124
Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide
« on: October 25, 2009, 10:46:00 pm »
Here's just a thread that bundles some best practices and common issues with the Dingoo and Dingux. Hopefully it'll be a good starting/reference point for people new to the Dingoo.

I know the Wiki is supposed to cover this, but for now the forum seems more active than the Wiki. :P

HARDWARE  FACTS  AND  MODIFICATIONS
  • The Dingoo has a MiniSD slot, NOT a MicroSD one! Get a MiniSD adapter if you want to use a MicroSD.
  • You can use a screw to mod the pin hole reset button to a more accessible button. (Youtube Video)
  • The AV-Out doubles as a stereo output. This way you can use two 3.5mm headphones at the same time.
  • There is NO hardware volume control: Setting the volume in an application is up to every single application.
  • If you notice some stuck pixel(s) on your Dingoo, you can try to run the GBA Stuck Pixel Fixer, or the flash movie at Z0r.de. (thread)

Dingoo Themes
The Dingoo can be themed to your liking. This can be done for Dingux-based menu systems (DMenu), as well as the native OS (which requires a custom firmware with the system folder exposed).

FIRMWARES:
Several firmwares are available for the Dingoo, both official and unofficial.
   Check this thread by omgomg for info on firmwares, and the flashing procedure. Or check the Wiki.
   Note that if you flash a foreign firmware, you'll want to put the Dingoo's Language to English after flashing.
   In the Dingoo Menu, select the rightmost option (with the A button), then Language setting is the 6th option. English should be the last option there. :)



NATIVE  OS  QUIRKS
  • The Y and B buttons can't be pressed together. --> This is a native OS only issue, present in pre-1.2 firmwares. Update your firmware or run Dingux instead.
  • The Dingoo might not be detected on some edition(s) of Windows 7 and Windows Vista. If the device isn't recognised, try the Windows-XP based USBSTOR.sys driver from Dingoo-Digital. For installing unsigned drivers in Windows 7/Vista, check this workaround.
  • File Indexing/Library scan: When disconnecting the (native) Dingoo from the PC, it will scan the device for compatible music files. This is an annoyance which can't be circumvented at this time. To speed it up slightly, make sure your MP3s have ID3 tags. Also, the Music player lists MP3s along with Wavs/content from the Sd card (Dingux /local folder). --> Update the jukebox with the SD card out. Library will be rebuilt without the SD-card content. Alternatively, use the Folder Once instead of the Playing option to select & play your music.
  • For native Dingoo-OS applications, check the Wiki: Emulators, Games, Applications, Utilities.


INSTALLING  DINGUX
Dingux is Linux ported to the Dingoo. The installer is composed of 2 components: the dualboot bootloader (which allows for either booting Dingux, or the native OS) and the Linux system files (rootfs and zImage). The rootfs file is the minimal root filesystem, zImage is the actual Linux kernel.
To install Dingux, download the dual_boot_installer zip, and follow the instructions in the README file. For a running start afterwards, install the latest Dingux Local Pack with many homebrew applications included and configured.


BOOTING  DINGUX
   If you're having trouble getting Dingux up and running, here's a log of the boot proceedings and some known problems:

   
   0) THE DINGOO POWERS ON --> You get a white screen.
   
  • Observation: The Dingoo's screen stays white.
  • Symptom: The White Screen Of Death would indicate that the Dingoo may be bricked: the Dingoo's firmware does not start the device.
  • Cause: You probably installed an improper firmware, or a firmware improperly. ;)
  • Solution: If you have an update a320.hxf put in your internal memory, try booting the Dingoo while holding DOWN on the dpad. It should flash that firmware. If that doesn't work, try the A320 Recovery Tool. More detailed information can be found at this thread by omgomg.

   1) THE DINGOO POWERS ON --> You press the SELECT-button DURING BOOT
   
  • Observation: The Dingoo freezes on boot, while displaying the Dinux-logo.
  • Symptom: The bootloader can't find the bootfiles on the SD card.
  • Cause: You have either an incorrect rootfs/zImage installed OR it's the Fat32 corruption bug. Alternatively, your MiniSD card/adapter might not be properly inserted or its pins are not connecting properly.
  • Solution: Install correct bootfx/zImage, OR defragment the bootfx/zImage on the SDcard, OR reformat the SD-Card (using 32K block size is reported to counter the corruption bug!) and FIRST copy the zImage and SECOND copy rootfs to it, before copying the local folder and the rest of the data. Also resist writing to the SD card under Dingux for now.      (My Windows7 x64 format didn't work, where my Windows XP x32 format worked fine. You can also try Panasonic SD Formatter.)

   2) BOOTING CONTINUES --> Showing the Dingux boot screen, boot procedure is run.
   
