Raspberry (Buster) OpenCPN installation issue

[brice3010]

Running Buster on a RPi 4B, I had OpenCPN 5.6 running succesfully.
Trying to upgrade to 5.8 has been unsuccesful.
After performing a sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade I decided to follow the instructions here: https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/do...allation:rpi23


Since this is on Buster the compatible Ubuntu release is bionic,
hence:
deb https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/opencpn/opencpn/ubuntu bionic main

Then sudo apt-get install opencpn, download and install is executed.
Opening openCPN shows that version 5.8.4 is installed, yet when opening the program it crashes and closes.

Opening in safe mode, then to the Options, this window does not even show up.

In short: this installation is a disaster. My previous version (5.6) worked flawlessly,
version 5.8.4 just crashes and closes when opened.

Please let me know how
A. either to go back to my previous version
or
B. how to get a working 5.8.4 version?


EDIT: preferably not using flatpak because of its limitations as detailed on https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/do...pak:background

[bdbcat]

Brice...
Please post your logfile starting O584.


Thanks
Dave

[brice3010]

Originally Posted by bdbcat

Brice...
Please post your logfile starting O584.


Thanks
Dave

Hi Dave, where do I find the logfile on the RPi? This is a standard installation in the default locations.

[brice3010]

I think i found it: /home/pi/.opencpn/


I attached the log here, as pdf: a txt file will not upload, it says "too large"??

[brice3010]

Originally Posted by bdbcat

Brice...
Please post your logfile starting O584.


Thanks
Dave

Dave, what do you mean "o584"?

[bcn]

O584 = OpenCPN version 5.8.4 - the latest one

[brice3010]

Current status:
1. Raspberry Pi 4B with Buster
2. opencpn installation (no flatpak, no openplotter) using this guide, basically:
a. sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
b. edit to ensure this line is present: deb Index of /opencpn/opencpn/ubuntu bionic main
c. sudo apt install dirmngr
d. sudo apt-get update

3. I erased the opencpn installation sudo apt-get purge opencpn
4. removed opencpn.conf and copied it elsewhere
5. re install opencpn: sudo apt-get install opencpn
6. opened in safe mode, virgin opencpn.conf present, opencpn opens ok
7. close and restart opencpn in normal mode: crash.


opencpn.log attached.

[brice3010]

Newt step: following advice by bdbcat in another topic (post #15) I renamed ~/.local/lib/opencpn/ to ../opencpn.save/.
Next: started opencpn from the command window. There I get debug output as shown in attachement.


Opencpn now at least shows up without crashing.


Next I restart opencpn, again from the command window, all the warnings and criticals remain just as present.
Then plugins are enabled: GRIB, Chart Downloader, O-Charts, and restart.
Opencpn remains open without crashing.


But the downside is that I had to re-install all opencpn.conf information.


My conclusion: upgrading from 5.6 to 5.8 from source code (without flatpak nor openplotter) "sucks".


I do not see why I would need to use a bloated package like openplotter (where, off all the bells and whistles only opencpn would be used). Nor flatpak which has its own well documented drawbacks as well.


But for some, so far, to me, unknown reason, a simple upgrade from 5.6 just seems not possible.

[nohal]

Maybe you could consider upgrading your Buster system, which is almost a year after it's end of life. Just out of curiosity, what are the well documented drawbacks of flatpak you keep talking about? I don't see any on my systems.

[brice3010]

Originally Posted by nohal

Maybe you could consider upgrading your Buster system, which is almost a year after it's end of life. Just out of curiosity, what are the well documented drawbacks of flatpak you keep talking about? I don't see any on my systems.

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/ra...ullseye-tested
https://raspberrypi.stackexchange.co...pi-os-bullseye
https://discourse.flathub.org/t/pros...flatpak/3721/2
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29316024&p=2



etc.. etc...


...and just my 2c of not just swallowing whatever IT departments tell us what to do without reason. A bit like our IT telling us whenever a system malfunctions: "Restart".

[nohal]

No offense, but what you link is mostly obsolete information.

[bdbcat]

Brice....
As you have no doubt worked out, there is some plugin in "~/.local/lib/opencpn/" that is OK on O562, but fails on O584. By renaming "~/.local/lib/opencpn/", we avoid loading that faulty plugin.


After several such user experiences, we have not yet succeeded in isolating the failing plugin. Understandably, users have been happy to just get running again. It sure would help us to know exactly which plugin it is.


The procedure is simple. Move plugins from the saved copy into "~/.local/lib/opencpn/", one-by-one, trying to start OCPN at each addition. Eventually, we fault. The last plugin moved is the culprit.


We would appreciate your help on this.
Thanks
Dave

[brice3010]

Originally Posted by bdbcat

...
It sure would help us to know exactly which plugin it is.


The procedure is simple. Move plugins from the saved copy into "~/.local/lib/opencpn/", one-by-one, trying to start OCPN at each addition. Eventually, we fault. The last plugin moved is the culprit.


We would appreciate your help on this.
Thanks
Dave

Hi Dave, in order to do that, is it ok to open the backupped folder /home/pi/.local/lib/opencpn.save and see which plugins are present?
Then one by one copy/paste them to the active /opencpn folder in /home/pi/.local/lib/opencpn ?

[brice3010]

In the folder /home/pi/.local/lib/opencpn.save (the backupped folder) there are following plugins:
libaisradar_pi_so
libgps-odometer_pi.so
libotcurrent_pi.so
libstatusbar_pi.so


Moving any of them, one at a time, to /home/pi/.local/lib/opencpn causes opencpn to crash on startup.
After removal each time from the opencpn folder then opencpn runs ok again, each time.

[bdbcat]

Brice...
Thanks for the test. Exactly as described.
If you could send me, for instance, a copy of the bad libaisradar_pi.so (by PM), I may be able to track this down. Id like to save other users the aggravation.



Meanwhile, you should be able to re-install fresh versions of those plugins from the PluginManager, and get back up to speed.


Thanks
Dave