My Book Live 2TB Can't Access Twonky

WD Legacy Products My Book Live
1

My MBL 2TB has been performing really well, until tonight. It has suddenly stopped recognising my media players (Sony Bravia and BluRay player and a PS3). I can access the web interface, and there are no longer any connected media players listed. A rescan doesn’t find them either. I can access the drive using my Mac over the network, but obviously something has gone wrong with Twonky. I have tried disabling and restarting the Twonky service within the web interface (http://MBL_IP_Address), but again it didn’t change anything. The database is also empty (just a load of hyphens next to every entry for version, last update, numbers of files etc).

If I try to connect to http://MBL_IP_Address:9000, I get a page not found error, and can’t access it. I am using a Mac by the way. Not sure if that’s relevant.

I have done a bit of searching, and it seems a not uncommon problem, but everyone says the way to fix it is via ssh or shell or linux. I’m not a computer genius, and I don’t want to learn to be one just to get this working! I need to know how I can get the drive to work without messing around with Linux etc, and without losing all my data. If I have to backup 1.1 TB of data and reset the drive, I will not be happy. That’s ridiculous. If I can’t rely on this thing to work without regularly having to copy 2 TB of data to another drive and then back again, then it really was a huge waste of money. There are a lot of people posting these kind of issues on this and other forums. There has to be someone at WD working on this.

2

I think I know what the problem is and it’s a bug within the Twonky Media Server Western Digital has shipped with the drive.  Even though you have dug your heels in about not messing with Linux, you have two choices.

  1. Perform a factory reset after a backup of your MBL and be aware that a factory restore WILL NOT fix the problem.  Twonky will fail and random times.
  2. Perform the procedure below to erase a possibly corrupted database Twonky uses as Twonky will notice the database is not there and re-build it from scratch.

All I can recommend is that should option 2 work then it is the easiest, quickest and most convenient.

End of the day it’s your choice…  :wink:

 -------------------

15:56 01/05/2011

For some reason TwonkyServer would not start.  Kept on starting and shutting down every time the media server was started.

To login as root on the MyBook Live you need a SSH client like the one at http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/ .

Solution…

Login to Dashboard and disable Twonky.

Enable SSH ( http://mybooklive/UI/ssh) and login as root using an SSL client.

Commands to issue at the Linux command prompt.

  • cd /CacheVolume/twonkymedia
  • mv twonky.db PossiblyCorrupt_twonky.db
  • mv db.info PossiblyCorrupt_db.info
  • logout

The reason the instructions is to rename (mv) the files and not erase them is that my mantra is to keep a copy of anything that’s changed. Just in case some tweak may need to be reversed at a future date. If it all works then PossiblyCorrupt_twonky.db and PossiblyCorrupt_db.info can be erased.

Login to Dashboard and enable Twonky.

Login to Twonky’s web interface  ( http://MyBookLive:9000/)
The status screen should show that the scan is in progress.

In response to the error…

Log:

15:36:11:024 ** mediaserver starts.**

15:36:11:024 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /DeviceDescription.xml 3

15:36:11:024 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /ConnectionManager.xml 3

15:36:11:024 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /ConnectionManager/Control 4

15:36:11:024 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /ContentDirectory.xml 3

15:36:11:024 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /ContentDirectory/Control 4

15:36:11:024 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /MediaReceiverRegistrar.xml 3

15:36:11:024 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /MediaReceiverRegistrar/Control 4

15:36:11:024 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for  8

15:36:11:024 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for  16

15:36:11:024 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /disk 3

15:36:11:025 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /httpproxy 3

15:36:11:025 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /albumart 3

15:36:11:025 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /configpage 7

15:36:11:025 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /config 7

15:36:11:025 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /setup 7

15:36:11:025 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /images 7

15:36:11:025 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /index 7

15:36:11:025 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /resources 7

15:36:11:025 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /webbrowse 7

15:36:11:025 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /cgi-bin 7

15:36:11:025 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /bgtrans 3

15:36:11:025 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /createobject 7

