Initial Setup Q's and Some Doc Feedback

ember1205

Getting started, numerous issues and questions doing the initial setup.

First, I want to say that the overall docs for installing and configuring this appear to be reasonably solid and generally well-maintained - kudos for that!

With that said, there appear to be some gaps that I’m falling into.

The doc I’m using to get started is this one: https://github.com/MichMich/MagicMirror
I have an RPi3 with a 64G card. I am using the full Raspbian image and loaded it via NOOBS. After booting up and stepping through the few minimum steps that the device requires (including setting up WLAN and doing an OS update and then restart), I drop to a shell to begin the MM install and setup. For automatic installation, all I should have to issue (according to the docs) is

bash -c "$(curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MichMich/MagicMirror/master/installers/raspberry.sh)"

While that works, there are a LOT of warnings about things potentially not working. So, I opted to update node.js according to the next two steps:

curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_10.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

This clearly processes updates and “makes me feel better.” Was it a necessary step? Should this have been required given that I opted for the “automatic” install?

Backing up just a bit, there appears to be no guidance in the install doc as to whether I should choose to allow the installer to set MM to autostart and/or whether I should disable the screensaver during the install process. I chose “N” and “Y” respectively.

After the node.js updates and a restart, I moved on to the Configuration section and opted to follow this doc: https://github.com/MichMich/MagicMirror/wiki/Configuring-the-Raspberry-Pi

The information in the OpenGL driver section are very confusing. It states that you shouldn’t need to modify the OpenGL driver, then goes on to tell you to edit a file whose location has changed (but the commands still point to the old location - you have to find the info in the notes that the file has been moved), tells you to add a line for

dtoverlay=vc4-kms-v3d

Which looks IDENTICAL to the new default (which is already in the file) as

dtoverlay=vc4-fkms-v3d

That is also referenced as an option later on in the doc, but there’s no commentary that I could find as to whether I should use one or the other for my specific hardware. Also, the file HAS the new default, but it’s in a RPi4 section. Again, very confusing here, and really don’t know what I should have opted for. I chose the full OpenGL and not the “fake” one.

In the Screensaver section, the first portion is already present since I opted to let the installer disable the screensaver. The second portion, however (LightDM) is not only not present but there is no discussion of what this is. Is this actually a required piece? What does it do?

The section for disabling WiFi Power Saving seems pretty broken, at least for my needs. The section about adding information for Pi3 (Jesse and below) will BREAK your setup if using a new release. If nothing else, I would say this entire doc would be immensely easier to follow if there were some direction provided for inspecting the /etc/os-release file to determine which build of Raspbian is being used along with some notes on which names were released in which order (so you know that buster is newer than Jesse, for example).

For the VNC server section, it was quite simple for me to just “turn on” the SSH and VNC server options from the Options panel in the desktop on the RPi when doing initial setup. I also want to point out that doing it this way also requires that the security options on the server be changed from UNIX Password to VNC Password or at least some VNC clients won’t connect.

If anyone has any thoughts on the pieces where I wasn’t sure what to do, I’d appreciate it. Thanks!

sdetweil

@ember1205 the installer you used is WAY downlevel… I have created a new one that will be released on the next update

see
https://forum.magicmirror.builders/topic/10171/anyone-want-to-try-updated-installer

if u want to run it now, then rename the MagicMirror folder out of the way and use the command
provided in the linked topic
(note there is also a new script for updates, and a new script to fix PM2 should you change your mind or have trouble)… all added to the next release

it solves most of the issues you mentioned…

except for warnings… which were added to the npm install processes, and we have no control.
they ARE Warnings… so unless u intend your mirror to be accessed from over the internet, i think most are not worth chasing down… (the updates to fix the ‘vulnerabilities’ MAY/have/will at some time, mess things up and the mirror won’t run. (due to somebody elses code being broken)…

notice on the kms driver the F letter
dtoverlay=vc4-fkms-v3d
means use the FAKE driver, not real… it MAY work, for portrait rotated displays it seems to have problems (search the forum)

sdetweil

@ember1205 said in Initial Setup Q's and Some Doc Feedback:

Backing up just a bit, there appears to be no guidance in the install doc as to whether I should choose to allow the installer to set MM to autostart and/or whether I should disable the screensaver during the install process. I chose “N” and “Y” respectively.

that is all really choice on your installation and and usage planning…

i don’t want to touch the mirror… if it reboots cause of power outage, etc, I want it to logon, and start mirror, and never screen lock…

so, set OS to auto logon (manual step)
use pm2 to autostart
and turn off screensaver

ember1205

@sdetweil

Thanks… Good updates. I will definitely look through your updated installer.

With regard to the warnings - I understand what you’re saying, but my concerns were driven more by the warnings that said “this might not even work.” I realize that they may be very specific to certain aspects, but given that isn’t indicated specifically, it raised up my alert level.

On the fake versus real driver piece, I did notice the “f” to indicate the fake driver. With zero experience with this piece, and having no background that there IS a fake driver or that it’s now default, my eyes told me that the name for the fake driver was actually the name for the real one at first [two] glance[s]. It wasn’t until I reached the latter part talking about the fake driver that I realized it was a different name and changed it.

I’m not using portrait mode as I want this to be a “Magic Photo Frame” and display pictures (many of which are in landscape format), so it seems that I might be able to use either.

ember1205

@sdetweil said in Initial Setup Q's and Some Doc Feedback:

@ember1205 said in Initial Setup Q's and Some Doc Feedback:

Backing up just a bit, there appears to be no guidance in the install doc as to whether I should choose to allow the installer to set MM to autostart and/or whether I should disable the screensaver during the install process. I chose “N” and “Y” respectively.

that is all really choice on your installation and and usage planning…

i don’t want to touch the mirror… if it reboots cause of power outage, etc, I want it to logon, and start mirror, and never screen lock…

so, set OS to auto logon (manual step)
use pm2 to autostart
and turn off screensaver

Yes. Those were all done. But, the screensaver disable was done during the install and it appears to not have modified the same files as the manual changes show.

sdetweil

@ember1205 i didn’t set the OpenGL driver… not worth the hassle. the driver is REALLY useful for algorithmic objects, rotating in 3d… nothing we do on the mirror

sdetweil

@ember1205 said in Initial Setup Q's and Some Doc Feedback:

Yes. Those were all done. But, the screensaver disable was done during the install and it appears to not have modified the same files as the manual changes show.

hm… i didn’t update the doc for manual install for my new installer… there are just too many places with different solutions…

I embodied all that I know about and generalized to attempt to cover more as time goes on.

dsegel

@ember1205 There are three locations where the screensaver might be starting from, and only one of them is actually run (I believe the first found in this order):

/home/pi/.config/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart
/etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart
/etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE/autostart

Raspbian recently changed to not having the first one, so the second is now the preferred method.

sdetweil

@dsegel thx… already in the updated installer and the screensaver fixer scripts

ember1205

@dsegel said in Initial Setup Q's and Some Doc Feedback:

@ember1205 There are three locations where the screensaver might be starting from, and only one of them is actually run (I believe the first found in this order):

/home/pi/.config/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart
/etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart
/etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE/autostart

Raspbian recently changed to not having the first one, so the second is now the preferred method.

So… None of that works. The ONLY way I could get the screensaver to shut off was to do:

sudo apt install xscreensaver

And then run the Screensaver Preferences setup and set it to disabled. Anything else I tried ultimately allowed the screen to go blank (black) after about 15 minutes.

sdetweil

@ember1205 thanks… I wished we had worked on it a little more…

i have a script that just does setting screensaver off…

haven’t had it fail on anything in a while… just tested Zorin OS. it worked properly

ember1205

@sdetweil said in Initial Setup Q's and Some Doc Feedback:

@ember1205 thanks… I wished we had worked on it a little more…

i have a script that just does setting screensaver off…

haven’t had it fail on anything in a while… just tested Zorin OS. it worked properly

I’m going to try a fresh build and will use your script to see how it fares on this exact version of Raspbian…

sdetweil

@ember1205 k… let me know

ember1205

I have started my new build from scratch and used your install script.

