TIPI Usage and Support

[+jedimatt42]

@chris36 - generally you shouldn't need to telnet to the PI. But I do try to set it up in case there is some emergency network config command or something... 

 

I'm seeing the same problem, so there must be something additional I failed to apply when creating the sd image. 

 

The world doesn't like telnet anymore, and I set it up so that only connections from the PI itself ( and the python software on the PI proxying the network for the 4A ) are able to connect. 

 

I'll see about fixing this.

[chris36]

Thanks for the confirmation that I wasn't doing something wrong with software.

[+jedimatt42]

Update 4.3 - 2024-06-30 

 

- install a different version of telnetd

 

The 4A client TIPI.NET.TELNET will now be able to connect locally to the telnetd on the PI.

 

Just run the TIPI upgrade process from the 4A ( from BASIC, CALL TIPI, follow the prompts ) 

[Switch1995]

On 3/10/2019 at 1:45 AM, jedimatt42 said:

It only serves files from /home/tipi/tipi_disk which is the folder the TI sees as "TIPI."

 

DSKx drives can only be mapped to folders within "TIPI." using relative TI directory syntax. These mappings are meant to be changed to support specific legacy programs that insist your files are on "floppies" such as TI Artist, Old Dark Caves, etc... "TIPI." is meant to be treated like your TI hard drive.

 

This folder is also shared as a Windows file share named "TIPI", making it easy to transfer files as well as the web-ui.

Never afraid to ask stupid questions, here goes another one:

 

When I am using my TIPI, I keep the web interface open on my laptop and conduct file transfer that way.  However, I do not keep my PI powered when I shut down my TI/PEB.  Therefore, I lose the web interface for the TIPI when working on my laptop "offline".

 

Question: How can I set up a folder to work on programs in Classic99 when PI is off and I am not on my home network, but still make these files available when back on home network and have the TIPI/PI fired-up?

 

Note:  I use a PC/Windows laptop

 

Thanks!

Edited July 10 by Switch1995
additional info

[+OLD CS1]

4 minutes ago, Switch1995 said:

Question: How can I set up a folder to work on programs in Classic99 when PI is off and I am not on my home network, but still make these files available when back on home network and have the TIPI/PI fired-up?

Try making the file share on your TIPI "always available" or "available offline."  That sets up a synchronization relationship between a local cache on your computer and your TIPI.  When the TIPI is off (or unreachable,) you can work in that local cache as if it were connected.  Then when the computer detects the TIPI is back on, your work will be synchronized.

[Switch1995]

1 minute ago, OLD CS1 said:

Try making the file share on your TIPI "always available" or "available offline."  That sets up a synchronization relationship between a local cache on your computer and your TIPI.  When the TIPI is off (or unreachable,) you can work in that local cache as if it were connected.  Then when the computer detects the TIPI is back on, your work will be synchronized.

Thank you.  Not quite sure how to do that, but I will continue to research!

[+OLD CS1]

Just now, Switch1995 said:

Thank you.  Not quite sure how to do that, but I will continue to research!

On your Windows computer, right-click on the TIPI share.  I have no idea what it looks like, so I cannot give any detailed guidance.

[+jedimatt42]

Let me google that for you... (I was actually curious to learn about this windows feature)

 

Search: Windows network share available offline

 

https://www.thewindowsclub.com/how-to-make-network-files-always-available-offline-on-windows-10

 

I have no experience with this. But logically any file syncing technology should achieve this result.

 

I personally have left my PI running all the time. The current one has only been off to flash an SD card since the PI 3 was released.

 

The opposite approach also works. That being create a share on the Classic99 machine and edit the /etc/fstab on the PI to mount it on boot. Mount it as or within the /home/tipi/tipi_disk directory and it will be available to the 4A.

