Ubuntu Bionic LXDE Desktop /w Firefox and TightVNC stability

[HenryBenry]

Hi all,

I use my Rock64 Pro as a simple browsing jump box. I VNC (TightVNC) to the Ubuntu Bionic LXDE Desktop (image)

 (18.04 and latest TightVNC build) and browse normally using Firefox. However within 20 seconds to a minute or two of browsing the Rock64 Pro reboots. It doesn't seem to be any particualar web contect that is the issue, although there could be something inbedded I'm missing.

Other CPU heavy tasks don't cause an issue. Neither does browsing over VNC using Chronium.

I don't have visual access to the console so i can't see if there is any on screen panic info.

Anyone got any ideas or troubleshooting thoughts?

I've heard of pulse audio issues causing stability problems?

It;s causing the whole rock to reboot not just the firefox process to crash.

Does firefox utilise some specialist driver support for rendering which Chronium does not? Or perhaps TightVNC is the culprit?

Thanks in advance.

[dukla2000]

I built my desktop starting from minimal & use Firefox without any problem. It is reasonably memory demanding - do you have some sort of swap? (I have 2Gb RockPro64 and do not swap so I doubt this is a problem, merely a straw to clutch at.)

And do you have a heatsink - again the CPU should just thermally throttle so not a good straw either.

But I still wouldn't blame TightVNC - nothing should be causing a reboot.

Best suggestion I have - after a reboot get a terminal open and check
journalctl -b -1

[HenryBenry]

Thanks for your reply.

Yes I have a heatsink. When you started from minmal what desktop env did you go for? LXDE?

I will try journal -b -1 but what i really need is to see the panic info - am i right in thinking that the only eway to see at is with console access at the time in happens.

I will trying using a spare rock tomororrow to eliniate hardware..

I willl also try a different vnc, vnc highjack the video card drvier I belive) - it sounds like it has scope to cause an issue.

Thanks

[HenryBenry]

Thanks for your reply.

Yes I have a heatsink. When you started from minmal what desktop env did you go for? LXDE?

I will try journal -b -1 but what i really need is to see the panic info - am i right in thinking that the only eway to see at is with console access at the time in happens.

I will trying using a spare rock tomororrow to eliniate hardware..

I willl also try a different vnc, vnc highjack the video card drvier I belive) - it sounds like it has scope to cause an issue.

Thanks

[HenryBenry]

Hi all,

I've built the same system on another rock 64 pro. I get exactly the same issue with firefox - system restart after 30 seconds. I've also noticed it seems to happen with any type of video playback occurs. Youtube or BBC News are a good example.

I've uninstalled the audio pulse audio as it posts a lot of errors in kern.log and it was mentioned in another tread.

Still the same issue.

Has anyone got any ideas?

Thanks