Snakeoil Firmware - 1.1.1 (Blind Testing Update 1)

[Mivera]

For some reason my Windows HQP can't connect to my NAA. Just baffles me. Firewall is off, I can run an IP scanner on the same PC and can see the NAA running.  My MacBook has no issues on the same network.

And the Snakeoil no longer downloads 3.24. I can't get 3.25 going and I don't have the 3.24.deb file anymore. And not available anymore to download. I'll await your instructions to SSH. I have never done this before. I'm having company over this weekend for a listening session and can't get HQP going on either Snakeoil or Windows, and that's my only PC powerful enough to run it. 

As a sidenote, I have 2 clients who bought one of these powerful NUC's to run Roon/HQP:

https://www.intel.ca/content/www/ca/en/p...i7hvk.html

Rolling back to the 1st gen firmware is the only way to get legacy boot support. I did that for 1 client and Snakeoil is running fine with 3.24. My other client is running Windows 10. My client running Windows 10 can upsample using any filter/modulator combo up to DSD 512 without breaking a sweat. However my other client who has the same RAM, and SSD using Snakeoil can't even run the most demanding filters up to DSD 256 without stuttering. 

Is it possible that Snakeoil isn't allowing the CPU to run at full power? Perhaps turbo boost not working?

[Mivera]

Figured out the Windows issue. I had more than 1 network adapter enabled. NAA won't work if you do. Regarding the sound it's not any different if I'm using my fibre optic isolated Superstream streamer on the DAC end. Direct to server is likely a different story, but I don't do that as the server USB port is too noisy. It also has a fan.

[agent_kith]

Is it possible that Snakeoil isn't allowing the CPU to run at full power? Perhaps turbo boost not working?

Interesting. Can you go into the kernels section and download the CPUFreq edition and see if that works? I'm using a kernel that's running without CPUFreq, that in theory means the CPU is always locked at it's max speed. Having said that, turbo boost may well require that?

Can you go into the Systems menu, and run TOP and see if what the CPU load is? (Before and after using CPUFreq).

[Dmitry Novikov]

do I need this update if I don't use HQPlayer?

[Mivera]

Is it possible that Snakeoil isn't allowing the CPU to run at full power? Perhaps turbo boost not working?

Interesting. Can you go into the kernels section and download the CPUFreq edition and see if that works? I'm using a kernel that's running without CPUFreq, that in theory means the CPU is always locked at it's max speed. Having said that, turbo boost may well require that?

Can you go into the Systems menu, and run TOP and see if what the CPU load is? (Before and after using CPUFreq).
  

I'm getting one to play with myself so will do that once I get it.

[agent_kith]

do I need this update if I don't use HQPlayer?

Sorry Dmitry, missed your message. If you like what you're hearing, then no.

There are some changes (refer to changelog in first post) that may benefit you - e.g. 267, 255 are two changes that will make the snakeoil menu more responsive in certain cases.. But otherwise, it's always a good to stick to the "if it ain't broke - don't fix it" rule..

[agent_kith]

I did a 1.1.0 install, then install HQPlayer, then go to 1.1.1. And curiously HQPlayer disappeared. Maybe that's the problem. Will try and find out the cause problem and release a fix for it in Update 2.  

Tried this time and time again and couldn't re-create the issue.. Perhaps I've seen wrongly? Anyway, as far as I can tell, HQPlayer works in 1.1.1 now. Please report if anyone is still having problems.

[Mivera]

I did a 1.1.0 install, then install HQPlayer, then go to 1.1.1. And curiously HQPlayer disappeared. Maybe that's the problem. Will try and find out the cause problem and release a fix for it in Update 2.  

Tried this time and time again and couldn't re-create the issue.. Perhaps I've seen wrongly? Anyway, as far as I can tell, HQPlayer works in 1.1.1 now. Please report if anyone is still having problems.  

I'll try again. However I discovered the cpu problem. He changed the "multicore cpu" option in the settings to have 3 states. off, auto and on. When the box is just grey instead of a checkmark, it's in auto mode. And auto mode doesn't work in Snakeoil. Must be on. 

[agent_kith]

I'll try again. However I discovered the cpu problem. He changed the "multicore cpu" option in the settings to have 3 states. off, auto and on. When the box is just grey instead of a checkmark, it's in auto mode. And auto mode doesn't work in Snakeoil. Must be on. 

You mean multicore DSP? Presumably this is a setting to use > 1 CPU for DSP.

Did you enable CPUset? And if so, how many CPUs did you set for user? Also, what's the number of cores and threads available on this PC?

[Mivera]

I'll try again. However I discovered the cpu problem. He changed the "multicore cpu" option in the settings to have 3 states. off, auto and on. When the box is just grey instead of a checkmark, it's in auto mode. And auto mode doesn't work in Snakeoil. Must be on. 

You mean multicore DSP? Presumably this is a setting to use > 1 CPU for DSP.

Did you enable CPUset? And if so, how many CPUs did you set for user? Also, what's the number of cores and threads available on this PC?    

Yes that's what I mean. Actually after further testing we are still getting more CPU power with Windows. We can't run poly-sinc-XTR up to DSD 256 on Snakeoil, but runs fine on Windows with 55-60% CPU load. Never tried the CPUset. My local client just decided to run Windows. It's a pretty nice computer too just use as a blackbox audio only server. However other clients just want a blackbox audio server so I will look into this CPUset and see if it can allow full potential from this CPU in Snakeoil.

Here's all the info on the CPU:

https://ark.intel.com/products/130409/In...-4-20-GHz-

Benchmark:

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu...Hz&id=3209


Pretty amazing to have that kind of power on a PC the size of a VHS tape! It's 100W TDP, but half of the chip is the GPU. Since the GPU isn't being used in Snakeoil, the cooling system only needs to cool half of what it's designed for. So it can pretty much run at full turboboost full time without throttling down from overheating.