Firebox LCD Driver for LCDProc

jimmy

I am using the firebox lcd driver and lcdproc on 2.0 beta 2 and it works like a charm. The box is a firebox x500 with a full install, not nanobsd.
One thing different that I have not seen mentioned is that the updated driver with key and backlit timer support is looking for LCDd.conf in /usr/local/etc and not in /usr/local/share/lcdd. Once LCDd.conf was moved to the appropriate location it worked just fine. Maybe that is the problem.

Are you using:
A. the "lcdd.tar.gz" from post #7 ( http://files.pfsense.org/misc/lcdd.tar.gz ), and
B. the updated driver "sdeclcd.so" from post #22 ( http://goessens.dyndns.org/public )?

If I look at the lcdd.sh script, I see it using the LCDd.conf from /usr/local/share/lcdd.


/usr/bin/nice -20 /usr/local/share/lcdd/LCDd -r 0 -c /usr/local/share/lcdd/LCDd.conf > /dev/null 2>&1 &
/usr/bin/nice -20 /usr/local/share/lcdd/lcdproc C M S &

Just to be sure, I've now also copied the conf file to /usr/local/etc.
But it still comes with the same error, saying that it cannot connect to the lcdd server.

EDIT:
Perhaps this would help?

If I just namually start:

/usr/local/share/lcdd/LCDd -c /usr/local/share/lcdd/LCDd.conf

I a receive more detailed error:
Could not open driver module /usr/local/share/lcdd/drivers/sdeclcd.so: Shared object "libkvm.so.4" not found, required by "sdeclcd.so"
Driver [sdeclcd] binding failed
Could not load driver sdeclcd
There is no output driver
Critical error while initializing, abort.

So I've done "ln -s libkvm.so.5 libkvm.so.4"
(I now have libkvm.so.3 and 4 linked to 5)

When I then start the same command, no error.

Then I killed the previously manually started LCDd and started the lcdd.sh script again.
No errors, only I cannot see the display right now, because I am working remotely…

EDIT AGAIN: Yes, the display is working!
Only the backlight is off, so it's a bit hard to see what's on the display.

stephenw10

The backlight should come on again if you press one of the buttons.
Confirmation of working in 2.0 is great news. ;D

Steve

jimmy

@stephenw10:

The backlight should come on again if you press one of the buttons.
Confirmation of working in 2.0 is great news. ;D

Steve

Tried the buttons: the display changes (shows other info) but no backlight.
(not even during of immediately after a reboot)

CaseyBlackburn

@jimmy:

Tried the buttons: the display changes (shows other info) but no backlight.
(not even during of immediately after a reboot)

If you don't see it even right when you power on your box, your backlight is dead.

jimmy

@CaseyBlackburn:

@jimmy:

Tried the buttons: the display changes (shows other info) but no backlight.
(not even during of immediately after a reboot)

If you don't see it even right when you power on your box, your backlight is dead.

Weird… I own a second box, also an x700... It doesn't have the original flashdisk inside anymore so it won't bootup, but this one also doesn't light when I turn on the box. Do I miss something? I mean, I can't imagine having 2 boxes with a dead backlight! ???

I will check a third box at the office tomorrow, that's one that's still operating with the original flashdisk, just to see what "should happen" with the backlight.

EDIT: Found it already. My first box does have a dead backlight. It's a bit less light here now and I can see the backlight on the second box, but not on the first box. So it's time to switch boxes. :-[

jjstecchino

@jimmy:

@CaseyBlackburn:

@jimmy:

Tried the buttons: the display changes (shows other info) but no backlight.
(not even during of immediately after a reboot)

If you don't see it even right when you power on your box, your backlight is dead.

Weird… I own a second box, also an x700... It doesn't have the original flashdisk inside anymore so it won't bootup, but this one also doesn't light when I turn on the box. Do I miss something? I mean, I can't imagine having 2 boxes with a dead backlight! ???

I will check a third box at the office tomorrow, that's one that's still operating with the original flashdisk, just to see what "should happen" with the backlight.

EDIT: Found it already. My first box does have a dead backlight. It's a bit less light here now and I can see the backlight on the second box, but not on the first box. So it's time to switch boxes. :-[

[/quote]

The backlit comes on for several seconds just after power on with or without disk. If it doesnt it is dead.

If anybody is interested I may have found a solution for the watchdog errors. I posted it on a separate thread under hardware

jjstecchino

This box is getting better and better.
Now…. How do we display more useful and pertinent info on the LCD?
A network bandwidth graph
current throughput
vpn connections
errors
Boot messages.

All of the above and much more would be nice.

stephenw10

The default options are quite limited you have choices of:

screen
    can be one of the following: 
C CPU
    show detailed CPU usage 
P SMP-CPU
    CPU usage overview: one line per CPU, especially useful on SMP systems. 
G CPUGraph
    CPU histogram 
L Load
    Load histogram 
M Memory
    memory & swap usage 
S ProcSize
    memory usage of 5 biggest processes 
D Disk
    filling level of the mounted file systems 
I Iface
    network interface usage 
B Battery
    battery status 
T TimeDate
    time & date information 
O OldTime
    old time screen 
U Uptime
    old uptime screen 
K BigClock
    big clock 
N MiniClock
    minimal clock 
A About
    credits page

Add the letters to where lcdproc is called in /usr/local/etc/rc.d/lcdd.sh. Not all of them work. I went with C T U.

