Strangest Behavior

[FrizzleFried]

Here is one of the stranger of behaviors... this is a repeatable issue.

OK... I have a 32GB image that works great...

If I make an .img file of that, then extract it on to 128GB card... it, of course, makes a 32GB usable card as normal... and the image works... everything is fine...

If I then follow my usual instructions to expand the BOOT drive to take advantage of the rest of the space I get to where I move the ARpiCADE drive... the linux folder to the end of the card first as normal... but this is where things get screwed up... from this point forward, if I then take that card to the Arpicade ... it will load... then drop to the attract mode system display... all my displays are gone... if I make a new display it will look great... but if I select ANY game it will load the game once... then when I exit the screen will be blank. No way to get the screen back. Rebooting will take me to the menu...where if I select any game, it drops to a blank screen and you can hear attract mode in the background playing the snaps, etc...

At this point it's impossible to get the system to work again. I tracked it down to the move of the Linux folder to the end of the card... once I do that... it screws up and I can no longer use the card and I have to re-image.

Any suggestions? I'd love to use a 128GB card and run full sets of .078 + .106 + .139 + FBA + full artwork sets ... I had it all on with 2GB to spare and ... this happened... ARGH!

[dee2eR]

You're not kidding when you say strange behavior... weird.

Not sure what would cause such a problem but I haven't tried ARpiCADE on a 128gig card before. Luckily I bought a 128gig card a couple of weeks ago so I will have a fiddle and post back any findings.

[guntherm]

That would be great. I was going to attempt that very thing

[FrizzleFried]

What is very strange is that once you create a new display layout... and choose which ROMLIST to use... you can then select the game you as normal. The disappearing act doesn't happen until after you EXIT the game. When you exit the game the screen goes black and goes back to attract mode (based on the sounds)... but from then on, every time you re-load the system... attract mode will come up, but selecting any game will cause the screen to go black...

[FrizzleFried]

BTW ... to test this I burned the 32 GB image... tested... it worked fine.

I then moved the ARPICADE folder to the end of the memory card... but did not expand the BOOT folder... I tested... it failed.

So it's obviously happening during the move of the linux folder to the end of the card.

[dee2eR]

What program are you using to move the Linux partition?

[FrizzleFried]

I am following the guide I put together successfully doing the very same thing going from an 8GB image to a 32GB card...

I am using Minitool Partition Wizard...

[FrizzleFried]

FWIW I have had a few different times over the months where a memory card I am working on back and forth from the PC to the ARpiCADE will lose all it's DISPLAYs and all Attract Mode settings... so I wasn't too concerned when it happened this time... BUT I've always been able to just re-setup attract-mode's general settings... make a display and go... no black screen after the first game thing...

Not sure WHY I lose all my DISPLAYS sometimes (randomly)... but I have...at least a half dozen times over the months... on all 3 different ARpiCADEs/images I have...

[dee2eR]

Weird. I figured you of all people knew what you were doing resizing the SD card but I can't replicate the issue here. It may be because I'm on a slightly different software version, was hoping not to have to go backwards to test this...

With 111 gig free between the partitions all is working normally for me, I used GParted.

The strangest thing is all the resolution changing stuff is on the /boot partition which you haven't messed with - I have no idea what could be causing this issue for you. The symptoms sound like the frame buffer isn't being reset after a resolution change but I can't think of what would logically cause it to happen.

The Attract-Mode displays being gone at least makes a little sense in that they're stored on the Linux partition. You didn't resize the Linux partition accidentally when you moved it did you? (when SD cards run out of space weird stuff like this tends to happen...) I'm guessing you didn't...

I'll try it again with 3.82 just in case.
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hmmm you updated...
do you edit the Linux partition on a non Linux system at all? Do you ever pull the SD card from your PC without ejecting/safely removing/unmounting it first? It does sound a little like the weirdness caused by no space left on the SD card... Are you using a good quality SD card? I've heard of some people having issues with some SD cards but only anecdotal from others (the Sandisks I use seem good and reliable).

[dee2eR]

Just did the same with 3.82, not a problem at all...

I did notice I leave a little space at the end of the SD card when I move partitions, I do it automatically and don't think about it(a habit I picked up due to different brands of cards having slightly different sizes). I wonder if you leave a few meg empty at the end would it make a difference, maybe something is being lost in the process (I don't really see how it would happen without giving you an error or something though - the SD would have to be reporting its size or block count wrongly).

Really struggling to think of what else could be going wrong.