15:36:11:025 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /rpc 5

15:36:11:025 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /rss 3

15:36:11:025 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /mediarss 3

15:36:11:025 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /wii/feed 3

15:36:11:026 LOG_HTTP:upnp_http_register_handler registered a handler for /json/feed/ 3

15:36:11:026 [Info] dbx_init - using database: /CacheVolume/twonkymedia/twonky.db

15:36:11:027 [Error] dbx_query - SQL error: database disk image is malformed

15:36:11:027 sqlError - I/O error occured (11). Checking database location

15:36:11:027 sqlError - regular database corrupted, invoking rebuild

15:36:11:027 LOG_SYSTEM:upnp_init_thread (id=1208349824) with name rpc_stop_server

15:36:11:727 LOG_SYSTEM:upnp_server_stop Server terminated

15:36:11:927 dbx_queue_release called

15:36:11:927 LOG_SYSTEM:file_unlink error (errno=2,filename=/CacheVolume/twonkymedia/twonkymedia-locations.db)

15:36:11:928 LOG_SYSTEM:file_unlink error (errno=2,filename=/CacheVolume/twonkymedia/5.1.9)

15:36:11:928 [Error] dbx_delete_db - called without dbx_open

15:36:11:928 LOG_SCAN: upnp_file_scanner_exit(): In

15:36:11:928 LOG_SCAN: upnp_file_scanner_lock - critical section not initialized

15:36:11:928 LOG_SCAN: upnp_file_scanner_unlock - critical section not initialized

15:36:11:928 LOG_SCAN: upnp_file_scanner_exit - critical section not initialized

15:36:11:928 LOG_SCAN: upnp_file_scanner_exit(): Out

15:36:11:928 LOG_SYSTEM:upnp_cds_actions_release()

15:36:11:929 [Error] dbx_close - called without dbx_open

15:36:11:929 ** mediaserver stops.**

2 Likes
3

Myron…

Thank you thank you thank you. That was the push I needed. I was feeling a little intimidated by the whole ssh thing, never having done it before. Actually pretty easy, isn’t it! The problem is now solved. So once again, thank you for the explanation and the help.

However, I would just like to say this. The MBL is a commercial product. And it’s not a particularly cheap commercial product. I find it unacceptable that a product is left for this length of time with such a glaring problem, and the only way to fix it is to “get your hands dirty” with ssh clients etc. This is a product which is marketed and aimed at the general computer consumer, not the high end technophile. This should have been fixed by now with a firmware update. Yes, once you’ve done it once, it’s actually quite easy, but there is a whole army of shoppers out there (bearing in mind that I bought mine in a supermarket, so it’s not justbeing sold to tech-heads) who wouldn’t even have the first notion of what ssh means, or how to log on as root. I just find it slightly disappointing that a company like WD has left this known problem to run and run like this.

Still, now that I’ve made my point, at least I’ll know how to fix it next time it happens. Again Myron: thank you!

1 Like
4

OK, it seems my enthusiasm was a little premature. Deleting the db files did seem to work, in that the database started rebuilding, and the Twonky server reappeared on my TV and BluRay screens. But after a few minutes it vanished. I did the process again, and again it seemed to work. Started scanning the database and recognised my Media Players, then vanished again after a few minutes.

Any ideas?

5

OK, I seem to have got it working again. I went through the above process about 5 times, and on the last attempt it seems to have worked. Not sure why, but at least it seems to be working. On the last attempt I logged out of the web interface as soon as I started Twonky up again. Would that make a difference? It’s the only thing I did differently.

The whole process hasn’t left me with a warm fuzzy feeling about the MBL I have to say, and my confidence isn’t exactly high. Particularly since I can’t seem to find any Mac backup software that allows me to automatically back up the MBL to another drive (I have another 2TB drive that I was planning to use for that purpose). I have a nagging doubt that my data is far from safe.

