Unable to Complete Setup

Pioneer Support
1

If you are asking for support for an issue, please include the following information at the top of your post:

  • Whether your FreedomBox is plugged into a router at home or not (if not, please specify how it is connected to the internet)

    • Plugged into a home router with an ethernet cable.

  • The month and year you bought your kit (feel free to omit if you want to preserve some privacy, but this could be helpful information)

    • April 2024.

  • The version of FreedomBox your are running (available by clicking on the “?” in the top menu → “About”)

    • I’m unable to access the version number, but it’s brand new.

Hello,

I followed the provided setup instructions. I was able to access the web interface at freeedombox.local, and the device was updating.

Moments after the update though, I no longer had access to the web interface. Returning to the freedombox.local URL returns a “Server Not Found” message. I’ve confirmed that the server is on as evidenced by the green light inside the box. I use Firefox, and turned off https connection and my VPN while working on this, but still no success.

Per some of the posts on this site, I tried accessing FreedomBox using it’s IP address, which I’ve made static. It returns very quickly a message that the server is failing to respond, and timing out. I’ve testing the router connection to it, and it says “All activities supported.” So it’s neither the router nor the ethernet cable.

I couldn’t find anything in manual that might be helpful, and I’m at a loss as to what might be the cause and fix.

Any suggestions?

2

I assume you lost access to the web interface shortly after starting the update process, not after it had finished. The initial update during setup can take quite a while, during which the update progress screen may break more than once as the server process (not the physical server) stops and starts. You can hit refresh occasionally on your browser and should eventually see either the update progress screen again or an update completion message. Patience is key. Give it several hours. If that doesn’t seem to work, you could try powering off/on to try again and see if it picks up from wherever it left off.

3

Thank you for your reply.

It actually did finish updating, and I was even able to create an administrator account.

I can’t imagine what it heard to result in it deciding to keep me out after that. :sweat_smile: So I haven’t been able to do anything else, including installing apps.

4

Depending upon what version your FB is running, some of the updates can take a long time.

You could also just download a newer version of the software and install it to your micro SD card.

5

Hi DachaLife,

Thank you. I will reserve that as a last resort.

I’ve tried adding port forwarding, and told my VPN to make an exception for this connection. I’ve set my anti-malware to stop filtering/blocking freedombox.local and it’s IP address. I’ve already confirmed that my router is connected to FB. Even with the above, a trace route test to FB’s IP this morning failed. :slightly_frowning_face:

So I’m thinking it’s probably a blocked connected to FB somewhere that’s causing the issue, and not the FB installation. Later, I plan to connect FB to my monitor and keyboard, and try logging in that way.

6

Hello,

After successfully logging into the FB device directly, I was able to get it working briefly. I’d set it to work with my domain, and got an encryption certificate. It worked for a few days, then stopped.

I got an eMail from ISP (Comcase/Xfinity) that someone using a foreign IP address tried to login multiple times in a short time period. So they’re “enhanced security” blocked the reserved port so. :person_facepalming: It said I could unblock it using their app.

Going to their app though, there wasn’t anything there that allowed me to unblock the port. I finally removed the device from the router, and attempted to reconnect. I turned off their “enhanced security” too.

That’s where I’ve been stuck all this time. The router simply does NOT recognize FB, even though it’s connected to the router via ethernet cable and the lights are on. I can’t manually add FB when I’m logged into the router either, as I don’t have the Mac address. Additionally, I’m no longer able to log into FB itself, neither directly (monitor and keyboard attached to FB) nor indirectly (web interface nor ssh), even though I’d setup an admin account.

Any suggestions?

7

Hello,

I’m trying to flash the SD card, but need some help.

Per the “2. Downloading for SBC or Virtual Machine” section of the FreedomBox Manual, I downloaded the image provided here as I’m using a Pioneer FreedomBox Home Server.

In watching the instructional video provided on the download page, I should be able to simply right click and extract the compressed file using the shortcut menu. That’s not an option on Debian.

