DarKE/docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md

Troubleshooting & USB Flashing Diagnostics

This document covers common issues when flashing OpenKE via USB OTA, root causes, and diagnostic steps.

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1. "No firmware found" / "No local update available"

When you insert the USB drive and navigate to Settings \rightarrow Firmware Update \rightarrow Local Update, the screen reports no file found.

Root Causes & Fixes:

1. USB Drive File System:
   • The Creality Linux kernel does not reliably mount exFAT or NTFS drives on early boot.
   • Fix: Format the USB flash drive as FAT32 with an MBR (Master Boot Record) partition table. Avoid GPT partition tables on the flash drive.
2. File Location:
   • The .img file must be placed in the root directory of the USB drive (e.g. E:\NEBULA_ota_img_V1.1.0.34.img), not inside a folder.
3. Filename Format:
   • Creality's master-server scans for files matching ota_img_V.
   • Files must be named:
     • For Nebula Pad: NEBULA_ota_img_V<version>.img
     • For Ender-3 V3 KE: Ender-3_V3_KE_F005_ota_img_V<version>.img

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2. "Update failed" Immediately After Confirming

The screen detects the update, you click "Update Now", the progress bar appears for a split second, and it immediately reports "Update Failed".

Root Cause:

• Creality's updater extracts the 7z archive to a temporary directory and looks for ota_config.in in <TEMP_DIR>/<UNZIP_FOLDER>/ota_config.in.
• If the root directory inside the 7z archive does not match the .img filename (without .img), cp -f $ota_site_config fails.
• Resolution: The updated build_openke_image.sh / tools/pack_openke.py guarantees this alignment automatically. Ensure you use images built with the latest packager.

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3. "Current version is newest" / Won't Allow Flashing

The UI says the firmware is already up-to-date or newer.

Root Cause:

• In local_ota_update.sh:

  if [ $current_version -ge $ota_current_version ]; then
      echo "ota not update: current version is newest"
      exit 2
  fi
  

• If your device is running 1.1.0.30 and the package version is 1.1.0.30 or lower, it refuses to flash.
• Fix: Pass a higher version number when running the build script:

  ./build_openke_image.sh --target nebula --version 1.1.0.35
  

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4. How to Inspect Live Update Logs on the Printer

If you have SSH access to stock firmware and want to see what local_ota_update.sh is doing during a flash:

1. Connect to the printer via SSH:

   ssh root@<printer-ip>
   

2. Trigger the local update manually from the command line to see stdout/stderr in real time:

   sh -x /etc/ota_bin/local_ota_update.sh /media/sda1/NEBULA_ota_img_V1.1.0.34.img
   

3. Check temporary updater logs:

   ls -la /usr/data/creality/ota_updater*