[Switch1995]

Thanks!  Will play around with this and report back

[chancemixon]

My TIPI is hanging on boot at this stage in the boot process: any ideas on how I could fix this?  I'm still learning about TIPI - just purchased it a few weeks ago and it was working fine until I got a PEB and was working on getting them to play nice together.  Any ideas or help appreciated.

 

Edited August 13 by chancemixon
attach image

[+arcadeshopper]

Have you done any manual updates on the Linux directly? Do you have an extra sd card you can try the latest stock image on and see if that boots up fine? 

 

Could be something to do with your sd card or changes to the Linux install. 

 

Lmk

 

[chancemixon]

No changes to Linux.  The only changes I made is. moving the CRU jumper around.  Happy to try a new image/SD card if you can point me in the right direction.  I really almost had the configuration right to use the PEB with the TIPI when I set the CRU address to 1000.  It was when I tried to use jumper 4 to disable the 32K extension on the board so I could use the 32K RAM in the PEB that things went haywire.  The CRU jumper is back to the normal spot on pin 1 so I don't know where I went wrong.  

[+Vorticon]

I have found that using TIPI drives with the pcode system seems to be corrupting TIPI file system somehow and eventually leading to system lockups which will require a complete reflash of the SD card. This happens only if writing to the images is done, usually with the Editor. I've lost several code editing sessions that way, and I've now reverted to using real disks sadly. No idea why this is happening.

 

[chancemixon]

I am going to put a freshly flashed SD card in it and see if that makes a difference.  I can see where linux might have become scrambled eggs - I powered off without shutdown a few times so maybe that did it.  I'll let you all know how that goes.  I had to buy some extra SD cards so it will be tomorrow before I can try.  Hope it is that simple!!

[+jedimatt42]

13 hours ago, Vorticon said:

I have found that using TIPI drives with the pcode system seems to be corrupting TIPI file system somehow and eventually leading to system lockups which will require a complete reflash of the SD card. This happens only if writing to the images is done, usually with the Editor. I've lost several code editing sessions that way, and I've now reverted to using real disks sadly. No idea why this is happening.

 

Looks like a bug in my sector write code in Python. At a quick glance it looks like I open the sector dump in read binary append mode, which might not be good for random access.

[+jedimatt42]

rb+ is actually binary read+write mode. Which should be fine. My only other guess would be that writing 256 bytes at a time from p-code editor is over wearing the SD card. For all the other write operations in TIPI it batches them until the file is closed. Sector writes are independent of any contextual operations. So I will have to think about this one for a while.

[chancemixon]

replaced the TIPI SD card and the TIPI reliably boots, but CALL TIPI just hangs TI BASIC.  Any help in troubleshooting would be greatly appreciated.  

 

The red LED comes on briefly when I power on the TI, then when i CALL TIPI the red LED comes on and stays on, but CALL TIPI never comes back with the configuration screen.  I've tried various combinations of power up sequences etc but to no avail.  

 

In the meantime I ordered a GOTEK drive as an alternative - I just really need the ability to get files to the TI from the outside world.  

 

EDIT: I do have two TI 99/4A consoles and I tried this on both to eliminate the 4A itself as an issue.

Edited August 14 by chancemixon

[+Vorticon]

1 hour ago, chancemixon said:

replaced the TIPI SD card and the TIPI reliably boots, but CALL TIPI just hangs TI BASIC.  Any help in troubleshooting would be greatly appreciated.  

 

The red LED comes on briefly when I power on the TI, then when i CALL TIPI the red LED comes on and stays on, but CALL TIPI never comes back with the configuration screen.  I've tried various combinations of power up sequences etc but to no avail.  

 

Are you waiting long enough for the TIPI to complete the boot up process? it can take up to a minute on my system, and any CALL TIPI will just hang while it's doing that.

[chancemixon]

2 minutes ago, Vorticon said:

Are you waiting long enough for the TIPI to complete the boot up process? it can take up to a minute on my system, and any CALL TIPI will just hang while it's doing that.

Yes.  I generally let it hang for about five minutes to be sure i've given it plenty of time.

