Lost shell function unexpectedly

nekokami · 09-06-2007, 08:33 PM

I've already posted this at the iRex support board, but I thought I'd post here, in case someone has some good advice:

I was on 2.9 and suddenly my shell access stopped working. I had moved some files around on the CF card since the last time I'd used the iLiad, but made no other changes to the system. At first I thought it was just that FBReader had been somehow broken by the CF file move (though FBReader itself was still in the same relative place), but in fact I found I couldn't get any shell scripts to run (so I couldn't just reinstall FBReader, either).

Tonight I upgraded to 2.10.2, after requesting the developer package, and I still have no shell access. I thought the new package request was supposed to be automated? Is there a manual process still?

I did see one error while upgrading, about a corrupt file or package. I tried running through the upgrade again after the first attempt to use a shell script, but didn't get any new files.

Any suggestions? I can still view PDF files, Mobi files, etc., but I really don't like the HTML viewer that ships with the iLiad, and I was in the middle of reading an HTML book with FBReader, so I'd like to get this cleared up as soon as possible.

Thanks!

Adam B. · 09-06-2007, 10:09 PM

Try going here and request it again. It's odd, you should get it automatically after every update.

nekokami · 09-06-2007, 11:34 PM

I re-requested the Developer Package and it downloaded, but still no luck getting any shell scripts to run. I can't install or uninstall FBReader. All the shell scripts have an "X" icon next to them (I can't remember if they did before) and none of them seem to do anything. However, actual shell scripts (as opposed to various data files or whatever) behave as though they might try to do something, i.e. if I click on a run.sh, I get the crawling dots at the bottom for a second or so, then the screen clears, then I return to the same directory listing.

I thought it might be a unix permissions problem, but I checked and all the shell script perms are 777.

The problem started, as I said, when I re-organized the CF card. I created a Books directory, moved everything into it, then moved the Programs directory back to the root level of the CF card. I was using Ubuntu's graphical file manager for this, so I suppose I might have missed a stray hidden file or something, but I've gone back and checked and I found no stray files in any of the directories.

I don't see the XML file FBReader likes to store its library in, though. Could it fail to run if that is missing? But why won't any of the other shell scripts run? I've tried mrxvt, emelfm2, and gargoyle.

Adam B. · 09-07-2007, 06:35 AM

That is odd. If you don't have shell access, the green light will only flash once when you select a .sh file. It shouldn't look like it's doing anything.

Are these programs in a patch that includes a space? I've seen that cause a problem before. Try moving everything to the root of your card.

nekokami · 09-07-2007, 08:46 AM

Ok, I checked the name of the "Programs" folder, no spaces. (It's the same folder it was working in before.) Then I moved the FBReader folder to the root of the CF card. Still no luck.

Adam B. · 09-07-2007, 08:52 AM

Have you reinstalled FBReader since you did the update? Will mrxvt run from the root of the card?

nekokami · 09-07-2007, 09:07 AM

I put the package to install FBReader onto the iLiad again, but it won't run. I just tried moving all the files from within the mrxvt directory to the root of the CF card. I've never run mrxvt before, so I wasn't sure which part is supposed to be the executable. If I select mrxvt itself, nothing happens. If I select run.sh, the green LED flashes, I get the crawling dots, the screen clears, then goes back to displaying the contentlister at the root of the CF card.

Could it be a small error in er_settings.txt? Again, shell files are showing with the "X" on the document, indicating that the iLiad doesn't recognize the file type, right?

Adam B. · 09-07-2007, 09:14 AM

The X means that there's no icon associated with that extension. Unless you've manually edited your registry, this is normal.

It appears that you do have shell access, otherwise, selecting a .sh file would do nothing. You definitely wouldn't see boxes, and the screen wouldn't refresh.

I'm pretty sure mrxvt should be setup as a package with the manifest, icon, etc. You shouldn't see the .sh file in the content lister. Maybe an old version?

