[rc5] No such file or directory with SD card copy error on Windows [REPLACEMENT ISSUE]

[rgaudin]

The original issue

Id: 214
Title: [rc5] No such file or directory with SD card copy error on Windows

could not be created. This is a dummy issue, replacing the original one. It contains everything but the original issue description. In case the gitlab repository is still existing, visit the following link to show the original issue:

TODO

[rgaudin]

In GitLab by @Kelson42 on Aug 26, 2018, 16:56

After a new try, it fails again in a similar manner but a bit later (4.5%)

[rgaudin]

In GitLab by @rgaudin on Aug 28, 2018, 08:43

Similar error from Luc

logs_test_pibox_280818.txt

[rgaudin]

In GitLab by @rgaudin on Aug 28, 2018, 10:35

changed title from {-rc5 fails for me on WI-}ndows to {+[rc5] No such file or directory with SD card copy error on Wi+}ndows

[rgaudin]

In GitLab by @rgaudin on Aug 28, 2018, 10:37

Another log from @Popolechien

SCM-rc5-win.txt

[rgaudin]

In GitLab by @rgaudin on Aug 31, 2018, 19:24

mentioned in commit b7edfa480b34cfa26e265992a10f6311229903af

[rgaudin]

In GitLab by @rgaudin on Aug 31, 2018, 21:34

mentioned in commit c892639b070f9558aa764007aca4a6d7d2258423

[rgaudin]

In GitLab by @rgaudin on Sep 1, 2018, 12:01

After a lot of investigations, I could not definitely find the root cause nor fix it.

• Disk needs to be clean (no partition) before we copy. Otherwise raises denial (was already the case though).
• Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not.
• Similar issues with other tools: Win32DiskImager (GUI), usbit (GUI, CLI), HDD-Raw-Copy (GUI).
• Most tools (unetbootin) expects a Drive name as input meaning disk must be a single partition so it can't be used directly for an already flashed SD-card.
• If Extfsd (ext filesystem driver) is installed on host, it brings additional issues (diskpart / volume manager freeze)
• Etcher is the most reliable. Never failed in my use cases. Authors says it has only a 5% failure rate.
• Etcher has a CLI but it's not working properly on Windows at the moment. We might want to bundle and use it directly in the future.
• crossplatform flasher is considered difficult by the authors of Etcher. A reason to drop #150.
• Etcher even allows user to flash the same image on multiple cards at once.

Strategy:

As SD writing is not the core of pibox but a feature, pibox will try to write to SD and should it fail, ask the user to use a third party tool to do so (Etcher).

• Build is considered successful if image creation is successful and not renamed -ERROR later-on.
• Waiting a few seconds after diskpart to avoid Bad file descriptor error.
• Better copy speeds by increasing buffer size.
• writing chunks rounded on sector size.
• Better error handling so we never end up with unclosed file descriptor (windows hates it).
• Menu entry (all platform) to Flash Image onto SD-card with a popup describing Etcher and providing direct download link.
• On SD writing/checking error, a message invites user to use Etcher.
• SD writing is now properly cancellable

[rgaudin]

In GitLab by @rgaudin on Sep 1, 2018, 12:01

closed