problems upgrading nrfConnect for Desktop from 2.6 to 2.7 and higher on LInux

[LM Feeney]

Hi,

Upgrading from nrfConnect for Desktop from v 2.6  to v 2.7 and higher and its associated apps seems to hang on Linux (ubuntu 16.04). 'strace' suggests that the problem may be related to fusefs and appImage.

I originally installed the development environment for the 9160DK using the 'Getting Started' app for nrfConnect 2.6. The 'LTE monitor' app worked as expected with at_client, as did asset_tracker.

When nrfConnect offered to upgrade to v 2.7 and later to v 3.0, I accepted both times. I also upgraded the 'Getting Started' app, via the 'add/remove apps' menu. With both 2.7 and 3.0, I observe the following failure:

Launching the  'Getting Started' app (now at v 1.0.0), hangs with a blank window and spinning blue icon. The 'LTE monitor' app (still at v 0.9.0, since I didn't upgrade it) also hangs with a blank window and spinning blue icon.

Returning to nrfConnect v 2.6 lets the 'LTE monitor' (still at v 0.9.0) app work again, but the 'Getting Started' app (now at v.1.0.0) still hangs with the spinning blue icon.

Running strace on nrfConnect v 3.0 and running the 'Getting Started' app (v 1.0.0 ) shows a mount permission error and a /bin/fusermount error.

Given the EPERM error, I tried running nrfConnect as root. This hangs hard, with strace showing a tight loop of read/write calls between  the  AppImage and /dev/fuse.

Any suggestions?

[Martin Lesund]

Hi Laura,
I would suggest that you delete nRF Connect for Desktop and then re-install nRF Connect for Desktop v3.0 and then "check for updates" as described in this thread. 

[LM Feeney]

Same issue.

To reproduce  ubuntu 16.04:

* running as user (not root)

* remove .nrfConnect_apps and .config/nrfconnect  from homedir (ie. remove trace of previous install)

* download ./nrfconnect300x8664.AppImage from the link above

* start ./nrfconnect300x8664.AppImage

* use add/remove apps to add Getting Started Assistant (only)

* use settings menu to check for updates, none are reported

nrfConnect outputs:

Installed: X-AppImage-BuildId=de8d6af0-9d82-11a9-30b5-17cb37eb2905 image: X-AppImage-BuildId=de8d6af0-9d82-11a9-30b5-17cb37eb2905
[18:01:30.689] [info] Checking for update
[18:01:32.287] [info] Update for version 3.0.0 is not available (latest version: 3.0.0, downgrade is disallowed.
[18:01:37.146] [info] Checking for update
[18:01:38.258] [info] Update for version 3.0.0 is not available (latest version: 3.0.0, downgrade is disallowed.

* use launch apps menu to launch Getting Started Assistant (only app available)

This creates a blank window with spinning blue icon and hangs

running under strace still shows the following errors:

5308 mount("nrfconnect300x8664.AppImage", "/tmp/.mount_nrfconLaqfiI", "fuse.nrfconnect300x8664.AppImage", MS_RDONLY|MS_NOSUID|MS_NODEV, "fd=5,rootmode=40000,user_id=1000"...) = -1 EPERM (Operation not permitted)
5309 mount("nrfconnect300x8664.AppImage", ".", "fuse.nrfconnect300x8664.AppImage", MS_RDONLY|MS_NOSUID|MS_NODEV, "fd=6,rootmode=40000,user_id=1000"...) = -1 EPERM (Operation not permitted)
5309 write(2</dev/null>, "fusermount: mount failed: Operat"..., 50) = -1 EBADF (Bad file descriptor)
5310 mount("/dev/fuse", ".", "fuse", MS_RDONLY|MS_NOSUID|MS_NODEV, "fd=6,rootmode=40000,user_id=1000"...) = -1 EPERM (Operation not permitted)

I  installed and launched the  'LTE Link Monitor' app in  the same way and have the same problem.  

Again, when I used nrfConnect v 2.6, I had no problem using the Getting Started app to install s/w,  build at_client and asset_tracker in SES and connect to the 9160DK by launching LTE Link Monitor in nrfConnect.   at_client and asset_tracker both worked as expected.  I was also able to upgrade the nrf9160 firmware to support nb-iot and this also worked with LTE Link Monitor for nb-iot connectivity.   

Under 3.0, I cannot even launch the 'Getting Started' app.   (So I'm not sure what the link above about upgrading firmware on the nrf9160 should help? )  I can't even use the app to check/upgrade the software on my computer, much less connect to the card using LTE Link Monitor, since both apps hang.  I see suspicious Fuse errors in the strace.  It's the only  really strange thing I see, though I'm happy to send full strace privately. 

Do the new versions of any of these apps  and/or  appImage use the fuse file system differently? 

Thanks!