Announce: piCorePlayer 8.0.0

[RobbH]

Thanks for addressing my question, Paul. Could you please provide a little more context on your suggestion? What does ‘set cron’ entail?

Not Paul, but perhaps this links will help you get started. I am not certain if the pCP implementation of cron matches this generic description in all details.

https://opensource.com/article/17/11/how-use-cron-linux

[paul-]

Thanks for addressing my question, Paul. Could you please provide a little more context on your suggestion? What does ‘set cron’ entail?

Cron is enabled on the tweaks page….. if you only have one there, you can enter the cron entry on the web page. The link provided above might help you.

What times of the day do you want to reset it?

[von-Ah]

Thank you both. I’ll play with cron a bit to see if that helps.

[DL6ER]

Realtek Bluetooth dongles

As happy new user of piCorePlayer I want to say it works amazingly. Thanks a lot!

What I'm struggling with is Bluetooth dongle support as the internal Bluetooth module of the Raspberry Pi performs really bad in terms of coverage for me even with WiFi blocked.

I have tried 7 different dongles (from Bluetooth 4.0 to 5.1) and none worked. dmesg showed that the firmware is missing:

[ 26.545192] Bluetooth: hci0: RTL: firmware file rtl_bt/rtl8761bu_fw.bin not found

Copying the missing firmware files from git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/tree/rtl_bt into /lib/firmware/rtl_bt immediately made all of the Bluetooth adapters work perfectly with piCorePlayer.

Even when the entire Realtek Bluetooth firmware is less than 1 MB, I do understand the aim to keep the image at a minimum size. Let me ask what is the best way to get the firmware files installed permanently?
Given that this seems to increase compatibility a lot I'd suggest adding these files to a standard Bluetooth setup (which isn't installed by default - so the image is still kept at minimum size). Alternatively, I could create an extension when you can give me advise how this is to be done for piCorePlayer. I'd prefer the former solution (include in Bluetooth extension) as this would be immediately available for other users and provide a better out-of-the-box behavior without having to realize there is + install a third-party extension.

Best,
Dominik

[Greg Erskine]

See piCorePlayer documentation:

• "My changes disappeared".
• "piCorePlayer backup".
• "Creating a piCore extension".

First 2 options are more suitable for personal use.

If you look at [Main Page] > [Extensions] > "onboot.lst" you will see a nice tree showing the loaded extensions.

I never use Bluetooth, but generally we tend to use extensions to load extra firmware.

EDIT: We have a Bluetooth specific thread.

[nupi]

pCP8 with RPi 7" DSI or other DPI display + HDMI Audio

So I've made some progress here, there is no one generic setting that works for all.

You will need to edit the config.txt on the boot partition.

1. Comment out or delete the line gpu_mem=xxx
2. add a line at the end max_framebuffers=2
3. add a line at the end display_default_lcd=1
4. add a line at the end framebuffer_priority=0 (For RPi 7" DSI LCD screen)

If you are using a 3rd party DPI screen like the "Hyperpixel" Then you will want to set frambuffer_priority=1.

Hi. I have a Raspberry Pi4 with the original 7" touch display (DSI). I would like to connect Hubert nuBox A-125 via HDMI. I have made the above changes. Unfortunately the boxes remain silent, even if everything else looks good.

Before I made the changes, there was an error message with HDMI output with the default settings and Squeezlite didn't start. The above settings have eliminated this.

Can anyone give me a hint?

[nupi]

Ssh'd in again and went through the available outputs (hw:card=b1, plughw:card, sysdefault:card) via cli. plughw worked and I entered that setting into pcp squeezelite output setting. Rebooted and now I have sound, and we have the 'needed' requirements resolved.

Where do you make these settings?

Edit: I think I get it. But unfortunately without any success.


