Local display function fails with HDMI in moOde 7.0.1

[pmartin]

Try Firefox to solve the Chromium memory bug
Note: this is only a try and is working with one Raspberry Pi 4B whith 2GB of RAM, an Allo Boss DAC Hat, Rotary encoder for volume with button for play/pause (mpc toggle) and a 3,5" HDMI display.

I checked Firefox-esr and this browser is not affected by the memory leak.
I checked for 2 days and still works stable.
Firefox includes a kiosk mode but does not use the whole screen when invoked from .xinitrc, leaving a vertical black border on the right and another one at the bottom of the screen.

When Firefox runs from a window manager it works right in kiosk mode filling all the diaplay. The lightest window manager I know is awesome.

I tested to start localui running awesome. In awesome config I put autostart of Firefox in kiosk mode.

To check  firefox  with the localui service:


Open a console and install Firefox:

Code:

sudo apt update
sudo apt-get install firefox-esr

Install the awesome window manager

Code:

sudo apt-get install awesome

Modify the .xinitrc to run awesome only

Code:

sudo nano /home/pi/.xinitrc

Comment with # chromium command and write as last line:
  
awesome
 
Type  CTRL+0 enter CTRLX to save and close nano editor

Modify /etc/xdg/awesome/awesome/rc.lua to start Firefox with the awesome session

Code:

sudo nano /etc/xdg/awesome/rc.lua

 Paste  this code at the end of file:

Code:

autorun = true
autorunApps =
{
  "/usr/bin/firefox-esr --kiosk --private-window http://localhost",
}
if autorun then
  for app = 1, #autorunApps do
      awful.util.spawn(autorunApps[app])
  end
end

Type  CTRL+0 enter CTRLX to save file and close nano editor

Test the new localui with Firefox typing:
sudo systemctl stop localui
sudo systemctl start localui

If Firefox show bookmarks or other tabs, stop localui and Firefox and just delete all files in folder /home/pi/.mozilla

[TheOldPresbyope]

Thanks @pmartin


I can confirm your procedure for installing and starting firefox in place of chromium to render the moOdeUI on either local DSI or local HDMI display.

I am not in a position to test long-term behavior [1] but the procedure is easy and reversible so you few who are experiencing variations of the reported issue can simply try out this alternative for yourselves.

The following are not criticisms, just observations:

1) this installation consumes an additional ca 200MB of storage (180MB for firefox and only 20MB---wow!---for the awesome window manager). This is trivial and could be mitigated by uninstalling chromium-browser which consumes ca 300MB.

2) the awesome/firefox combo appears to be using somewhat more system memory---something between 50MB and 100MB more during normal operation. I doubt this would be an issue unless, perhaps, when running on an RPiZero W.

3) startup of the local display takes about 20s (I counted in my head, so not precise!). This with an RPi3B+.

4) of this time, the first 5s the screen displays a blue screen while the Xserver initializes. The next 5s it displays the "awesome" awesome splash screen. During the next 10s it displays first blank screen and then various elements of the moOdeUI showing up.

Compare the chromium browser: 5s blue screen; then 5s or so with first blank screen and then various elements of the moOdeUI showing up. Net result: it takes the awesome/firefox combo about twice as long to settle.

ETA: very nice writeup by the way.

Regards,
Kent

[1] I'm not supposed to be doing any dev/testing work during the next 2 months while I fix up my house and prepare to move. My secret pleasure is scanning moOde forum posts when I take a coffee break. Couldn't help myself trying out firefox. I know it's wrong but I'm weak.

[Tim Curtis]

I'm not able to repro any memory leak or hang issues with my Pi 7" Touch and the version of chromium-browser that ships with moOde 7. MPD paused on a track letting it sit for 3 hours. "Chromium 84.0.4147.141 Built on Raspbian , running on Raspbian 10"

[TheOldPresbyope]

I'm not able to repro any memory leak or hang issues with my Pi 7" Touch and the version of chromium-browser that ships with moOde 7. MPD paused on a track letting it sit for 3 hours. "Chromium 84.0.4147.141 Built on Raspbian , running on Raspbian 10"

Same here and I tried with both a HiFiBerry DAC+ Pro I had on hand and one USB DAC in the unlikely event that was a factor. Like I said, “you few who are....”

Regards,
Kent

[Tim Curtis]

If I get some spare cycles I'll test with an attached HDMI display and see if I can repro that combo.

[Alaini93]

Could it be bad RPi? Fake ones?

[pmartin]

Could it be bad RPi? Fake ones?

I think is a bad bug in Chromium. MY MoOde Installation with locaUI and Chromium it works well but a few hours later, slowsdown a lot when consumes all memory, and was very difficult to reboot or stop the localui. 

My Raspberry was buyed in an official store and for sure is not fake. I use a lot Raspis at work.


I have one Raspberry Pi 4B whith 2GB of RAM, an Allo Boss DAC Hat, Rotary encoder for volume with button for play/pause (mpc toggle) and a 3,5" HDMI display.

[Alaini93]

I have one Raspberry Pi 4B whith 2GB of RAM, an Allo Boss DAC Hat, Rotary encoder for volume with button for play/pause (mpc toggle) and a 3,5" HDMI display.

Thanks, good to know, and I see that even with RPi 4 you get this problem.
I was going to buy a 4 to try, but no need for now.

Do you think we could try to install the chromium that came with Moode 6.7.1? it was working well at that time

[pmartin]

Do you think we could try to install the chromium that came with Moode 6.7.1? it was working well at that time

I tested with the last version of Chromium in the Raspian repositories and fails. (https://packages.debian.org/buster/armhf...m/download).

To test the latest you can make sudo apt-get update and sudo apt-get install Chromium.

If you want to check with older Chromium , I think you'll need to remove actual Chromium (sudo apt purge chromium-browser --auto-remove) and later install .deb packet from old install 6.71 and maybe some dependencies. I don't know what version and where is de .deb packet. This configuration may break compatibilitywith 7.1 or 7.2 I think.

[Alaini93]

ok thanks