There are a number of ‘vulnerability’ warnings that show, and I’m curious if I should actually try and repair them with the suggested npm commands or not.

Also, so far, the screensaver does seem to be disabled, but I haven’t yet jumped into the MM configuration to put in place the same modules I had been using on the other setup as of yet.

sdetweil

@ember1205 yes, the vulnerability warnings are troublesome… they usually cannot be all resolved, and some modules fixes force changes that break applications using them. i prefer NOT to attempt to resolve the problems…

screensaver…

can u show/send me the ~/install.log

my email is the same userid as here on gmail

ember1205

install starting  - Fri Dec 20 08:32:44 EST 2019
installing on armv7l processor system
the os is Distributor ID: Raspbian Description: Raspbian GNU/Linux 10 (buster) Release: 10 Codename: buster
Updating packages ...
Hit:1 http://archive.raspberrypi.org/debian buster InRelease Get:2 http://raspbian.raspberrypi.org/raspbian buster InRelease [15.0 kB] Get:3 http://raspbian.raspberrypi.org/raspbian buste
r/main armhf Packages [13.0 MB] Fetched 13.0 MB in 15s (852 kB/s) Reading package lists...
apt-get update  completed ok
apt upgrade result =rc=0 Reading package lists...
Building dependency tree...
Reading state information...
Calculating upgrade...
The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required:
  point-rpi
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove it.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Installing helper tools ...
Check current Node installation ...
Node currently installed. Checking version number.
Minimum Node version: v10.1.0
Installed Node version: v10.15.2
No Node.js upgrade necessary.
Check current NPM installation ...
NPM currently installed. Checking version number.
Minimum npm version: V6.0.0
Installed npm version: V5.8.0
npm should be upgraded.
Installing npm ...
Reading package lists...
Building dependency tree...
Reading state information...
npm is already the newest version (5.8.0+ds6-4).
npm set to manually installed.
The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required:
  point-rpi
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove it.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
upgrading npm to latest
/usr/local/bin/npm -> /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm-cli.js
/usr/local/bin/npx -> /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npx-cli.js
+ npm@6.13.4
added 430 packages from 854 contributors in 42.042s
npm installation Done! version=V6.13.4
Cloning MagicMirror ...
Cloning MagicMirror Done!
Installing dependencies ...
Dependencies installation Done!
setting up initial config.js
Check plymouth installation ...
Splashscreen: Checking themes directory.
Splashscreen: Create theme directory if not exists.
Splashscreen: Changed theme to MagicMirror successfully.
install and setup pm2
pm2 not installed, installing
pm2 install result /usr/local/bin/pm2 -> /usr/local/lib/node_modules/pm2/bin/pm2 /usr/local/bin/pm2-dev -> /usr/local/lib/node_modules/pm2/bin/pm2-dev /usr/local/bin/pm2-docker -> /usr/lo
cal/lib/node_modules/pm2/bin/pm2-docker /usr/local/bin/pm2-runtime -> /usr/local/lib/node_modules/pm2/bin/pm2-runtime npm WARN optional SKIPPING OPTIONAL DEPENDENCY: fsevents@2.1.2 (node_
modules/pm2/node_modules/fsevents): npm WARN notsup SKIPPING OPTIONAL DEPENDENCY: Unsupported platform for fsevents@2.1.2: wanted {"os":"darwin","arch":"any"} (current: {"os":"linux","arc
h":"arm"}) + pm2@4.2.1 added 207 packages from 202 contributors in 38.506s
get the pm2 platform specific startup command
startup command = sudo env PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin:/bin /usr/local/lib/node_modules/pm2/bin/pm2 startup systemd -u pi --hp /home/pi