Contradictory to the video, the manual says I should verify the downloaded image first. I downloaded the signature file from where I got the image, and attempted to run the code as instructed in the manual, but it didn’t work.

> shifthappens@debian:~/Downloads$ $ gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys BCBEBD57A11F70B23782BC5736C361440C9BC971
> bash: $: command not found

I’m unable to open the signature file. So I tried to import it into Gnome’s Passwords and Keys application, but it didn’t recognize the file.

I then tried using tar to extract the compressed FreedomBox (FB) image file.

> s/shifthappins@debian:/FreedomBox/Images$ tar xf freedombox-stable_pioneer_a20-olinuxino-lime2-armhf.img.xz
> tar: This does not look like a tar archive
> tar: Skipping to next header
> tar: Exiting with failure status due to previous errors
> shifthappins@debian:/FreedomBox/Images$ tar xvf freedombox-stable_pioneer_a20-olinuxino-lime2-armhf.img.xz
> tar: This does not look like a tar archive
> tar: Skipping to next header
> tar: Exiting with failure status due to previous errors
8

Hello everyone,

I was able to solve the problem verifying the image. The code provided in the manual’s “2.3. Verifying the Downloaded Images” section to import the public keys is incorrect. It states to use the following code:


$ gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys BCBEBD57A11F70B23782BC5736C361440C9BC971
$ gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 7D6ADB750F91085589484BE677C0C75E7B650808
# This is the FreedomBox CI server's key
$ gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 013D86D8BA32EAB4A6691BF85D4153D6FE188FC8
# This is the new FreedomBox CI server's key
$ gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys D4B069124FCF43AA1FCD7FBC2ACFC1E15AF82D8C

The --recv-keys is incorrect. Perusing gpg --help, I noticed --recv-keys is not a command option. However, --receive-keys is. Here’s what I got when I ran the revised code:

shifthappens@debian:~$ gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --receive-keys BCBEBD57A11F70B23782BC5736C361440C9BC971
gpg: key 36C361440C9BC971: public key "Sunil Mohan Adapa <sunil@medhas.org>" imported
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg:               imported: 1

I was then able to successfully import the remaining public keys, and verify the image.

9

When copying these commands from the manual, you will need to leave out the $ at the beginning of the line. It is just there to indicate that a terminal command follows. (Perhaps we should remove the $s to avoid confusion.)

You can use the unxz command to extract the file:

unxz freedombox-stable_pioneer_a20-olinuxino-lime2-armhf.img.xz
10

Hello,

I got the SD card flashed, installed, re-connected to the router via ethernet, connected to power, and left it alone for over 24 hrs. The light on the box suggests everything is working well.

Per the manual, I tried connecting to http://freedombox/ and http://freedombox.local but got “We can’t connect to the server at freedombox” message. It wasn’t listed when I logged into my router either.

The directions state to run nmap -p 80 --open -sV 192.168.0.0/24 (replace the ip/netmask with the one the router uses) to find the FB’s IP address. Here’s part of what I got as a result with using my LAN’s IP address:

shifthappens@debian:~$ nmap -p 80 --open -sV #.#.#.#
Starting Nmap 7.93 ( https://nmap.org ) at 2025-01-01 14:45 EST
Nmap scan report for #.#.#.#
Host is up (0.0012s latency).

PORT   STATE SERVICE VERSION
80/tcp open  http    Xfinity Broadband Router Server
1 service unrecognized despite returning data. If you know the service/version, please submit the following fingerprint at https://nmap.org/cgi-bin/submit.cgi?new-service :

Should I submit the fingerprint as directed? How can I confirm the running service is FB? The URL provided contains the following warning:

Please do not fill this out unless you are sure that you know what application is running on the machine you scanned. Incorrect entries can pollute the database.

If I do add the fingerprint to the database, should I keep the service as “http,” change it to “https,” or something else? Finally, the version can be whatever I want to name it like “FreedomBox,” correct?