[+arcadeshopper]

45 minutes ago, chancemixon said:

Yes.  I generally let it hang for about five minutes to be sure i've given it plenty of time.

How do you have the pi wired to the tipi board? photos?

if the pi isn't connected properly it will red light wait forever for it to be reconnected

https://github.com/jedimatt42/tipi/wiki/TIPI-to-PI-Wiring

[chancemixon]

16 minutes ago, arcadeshopper said:

How do you have the pi wired to the tipi board? photos?

if the pi isn't connected properly it will red light wait forever for it to be reconnected

https://github.com/jedimatt42/tipi/wiki/TIPI-to-PI-Wiring

Here you go. 

[+Vorticon]

Are you connecting the +5V pin on the carrier board next to the large DIP chip to the RPi power pin on the left lower corner? Just to be sure.

[chancemixon]

1 hour ago, Vorticon said:

Are you connecting the +5V pin on the carrier board next to the large DIP chip to the RPi power pin on the left lower corner? Just to be sure.

Not sure I have this right but I do not have any other connection between the boards other than the 10 pin connector.  I have power connected independently to each board.  This configuration worked for quite a while, then it didn't when i was working with the CRUBASE setting and the 32k memory disable jumper on the board. I was trying to get the TIPI drives to work at the same time as the PEB Physical Disks and I was trying to get the TIPI and system to work with the 32K PEB board plugged in at the same time as the TIPI.  I actually had everything working when the TIPI stopped working.  CALL TIPI hangs, cannot SSH or Web interface into TIPI and the only way I can get into the TIPI board is through a local console on an HDMI monitor and a USB keyboard.  I've not changed anything in Linux, just using the command line to troubleshoot since I am thoroughly familiar with Linux.  My best guess is that the PI is not communicating with the interface board that plugs into the 4A, but I don't know enough about this equipment to explain why.  Plugging the PEB into the 4A directly works fine, all boards are functional.  Not sure if any of this is making sense.  

[RickyDean]

On 8/13/2024 at 11:15 AM, chancemixon said:

No changes to Linux.  The only changes I made is. moving the CRU jumper around.  Happy to try a new image/SD card if you can point me in the right direction.  I really almost had the configuration right to use the PEB with the TIPI when I set the CRU address to 1000.  It was when I tried to use jumper 4 to disable the 32K extension on the board so I could use the 32K RAM in the PEB that things went haywire.  The CRU jumper is back to the normal spot on pin 1 so I don't know where I went wrong.  

The set of pins at location 1 are the ones to enable /disable the onboard 32k memory. That would be the set closest to the CLPD chip in the middle of the board. Note the github site listed is the original designer of the tipi/32k board, the one you have was modified by another individual and it seems like he changed the numbering on the CRUbase pins but their location didn't change. I have one similar to yours but with the 32k added to the top of the board not the bottom and the pins are numbered 8-4-2-1 on the silkscreen. 1 is the 32k en/disen and in the same location as the original in the photo.

 

https://github.com/jgparker/tipi/wiki/tipi-32k-installation

Edited August 15 by RickyDean
additional content

[chancemixon]

10 hours ago, RickyDean said:

The set of pins at location 1 are the ones to enable /disable the onboard 32k memory. That would be the set closest to the CLPD chip in the middle of the board. Note the github site listed is the original designer of the tipi/32k board, the one you have was modified by another individual and it seems like he changed the numbering on the CRUbase pins but their location didn't change. I have one similar to yours but with the 32k added to the top of the board not the bottom and the pins are numbered 8-4-2-1 on the silkscreen. 1 is the 32k en/disen and in the same location as the original in the photo.

 

https://github.com/jgparker/tipi/wiki/tipi-32k-installation

I ordered a PEB TIPI card, which I think will work better. I've come to the conclusion that the one I have (which I bought off eBay) somehow has a defective or damaged adapter card. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. If you know someone who wants to buy it, let me know.