Desktop to Server

tlaswell · Published in 2017-8-2 03:10:50

I originally downloaded and have running the ARMBIAN Desktop image for the Orange Pi One. It tends to get hot, even after installing a small heatsink. At this point I will probably be running it as a server more than a desktop. Can I go in and change the boot config using armbian-config and turn off the Xwindows or would it be better to bite the bullet and re-image with a server image?

I may want to go back to a desktop if I can find a monitor to dedicate to it but for now I would get more use from it as a headless server. I'm hoping it will run cooler without the Xwindows running and I wouldn't have to keep it plugged into my HDTV all the time.

Tim

tlaswell · Published in 2017-8-9 23:26:09

Got it.  Went into Armbian config and was able to "disable desktop" before it locked up.

Found I could use armbianmonitor -m running from a ssh session to watch the processor speed jump up and down while the temperature fluctuates.  I don't think it went above 58c while running an apt upgrade.  I'm still going to get fan to blow across this thing but it is running reliably with just a RPI copper heatsink on the CPU.

Speaking of which, how long should an "SUDO APT UPGRADE" take?  When I turned the monitor on this morning it appeared to still be running after 10 hours.  The last thing displayed says something about installs delayed till 6 or 7AM.  No response from the keyboard.

igorpec · Published in 2017-8-10 00:30:36

Edited by igorpec at 2017-8-9 17:31

apt-upgrade can take days if your SD card is some old scrapped or fake one. On normal Samsung EVO it takes few minutes.
Regarding temp - if you have Zero, read this: https://forum.armbian.com/index. ... -temperature-issue/

For 60 degrees you don't need a fan. H3 chip can safely go higher, up to 100 according to the spec sheet.

tlaswell · Published in 2017-8-10 03:03:54

I believe the card is a sandisk I had used in my LG G4 for a year or two before I upgraded to something bigger. This is the Pi One. The only reason I worry about heat was the gui froze during one of my first sessions and it started to respond after I fanned the board with a piece of paper for a minute. Coincidence? Maybe. Since then I have tried not to tax the CPU. Today is the longest it has been powered on in a single session.

Once the APT UPGRADE stopped moving, I'm used to seeing packages loading and going through setup, I fired up a SSH session and a PS -AX showed APT, Python and Friendly-Pager processes but nothing seemed to be taking CPU. HTOP is quite responsive so it isn't spending a lot of CPU cycles. I think the armbianmonitor peaked at 20% at one point but that could of been antivirus, Apache, Mysql maintenance or something kicking in. I'll check it again in a few hours when I get back to the house. I tried a apt autoremove from the SSH but it found the lock from the main terminal session and refused to do anything. I'll have to check the log to see if it mentions any problems or progress. Worse case, after 48 hours with no evidence of progress I will issue a shutdown and let it power down gracefully.

igorpec · Published in 2017-8-10 03:15:08

We used to have one problem on kernel headers upgrade but I think that is fixed. Check if any make is running in the background since it uses to stuck. Next, updates downloading in the back (unattended-upgrades) is enabled by default, that the upgrade is done faster. This is also about to change to no updating at all since it's confusing.

tlaswell · Published in 2017-8-10 09:48:27

It was waiting for the proper input.
I looked at dpkg.log and saw the last thing was "startup package configure" last night. I did a man sensible-pager and realized it was just a front end to less/more. Hmmm to quit less or more you press Q. Pressed Q and suddenly it started installing and upgrading more packages.

Some package had thrown up a message about repository queries are being randomized and updates done between 6 and 7am. It was waiting for me to acknowledge the message.

My OPi One is now upgraded.

tlaswell · Published in 2017-8-10 09:52:12

found the message in /var/mail/root.  It must of been attempting to let me know about some change to apt as many ways as it can.

apt (1.2.22) unstable; urgency=medium

  This release uncouples the the downloading of new package
  information and the upgrades from the installation of the
  upgrades. The downloading now takes place randomly throughout
  the day (thus spreading the load on mirrors), while the upgrade
  only starts between 6 and 7 (am) (so it is predictable when this
  runs and administrators can react quickly if anything breaks).

-- Julian Andres Klode <juliank@ubuntu.com>  Thu, 04 May 2017 22:54:02 +0200