11

From your nmap output, it appears that only your router’s web server is being detected. On my network, nmap reports my FreedomBox like this (replacing my domain with “example”):

PORT   STATE SERVICE VERSION
80/tcp open  http    Apache httpd 2.4.62
Service Info: Host: freedombox.example.com

Based on the information you provided, it seems that your router has not assigned an IP address to the FreedomBox. This could be due to an issue during the FreedomBox setup process or your router configuration.

To rule out the easy problems and solutions first please check the following. Please don’t take this as condescending; I simply want to ensure covering the basics:

Clarifying Your Setup Process

You mentioned:

Does this mean that you:

  1. Flashed the SD card with the FreedomBox image.
  2. Inserted the SD card into the Pioneer device.
  3. Reconnected the Ethernet cable at both ends.
  4. Powered on the Pioneer FreedomBox.

If by “installed” you meant physically inserting the SD card, that’s fine. However, it’s important to note that the FreedomBox installation process requires the device to be connected to the router before being powered on so the setup can initialize properly.

One possible issue

If the pre-installation steps you described previously took little time, one possible issue could be the battery. The Pioneer FreedomBox includes a built-in battery, which “can power the hardware for 4-5 hours in case of outages”. If the device wasn’t fully powered off when you replaced the SD card, it may not have properly rebooted.

My suggestion would be opening the Pioneer and unplugging the battery first, and then completing the installation process without the battery. However, if you don’t feel comfortable opening and tinkering with the device, just let the battery run out and ignore the steps about disconnecting and reconnecting the battery.

  1. (Important!) Unplug the power cord from the Pioneer.
  2. Open the device and (carefully!) disconnect the battery.
  3. Insert the SD card with the FreedomBox image.
  4. Connect the Ethernet cable to your router.
  5. Plug the power cable back in to power on the device (without the battery connected).
  6. Allow the installation to start. Then check if you can find the FreedomBox using nmap or with the router.

Once the installation is complete:

  1. Power off the Pioneer and unplug it.
  2. Reconnect the battery, close the device, and reconnect power.

Hopefully, the issue was just related to the Pioneer not completely powering off. I got my FreedomBox second hand from a friend and I had this issue when I reflashed to start fresh.

I hope this resolves the issue.

1 Like
12

If you can connect an HDMI display to your freedombox, what you can see on it may be really helpful to get a better understanding of what is going on.

1 Like
13

I agree that you should probably start with @Avron’s suggestion.

14

Hello,

fefekrzr

I don’t take it as condescending at all. I’ve had to provide remote technical support too. :smiling_face:

  1. Yes, I flashed the SD card with the FreedomBox image from here.
  2. Yes, I inserted/installed the SD card into the Pioneer device.
  3. Yes, I then connected the ethernet cable at both ends.
  4. Yes, I then powered the Pioneer FreedomBox.

I doubt this is the cause, as I’m pretty sure I powered off the device using the buttons on the FB until I could return to troubleshooting. I still tried your suggestion though to rule it out, and it didn’t resolve it.

Avron

I agree it appears my router has not assigned an IP address to FB. FB is not listed as a connected device to my modem/router. Connecting the Pioneer device to HDMI suggested FB hadn’t booted. The monitor display said the cable “wasn’t connected.” Doesn’t the image I used contain u-boot?

Modem/Router Information

  • Logging into my router/modem I noticed the Mac address associated with Ethernet Port 2 used by my FB is assigned the same Mac address as my desktop computer connected to Ethernet Port 1. My desktop’s operating system (OS) is Debian. Since FB is a pure Debian blend, could this be causing modem/router confusion?
  • I’ve also ensured the router/modem is NOT in bridge mode, and device discovery (UPnP) is enabled.
  • If I knew the FB’s Mac address, it appears I could manually add it to the modem/router’s DHCP table.
1 Like
15

The image you linked should have u-boot and boot directly. You could re-download the image and try writing the microSD card again or try a spare one if you have. To see what happens exactly, connect the display before powering on the Pioneer.