6

It also confusing me why the next two updates will not include some sort of media server that does not screw up often.  You don’t actually need to visit the Twonky configuration and status site.  It’s just there in the instructions, hepefully, as a reassurance that the Twonky media server has started and begin indexing.

Why Twonky’s database gets corrupted is beyond me.  Maybe you have a media file or three that confuses the **bleep** out of the Twonky media server? Why the database got corrupted several times in a row is a new one on me.

With the database corrupted the thing goes in a loop.  The NAS’s operating system starts Tronky, Twonky crashes because of its corrupted database, the NAS’s operating system re-starts Tronky, Twonky crashes because of its corrupted database, the NAS’s operating system re-starts Twonky, Twonky crashes because of its corrupted database, the NAS’s operating system re-starts Tronky, Twonky crashes because of its corrupted database, the NAS’s operating system re-starts Tronky, Twonky crashes because of its corrupted database, the NAS’s operating system re-starts Tronky and on and on an on…

At the moment, for me and you at least, it’s a workaround to a problem and removes the need to factory reset the NAS which also wipes out your own data.  It is a stupid and confusing situation that really should not exist in the first place!

Do me and others a favour…  To make it easier for other visitors to the form to find this solution and discussion. On my reply with the workaround can you mark is as an accepted solution?  :smiley:

I’ve been in touch with Twonky and their response is bacuse it’s a NAS built they will not support it, but I can start a thread on Twonky’s user community support forum.

Oh well…  Such is life…

7

You made your point very well indeed.  Western Digital has took the mosy lazy route possible.  Reset the entire thing and lose your data on the drive but there is this bug in the Twonky Media server so the people who are not happy working wish SSH and the lunux shell their solution is to back-up to something, factory restore, put the backed up data back in the knowledge that soon ever they’ll have to do the exactly the same thing.

Should I have not been able to find this workoround then the MyBook Live would have bounced right back at Western Digital at faster than light speed and my statement that Western Digital is shipping this NAS with a media server that is known faulty will hold water well.

By rights Western Digital should, on their product page, put in a note that the pre-installed Twonky server is faulty and may fail.

Now, being devil’s advocate…  I see their point that it’s better to find a totally reliable alternative and stress test the permanant fix to **bleep** and high water before releasing the replacement media server as an update.

People may have noticed I am really not screaming much about this issue.  It’s because life it too short to stress because of a faulty Media Server so I now watch things on my computer and not on the TV and the Twonky Media Server and the iTunes servers are disabled on my MyBook live.  I’ve gicen the Twonky Media Server a 100% vote of no confidence.  The NAS itself, serving files to my machines on my network seems to be working flawlessly.

I feel sorry for the people who have highly customised the innner wokings of their MBL. I think the up and coming update is going to wipe out all their hard work.

Erasing the corrupted database files is just such a simple thing. Wonder why Western Digital didn’t think about it.  Actually, I think I may have been the first to find the solution to that and would not be surprised if my solution was circulated round Western Digital’s technical support department!  LOL!  :smileyvery-happy:

Goshdarnit wrote:

Myron…

 

Thank you thank you thank you. That was the push I needed. I was feeling a little intimidated by the whole ssh thing, never having done it before. Actually pretty easy, isn’t it! The problem is now solved. So once again, thank you for the explanation and the help.

 

However, I would just like to say this. The MBL is a commercial product. And it’s not a particularly cheap commercial product. I find it unacceptable that a product is left for this length of time with such a glaring problem, and the only way to fix it is to “get your hands dirty” with ssh clients etc. This is a product which is marketed and aimed at the general computer consumer, not the high end technophile. This should have been fixed by now with a firmware update. Yes, once you’ve done it once, it’s actually quite easy, but there is a whole army of shoppers out there (bearing in mind that I bought mine in a supermarket, so it’s not justbeing sold to tech-heads) who wouldn’t even have the first notion of what ssh means, or how to log on as root. I just find it slightly disappointing that a company like WD has left this known problem to run and run like this.