                        -------------

__/\\\\\\\\\\\\\____/\\\\____________/\\\\____/\\\\\\\\\_____
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  _\/\\\_______\/\\\_\/\\\//\\\____/\\\//\\\_\///______\//\\\__
   _\/\\\\\\\\\\\\\/__\/\\\\///\\\/\\\/_\/\\\___________/\\\/___
    _\/\\\/////////____\/\\\__\///\\\/___\/\\\________/\\\//_____
     _\/\\\_____________\/\\\____\///_____\/\\\_____/\\\//________
      _\/\\\_____________\/\\\_____________\/\\\___/\\\/___________
       _\/\\\_____________\/\\\_____________\/\\\__/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\_
        _\///______________\///______________\///__\///////////////__


                          Runtime Edition

        PM2 is a Production Process Manager for Node.js applications
                     with a built-in Load Balancer.

                Start and Daemonize any application:
                $ pm2 start app.js

                Load Balance 4 instances of api.js:
                $ pm2 start api.js -i 4

                Monitor in production:
                $ pm2 monitor

                Make pm2 auto-boot at server restart:
                $ pm2 startup

                To go further checkout:
                http://pm2.io/


                        -------------

[PM2] Init System found: systemd
Platform systemd
Template
[Unit]
Description=PM2 process manager
Documentation=https://pm2.keymetrics.io/
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=forking
User=pi
LimitNOFILE=infinity
LimitNPROC=infinity
LimitCORE=infinity
Environment=PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin:/bin:/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
Environment=PM2_HOME=/home/pi/.pm2
PIDFile=/home/pi/.pm2/pm2.pid
Restart=on-failure

ExecStart=/usr/local/lib/node_modules/pm2/bin/pm2 resurrect
ExecReload=/usr/local/lib/node_modules/pm2/bin/pm2 reload all
ExecStop=/usr/local/lib/node_modules/pm2/bin/pm2 kill

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Target path
/etc/systemd/system/pm2-pi.service
Command list
[ 'systemctl enable pm2-pi' ]
[PM2] Writing init configuration in /etc/systemd/system/pm2-pi.service
[PM2] Making script booting at startup...
[PM2] [-] Executing: systemctl enable pm2-pi...
[PM2] [v] Command successfully executed.
+---------------------------------------+
[PM2] Freeze a process list on reboot via:
$ pm2 save

[PM2] Remove init script via:
$ pm2 unstartup systemd
pm2 startup command done
configure the pm2 config file for MagicMirror
start MagicMirror via pm2 now
save MagicMirror pm2 config now
disable screensaver via lxsession
We're ready! Run pm2 start MagicMirror from the ~/MagicMirror directory to start your MagicMirror.
install completed - Fri Dec 20 08:59:08 EST 2019

ember1205

Some additional notes:

The screensaver settings appear to have been set in the /etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart file
No settings have been adjusted in /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf
The mouse pointer auto remove configuration has not been completed, but there appears to be no issue with the pointer remaining on the screen once Electron loads
There was no change made to the system to disable power saving on the WLAN interface - as a result, the interface seemingly “could” go into powersave mode and affect network connectivity (I have not yet experienced an issue with this)

sdetweil

@ember1205 cool. great feedback.

i dont have lightdm changed on my buster system.
according to this, its still lxde
https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=249837

correct, there is no mod for mouse pointer.
can also be done in css
cursor: none;

also no setting change for wlan power

ember1205

@sdetweil

-Should- the WLAN power setting be changed? It would seem that this would be a wise approach to ensure it doesn’t go into powersave mode.

sdetweil

@ember1205 i don’t know the answer… depends on how much its used I would guess…
I don’t know what the power save rules are