  • Observation: Black screen displayed after bootscreen.
  • Symptom: dMenu 0.4 bug
  • Cause: Brightness setting set to minimum.
  • Solution: Press X to turn brightness up.
   
  • Observation: Dingux error message:  cannot run '/usr/local/sbin/main': No such file or directory
  • Symptom: Main menu (shell) missing.
  • Cause: Dingux loads the local/sbin/main executable on start. If there is no file, nothing will execute.
  • Solution: Put a shell-script or application there, ideally a menu like Dmenu or DinguXMB. Or, if you want them both, check here.
   
  • Observation: Dingux error message:  Kernel panic - not syncing VFS: unable to mount root fs
  • Symptom: Dingux can't deal with rootfs
  • Cause: If you're sure the bootfs/zImage you're using are correct, there might be a (filesystem) problem with your MiniSD card/adapter.
  • Solution: Try another SDCard, or format the SDCard to FAT32 in a way different from how you did it before.
   
  • Observation: Dingux error message:  Segmentation Fault
  • Symptom: Application Memory/Storage error (?)
  • Cause: If you're booting into DMenu 0.4, you might see this message on boot. DMenu 0.4 seems less forgiving in handling errors than DMenu0.3.
  • Solution: Try Updating DMenu, or throw DMenu out and use G-Menu. In the case this occurs when running other applications, it might indicate a MiniSD filesystem problem (possibly caused by DMenu). Try CHKDSK, or reformatting.
   
  • Observation: Dingux error message:  FATAL: cannot mount /dev/mmcb1k0/dev/mmcb1k0p1 on /boot (17)
  • Symptom: MiniSD unmountable.
  • Cause: Bad card partition/format. In my case it occured only with Panasonic SD Format on WinXP x64. Assumed to have something to do with incompatible cluster size.
  • Solution: Try an alternative way of formatting your SDcard. This might help
   
DINGUX  QUIRKS
  • There is a filesystem corruption problem with Dingux, when writing to the miniSD card. Be sure to promptly backup your files from your sd card to your computer as you might need to re-install your data and possibly reformat the SD Card! When doing so, you might want to try a 32K block size as it's reported to help counter the corruption. (More Info)
  • If your arcade ROM doesn't load in Mame4All, keep in mind that Mame4All only supports a subset of the ROMs available today. Rebuild your ROMset with ClrMamePro, using the datfile supplied with Mame4All.
  • If you're using the Dingux Local Pack and wonder why some games don't start: they are lacking the copyrighted files from their original release. You need to own and copy those games' files to the respected folders yourself if you want them to work.
  • For Dingux applications, check the Wiki: Emulators, Games, Applications.
« Last Edit: December 16, 2010, 08:44:03 pm by Bouvrie »
Write/save problems? Segmentation faults? Black screens? Read the Troubleshooting and FAQ guide first to fix your issues! :)
SD Card readonly/corruption issues? Chkdisk /F and steer clear from DMenu: use GMenu instead!

Absent

  • Posts: 43
Re: Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide
« Reply #1 on: October 25, 2009, 11:29:13 pm »
Brilliant! Goes without saying how sticky this should (and soon will) be.

Goon8

  • Guest
Re: Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide
« Reply #2 on: October 25, 2009, 11:37:48 pm »
Wicked I was hoping someone would do something exactly like this!  ;D

+Karma for you my friend.


codiak

  • Guest
Re: Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide
« Reply #3 on: October 25, 2009, 11:48:12 pm »
Nice FAQ! Made it sticky

bmg002

  • Posts: 29
Re: Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide
« Reply #4 on: October 28, 2009, 04:13:56 am »
I believe there is a typo.  It says:
Observation: Dingux error message:  Kernel panic - not syncing VFS: unable to mount root fs
Symptom: Dingux can't deal with rootfs
Cause: If you're sure the bootfs/zImage you're using are correct, there might be a (filesystem) problem with your MiniSD card/adapter.
Solution: Try another SDCard, or format the SDCard to FAT32 in a way different from how you did it before.

I believe that the cause should read rootfs/zImage not bootfs... or is bootfs something different?
The Gh0ce_>0

Bouvrie (OP)

  • Posts: 124
Re: Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide
« Reply #5 on: October 28, 2009, 10:11:12 am »
I believe there is a typo.
typo fixed, bootfs-->rootfs ;)

I'll be updating the FAQ some more with a section about FAT32 formatting the SD card and making it Dingux-compatible. I might be needing additional input for this on gatting a card formatted and installed properly through non-Windows operating systems.

