New 22nd March 2021 software update available

[lesliebr...@gmail.com]

22nd March 2021 Several small improvements for BB1 and B2 including

• BB1 USB DAC improvement
• BB1 cosmetic changes
• MP3 bitrate setting working
• Youtube cache setting working
• Format USB utility added to BB1 Advanced Menu
• Spotify / Sonos displays better
• Wifi not turned off during compression

[Daniel Taylor]

Do we know where to find the BB1 upgrade file for downloading yet?

[Peter Lowham]

Daniel,

I have started to recreate the BB1 file for the 'USB upgrade' for myself so that I can create versions at certain dates in the past for testing purposes.  I have the USB version for 'btubeV8.tar.gz' for 22/03/2021 now and have tested that it works correctly.

If you want a copy, let me know and I can place it on a Dropbox link for you.

Regards,

Peter.

[Daniel Taylor]

Hi Peter,

How did you recreated the file?

Yes, I would like a copy - that would be great.

Thanks!

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Daniel,

Below is my Dropbox link to the folder with the BB1 22/03/2021 'USB Upgrade' file.  If you have any problems with it just give me a shout.  

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/uhr4catnbnin813/AAAw0PdNbq1apWi_aOeaixQsa?dl=0

You just copy this file to a USB stick and run 'USB Upgrade'.

The process of recreating the file is quite simple if you have a little bit of Linux/ Unix knowledge.  The decompressed upgrade file is present in '/var/www/btube.tar'.  So the process to recreate is to move this file to a non-Brennan Linux (or Unix) device and run the commmand 'tar -czvf' which recompresses the file into its original format.  This recompression command doesn't work on the Brennans because the '-z' option (to use the gzip recompression option)  is not present in the Brennan devices.

I use an Apple MacBook to do the recompression.

Regards,

Peter.

[Daniel Taylor]

Thanks Peter.

The file downloads as BB1_Web_20210322.zip 

Do I have to rename it to btubeV8.tar.gz ?  Or do I unzip it and btubeV8.tar.gz will be inside?

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Daniel,

Yes, I've just tried a Dopbox download of the file.  I seems that Dropbox compresses the file into 'zip' format.  You should 'unzip' the download file and then you will have the 'btubeV8.tar.gz' file.  Copy this file to a USB stick and then use 'USB Upgrade' and all should be well.

Let me know how you get on.

Regards,

Peter.

[PMB]

Hi Peter and Daniel,

Won't a Web Upgrade do the same?

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Daniel Taylor]

Paul,

Yes, of course a Web Upgrade will get the BB1 to that software level.  What it won't do is provide a backup copy that could be used to go back to if a future update has problems or changes some feature that was preferred in a previous version.  I don't understand why you don't provide a third link, along with B2 and B2B, for BB1 so that we can save the software releases.

[PMB]

Hi Daniel,

Good idea - I'll ask Martin if a link can be easily added.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Paul,

As Daniel has stated, having the downloadable upgrade file available means that we can do a base SD card reflash and then upgrade to a specific date.  I use this for testing purposes where I can see if a 'new' problem is really new or is just a problem that we had not found yet.

Regards,

Peter.

[Daniel Taylor]

Well, this is unexpected.  I have copied the btubeV8.tar.gz file to the root directory of a FAT32 formatted USB stick.  After running USB Upgrade, my version still shows as Oct 29 2020 14:45:24.  I know it sees the USB stick because the USB Upgrade command is there.  Also, when I run the command, the unit reboots.  I've tried this three times now including on two USB sticks.

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

try a simple"Settings > Web Upgrade" from the front display

[Daniel Taylor]

So, as a test, I copied the only other version of BB1 software that I have to the USB stick:  Apr 17, 2020.  That one seems to have worked, but it reports as being  Apr 22 2020 08:49:00.  I got that file from the link posted under 17th April 2020 on the Brennan website Latest Software page.  No matter.  The USB Upgrade command worked.