For some reason, my main external display (brand Ezo, forgot the model name) always said no signal with a functional freedombox connected (same with a rockpro64 device) so I have a spare display that I need to use for this purpose. You may try an alternative display if you have.

If you can’t see your freedombox booting after writing the microSD card again, I can try the download and try the image myself to make sure.

16

Hello Avron,

I re-downloaded the image, and wrote it to the microSD card again. I don’t have a spare one. While FB was stilll powered off, I connected it to my monitor via HDMI, connected FB to my router via Ethernet (on both ends), then connected the power. I got the same “cable not connected” message.

Could it be related to what my ISP (Comcast/Xfinity) did as described here in August 2024?

I’m wondering if my ISP is the culprit here.

17

I just tried, first the display shows u-boot ending with starting debian as here:

boot
boot1920Ă—1080 123 KB

Then, the screen becomes blank with a blink cursor (underscore) which after a short time before fixed and nothing more. Note that at first try, I missed the u-boot screen, it lasts only for a few seconds. To get it, I had to press reset.

My router shows an address recently assigned that answer to ping but nothing else, but I have some doubts whether this is really this device.

So my impression is that something might be wrong with the image.

UPDATE: I took another router and only connected to it my laptop and the Pioneer. After u-boot has worked and said that the kernel is starting, the router has allocated an IP address to my laptop but not to the Pioneer, which very much like your problem. I will look if I can find other images that I tried before and worked.

18

Hi Avron,

Thank you very much for all of your help. I would’ve surely gone off into the weeds without you verifying what I was experiencing, and providing some clues with your monitor’s display.

Update

I found a Cat-6 Ethernet cable laying around unused. The one that came with my Pioneer device is a Cat-5e. On a whim, decided to swap the cables. I connected the Cat-6 Ethernet to my router/modem on one end and FB on the other, and then powered on the device.

After about 10 minutes, I got a notification that a new device had been added to my router/modem. I’ve logged in, created an admin account, and it’s currently running software updates. :woman_shrugging:

19

It is good news that it worked now. Did you use a display connected to the freedombox? If so, when it became functional, did you have messages on the display telling how to connect to freedombox and a login prompt?

I am asking because my recollection was that I had that, but perhaps I am confused.

I’ll do further tries on my side, I find it is important to write the details to be better able to help people. I have 2 spare Pioneers and microSD cards, so I can try things.

20

Hi Avron,

No, I didn’t have a display connected to the freedombox. I honestly thought it was such a long shot that swapping the Ethernet cables would work. There’s still a problem, though.

I forwarded the ports (Should DMZ still be enabled after port forwarding?), associated it with my domain and got the Let’s Encrypt certificate. Then I noticed the Diagnostics were showing the following 3 errors:

  1. Name services
  2. Timezone
  3. Let’s Encrypt

I tried clicking on each sections’ individual drop down menu to repair/reinstall, and even got the notice that it was successful, but the overall daily diagnostic results still showed the same errors. So I revoked the certificate, and attempted to fix the other two. I was unsuccessful.

The day before yesterday, I logged into Cockpit. The Dashboard showed that it was not synchronizing the timezone (error #2). I opened the terminal, and attempted an update. It was unable to reach deb.debian.org (error #1), but did find tzdata needed updating. I suspect tzdata is what’s needed to synchronize the timezone. So I tried to update it, but it too failed.

As of yesterday, I’m no longer able to log into my FB using the IP address. It gave me a 503 error code, indicating the “service is unavailable.” I don’t remember anymore information beyond the affected ports.

This morning, I attempted to log into FB directly with a monitor display, and keyboard and mouse attached. The display did not recognize the HDMI (monitor) cable as connected. My router shows FB is connected to my internet gateway though, and my ISP hasn’t blocked the ports this time.

This is very similar to what happened in April, but this time I have a little more information.

Any suggestions, or do I have to flash the SD card a second time. I wish I knew the cause so I can prevent it, and actually start using my FB.