If people feel like contributing, the following information would be most helpful in further determining the caveats of Fat32 formats:
  • (Operating) system used (DOS/Linux/Mac/Windows 9x/NT/XP/Vista/7)
  • Card reader construction used (third-party card reader, possible adapter(s), Dingoo connected with Dingoo-OS through Dingoo USB data cable, etc)
  • Formatting procedure used (native, commandline, third-party tool, etc)
  • Any special formatting settings used (clustersize/unitsize)
  • Result (specific Dingux error messages/states, freeze at bootloader)(For the Black screen problem, press X on the Dingoo to turn the DMenu brightness up.)
  • (optional) SDcard type (MicroSD+adapter, MiniSD), capacity and possibly brand.
  • (optional) The order in which you copied the rootfs/zImage files and the local folder onto the card.
  • (optional) The version of the rootfs/zImage files (i.e. the Dingux Local Pack version, or the rootfs/zImage release date).
  • (optional) ...any other details you deem relevant (partitioning, etc)
« Last Edit: October 28, 2009, 10:40:11 am by Bouvrie »
Write/save problems? Segmentation faults? Black screens? Read the Troubleshooting and FAQ guide first to fix your issues! :)
SD Card readonly/corruption issues? Chkdisk /F and steer clear from DMenu: use GMenu instead!

bmg002

  • Posts: 29
Re: Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide
« Reply #6 on: October 31, 2009, 05:16:56 pm »
I have had the best luck using windows XP command prompt format command with the dingoo connected with dingoo-os through the usb cable.  I used the following command:
format x: /FS:fat32 /A:32K
I did this about a week ago and have used my a320 with dingux steadily and haven't had a corruption yet (crossing my fingers).
After formatting it I put the latest rootfs/zimage (as of October 31, 2009) on BEFORE I put anything else on.  I have an 8 GB kingston micro SDHC card that is in a micro->mini adapter.
Prior to this I had used the same as above except I used a default allocation unit size of 4K (4096) and I would get 1-2 days out of the mp3 player before I would get corruption.
I tried using the panasonic formatting tool and it created a new problem for me: cannot not guess filesystem errors and init fails.  And yes, it does say "cannot not" which sounds like a double negative and thus shouldn't be an error, but it fails to boot.
hope this is helpful to someone.
The Gh0ce_>0

Absent

  • Posts: 43
Re: Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide
« Reply #7 on: November 02, 2009, 06:55:35 am »
I have had the best luck using windows XP command prompt format command with the dingoo connected with dingoo-os through the usb cable.  I used the following command:
format x: /FS:fat32 /A:32K
hope this is helpful to someone.
The Gh0ce_>0

YESSS!!!

Yes. It was. It really was. That was the only thing that worked for me after a week of hacking after this thing. Serious Karma to you man. THANK YOU
« Last Edit: November 02, 2009, 02:18:54 pm by Absent »

Bouvrie (OP)

  • Posts: 124
Re: Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide
« Reply #8 on: November 02, 2009, 11:20:15 pm »
Nice work. I accidentally managed to reproduce your problem, using the Panasonic SD formatter. I've yet to establish the cause, but I suspect it's a cluster size thing.

Anyway, I updated the FAQ a bit. Further testing will have to wait as I'm compiling my own local pack for that. :P
Write/save problems? Segmentation faults? Black screens? Read the Troubleshooting and FAQ guide first to fix your issues! :)
SD Card readonly/corruption issues? Chkdisk /F and steer clear from DMenu: use GMenu instead!

mediamonkey

  • Guest
Re: Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide
« Reply #9 on: November 07, 2009, 04:36:06 pm »
Regarding:
(Should I copy the zImage, disconnect and reboot and reconnect, then copy rootfs, D + R, and then local and data? Or just in one session, copy 1 file, then the other, then the rest of the data)


1) THE DINGOO POWERS ON --> You press the SELECT-button DURING BOOT
   

    * Observation: The Dingoo freezes on boot, while displaying the Dinux-logo.
    * Symptom: The bootloader can't find the bootfiles.
    * Cause: You have either an incorrect rootfs/zImage installed OR it's the Fat32 corruption bug.
    * Solution: Install correct bootfx/zImage OR reformat the SD-Card and FIRST copy the zImage and SECOND copy rootfs to it, before copying the local folder and the rest of the data. Also resist writing to the SD card under Dingux for now.      (My Windows7 x64 format didn't work, where my Windows XP x32 format worked fine. You can also try Panasonic SD Formatter.)

Bouvrie (OP)

  • Posts: 124
Re: Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide
« Reply #10 on: November 07, 2009, 10:08:14 pm »
Regarding:
(Should I copy the zImage, disconnect and reboot and reconnect, then copy rootfs, D + R, and then local and data? Or just in one session, copy 1 file, then the other, then the rest of the data)
I think whether it's one or multiple sessions shouldn't make a difference: the emphasis here lies in copying the rootfs/zImage to the very first sectors of the FAT32 partition, before any other data. Whether one reboots inbetween copying is irrelevant, most people here didn't anyway.
Write/save problems? Segmentation faults? Black screens? Read the Troubleshooting and FAQ guide first to fix your issues! :)
SD Card readonly/corruption issues? Chkdisk /F and steer clear from DMenu: use GMenu instead!

mediamonkey

  • Guest
Re: Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide
« Reply #11 on: November 08, 2009, 05:05:34 am »
Thanks, that looks to have worked for me.

