Stumped.

[Blitzwing]

I've been using the now redundant "switch to usb" option since I've had my MiSTer. Yesterday I moved everything, RBFs, MRAs, config files etc over to the SD and kept just the games, disc and HDD images on my USB SSD... I didn't even know this option existed and I was planning either to use 'symlinks or mount --bind' to make everything show as if it was on the SD so that was a nice surprise.

Anyway the only core I'm now having issues with is AO486, all my VHDs now have various issues (mostly crashing) it honestly had no problems until I moved everything, (the Linux OS update happened as well so it doesn't help troubleshooting) it is now effectively unusable... The crashing and errors in the emulated system also coincides with the Ao486 directory being "missing" according to the cores menu.

I've got a Freedos, Win95,98, DOS622 and DOS7.1 VHDs all exhibit this same issue and all of them were fine before.

Has anybody come across this strange issue?

Thanks,

Annoying thing is I only did this to fix Puzzlebobble not loading on the Neogeo for external storage, and it didn't even fix it.

[jca]

You should be more precise: which are the directories on your SD card, which ones on the USB drive? Are you still "Switched to USB" or did you use "Switch to SD Card"? You said "I didn't even know this option existed ": which option?
I was also using "Switch to USB", now I am "running from the SD card" having only the config, linux and Scripts directories on the SD card, all other directories being on the USB drive but on the SD card I have symlinks to all these directories. Everything is working as it should, the only annoyance is when I turn on my MISTer or reboot it I get "No Files" in the OSD and I have to press F12 twice to see Arcade, Consoles, ...
I just noticed you are the Puzzlebobble guy, see also viewtopic.php?p=28881#p28881.

[Blitzwing]

You should be more precise: which are the directories on your SD card, which ones on the USB drive? Are you still "Switched to USB" or did you use "Switch to SD Card"? You said "I didn't even know this option existed ": which option?
I was also using "Switch to USB", now I am "running from the SD card" having only the config, linux and Scripts directories on the SD card, all other directories being on the USB drive but on the SD card I have symlinks to all these directories. Everything is working as it should, the only annoyance is when I turn on my MISTer or reboot it I get "No Files" in the OSD and I have to press F12 twice to see Arcade, Consoles, ...
I just noticed you are the Puzzlebobble guy, see also viewtopic.php?p=28881#p28881.

Thanks for the reply. I try to no keep a post to long as people don't read all of it.

"The option that existed" was the fact that you don't now need to use the 'switch to USB' option or even use symlinks to have everything just work, that was the "nice surprise"

The system is now in 'switch to SD card' the SD card has 'Linux, _Arcade, _Consoles, configs and all other directories that aren't User content (games etc)..... and the only directories contained on USB storage are 'Games, Amiga, AtariST, ScummVM.

My intention yesterday was to then go through and set up symlinks as per your "Puzzlebobble" reply, I get so little time I've only just got around to it now. I moved everything just like I wrote above, rebooted and to my surprise everything just worked ZERO user made symlinks. Turns out that at some point Sorg updated Linux so that as long as the default directory structure is kept it doesn't matter where user content are stored the System automatically looks in SD - USB - CIFS in that order.... As you're still using symlinks maybe like me you missed that update

It neither fixed my Puzzlebobble issue and since then any VHD in Ao486 crashes and has errors, at this point I'm starting to think maybe my USB SSD is starting to die.

Thanks for the other replies by the way, like I said I get so little time I only just got round to trying things.

[Blitzwing]

Actually starting to look like a power issue really, extended S.M.A.R.T test of the SSD shows no issues... I have a 4A supply and the official USB Hub with only a USB mouse, keyboard, controller and Bluetooth adapter connected to it.

Edit. With every USB device unplugged and a spare 1TB HDD plugged in there isn't even enough power to spin it and it is a known fully working drive, just clicks. Looks like my MiSTer has bigger issues than just software ones.

[jca]

Thanks for the information. I did not know about the fact that you could put folders on a USB drive and not have to use symlinks. For the games directory it has been like that for a long time. My MISTer is up to date so I will try removing the symlinks.
It looks like you need a bigger power supply. For your NeoGeo problem: are you using the DarkSoft pack? This is what I use.
Good luck.

[Threepwood]

Actually starting to look like a power issue really, extended S.M.A.R.T test of the SSD shows no issues... I have a 4A supply and the official USB Hub with only a USB mouse, keyboard, controller and Bluetooth adapter connected to it.

Edit. With every USB device unplugged and a spare 1TB HDD plugged in there isn't even enough power to spin it and it is a known fully working drive, just clicks. Looks like my MiSTer has bigger issues than just software ones.