It appears to be a problem with either the path or memory card. Do you have another card you can try? I've had problems with my CF card getting corrupt in the past and reqiring a reformat of the card...

nekokami · 09-07-2007, 12:58 PM

I tried copying all the files off, reformatting the flash card, and copying everything back. No change in behavior. Next I'm going to try a different CF card.

nekokami · 09-07-2007, 01:46 PM

Update: I was able to copy a fresh fbreaderinst directory to a different CF card and got the install shell to work; I was also able to start fbreader after this installation.

Following that experiment, I copied the same fbreaderinst directory to the larger CF card I'd been using, along with a fresh mrxvt directory, and they look normal now. I ran the Install FBReader script normally. FBReader works once more!

The new copy of mrxvt also works. I probably had old packages. I had gotten them from the MR wiki, which I suspect has more than one iLiad software page, with more than one copy of different apps. Who knows. Anyway, I'm glad to have it working again.

Adam B. · 09-07-2007, 03:22 PM

Odd indeed.

It's times like this that I love dropbear.

nekokami · 09-07-2007, 05:01 PM

Looks like I've bricked my iLiad. I was running emelfm, browsing around, and had a problem that forced me to restart the iLiad. Now, after booting, it goes to a black screen with a page marker at the bottom and the green LED is flashing constantly. I tried restarting with a different CF card but got the same result. Time to find out how the reflash works, I guess.

Adam B. · 09-07-2007, 05:32 PM

Since you've requested it a couple of times, you should have no problem reflashing...

nekokami · 09-07-2007, 06:03 PM

Reflash worked, but now FBReader is broken again... curiouser and curiouser! mrxvt works, though. So does gargoyle. I guess I'll try installing FBReader again.

I have to say, I'm very releaved about the reflash working... and very glad that I waited until it was available before attempting to play around with many applications. I'm assuming I accidentally changed or deleted a file in root using emelFM2. Scary!

09-06-2007, 08:33 PM	#1
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Lost shell function unexpectedly I've already posted this at the iRex support board, but I thought I'd post here, in case someone has some good advice: I was on 2.9 and suddenly my shell access stopped working. I had moved some files around on the CF card since the last time I'd used the iLiad, but made no other changes to the system. At first I thought it was just that FBReader had been somehow broken by the CF file move (though FBReader itself was still in the same relative place), but in fact I found I couldn't get any shell scripts to run (so I couldn't just reinstall FBReader, either). Tonight I upgraded to 2.10.2, after requesting the developer package, and I still have no shell access. I thought the new package request was supposed to be automated? Is there a manual process still? I did see one error while upgrading, about a corrupt file or package. I tried running through the upgrade again after the first attempt to use a shell script, but didn't get any new files. Any suggestions? I can still view PDF files, Mobi files, etc., but I really don't like the HTML viewer that ships with the iLiad, and I was in the middle of reading an HTML book with FBReader, so I'd like to get this cleared up as soon as possible. Thanks!

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09-06-2007, 10:09 PM	#2
Adam B. Addicted to Porting Posts: 1,697 Karma: 7194 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Indianapolis, IN Device: iRex iLiad, Nokia 770, Samsung i760	Try going here and request it again. It's odd, you should get it automatically after every update.

09-06-2007, 11:34 PM	#3
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	I re-requested the Developer Package and it downloaded, but still no luck getting any shell scripts to run. I can't install or uninstall FBReader. All the shell scripts have an "X" icon next to them (I can't remember if they did before) and none of them seem to do anything. However, actual shell scripts (as opposed to various data files or whatever) behave as though they might try to do something, i.e. if I click on a run.sh, I get the crawling dots at the bottom for a second or so, then the screen clears, then I return to the same directory listing. I thought it might be a unix permissions problem, but I checked and all the shell script perms are 777. The problem started, as I said, when I re-organized the CF card. I created a Books directory, moved everything into it, then moved the Programs directory back to the root level of the CF card. I was using Ubuntu's graphical file manager for this, so I suppose I might have missed a stray hidden file or something, but I've gone back and checked and I found no stray files in any of the directories. I don't see the XML file FBReader likes to store its library in, though. Could it fail to run if that is missing? But why won't any of the other shell scripts run? I've tried mrxvt, emelfm2, and gargoyle.

