Dead EMPEG!!! Help!

I decided to add some cool new Jemplode Soup Playlists to my MK2a (2.0b13 - Hijack 329) ... During the synchronization I got a java error (I don't remember what it was) and the synch failed. Now when I reboot the player it displays the "Building Databases" message. The first few times it would act like the rebuild was complete, but would start to play the current song in the playlist and would freeze (I could get to hijack at this point, but nothing else). Currently it doesn't ever seem to complete the rebuild. Because of this I can't connect to it using Emplode or Jemplode. Can someone please offer some suggestions??
Thanks,
Aaron

I was connecting through the network when this died and since then I have tried connecting through USB as well with no luck.

Currently it doesn't ever seem to complete the rebuild.

Oh-oh. First of all, put 2.0-final on; it fixes some cases of persistent database rebuild failure. If rebuilding databases still crashes or fails to complete even under 2.0-final, then we're looking at using the shell prompt to manually remove whatever is causing the problem. For that reason, it's a good idea to put on 2.0-developer, not consumer. (Being a developer image doesn't affect normal use of the player, it just lets us get you to a shell prompt if things go wrong.)

Bear in mind though that database rebuild takes a long time. Don't assume that it's crashed unless you've waited for it a good fifteen minutes.

Peter

FAQ ?

I will throw on a copy of 2.0 final when I get home tonight as well as going through the steps for a possible bad track (FAQ entry noted) .. Thanks

As well as the FAQ entry right next to it about removing the database files and synching...

Upgrading to 2.0 final did the trick. I guess I got lucky that I hadn't done that yet. Thanks for the help guys

Ok, Jemplode seems to have bit it again. I was in the middle of backing up all of my songs and the player locked. I rebooted it and nothing. So I hooked up the serial cable and here is what it is showing in hyperterminal ---
------------
empeg remote control/panel button initialised.
empeg usb initialised, PDIUSBD12 id 1012
empeg state support initialised 0089/88c1 (save to d0004b00).
empeg RDS driver initialised
empeg power-pic driver initialised (first boot)
RAM disk driver initialized: 16 RAM disks of 4096K size
empeg single channel IDE
Probing primary interface...
hdb: IBM-DJSA-230, ATA DISK
hdb: IBM-DJSA-230, ATA DISK drive
hdb: IBM-DJSA-230, ATA DISK drive
hdb: IBM-DJSA-230, ATA DISK drive
hdb: IBM-DJSA-230, ATA DISK drive
hdb: IBM-DJSA-230, ATA DISK drive
ide0 at 0x000-0x007,0x038 on irq 6
hdb: IBM-DJSA-230, 28615MB w/1874kB Cache, CHS=58140/16/63
empeg-flash driver initialized
smc chip id/revision 0x3349
smc9194.c:v0.12 03/06/96 by Erik Stahlman ([email protected])

SMC9194: SMC91C94(r:9) at 0x4008000 IRQ:7 INTF:TP MEM:6144b MAC 00:02:d7:22:08:0
0
Partition check:
hdb:hdb: irq timeout: status=0xd0
ide0: reset timed-out, status=0xd4
hdb: status timeout: status=0xd0
hdb: drive not ready for command
ide0: reset timed-out, status=0xd4
hdb: status timeout: status=0xd0
end_request: I/O error, dev 03:40 (hdb), sector 0
hdb: drive not ready for command
unable to read partition table
RAMDISK: ext2 filesystem found at block 0
RAMDISK: Loading 320 blocks [1 disk] into ram disk... done.
VFS: Mounted root (ext2 filesystem).
empeg-pump v0.03 (19980601)
Press Ctrl-A to enter pump...VFS: Cannot open root device 03:05
Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 03:05

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It looks like it is having hard drive problems. It is no longer under warranty. Should I go ahead and start checking for loose cables and/or bad solder points as described in the FAQ or does it look like something else is wrong??
TIA!!

Ok, I just found the portion of the FAQ that talks about "Probing Primary Interface" problems. I went ahead and started pulling the Empeg apart to check the cables/ide solder points. I cannot get the shock mount cradle out. All four of the screws on the outside of the case are in WAY too tight and I don't want to strip them.

Does anyone have any tips??

"Probing Primary Interface" is a normal thing for it to say. Note how it detects the drive right after that. I think it's supposed to look like that.

All four of the screws on the outside of the case are in WAY too tight and I don't want to strip them.

Hm. Probably the loctite. Using the correct-sized screwdriver head helps, by the way. One of those large-handled screwdrivers with an interchangeable head is often the best way to get those undone. If you use a small "jeweler's" screwdriver set, you might not be able to get enough leverage to undo them.

Note how it detects the drive right after that. I think it's supposed to look like that.

I take that back. Your "Probing Primary Interface" only shows HDB which is the second disk drive. It's not seeing HDA, the first disk drive, so yeah, that's the root of your problem: Disk trouble. Here's what my boot log looks like...

Probing primary interface...
hda: FUJITSU MHS2040AT, ATA DISK drive
hdb: IBM-DJSA-210, ATA DISK drive
ide0 at 0x000-0x007,0x038 on irq 6
hda: FUJITSU MHS2040AT, 38154MB w/2048kB Cache, CHS=4864/255/63
hdb: IBM-DJSA-210, 9590MB w/384kB Cache, CHS=19485/16/63

So yeah, you got disk trouble and should be replacing the cable and checking the IDE header.

Not to mention that hdb is not showing up as heathy.. definitely a hardware issue there.

-ml

I'll head to the hardware store for one of the screwdrivers you suggested then. Thanks!