Bouvrie (OP)

  • Posts: 124
Re: Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide
« Reply #12 on: December 08, 2009, 07:59:00 am »
Added some more bits and pieces that should reflect some threads posted in the last couple of weeks.

I do feel that this thread, combined with omgomg's flashing custom firmwares thread should cover most issues with the Dingoo. Way to go community! :)

Additionally, perhaps another post is needed, explaining the dualboot flashing in more detail. The readme that comes with it is pretty good, but for some less tech-savvy people, it might still be hard to uninstall/reinstall drivers and the works, especially on 'exotic' OS'es like Windows Vista and Windows 7, not to mention the 64-bit editions.
Write/save problems? Segmentation faults? Black screens? Read the Troubleshooting and FAQ guide first to fix your issues! :)
SD Card readonly/corruption issues? Chkdisk /F and steer clear from DMenu: use GMenu instead!

Chris23235

  • Posts: 603
Re: Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide
« Reply #13 on: January 05, 2010, 10:24:07 am »
I don't know, why people reformat their cards after a corruption and put everything back on.
In most cases chkdsk can fix the corruption. Just start the it from the commandprompt with following parameters
chkdsk [n]: /F /R /X
[n] is the letter of the drive your sd card is inserted.
In every single case, my filesystem was corrupted, chkdsk was able to repair it, no need to reformat anything.

zear

  • Moderator
  • Posts: 2381
Re: Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide
« Reply #14 on: January 05, 2010, 10:33:55 am »
On under linux:
fsck.vfat /dev/[your_card] -a

stryydel

  • Guest
Re: Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide
« Reply #15 on: January 07, 2010, 05:22:57 am »
Thanks for great FAQ !!!  ;D

kin

  • Guest
Re: Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide
« Reply #16 on: June 12, 2010, 12:05:14 am »
Lol after googlin my issue, I got on this board:

Here's my contribute for the "freeze at Dingux splash screen" issue:

(note I have an 8gb sd, using windows XP)
- google "HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool" (it's an executable)
- format fat32

The noticable difference after formatting with the HP formatting tool is:
- the transferspeed of my SD is alot faster
- on previous attempts formatting with windows (even in CMD with 32k blocksize) i ended up with 7.7gb
   with HP tool I ended up with 7.9gb

Finishing touch:
- put zImage / rootfs / etc.... back on the sd
- hold SELECT en restart, IT WORKS!

How I got into this mess:
When I last shutdown the 0.35 pack, the next time I turned on my dingoo with SELECT,
it froze on splashscreen. This is because all the files on the SD were suddenly missing, and that's when the formatting issue pop up.
I even tried to flash the nand again and I nearly gave up on the problem.

 :-*
« Last Edit: June 12, 2010, 12:09:08 am by kin »

Dastardly

  • Guest
Re: Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide
« Reply #17 on: June 17, 2010, 10:36:15 am »
Don't use SD cards from the brand 'integral' they do not work! I tried one on four XP machines at various patch levels. Formating and installing as per the troubleshooting guide and the dingoo failed to recognise the files. Although in the standard os it did see the card and the files on it. If anyone has started a list of SC cards that don't work please add this to it.

Bouvrie (OP)

  • Posts: 124
Re: Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide
« Reply #18 on: June 17, 2010, 09:03:51 pm »
Don't use SD cards from the brand 'integral' they do not work! I tried one on four XP machines at various patch levels. Formating and installing as per the troubleshooting guide and the dingoo failed to recognise the files. Although in the standard os it did see the card and the files on it. If anyone has started a list of SC cards that don't work please add this to it.
So, you tried it with another brand & it worked? :)
Write/save problems? Segmentation faults? Black screens? Read the Troubleshooting and FAQ guide first to fix your issues! :)
SD Card readonly/corruption issues? Chkdisk /F and steer clear from DMenu: use GMenu instead!

kin

  • Guest
Re: Dingoo and Dingux troubleshooting and FAQ guide
« Reply #19 on: June 18, 2010, 03:49:12 pm »
Don't use SD cards from the brand 'integral' they do not work! I tried one on four XP machines at various patch levels. Formating and installing as per the troubleshooting guide and the dingoo failed to recognise the files. Although in the standard os it did see the card and the files on it. If anyone has started a list of SC cards that don't work please add this to it.
So, you tried it with another brand & it worked? :)

Lol the situation is so identical with my previous post on this page... how can he miss my sollution. ::)

 

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