So I loaded the new Mar.22,2021 software back onto the USB stick, and tried the USB Upgrade command again, and then again.  The version is stil at Apr 22, 2020.

So my conclusion, based only on these few tests is that the USB Upgrade command works, but there must be a problem with the file I obtained from Peter.  Possibly a checksum difference.

Hi Fred,

I'm testing the USB Upgrade function.  Web Upgrade will be a last resort.

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Daniel,

I've just picked up on your post.  I'll do some more checking on this.  I tested this on my two BB1s and it seemed to work, but there seems to be an issue that I have not identified.

I'll get back to you as soon as as I know more about this.

Regards,

Peter.

[Tim]

Hi All

I notice that one aspect of the latest update is "wifi not turned off during compression."  I remember when Martin updated the software so that "wifi was turned off during compression" because it has adverse consequences - if you started re-naming tracks or albums or otherwise interrupt compression from the web UI.  Is it now the case that interrupting compression by using the web UI no longer has such adverse consequences?

Tim

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Good point Tim.

I know this change (the latest) was made because a member here was getting a new IP each time he compressed (and did not seem to be able to solve the issue).

F.

[PMB]

Hi Tim,

Good point. I'll see what I can find out.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Tim]

Thanks Paul and Fred.  Personally, I like the wifi turning off in compression.  I always turn the wifi off when tagging and exporting/importing to external HDD having had really bad experiences in the past when doing this whilst connected to wifi.

Tim

[PMB]

Hi All,

This has been done to keep the 'app' connected.

Anyone had similar experiences to Tim?

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Daniel Taylor]

This seems counterintuitive to me.  The B2 won't start compression unless/until it's in standby.  It won't go into standby if the WebUI is open.  I thought that previously, we had to exit the WebUI (and also the App?) to allow standby. Now that the WiFi is kept on during compression, how does the B2 know to go into standby and start compression?

[Tim]

Daniel

Casting my mind back, I seem to recall in the old days of B2, when you closed the web UI (there was no App at that time) the B2 would go into stand by and then compression mode.  it would then start to compress.  However, you could stop that process by opening the web UI.  I also seem to recall that this ability to interrupt the process could have bad consequences.  Bad files, HDD read only and files that did not compress. 

Fred, do you recall those days?

Paul - any chance of having the option of keeping the wifi off during compression.

Tim

[Daniel Taylor]

Tim,

That is my recollection, too.  That's why I'm a bit puzzled by this change.

It might be best to keep the WebUI Apps closed during compression.

[Tim]

Thanks Daniel.  Yes, I am puzzled by the change.  Unless the original problems have gone away, it seems like a shame to go backwards to help solve a fixed IP address issue.

I have no yet updated.

Tim

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

I too feel that this is a retrograde change. 

It tries to fix a "problem" that is actually the proper responsibility of the users router DHCP server configuration = and doing so from the B2 side by trying to hang on to an IP by keeping a connection active is simply a "bodge".

Not to be negative about this, may I make a suggestion.

I believe it is possible to get a Client device (ie a B2) to "request"  a fixed (or specific) IP number form a DHCP server, I believe the command is

"send dhcp-requested-address xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx;"

While on first ever bootup of a B2, it would not know the range of a LAN's IP numbers, after first IP assignment the IP number given could be saved by the B2 and (if a new "Advanced" B2 menu switch was set) could be made to ask for that IP

on subsequent boots or WiFi/Ethernet startups.

This wood not be 100% foolproof because during a downtime of the B2's connection, the IP number could have been DHCP assigned to another LAN device (that is why a "fixed" IP set at the router end is best), but

given that a house's LAN is not very active, I would expect that most of the time the requested IP number will be available.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Daniel Taylor]

Great idea, Fred.  I hope Martin gets to read it and consider.

[PMB]

Hi Fred,

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll pass it on to Martin.

He says he will review the WiFi setting and think about making it an option.

Paul

Brennan Support.