 

Still, now that I’ve made my point, at least I’ll know how to fix it next time it happens. Again Myron: thank you!

8

Just another thought…  Just has it now…  What it it’s not Twonky that’s faulty but instead it’s the MySQL service that Twonky uses?  :neutral_face:

9

OK, I accepted the solution post. It’s pretty frustrating though that both parties seem unwilling to get together and solve this issue (Twonky and WD). I’m sure it’s a simple solution. I would have thought that Twonky should provide a bug-free version to WD as part of the contract, but I don’t know what the licence deal is between the 2. I’d like to think that between them they could come up with an answer though, it’s just sad that the consumer is the one who is suffering here.

Still, at least I learned something new, and I know what to do in future. Thanks again for your excellent help. My brick is once again a media server.

10

Cool  happy to be of assistance . :smiley:

I think from reading previous posts it is down to a licencing issue.

11

Just a note - and sorry that you have had to go through this. This issue was found and will be resolved in the major update coming out in the next couple weeks. We apolologize for the inconvience that you have had to go through, and we certainly did not deviously plan this bug!

2 Likes
12

Wow! Thanks Tony! That’s amazing news! I’m very happy to know that the issue will soon be fixed. I’m also looking forward to that update. It sounds highly intriguing, and the bug fix is a huge bonus. :slight_smile:

13

Tony, personally I believe Western Digital is a victim of this issue. It’s Twonky’s software that seems to be at fault and not Western Digital’s software.  This seems to be confirmed with Twonky version 6 which seems to be reported as working a whole heap better than the Twonky on the MyBook live.

I’m hoping that this major update has some sort of software mechanisms that can workaround and fix verious issues without resorting to factory restoring the device each time.

Maybe it’s too late in the day, but another idea for the reset switch is if the reset button is depressed while power is applied to the MBL then a hidden copy of the firmware replaces the live firmware. Just incase the Linux OS has been altered to make the MBL unresponsive.

As an example. On the LaCIE NAS I have this can be achieved by turning on the power switch, within three seconds turn the switch off and turn it back on again.  That action resets the settings and firmware to the out-of-the-box version. If this was to be possible it would solve the “The My Book Live is bricked” issue and without losing everything within the user data partition.  Just a suggestion.

I’m no longer affected by this Twonly issue because I’ve disabled it and use the computer to view and listen to media.  It’ll be really cool for Twonky to be fixed once and for all.  Would be awesome and will require a dose of kudoses bent in WD’s direction.

Do you know what the state of play regarding the Public folder on the update?  Can the admin set the permissions of this folder to be read only and also being to make the Public folder unavailable or available to the FTP service?

Following your advise I’ve made a back-up copy of /etc/samba/overall_share and /etc/vsftpd.conf.  These are the only two I’ve changed.

14

hello

I have a problem with twonky despite some updates to the firmware from WD. I was trying your fix but got lost at the point:

Enable SSH ( http://mybooklive/UI/ssh) and login as root using an SSL client.

I’ve enabled the SSH, disabled the twonky and downloaded putty, but have no idea where to login as root (or what host adress to use in putty for the connection).

all additional help would be really appretiated

15

You use the IP address of the MyBook Live as the the connection.

16

Just sign in with putty to the same ip address as you normally use to access your WD drive in your web browser. 192.168.xx.xx

17

thanks a lot. Got it. Applied the fix and twonky is up again.

18

will this work on a mac?

19

Yes it will. I’m a Mac user too, and it worked for me just fine.

20

Hi,

tried to apply the fix for the second time (worked the first time) and got stuck at:

Enable SSH ( http://mybooklive/UI/ssh) 

If I go to the URL, I get redirected to the “http://mybooklive/UI/login” from where I can only login to dashboard.

Am I missing something that I got right the first time?