[ INFO ] Squeezelite Output devices

Output devices:
  null                           - Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
  default                       
  plugequal                     
  equal                         
  hw:CARD=b1,DEV=0               - bcm2835 HDMI 1, bcm2835 HDMI 1 - Direct hardware device without any conversions
  plughw:CARD=b1,DEV=0           - bcm2835 HDMI 1, bcm2835 HDMI 1 - Hardware device with all software conversions
  sysdefault:CARD=b1             - bcm2835 HDMI 1, bcm2835 HDMI 1 - Default Audio Device
  dmix:CARD=b1,DEV=0             - bcm2835 HDMI 1, bcm2835 HDMI 1 - Direct sample mixing device
  hw:CARD=Headphones,DEV=0       - bcm2835 Headphones, bcm2835 Headphones - Direct hardware device without any conversions
  plughw:CARD=Headphones,DEV=0   - bcm2835 Headphones, bcm2835 Headphones - Hardware device with all software conversions
  sysdefault:CARD=Headphones     - bcm2835 Headphones, bcm2835 Headphones - Default Audio Device
  dmix:CARD=Headphones,DEV=0     - bcm2835 Headphones, bcm2835 Headphones - Direct sample mixing device

[Paul Webster]

Where do you make these settings?

Edit: I think I get it. But unfortunately without any success.


[ INFO ] Squeezelite Output devices

Output devices:
  null                           - Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
  default                       
  plugequal                     
  equal                         
  hw:CARD=b1,DEV=0               - bcm2835 HDMI 1, bcm2835 HDMI 1 - Direct hardware device without any conversions
  plughw:CARD=b1,DEV=0           - bcm2835 HDMI 1, bcm2835 HDMI 1 - Hardware device with all software conversions
  sysdefault:CARD=b1             - bcm2835 HDMI 1, bcm2835 HDMI 1 - Default Audio Device
  dmix:CARD=b1,DEV=0             - bcm2835 HDMI 1, bcm2835 HDMI 1 - Direct sample mixing device
  hw:CARD=Headphones,DEV=0       - bcm2835 Headphones, bcm2835 Headphones - Direct hardware device without any conversions
  plughw:CARD=Headphones,DEV=0   - bcm2835 Headphones, bcm2835 Headphones - Hardware device with all software conversions
  sysdefault:CARD=Headphones     - bcm2835 Headphones, bcm2835 Headphones - Default Audio Device
  dmix:CARD=Headphones,DEV=0     - bcm2835 Headphones, bcm2835 Headphones - Direct sample mixing device

You don’t say what you tried but have a go with
plughw:CARD=b1,DEV=0
however, to me that looks like it might be the 2nd HDMI port on RPi4

[nupi]

You don’t say what you tried but have a go with

Thanks. I tried various Outpout settings.

plughw:CARD=b1,DEV=0
however, to me that looks like it might be the 2nd HDMI port on RPi4

I tried that too. Most of the time I used the first HDMI port. But not only.

Does it make sense to comment out
#dtparam=audio=on
#audio_pwm_mode=2

(in config.txt)?
=> https://docs.picoreplayer.org/projec...mitv-jivelite/

# For more options and information see
# http://rpf.io/configtxt
# Some settings may impact device functionality. See link above for details

# RPi PI0-1-2 are not supported on this image.

[PI02]
initramfs rootfs-pCP64-13.2.gz,modules-5.15.35-pcpCore-v8.gz followkernel
kernel kernel51535v8.img
arm_64bit=1

[PI3]
initramfs rootfs-pCP64-13.2.gz,modules-5.15.35-pcpCore-v8.gz followkernel
kernel kernel51535v8.img
arm_64bit=1

[PI4]
initramfs rootfs-pCP64-13.2.gz,modules-5.15.35-pcpCore-v8.gz followkernel
kernel kernel51535v8.img
arm_64bit=1

[CM4]
otg_mode=1

[ALL]

cmdline cmdline.txt

# uncomment if you get no picture on HDMI for a default "safe" mode
#hdmi_safe=1

# uncomment this if your display has a black border of unused pixels visible
# and your display can output without overscan
#disable_overscan=1

# uncomment the following to adjust overscan. Use positive numbers if console
# goes off screen, and negative if there is too much border
#overscan_left=16
#overscan_right=16
#overscan_top=16
#overscan_bottom=16

# uncomment to force a console size. By default it will be display's size minus
# overscan.
#framebuffer_width=1280
#framebuffer_height=720

# uncomment if hdmi display is not detected and composite is being output

# uncomment to force a specific HDMI mode (this will force VGA)
#hdmi_group=1
#hdmi_mode=1

# uncomment to force a HDMI mode rather than DVI. This can make audio work in
# DMT (computer monitor) modes

# uncomment to increase signal to HDMI, if you have interference, blanking, or
# no display
#config_hdmi_boost=4

# uncomment for composite PAL
#sdtv_mode=2

#----------------------------------------------------
dtparam=i2c_arm=on,spi=on,i2s=on

