Asus Chromebox CN65 does not boot after power failure (or power down)

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1

I have a Chromebox 3 (CN65) with the latest firmware from MrChromebox (2509.3).

The PC boots only once :). After a power down (short press the power button) or a power failure, the fan turns on for a few seconds, followed by … nothing.

The only way to make the PC boot again is to unplug, and do a hard reset (power button + reset for 10+ seconds).

Any ideas how to fix?

Thanks!

2

not seeing that here on my CN65 running 2509.3. Boot the device, update the firmware, clear the NVRAM, and leave the power-on-after-loss setting alone. Test and report back

3

thank you for the quick reply.

Performed the following:

  • load and launch the firmware-util.sh
  • Execute 1) - SUCCESS
  • Execute C - SUCCESS
  • Execute R - proxmox loads successfully after reboot
  • short press on the power button - PC shuts down
  • short press on the power button - PC does NOT boot
  • after ~10 mins, long-press (~10s) the power button - fan max power for ~1 s, PC turns off
  • short press on power button - PC boots, proxmox loads successfully.
  • short press on power button - PC shuts down
  • short press on power button - PC boods, proxmox loads successfully
  • (re-tried the same cycle power down, power up 3 times. proxmox loaded successfully every time)
  • instead of power down, unplugged the adapter while PC running
  • plugged in the adapter, power led turns red for 1 sec, fan max speed for 1 sec, proxmox loads successfully
  • repeat: power failure, wait 10 sec, power back on, red led, fan max speed 1 sec, does NOT boot
  • power failure, wait 10 sec, power back on, red led, fan max speed 1 sec, does NOT boot
  • short press power button, nothing happens
  • long press power button, PC powers down
  • short press power button, PC does not boot
  • repeat: long press power button, PC power down, short press power button, power up but PC does not boot.
4

please capture a cbmem -1 log and pastebin/link it

5

The only way I could get the PC to boot was by unplugging it and holding the power-button + RESET for 10+ seconds.

Captured the dmesg and cbmem -1 log as described (Debugging | MrChromebox.tech)

dmesg:

6

there’s nothing out of the ordinary in those logs.

I just tested a 2nd Fizz box (CTL celeron, vs Asus i7), and no issues of any kind powering off or on.

it’s possible this is something specific to proxmox, or that plus a dead CMOS battery?

using the power button to power down usually puts the device to sleep, not power off, unless you’ve specifically configured it that way in the OS. At which point the selected sleep type in the UEFI settings becomes a factor (S0ix vs S3)

7

Thanks for the debugging.

I don’t think this is proxmox related; I’ve seen the same issue when the PC had Windows installed, and when the machine does not boot, I don’t even get to the rabit logo on the screen.

After clearing the NVRAM, the issues seem to be caused mostly by power-failures, not the power down / sleep (I haven’t changed anything in the OS, so I assume it is sleep).

Is there a way I can capture more debugging information when the machine does not boot (i.e., before the rabit log shows up, keyboard and screen non-responsive)?

Thanks again!

8

you’d need a SuzyQ cable and a debug build.

are you powering via BJ or USB-C?

9

Powering with the original power adapter (BJ I guess).

Looking to figure out how I can get a SuzyQ cable. By a debug build you mean a build with CONFIG_CONSOLE_SERIAL=y?

10

my build script has a --debug option now which adds the necessary configs :slight_smile:

11

I have a SuzyQ cable and trying to debug further.

First, trying to build a debug build. ./build-uefi.sh –debug teemo does not work. Apparently the config file config.teemo.uefi cannot be found.

Second, assume I manage to build and flash the debug build. What debug information would be useful to capture? (assuming the device does not boot, and the only access I have to the machine is through the SuzyQ cable)

Thanks!

12

teemo uses the fizz image, so ./build-uefi.sh fizz --debug

flash with SuzyQ, have a terminal opened to /dev/ttyUSB1 and log it to file.

13

The –debug option on build-uefi.sh does not work. The option CONFIG_EDK2_DEBUG=y leads to a build error: Building ... /home/radu/coreboot/payloads/external/edk2/workspace/mrchromebox/Md - Pastebin.com

However, I was able to build with CONFIG_CONSOLE_SERIAL=y and CONFIG_EDK2_SERIAL_SUPPORT=y

After flashing the rom, here’s the output of

/dev/ttyUSB1: elcome to minicom 2.9OPTIONS: I18n Port /dev/ttyUSB1, 19:30:47Press CT - Pastebin.com

and /dev/ttyUSB2: Setting fan RPM to 2800][301174.811881 power button pressed][74.812240 co - Pastebin.com

The machine does not boot.

14

when a build fails, you need to run V=1 make >build.log 2>&1 to get anything useful.
Whatever the issue, it’s specific to your environment as no issue here

this doesn’t appear to be a full boot even. If this is where the device stops booting, there’s no indication of any issue.