09-07-2007, 06:35 AM	#4
Adam B. Addicted to Porting Posts: 1,697 Karma: 7194 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Indianapolis, IN Device: iRex iLiad, Nokia 770, Samsung i760	That is odd. If you don't have shell access, the green light will only flash once when you select a .sh file. It shouldn't look like it's doing anything. Are these programs in a patch that includes a space? I've seen that cause a problem before. Try moving everything to the root of your card.

09-07-2007, 08:46 AM	#5
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Ok, I checked the name of the "Programs" folder, no spaces. (It's the same folder it was working in before.) Then I moved the FBReader folder to the root of the CF card. Still no luck.

09-07-2007, 08:52 AM	#6
Adam B. Addicted to Porting Posts: 1,697 Karma: 7194 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Indianapolis, IN Device: iRex iLiad, Nokia 770, Samsung i760	Have you reinstalled FBReader since you did the update? Will mrxvt run from the root of the card?

09-07-2007, 09:07 AM	#7
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	I put the package to install FBReader onto the iLiad again, but it won't run. I just tried moving all the files from within the mrxvt directory to the root of the CF card. I've never run mrxvt before, so I wasn't sure which part is supposed to be the executable. If I select mrxvt itself, nothing happens. If I select run.sh, the green LED flashes, I get the crawling dots, the screen clears, then goes back to displaying the contentlister at the root of the CF card. Could it be a small error in er_settings.txt? Again, shell files are showing with the "X" on the document, indicating that the iLiad doesn't recognize the file type, right?

09-07-2007, 09:14 AM	#8
Adam B. Addicted to Porting Posts: 1,697 Karma: 7194 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Indianapolis, IN Device: iRex iLiad, Nokia 770, Samsung i760	The X means that there's no icon associated with that extension. Unless you've manually edited your registry, this is normal. It appears that you do have shell access, otherwise, selecting a .sh file would do nothing. You definitely wouldn't see boxes, and the screen wouldn't refresh. I'm pretty sure mrxvt should be setup as a package with the manifest, icon, etc. You shouldn't see the .sh file in the content lister. Maybe an old version? It appears to be a problem with either the path or memory card. Do you have another card you can try? I've had problems with my CF card getting corrupt in the past and reqiring a reformat of the card...

09-07-2007, 12:58 PM	#9
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	I tried copying all the files off, reformatting the flash card, and copying everything back. No change in behavior. Next I'm going to try a different CF card.

09-07-2007, 01:46 PM	#10
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Update: I was able to copy a fresh fbreaderinst directory to a different CF card and got the install shell to work; I was also able to start fbreader after this installation. Following that experiment, I copied the same fbreaderinst directory to the larger CF card I'd been using, along with a fresh mrxvt directory, and they look normal now. I ran the Install FBReader script normally. FBReader works once more! The new copy of mrxvt also works. I probably had old packages. I had gotten them from the MR wiki, which I suspect has more than one iLiad software page, with more than one copy of different apps. Who knows. Anyway, I'm glad to have it working again.

09-07-2007, 03:22 PM	#11
Adam B. Addicted to Porting Posts: 1,697 Karma: 7194 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Indianapolis, IN Device: iRex iLiad, Nokia 770, Samsung i760	Odd indeed. It's times like this that I love dropbear.

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09-07-2007, 05:01 PM	#12
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Looks like I've bricked my iLiad. I was running emelfm, browsing around, and had a problem that forced me to restart the iLiad. Now, after booting, it goes to a black screen with a page marker at the bottom and the green LED is flashing constantly. I tried restarting with a different CF card but got the same result. Time to find out how the reflash works, I guess.

09-07-2007, 05:32 PM	#13
Adam B. Addicted to Porting Posts: 1,697 Karma: 7194 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Indianapolis, IN Device: iRex iLiad, Nokia 770, Samsung i760	Since you've requested it a couple of times, you should have no problem reflashing...

09-07-2007, 06:03 PM	#14
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Reflash worked, but now FBReader is broken again... curiouser and curiouser! mrxvt works, though. So does gargoyle. I guess I'll try installing FBReader again. I have to say, I'm very releaved about the reflash working... and very glad that I waited until it was available before attempting to play around with many applications. I'm assuming I accidentally changed or deleted a file in root using emelFM2. Scary!