Otherwise write your own client or use one someone else has written (a lot). It's supposed to be quite easy but since the last time I coded anything was at Uni about 12 years ago it's beyond me! ::)

Steve

jjstecchino

@stephenw10:

The default options are quite limited you have choices of:
screen
    can be one of the following: 
C CPU
    show detailed CPU usage 
P SMP-CPU
    CPU usage overview: one line per CPU, especially useful on SMP systems. 
G CPUGraph
    CPU histogram 
L Load
    Load histogram 
M Memory
    memory & swap usage 
S ProcSize
    memory usage of 5 biggest processes 
D Disk
    filling level of the mounted file systems 
I Iface
    network interface usage 
B Battery
    battery status 
T TimeDate
    time & date information 
O OldTime
    old time screen 
U Uptime
    old uptime screen 
K BigClock
    big clock 
N MiniClock
    minimal clock 
A About
    credits page
Add the letters to where lcdproc is called in /usr/local/etc/rc.d/lcdd.sh. Not all of them work. I went with C T U.

Otherwise write your own client or use one someone else has written (a lot). It's supposed to be quite easy but since the last time I coded anything was at Uni about 12 years ago it's beyond me! ::)

Steve

Steve I am away from home for a few days I can ssh to the boxbut I cannot see the lcd so I cant test.
Are you able to display nework stats (letter I) on your box?

stephenw10

Hmm, the screen shows up OK but no data is shown for I. Maybe with some tweaking.
The only really useful things for me is how long since it last crashed and is the CPU pegged at 100% by some hideous crashed code. Anything else I'll just log in and look. To be honest none of the screens are very nice at 2X20. I should get off my arse and write something, it could easily have a single screen with cpu usage and uptime.
Steve

jjstecchino

@stephenw10:

Hmm, the screen shows up OK but no data is shown for I. Maybe with some tweaking.
The only really useful things for me is how long since it last crashed and is the CPU pegged at 100% by some hideous crashed code. Anything else I'll just log in and look. To be honest none of the screens are very nice at 2X20. I should get off my arse and write something, it could easily have a single screen with cpu usage and uptime.
Steve

I agree 2x20 is not spectacular, but it can be used to display some nice cpu/ network graphs

thewizard

hi

after following the above when i try to start lcdd.sh under usr/local/etc/rc.d

i get the following

/libexec/ld-elf.co.1: shared object
"libkvm.so.3 not found, requirded by "lcdproc"

any ideas on this one

stephenw10

You need to add the sym links:


cd /lib
ln -s libc.so.7 libc.so.6
ln -s libkvm.so.4 libkvm.so.3

This is assuming you're running 1.2.3.

Steve

thewizard

@stephenw10:

You need to add the sym links:
cd /lib
ln -s libc.so.7 libc.so.6
ln -s libkvm.so.4 libkvm.so.3
This is assuming you're running 1.2.3.

Steve

Hi Steve

i am running 1.2.3

after entering the above i get

ln: libc.so.6: file exists
ln: libkvm.so.3: file exists

thorghts?

stephenw10

Hmmm,
Had you already made the sym links when you installed the driver?
What exactly have you done so far?

Steve

thewizard

@stephenw10:

Hmmm,
Had you already made the sym links when you installed the driver?
What exactly have you done so far?

Steve

After setting up pfsense i have loaded the web browser and gone to diag, command, and uploaded the lcdd.tar.gz

For a pc via 9 pin serial i have selected option 8 (shell)

I have navigated to the tmp dir and typed
tar -xvf lcdd.tar
chmod 700 install-embed.lcdd.sh
./install-embed.lcdd.sh
Mount

Navigated to
cd /usr/local/etc/rc.d
type
./lcdd.sh
error
/libexec/ld-elf.co.1: shared object
"libkvm.so.3 not found, requirded by "lcdproc"

Navigate to lib
ln -s libc.so.7 libc.so.6
ln -s libkvm.so.4 libkvm.so.3
error
ln: libkvm.so.3 read-only file system
same for libc

any help would be appreciated

stephenw10

The embedded version of pfsense is mounted read only so to make any changes, like adding sym links, you need to first mount it read-write. Remember to put it back to read only afterwards to preserve your cf card.
This is all detailed on page 2 of this thread and in the docs here:

http://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Remount_embedded_filesystem_as_read-write

Steve

thewizard

@stephenw10:

The embedded version of pfsense is mounted read only so to make any changes, like adding sym links, you need to first mount it read-write. Remember to put it back to read only afterwards to preserve your cf card.
This is all detailed on page 2 of this thread and in the docs here:

http://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Remount_embedded_filesystem_as_read-write

Steve

thank you for your help Steve - led is now working great

quick question i have set the file system back to read only, when installing apps from the gui will i have to change the card to read / write?

stephenw10

No problem! :D
You shouldn't have to if you're using the gui. From, I think, 1.2.3 onwards the embedded install has switched to bsd nano and can support packages, however not all of them. Only supported packages show up in the gui though as I understand it.

StuartW

Hi,

I have followed all the instrcutions on the various threads and now happily have a working pfsense system running on a firebox x500, complete with working ath0 interface and LCD. Happy days :)

The last thing that would really make this perfect would be if the LCD could display tempurature details from the motherboard. I know this inof is available in the bios, but havent yet seen a way of getting this info out, either on the LCD or on the webGUI.

Any ideas?

Stuart

P.s. At this stage I am yet to see any of the fabeled Wacthdog timeout errors that seem to plague this device, and I've spent a long time configuring to get it how I want it. Not sure why….