nRF Connect SDK v3.4.1 and Nordic Thingy 91 doesn't work correctly with Linux Elementary OS 5.1.6 Hera

[Jackhead]

Hello.

I have trouble to run the nRF Connect SDK v.3.4.1 on my Linux Elementary OS.

First problem shows up when you try to clone the nRF and you want to insert the sourcecode_root folder on the right side. Everytime you click on the field for your data path your mouse pointer gets frozen and you can't click and scroll any more. The only thing that is still working is the x to close the program.

The second problem occures when I want to update the firmware on my thingy 91. I've downloaded the latest firmware version and I can open the programmer. The device is in the correct MCUboot mode. I select the device and then I should click on "update modem" as suggested in the manual but if I click on this field nothing happens. I can see an untitled window in my dock but I can't open this window, nothing happens basically.
Then I tried to use the "add HEX file" button at the top but if I click on "browse" nothing happens as usual. Usually there should be a windows which pops up...

After that I extracted the zip file manually in my downloads folder and searched for the correct HEX file so that I can insert it in the nRF Connect SDK via drag&drop. If I do it like that then I get a green block in the file memory layout which is good when I continue and want to write this HEX file there is an error which says:"

Status not started. MCUboot DFU failed. Error occured when program. Errorcode: CouldNotOpenDevice(0x4) Lowlevel error: Unknown value (ffffff8e) " I have no idea what this means.

If I click write again after the error the nRF Connect SDK crashes and I just get a white window.

Did someone had the same problems? Are there any solutions to fix this mess up?

Best regards

[Øyvind]

Hello, 

Have you downloaded the nrf9160 modem FW? When updating the modem of Thingy:91, please add the .zip file (do not extract modem FW .zip file) after clicking Update Modem in the programmer app. If you are not able to update the modem FW, please try to update the modem FW using nRF Connect for Desktop v3.3.0.

After updating the modem FW you will need to reprogram the application of the Thinyg:91. This is available through the precompiled FW package, with the following content:

Fullscreen CONTENTS.txt Download

These files were built with nRF Connect SDK version v1.2.0-406-gbc7ade8b
from repository at https://github.com/NordicPlayground/fw-nrfconnect-nrf

Full commit SHA: bc7ade8b14a18265933f713d47e44f4eb50f337c

Package contents:
images_full/          Full firmware images, updated over debug probe / development kit
images_dfu_hex/       Application images, updated over USB, HEX format
images_dfu_bin/       Application images, updated over USB, binary format

images_full/debug     Full firmware images with modem debug tracing enabled, updated over debug probe / development kit
images_dfu_hex/debug  Application images with modem debug tracing enabled, updated over USB, HEX format
images_dfu_bin/debug  Application images with modem debug tracing enabled, updated over USB, binary format

File                                                                              Description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
images_dfu_bin/debug/thingy91_ltem_dfu_debug_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.bin              DEBUG Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, LTE-M network mode
images_dfu_bin/debug/thingy91_nbiot_dfu_debug_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.bin             DEBUG Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode
images_dfu_bin/debug/thingy91_nbiot_legacy_pco_dfu_debug_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.bin  Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode, legacy PCO mode
images_dfu_bin/thingy91_at_client_dfu_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.bin                     Firmware for direct modem communication
images_dfu_bin/thingy91_ltem_dfu_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.bin                          Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, LTE-M network mode
images_dfu_bin/thingy91_nbiot_dfu_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.bin                         Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode
images_dfu_bin/thingy91_nbiot_legacy_pco_dfu_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.bin              Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode, legacy PCO mode
images_dfu_bin/thingy91_nrf52_connectivity_bridge_dfu_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.bin     Connectivity bridge for the nrf52
images_dfu_bin/thingy91_nrf52_usb_uart_bridge_dfu_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.bin         USB-UART bridge for nRF52840 (deprecated)
images_dfu_hex/debug/thingy91_ltem_dfu_debug_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex              DEBUG Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, LTE-M network mode
images_dfu_hex/debug/thingy91_nbiot_dfu_debug_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex             DEBUG Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode
images_dfu_hex/debug/thingy91_nbiot_legacy_pco_dfu_debug_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex  Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode, legacy PCO mode
images_dfu_hex/thingy91_at_client_dfu_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex                     Firmware for direct modem communication
images_dfu_hex/thingy91_ltem_dfu_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex                          Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, LTE-M network mode
images_dfu_hex/thingy91_nbiot_dfu_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex                         Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode
images_dfu_hex/thingy91_nbiot_legacy_pco_dfu_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex              Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode, legacy PCO mode
images_dfu_hex/thingy91_nrf52_connectivity_bridge_dfu_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex     Connectivity bridge for the nrf52
images_dfu_hex/thingy91_nrf52_usb_uart_bridge_dfu_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex         USB-UART bridge for nRF52840 (deprecated)
images_full/debug/thingy91_ltem_debug_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex                     DEBUG Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, LTE-M network mode
images_full/debug/thingy91_nbiot_debug_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b_debug.hex              DEBUG Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode
images_full/debug/thingy91_nbiot_legacy_pco_debug_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex         Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode, legacy PCO mode
images_full/thingy91_at_client_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex                            Firmware for direct modem communication
images_full/thingy91_ltem_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex                                 Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, LTE-M network mode
images_full/thingy91_nbiot_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex                                Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode
images_full/thingy91_nbiot_legacy_pco_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex                     Asset tracker firmware for nRF9160, NB-IoT network mode, legacy PCO mode
images_full/thingy91_nrf52_connectivity_bridge_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex            Connectivity bridge for the nrf52
images_full/thingy91_nrf52_usb_uart_bridge_2020-04-29_bc7ade8b.hex                USB-UART bridge for nRF52840 (deprecated)
mfwnrf9160120.zip                                                                 Modem firmware, updated through nRF Connect for Desktop

Make sure to use "Application images, updated over USB, HEX format" if updating the application via MCUboot.

---

Regarding issues with GUI in  Linux Elementary OS, I will forward this to our GUI team. 

Kind regards,
Øyvind

[Jackhead]

I've downloaded everything like it was suggested. The problem is that the nRF Connect SDK doesn't open a window if I click on"update modem" and it doesn't open a windows when I use "add hex file - browse" either so there must be a bug in the SDK I think.

I tried the same things on a windows laptop and everything works as it should so I think the problem is in the combination of linux and the SDK.

[Øyvind]

Hello again, 

the issue might be Elementary OS itself, if there are GUI related errors, the operating system might not provide standard functionality to electron (engine of nRFConnect) to open standard dialogs (like open file dialog). If this is the case the only option is to use Ubuntu, since we cannot provide support for other distributions.

Please check that you have installed nrf-udev (https://github.com/NordicSemiconductor/nrf-udev/releases/tag/v1.0.1) and J-Link Software and Documentation pack for Linux as they are dependencies to use nRF Connect for Desktop.

Kind regards,
Øyvind