#---pCP----------------------------------------------
# pCP does not use graphics chip by default, free up most memory
# Die nachfolgende Zeile habe ich auskommentiert.
# gpu_mem=16
initial_turbo=60

# onboard audio overlay
dtparam=audio=on
audio_pwm_mode=2

# For Jivelite use with HDMI screens
# Comment out the lines above
#   gpu_mem=xx
dtparam=audio=on
# Then uncomment the following line.
#dtoverlay=vc4-kms-v3d
#

#Disable Bluetooth on both rpi3 and rpi0W
dtoverlay=disable-bt

# uncomment to overclock the arm. 700 MHz is the default.
#arm_freq=
#gpu_freq=
#core_freq=
#sdram_freq=
#over_voltage=
#force_turbo=

# Remove audio hiss
# disable_audio_dither=1

#If booting from USB or network, enable this option to reduce CPU load looking for a non-existing card.
#dtparam=sd_poll_once

# Screen rotation 0 => 0 degrees, 2 => 180 degrees
lcd_rotate=2

#Custom Configuration Area, for config settings that are not managed by pCP.
#pCP will retain these settings during insitu-update
#---Begin-Custom-(Do not alter Begin or End Tags)-----
#---End-Custom----------------------------------------
dtoverlay=disable-wifi
max_framebuffers=2
display_default_lcd=1
framebuffer_priority=0
hdmi_drive=2
hdmi_force_hotplug=1
hdmi_force_edid_audio=1

[Paul Webster]

In the past I have left those 2 lines in place and still used HDMI, but that was with KMS not FKMS.

I read a description of them that said that they use HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) ... if that is the only way that they work then they might not work at all when directly connected to Raspberry Pi.

So a suggestion ... see if you can get those HDMI connected speakers to work with a regular Raspberry Pi OS.
If you can then it suggests that it should be possible with pCP once the correct incantations are found.
If you cannot then you might be able to get help from Raspberry Pi themselves ... but if only ARC then might be doomed.

[nupi]

but if only ARC then might be doomed.

Thank you. I already suspected that.

In that case I will have to buy HiFiBerry Digi2 Pro.

[chrober]

libLLVM 13

Hi,

I would need libLLVM-13.so on my piCorePlayer in order to run rustc:

rustc: error while loading shared libraries: libLLVM-13.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

I have seen the "piCorePlayer main repository" contains version 10 of llvmlib.tcz whereas the "Official piCore repository" would contain version 13.
However, I don't succeed to replace the already installed version 10 with the the newer version 13. Uninstalling llvmlib.tcz fails ("llvm-lib.tcz cannot be deleted.") and updating from the "Official piCore repository" gives me "Invalid mirror selection for pcp-update".

Does anybody have some hints how to get libLLVM 13 onto my piCorePlayer?

Best regards,
Christoph

[mherger]

Announce: piCorePlayer 8.0.0

> I would need libLLVM-13.so on my piCorePlayer in order to run rustc:

Why would you want to run rustc on pCP? You can run it on any "full
blown" OS, or even cross-compile for the Pi - it might be worlds faster,
too. It's what I'm doing for the Spotty helper application. I even use a
Github workflow to build binaries for the Pi, which I then use with my
pCP installation.

[paul-]

In general, pCP was never intended to be a development platform. I was tinkering with rust while trying to get firefox to run on pCP. The binaries on our repo are not complete(I need to remove them) Remove it completely, then if you want, install from the tinycore repo.

[mr-b]

Human readable dmesg

Hi

Is there any way that the Diagnostics page 'dmesg' section could be converted to human readable time? I find trying to diagnose various things very difficult when I've no idea when they happened.
I tried the CLI and thought I'd found an option to do it but it doesn't work.

$ sudo dmesg -T
dmesg: invalid option -- 'T'
BusyBox v1.34.1 (2021-11-20 17:14:52 EST) multi-call binary.

Also could the dmesg section be moved towards the top of the Diags page to save hunting for it halfway down the page every time?