Help:Victron Cerbo GX blank remote console after update 3.10, cannot do anything

[CaptainRivet]

Originally Posted by Recy

I am not sure what you mean I have this image.

Thats the normal one. There is no problem updating that

If you go to settings, then update you can see a drop box with normal and large.
With the large you can use NodeRed and SignalK.
With large you can then get superuser acess and install the GUi mods from windrem
https://github.com/kwindrem/GuiMods

The problems regarding update are with large and gui mods.

[chelleh]

Originally Posted by CaptainRivet

thank you bill, i got it back working. You directed me to the right source how to do it but there is a little tweaking necessary so it works correct.



If you have a remote consule with a white screen or unrepsonive GUI or no superuser access anymore do the following process exactly as i describe, the painful devil is in the details here:
Use Firefox or chrome browser to access the gitup page, not safari or the win standard browser (as it has implication of the download of the packages)
A) go to: https://github.com/kwindrem/SetupHelper
it is stated:
The archive for this is named venus-data.UninstallPackages.tar.gz. 1) Copy venus-data.UninstallPackages.tar.gz to a USB memory stick or SD card 2) Rename the copy to venus-data.tar.gz

B) This is partly wrong:
go here to download:
https://github.com/kwindrem/SetupHel...llPackages.tgz

as you see the package is called venus-data.UninstallPackages.tgz and not with the ending .tar.gz
go down to the grey field completely to right with the arrow pointing down and click on it. That downloads the file to your PC. Use Firefox or chrome browser to access the gitup page and download the files.

c)format a USB stick to FAT32
D)copy/move the file via drag and drop to the USB stick, don't(!!!) click on it so the zipfile unpacks (also happens if you use safari or edge during download, that why you need firefox or chrome)
E) rename the file to venus-data.tgz and NOT(!!!) venus-data.tar.gz
F)now you need the latest Firmware for the cerbo:
https://www.victronenergy.com/media/...e-updates.html
Download the latest swu file:

• Cerbo GX - venus-swu-einstein.swu => click on this link and the file is downloaded to your PC. its not the latest version as you will figure later but it works, thats important.
  

G)drag and drop the file from PC to USB stick, don't click on it so it unpacks!!!

H)now unplug the power of your cerbo and insert the usb stick, wait 30 sek and plug the power back in.
I) the cerbo now uninstalls all packages. wait till green and yellow flashes and you can get access to the remote panel via VRM or the connect app. its still show white screen or unresponsive screen now. ONLY !!! unplug the power of the cerbo (=power cycle it, as you have no access to reboot it manually) if you can connect to the white or unresponive screen AND green and yellow flashes at the same time. doing it to early will BRICK it, so be extra careful here!!! remove the USB stick and plug into your PC and control if the file venus-data.tgz was renamed to venus-data.UninstallPackages.tgz
This ensures the uninstall process of the packages happend correctly. now put it back in the cerbo that is still unplugged from power.

J) now wait 30 sek and put power back in. Now the new firmware will be installed, it took 10min on mine with the 3.01 release. The tricky thing here is it gets stuck in a loop. so after installing the update and restart it automatically installs the firmware a 2nd time. let this happen and watch the cerbo closly now. As soon as both red leds go dark pull the USB Stick out. be very quick. if not quick enough and the LED start glowing before you have it out let it install the firmware a 3rd time, nothing happens. But if you pull it during LED=install started you have to do all from A) on again...guess how i know
K)now the cerbo boots normally and you should get a working remote control.
reboot it manually again (without the USB, its already out)

L) now go to setting, change normal to large (or keep it if you want normal) , go to online update and click on check update. It will then show you the new 3.11 version. update and reboot.
Now you have the latest version fully working.
I will go to hell for all the swearing and my rum kitty has one bottle of rum less as painkiller till i figured all that little but very important details out of this painfull process.

So i hope the details above spare you some nerves and a hangover the next day



i had previously the large 2.9 with wingdrem's Gui mods installed. I guess and others think the same to update to 3.11 you have to

1) use the manual update process via USB and not online
2) or before online uninstall the gui mods before updating to 3.11, then update and then install GUI mods again. otherwise you get the white screen.
Or did someone install 3.11 with large and Gui mods from 2.9 to 3.11 online without these issues?

I have exactly the same issue on v3.10 with guimods....so will follow these instructions and try and fix it later today.

[felizcortez]

My cerbo gx also white screened itself yesterday running the large image along with guimods. It sounds like this is has happened to a few people. I was hoping that they would push out an update and it would fix itself. Im not looking forward to going through this process.

[chelleh]

Originally Posted by felizcortez

My cerbo gx also white screened itself yesterday running the large image along with guimods. It sounds like this is has happened to a few people. I was hoping that they would push out an update and it would fix itself. Im not looking forward to going through this process.

Yes, there's a post on the guimods github, seems it was caused by an auto update of guimods, I've commented on there too, and hoping for another auto updaste too, before attempting the manual process.

https://github.com/kwindrem/GuiMods/issues/199

[CaptainRivet]

Yes because 3.1 was a major update changing also a lot before differently implemented stuff and adding new.

I would backup the settings, delete gui mods and superuser access. Then update and after successful update re-install gui mods again and reload the old settings.
Also update via usb stick and not online update routine, that should work.
Already 3.2 is out now, i would wait till Kevin Windrem updates the setuphelpernand guimods to new 3.2 version and right away go to 3.2 which is a buck fix release.

[chelleh]

there's a fix for v3.10 in guimods v8.18, and/or you can update to v3.12 via the VRM (which needs two way communication enabled on the GX device). I did the guimods update, enabled the comms, and then did OS update, so mine is now OK.

[CaptainRivet]

Thank you, good to know. Two ways is always on and if you have no external touch screen i would highly recommend you to leave it on. If not enabled and an issue like that appear you will have a very hard time to get it sorted. Like when i discovered mine there was no easy fix with an update and you cannot do that recovery workflow like i did.

Update Gui mods first, then the OS does the trick.

[chelleh]

Either the guimods update or the OS update will fix the issue, you don't have to do both.

I couldn't do just the OS update, as I hadn't got the comms on, so did the guimods update first, to switch the comms on. I just did the OS update for completeness.

I've left the comms on now, in case something similar happens in the future.

[felizcortez]

How are you doing the guimods update? Via USB? Can it be done in VRM?

[felizcortez]

I was on 3.01 and updated to 3.12 via VRM and that seems to have fixed the issue.