Odroid XU4 SDL Problem Emulationstation

ray3d · 30 Mar 2019, 01:22

I try to launch emulationstation and I receive this error:

lvl0: Error initializing SDL!
No available video device
lvl0: Renderer failed to initialize!
lvl0: Window failed to initialize!

This happened after I made update with:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt dist-upgrade
sudo apt install linux-image-xu3 
sudo apt install update-manager-core
sudo do-release-upgrade
sudo reboot

What could be the problem? It was working fine but after that commands the problem began. I decided to update because I had problems with a 8bitdo gamepad to pair for second time because the message said Already Exists. Then I thoight upgrading should fix the problem and now emulationstation not work as you see the word is when crash in that SDL message the keyboard is dead I need to use ssh only to access and I access fine.

I tried to follow this tutorial to install latest sdl but not work

I have the Odroid XU 4 and I installed in the beginning with the guide:

https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Odroid-XU3-XU4/

https://forum.outpost2.net/index.php?topic=5978.0

How can be fixed the problem? I don’t want to loss my information inside.

mitu · 30 Mar 2019, 06:12

@ray3d My guess is that the upgrade has overwritten the SDL libraries added by RetroPie with the distro version. Run the following command:

sudo $HOME/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh sdl2

and this should re-install the RetroPie version of the SDL2 packages.

ray3d · 30 Mar 2019, 06:39

I did your command:

sudo $HOME/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh sdl2

It did a lot of things but says the same:

lvl0:   Error initializing SDL!
        No available video device
lvl0:   Renderer failed to initialize!
lvl0:   Window failed to initialize!

Now reading that maybe x11 has troubles I installed SDL like this:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

 cd ~
wget https://www.libsdl.org/release/SDL2-2.0.9.tar.gz
tar zxvf SDL2-2.0.9.tar.gz
cd SDL2-2.0.9 && mkdir build && cd build

sudo apt-get install build-essential libfreeimage-dev libopenal-dev libpango1.0-dev libsndfile-dev libudev-dev libasound2-dev libjpeg8-dev libtiff5-dev libwebp-dev automake

../configure --enable-sdl-dlopen --disable-arts --disable-esd --enable-alsa --disable-nas --disable-pulseaudio --disable-esd --disable-video-mir --disable-video-wayland --without-x --disable-video-x11 --disable-x11-shared --disable-video-x11-xcursor --disable-video-x11-xinerama --disable-video-x11-xinput --disable-video-x11-xrandr --disable-video-x11-scrnsaver --disable-video-x11-xshape --disable-video-x11-vm --disable-video-directfb --disable-rpath --disable-video-opengl --disable-video-opengl --enable-video-opengles --host=arm-linux-gnueabihf

make -j 4
sudo make install

But the same after reboot nothing same error of SDL! I’m making the configurations and tests via SSH and as an user I made pigame (not root) as it was working perfectly before the disaster. What could be the problem now?

ray3d · 31 Mar 2019, 02:21

Any idea what could hallen I have almost 18 hours trying and I can’t figure. Another thing in raspberry to update retropie is first update the script then basic install and you update to the latest. In the odroid how do you update to latest retropie without harm the actual content? Maybe that can solve.

ray3d · 31 Mar 2019, 04:33

I want to add this information I extracted from the commands shown here also:

sudo find / -name "libSDL2*.so"

/home/game/SDL2-2.0.9/build/build/.libs/libSDL2.so
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libSDL2_net.so
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libSDL2_image-2.0.so
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libSDL2_mixer-2.0.so
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libSDL2_ttf.so
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libSDL2_ttf-2.0.so
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libSDL2_mixer.so
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libSDL2-2.0.so
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libSDL2.so
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libSDL2_net-2.0.so
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libSDL2_image.so

sudo find / -name "libGL*"

/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLESv2.so
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLU.so.1.3.1
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLU.so
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGL.so
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLESv2.so.2.0.0
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLdispatch.so
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLdispatch.so.0
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLEW.so
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLU.so.1
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLX_indirect.so.0
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLX.so.0
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLX.so.0.0.0
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLEW.so.2.0.0
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLESv2.so.2
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLESv1_CM.so
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLESv1_CM.so.1
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGL.so.1
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/mali-egl/libGLESv2.so
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/mali-egl/libGLESv2.so.2.0
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/mali-egl/libGLESv2.so.2
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/mali-egl/libGLESv1_CM.so
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/mali-egl/libGLESv1_CM.so.1
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/mali-egl/libGLESv1_CM.so.1.1
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLESv1_CM.so.1.0.0
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLdispatch.so.0.0.0
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLU.a
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLX_mesa.so.0.0.0
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGL.so.1.0.0
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLEW.so.2.0
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLX.so
/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libGLX_mesa.so.0