In my experience there is only one port on the official USB-Hub that provides enough power, no matter the power supply: If you look at the side of the MiSTer with the LAN-port, then from the USB-Ports to the right, the foremost port can power a mechanical 2.5" HDD for me while other devices are attached. Even without anything attached all the other ports cannot power a HDD.

If that does not work, try a third party powered USB hub instead, those usually work fine from my experience (I have two MiSTers, one with official USB-Hub and one with a uGreen powered hub). The reason is the official MiSTer USB-Hub is poorly designed, see this thread: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2116&p=19149 :

Update: Someone on the MiSTer FPGA Computer Facebook group said this,

The MiSTer USB HUB v2.1 is known for having a 2-layer layout, without a reference ground plane under the upstream USB port which concentrates all the traffic with the DE10-Nano. Wrong return path in GND and wrong 90-differential impedance transmission lines without the reference ground plane on that upstream port... and other “features” implemented for DIY “AS IS”...
That board works well for low-speed connections and few USB endpoints.
If you are intended to mix full-speed and several high-speed peripherals you better use an external USB HUB, professionally implemented by any hardware manufacturer.
Hope this comment helps understand your MiSTer related issue.

[JBeau]

Has anybody come across this strange issue?

Yes. A few days ago I ran into this too. Everything works fine from SD. Disk errors from USB

[grizzly]

Stumped!

Stop juggling with revved up chain saws

In my experience there is only one port on the official USB-Hub that provides enough power, no matter the power supply:

Ooh! dang first i heard of it, but good top know.
Happy i have a blisster

[Blitzwing]

Thanks for the information. I did not know about the fact that you could put folders on a USB drive and not have to use symlinks. For the games directory it has been like that for a long time. My MISTer is up to date so I will try removing the symlinks.
It looks like you need a bigger power supply. For your NeoGeo problem: are you using the DarkSoft pack? This is what I use.
Good luck.

Yes it is the DarkSoft pack, like I said that rom can be copied over to the SD card and work perfectly fine I can even symlink it to the USB drive and it work fine as expected. That's why I was leaning towards the drive going wrong, but now going on other replies it does definitely look like a power problem, but it seems to be a design flaw.

[Blitzwing]

Actually starting to look like a power issue really, extended S.M.A.R.T test of the SSD shows no issues... I have a 4A supply and the official USB Hub with only a USB mouse, keyboard, controller and Bluetooth adapter connected to it.

Edit. With every USB device unplugged and a spare 1TB HDD plugged in there isn't even enough power to spin it and it is a known fully working drive, just clicks. Looks like my MiSTer has bigger issues than just software ones.

In my experience there is only one port on the official USB-Hub that provides enough power, no matter the power supply: If you look at the side of the MiSTer with the LAN-port, then from the USB-Ports to the right, the foremost port can power a mechanical 2.5" HDD for me while other devices are attached. Even without anything attached all the other ports cannot power a HDD.

If that does not work, try a third party powered USB hub instead, those usually work fine from my experience (I have two MiSTers, one with official USB-Hub and one with a uGreen powered hub). The reason is the official MiSTer USB-Hub is poorly designed, see this thread: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2116&p=19149 :

Update: Someone on the MiSTer FPGA Computer Facebook group said this,

The MiSTer USB HUB v2.1 is known for having a 2-layer layout, without a reference ground plane under the upstream USB port which concentrates all the traffic with the DE10-Nano. Wrong return path in GND and wrong 90-differential impedance transmission lines without the reference ground plane on that upstream port... and other “features” implemented for DIY “AS IS”...
That board works well for low-speed connections and few USB endpoints.
If you are intended to mix full-speed and several high-speed peripherals you better use an external USB HUB, professionally implemented by any hardware manufacturer.
Hope this comment helps understand your MiSTer related issue.

Thanks for the reply that is good to know, I had no idea that the USB hub had those issues.

Quick back story. I've put my MiSTer into a Fractal Design Node 202 case as I wanted something to put my CRT monitor on top of. I wired everything up well enough but I ran out of some old 0.5mm red wire that I'd been using so as a cheapskate I decided to use the black for both positive and negative. Long story short, during testing to find the socket with the power... it seems the USB hub also doesn't have reverse polarity protection I think


New third party hub is on order and I'm going to rewire everything better than I did first time round.

Thanks for the reply.

[Blitzwing]

Stop juggling with revved up chain saws

Wait, doesn't everybody fix electronics with chainsaws?

On a different entirely unrelated note I appear to have lost a limb while fixing my MiSTer, any advice will be appreciated.

[grizzly]

Don't bleed on the poor DE10-Nano