v2.6.4: Tinypilot doesn't detect that keyboard and HDMI cables were reconnected and fails to switch to H264
Hi folks,
Reporting 2 issues that annoy me a lot since I've started using TinyPilot 2 and then, consequently, 2a. It's been multiple updates rolled out already but the issues still persist:
- Tinypilot doesn't detect that keyboard and HDMI cables were reconnected, the only way to make it work is to restart Tinypilot.
- Very often Tynypilot fails to switch to H264 and looks for stun server although it's working in LAN with direct connectivity. The only solution is to close the web browser and open it again. Tried Chrome / Firefox, same results.
Tinypilot is used with MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 2021).
David @david2024-09-25 14:42:57.609ZHi @tinypilotess, I'm sorry you're running into these issues.
Can we focus on the first issue before moving on to the second?
Tinypilot doesn't detect that keyboard and HDMI cables were reconnected, the only way to make it work is to restart Tinypilot.
Can you confirm that when you experience this behavior TinyPilot doesn't receive a display signal and cannot send USB input to the target machine? And that after rebooting your TinyPilot, it seems to work as expected.
Could you share more details around what happens in the lead up to the behavior you're experiencing here? For example, are you connecting your TinyPilot's cables to a different target machine? The more detail you can share about the steps and behavior between your devices the better.
Could you also share a TinyPilot log for me to review? On your TinyPilot web interface, go to System > Logs and click Get Shareable URL. Then paste the link in your reply.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
- TJohn @tinypilotess
Sure. HDMI works in most of the cases when reconnected, so it's not major concern.
KB and mouse doesn't get detected until rebooted at all times.
Steps to replicate this behavior:
- While Tinypilot is up and running disconnect usb-c cable that emulates KB and mouse and hdmi cable from laptop.
- Connect cables again.
- You'll see the image after a bit but KB and mouse won't work until Tinypilot is rebooted completely.
Same thing happens if just usb-c cable reconnected.
I get an error when attempting to retrieve debug logs. There's no details to it, it just says "Error". If I refresh the page after the browser can't load it anymore until I manually turn off and turn on Tinypilot.
David @david2024-09-26 11:23:33.541ZThanks for those details!
I get an error when attempting to retrieve debug logs. There's no details to it, it just says "Error". If I refresh the page after the browser can't load it anymore until I manually turn off and turn on Tinypilot.
It sounds like this could be a symptom of filesystem corruption. Could you perform a factory reset on your microSD card to restore your TinyPilot to a working state?
Once your device is back up and running, could you confirm whether you can reproduce the same USB behavior and share a TinyPilot log URL?
Please let me know if you have any questions.
- TJohn @tinypilotess
I can't download image as I ordered both devices from https://www.kvm-ip.de, not amazon.
- David @david2024-09-27 12:06:08.533Z
You should be able to download your image using the same license check if you ordered via kvm-ip.de. If you're still unable to download the latest image, it's possible that your Pro license has expired.
I reached out to our customer support team to send you a link to a TinyPilot image you can use to re-flash your microSD card. You should have received an email from them.
Could you download the new image and perform a factory reset?
Please let me know if you have any questions.
- TJohn @tinypilotess
There was an issue with SD card indeed, I used the image provided and now able to retrieve logs. The issue with keyboard and mouse still persists.
Here's the log: https://logs.tinypilotkvm.com/3Wqc4MLu
At 14:44 I reconnected the usbc cable and both mouse and KB stopped working.- David @david2024-09-30 14:27:11.521Z
Thanks for the update!
And thanks for sharing those logs. The logs confirm that there's an issue with sending USB input, but there's nothing in there that suggests what the underlying issue might be.
Since you're now running a fresh install, there shouldn't be any issues on TinyPilot's side, so I'm wondering whether this behavior is due to how the target machine is handling USB.
Can I ask for some more details about your target machine (i.e., the machine you're trying to control)? Can you tell me the make and model of your laptop along with the operating system it runs?
Does your target machine have a power save mode? Does turning off power save make a difference to the behavior here?
Please let me know if you have any questions.
- TJohn @tinypilotess
It’s MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 2021)
macOS Sonoma 14.6.1 as of now, same issue was with Ventura.
Laptop is connected to power supply at all times.
Low power mode is set to Never. Automatic sleeping on power adapter is disabled.- David @david2024-10-01 11:21:45.451Z
Thanks for all those details!
I'm pretty stumped by the behavior here.
Could you tell me more about how your TinyPilot connects to your MacBook? Are you using a USB-C to USB-C cable? Or are you using a USB adapter / hub / dock with the TinyPilot USB-C to USB-A cable?
Please let me know if you have any questions.
- TJohn @tinypilotess
Laptop is connected directly to TinyPilot, usb-c to usb-c cable is about 1,5-2m long. Same with HDMI cable. Changing usb-c port makes no difference. Only reboot of TinyPilot helps to get mouse and KB input back.
- David @david2024-10-01 14:58:55.475Z
Thanks for those details!
I've done a few tests, and I've been able to reproduce that USB behavior on my MacBook Air running 14.4.1 using a USB-C to USB-C cable.
If I check the USB devices in "System Information" I can see TinyPilot doesn't reappear when disconnecting and reconnecting the cable. Rebooting TinyPilot forces the Mac to recognize the USB interface again like you mentioned.
I haven't found a solution yet, but I'll do some more troubleshooting and testing to figure out what the underlying issue may be and try to find a solution from there.
Can I give you an update on this by Friday?
If you have any other information that might be helpful in the meantime, please let me know.
- TJohn @tinypilotess
Absolutely. Glad you managed to replicate the issue. I have an Air with latest MacOS as well and symptoms are alike.
- David @david2024-10-02 12:32:01.809Z
I have an Air with latest MacOS as well and symptoms are alike.
Thanks for that info! Just to confirm, this MacBook air is running Sequoia (15.0) and displays the same behavior?
I've just created a GitHub issue so we can continue looking into this further. From my testing and research so far, this seems like an issue with macOS, but I'll continue to look into whether we can find a solution or workaround.
- David @david2024-10-02 14:48:42.563Z
We may have found a workaround for this, @tinypilotess.
Two of us have successfully disconnected and reconnected a TinyPilot to a Mac without needing to reboot by using a USB-A to USB-C adapter instead of directly connecting with a USB-C cable.
We're still unsure why this works. But if it's more convenient for you (compared to frequently rebooting your TinyPilot), could you try using a USB-C to USB-A cable, along with a USB-A to USB-C adapter to connect your TinyPilot's USB "Data" cable to your MacBook?
The connections would look something like this:
TinyPilot Data port>USB-C to USB-A cable>USB-A to USB-C adaptor>MacBook.Please let me know if you have any questions.
- TJohn @tinypilotess
When you add an adapter in place, does it change GUID and other technical details that MacBook gets about connected device? Might be TinyPilot is not providing all hw details or smth that MacOS anticipates.
I don’t have usb-c to usb-a, will wait for software fix.
- David @david2024-10-03 11:27:00.925Z
When you add an adapter in place, does it change GUID and other technical details that MacBook gets about connected device?
When using the USB-A to USB-C adapter, TinyPilot appears the same way it does when using only USB-C, so it doesn't seem like the adapter alters any technical details.
We performed another test using a MacBook Air M3 on macOS 14.5 and had no issues disconnecting and reconnecting TinyPilot.
My current thoughts are that this issue is related to:
- macOS behavior
- Mac hardware behavior
- USB-C cables
I'm taking a deeper look into this to try and find the underlying issue.