Emerging issue / mystery: "Result: 0" freeze: OutletM3 batch

[watchpocket]

What is to be made of the complete mystery surrounding the phenomenon of a recent batch of h140s from OutletMP3 (including mine, Zeke's, WrimWramWrom's and others' as reported here) that install RB only to freeze at "Result: 0" just before the RB splash screen would appear?

I performed the upgrade / install several times slowly, soberly and with utmost attention to detail.  A friend has two h140s & he copied the install and files from his first to his second w/ no problems.  Did exactly the same w/ mine only to get "Result: 0" again.

How, why is this happening?  What can be done?  It appears not to be a hardware issue as "Result: 0" indicates successful install.  Is it in fact a failure of the "rockbox.iriver" file?   Or .  .  .  or what?

Is this issue destined to remain unfathomed?  I would surely hope not, given the active preparations for a new RB 3.0.   My current prospects -- and those of all  others w/ this problem, afaict -- are to return the unit,  get a refund and buy another at perhaps double the price.

If one can be found, that is. 

[LinusN]

I'd like to get my hands on one of those units, to investigate.

[watchpocket]

I'm willing to send you mine to investigate if you'd like to give me your address privately.

(Btw, why do I see "Warning: topic is currently/will be locked!
Only admins and moderators can reply." when I post here?)

[Zeke]

Hi Guys:

I've been sidetracked for a few weeks, so I came back to see what's up here.

I still have the same issue.  I thought about taking my player back to OutletMP3, but dammit, in their eyes it's not broken!  I'll end up getting the same player that one of you returned with no repairs, and I'm just not going to subject myself to that.

I just ordered a *new* 60gig replacement drive.  (as described on tapersection and misticriver -- exact model known to work.)  I'm going to give that a try.  If it works then we know it was an HD problem.  If it doesn't, then there is something different about this batch of H140s that could use some investigation.

Linus, you are more than welcome to my H140 for testing.  PM me and we can make arrangements for that if possible.  It's not much good to me the way it is, since I bought it primarily for recording.

If you like, I'll try replacing the new drive first -- if that works then we can guess that there is some random issue with these drives that prevents Rockbox from working.

Thanks for any help you guys.

Zeke

[watchpocket]

Please let us know the outcome after you swap in the new HD.

I'm still having the same problem with no resolution yet.

Good luck!

[Zeke]

Got my *sealed* new 60gb drive yesterday.  Bought the Torx today.

Hoping to install it tonight or this weekend, will let you all know if it works.

Otherwise, I'm hoping that a developer here will take it and try to make it work.

Zeke

[Mikerman]

You're not going to need help--it's going to work.

[Zeke]

IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
IT WILL WORK.
 

[watchpocket]

So:  did it actually work?  Have you been able to install RB and has it successfully loaded and functioned, without freezing?

[Zeke]

Hi Lorean:

Sorry to hear of your troubles with the forum:  sounds like a ton of work.

I don't remember what my last post was on that thread -- I think I was about to try installing a new drive or did I already install it?

Well, anyway, I bought a brand new 60gb drive, installed it, formatted it, made sure it was primary, made sure it was active, reinstalled the rockbox folder and rockbox.iriver, and I got the same result=0 then hang that I had before.

So I think it stands to reason that there is something else wrong with the code than a bad harddrive.  Of course, I have no idea what to do about it at this time.

I don't want to seem lazy, but I am pretty good with installing operating systems and troubleshooting computers.  I've been doing it actively for 15 years.  But I'm not a coder, so if it ain't written down somewhere then I can't fix it.

I'm begging someone at this forum with the connections/skill to make this work will take my H140 (now H160) will have mercy on us poor folks who have bought these H140s just to run rockbox.  Without rockbox the 200 bucks plus 150 HD is worthless to me.

Please take pity on us, we wanna rock too.

Zeke

[scorche]

Please search the forums first before you jump to conclusions.  I have merged your recent post with the topic that had already been moved over from the old forums.  Also, regardless of what may have happened to the thread, it belongs in the hardware forums, *not* the iriver installation forum.

[Zeke]

Hi scorche:

I did search and look thru the forum, but since it was immediately after the change to the site I don't think this post was back on the site.  Or at least I didn't expect to see it in the hardware area.

I think that it's very debatable that this is a hardware issue.  I think that's assuming a lot of information on your part.

Consider this:

The player works fine with the original iriver software.  No problems at all.  New 60gig drive:  again, no problems at all with the iriver software, but I'm still experiencing the freeze after "result = 0"....

So why does everyone here persist with the belief that it *must* be a hardware problem?

If you have a computer that works fine with windoze, but won't work with linux do you assume that the computer has a hardware issue?  I think not.  It's obviously a problem with the linux OS/software, right?  At least that's where the deductive reasoning that I use at work everyday would lead me.

Maybe they did make some sort of change in hardware that doesn't play well with rockbox, but I doubt it.  I work as an mech engineer in the semiconductor/storage industry and when we get a product working properly it does not receive any changes near the end of its lifecycle.  The only changes you would see are those that address a specific customer problem.  Improvements are reserved for future products.

I'm begging the folks here at rockbox to help me out with this.  Isn't there anyone here who cares enough about rockbox to at least let me send you my H140 to investigate the problem?  If you really believe in Rockbox then why not back it up by seriously looking into this problem?

Sincerely,

Zeke

[LinusN]

Another owner of a H140 with the same problem was supposed to send me his unit, but he chickened out. Then I lost interest. If you want to send me yours, fine. PM me and I'll give you my address.

BTW, I live in Sweden.

[Llorean]

If anyone can resolve this it is LinusN. It's in hardware because so far only OutletMP3 players have reported this problem. While correlation does not imply causation, hardware differences seem the  most likely cause. In your windows example, if Linux had failed because it lacked drivers, it would've qualified as hardware in this context. Not just problems with hardware but those that are caused by Rockbox not supporting it right yet.

Simply put, this forum is primarily for "Problems Rockbox has with specific hardware." In fact, BROKEN hardware belongs in the Repair subforum. That seems to be the point you've missed.

[Zeke]

Llorean and LinusN:

Thanks.  You're right, I did miss the point.  I was just thinking that since the SW needs some work to support the HW that it was a SW problem.  No matter, I had a little trouble locating the thread after it was moved.

I'll PM you with more information.  I really appreciate your offer to have a look at it, and of course I trust you guys with it.

My grandfather Sven Arne was an immigrant from Stockholm, so you and I are nearly brothers.  

out,

Zeke