 which emulationstation

/usr/bin/emulationstation

apt-cache showpkg libsdl2-dev

Package: libsdl2-dev
Versions:
2.0.8+dfsg1-1ubuntu1.18.04.3 (/var/lib/apt/lists/ports.ubuntu.com_ubuntu-ports_dists_bionic-updates_universe_binary-armhf_Packages)
 Description Language:
                 File: /var/lib/apt/lists/ports.ubuntu.com_ubuntu-ports_dists_bionic_universe_binary-armhf_Packages
                  MD5: 9a82f59c5790721baad7ffc5f181d3d6
 Description Language: en
                 File: /var/lib/apt/lists/ports.ubuntu.com_ubuntu-ports_dists_bionic_universe_i18n_Translation-en
                  MD5: 9a82f59c5790721baad7ffc5f181d3d6
 Description Language:
                 File: /var/lib/apt/lists/ports.ubuntu.com_ubuntu-ports_dists_bionic-updates_universe_binary-armhf_Packages
                  MD5: 9a82f59c5790721baad7ffc5f181d3d6

2.0.8+dfsg1-1ubuntu1 (/var/lib/apt/lists/ports.ubuntu.com_ubuntu-ports_dists_bionic_universe_binary-armhf_Packages)
 Description Language:
                 File: /var/lib/apt/lists/ports.ubuntu.com_ubuntu-ports_dists_bionic_universe_binary-armhf_Packages
                  MD5: 9a82f59c5790721baad7ffc5f181d3d6
 Description Language: en
                 File: /var/lib/apt/lists/ports.ubuntu.com_ubuntu-ports_dists_bionic_universe_i18n_Translation-en
                  MD5: 9a82f59c5790721baad7ffc5f181d3d6
 Description Language:
                 File: /var/lib/apt/lists/ports.ubuntu.com_ubuntu-ports_dists_bionic-updates_universe_binary-armhf_Packages
                  MD5: 9a82f59c5790721baad7ffc5f181d3d6

2.0.8+1mali (/var/lib/dpkg/status)
 Description Language:
                 File: /var/lib/dpkg/status
                  MD5: 7085696df1cfaa119cbfcae5fa57d437


Reverse Depends:
  libsdl2-doc,libsdl2-dev 2.0.4+dfsg-1
  libsdl2-doc,libsdl2-dev 2.0.4+dfsg-1
  libsdl2-doc,libsdl2-dev 2.0.4+dfsg-1
  libsndifsdl2-dev,libsdl2-dev
  libsdl2-ttf-dev,libsdl2-dev 2.0.0
  libsdl2-net-dev,libsdl2-dev 2.0.0
  libsdl2-mixer-dev,libsdl2-dev 2.0.7
  libsdl2-image-dev,libsdl2-dev 2.0.8
  libsdl2-gfx-dev,libsdl2-dev
  libsdl2-doc,libsdl2-dev 2.0.4+dfsg-1
  games-c++-dev,libsdl2-dev
  libpjproject-dev,libsdl2-dev
Dependencies:
2.0.8+dfsg1-1ubuntu1.18.04.3 - libasound2-dev (0 (null)) libdbus-1-dev (0 (null)) libegl1-mesa-dev (0 (null)) libgl1-mesa-dev (0 (null)) libgles2-mesa-dev (0 (null)) libglu1-mesa-dev (0 (null)) libibus-1.0-dev (0 (null)) libmirclient-dev (0 (null)) libpulse-dev (0 (null)) libsdl2-2.0-0 (5 2.0.8+dfsg1-1ubuntu1.18.04.3) libsndio-dev (0 (null)) libudev-dev (0 (null)) libwayland-dev (0 (null)) libx11-dev (0 (null)) libxcursor-dev (0 (null)) libxext-dev (0 (null)) libxi-dev (0 (null)) libxinerama-dev (0 (null)) libxkbcommon-dev (0 (null)) libxrandr-dev (0 (null)) libxss-dev (0 (null)) libxt-dev (0 (null)) libxv-dev (0 (null)) libxxf86vm-dev (0 (null)) libsdl-1.3-dev (0 (null)) libsdl-1.3-dev (0 (null))
2.0.8+dfsg1-1ubuntu1 - libasound2-dev (0 (null)) libdbus-1-dev (0 (null)) libegl1-mesa-dev (0 (null)) libgl1-mesa-dev (0 (null)) libgles2-mesa-dev (0 (null)) libglu1-mesa-dev (0 (null)) libibus-1.0-dev (0 (null)) libmirclient-dev (0 (null)) libpulse-dev (0 (null)) libsdl2-2.0-0 (5 2.0.8+dfsg1-1ubuntu1) libsndio-dev (0 (null)) libudev-dev (0 (null)) libwayland-dev (0 (null)) libx11-dev (0 (null)) libxcursor-dev (0 (null)) libxext-dev (0 (null)) libxi-dev (0 (null)) libxinerama-dev (0 (null)) libxkbcommon-dev (0 (null)) libxrandr-dev (0 (null)) libxss-dev (0 (null)) libxt-dev (0 (null)) libxv-dev (0 (null)) libxxf86vm-dev (0 (null)) libsdl-1.3-dev (0 (null)) libsdl-1.3-dev (0 (null))
2.0.8+1mali - libsdl2-2.0-0 (5 2.0.8+1mali) libc6-dev (0 (null)) libgl1-mesa-dev (0 (null)) libx11-dev (0 (null)) libsdl-1.3-dev (0 (null)) libsdl-1.3-dev (0 (null))
Provides:
2.0.8+dfsg1-1ubuntu1.18.04.3 -
2.0.8+dfsg1-1ubuntu1 -
2.0.8+1mali -
Reverse Provides:

md5sum /usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libSDL2.so

e7281fb0880830ddc64fec99505ce4ca  /usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libSDL2.so

I grabbed this from a forum where said it was suggested to grab. That is what I have inside the system. I don’t know what could be triggering that errors.

mitu · 31 Mar 2019, 04:42

@ray3d said in Odroid XU4 SDL Problem Emulationstation:

In the odroid how do you update to latest retropie without harm the actual content?

You just update the RetroPie script and/or the Retropie packages, without updating the OS.
Sorry I can't be of more of assistance, I don't have an XU4 to test.
The command I mentioned before would reinstall the RetroPie SDL library for your, just in case the system upgrade has overwritten.
Which version is currently installed ? You can find out using:

dpkg -l | grep -i libsdl

ray3d · 31 Mar 2019, 04:57

Ok I give the command and these were the results:

 dpkg -l | grep -i 

ii  libsdl-gfx1.2-5:armhf                  2.0.25-9                              armhf        drawing and graphical effects extension for SDL
ii  libsdl-gfx1.2-dev:armhf                2.0.25-9                              armhf        development files for SDL_gfx
ii  libsdl-image1.2:armhf                  1.2.12-8                              armhf        Image loading library for Simple DirectMedia Layer 1.2, libraries
ii  libsdl-image1.2-dev:armhf              1.2.12-8                              armhf        Image loading library for Simple DirectMedia Layer 1.2, development files
ii  libsdl-mixer1.2:armhf                  1.2.12-14                             armhf        Mixer library for Simple DirectMedia Layer 1.2, libraries
ii  libsdl-mixer1.2-dev:armhf              1.2.12-14                             armhf        Mixer library for Simple DirectMedia Layer 1.2, development files
ii  libsdl-net1.2:armhf                    1.2.8-5                               armhf        Network library for Simple DirectMedia Layer 1.2, libraries
ii  libsdl-net1.2-dev:armhf                1.2.8-5                               armhf        Network library for Simple DirectMedia Layer 1.2, development files
ii  libsdl-sound1.2:armhf                  1.0.3-8                               armhf        Sound library for Simple DirectMedia Layer 1.2, libraries
ii  libsdl-sound1.2-dev:armhf              1.0.3-8                               armhf        Sound library for Simple DirectMedia Layer 1.2, development files
ii  libsdl-ttf2.0-0:armhf                  2.0.11-4                              armhf        TrueType Font library for Simple DirectMedia Layer 1.2, libraries
ii  libsdl-ttf2.0-dev:armhf                2.0.11-4                              armhf        TrueType Font library for Simple DirectMedia Layer 1.2, development files
ii  libsdl1.2-dev                          1.2.15+dfsg2-0.1                      armhf        Simple DirectMedia Layer development files
ii  libsdl1.2debian:armhf                  1.2.15+dfsg2-0.1                      armhf        Simple DirectMedia Layer
ii  libsdl2-2.0-0:armhf                    2.0.8+1mali                           armhf        Simple DirectMedia Layer
hi  libsdl2-dev:armhf                      2.0.8+1mali                           armhf        Simple DirectMedia Layer development files
ii  libsdl2-image-2.0-0:armhf              2.0.3+dfsg1-1                         armhf        Image loading library for Simple DirectMedia Layer 2, libraries
ii  libsdl2-image-dev:armhf                2.0.3+dfsg1-1                         armhf        Image loading library for Simple DirectMedia Layer 2, development files
ii  libsdl2-mixer-2.0-0:armhf              2.0.2+dfsg1-2                         armhf        Mixer library for Simple DirectMedia Layer 2, libraries
ii  libsdl2-mixer-dev:armhf                2.0.2+dfsg1-2                         armhf        Mixer library for Simple DirectMedia Layer 2, development files
ii  libsdl2-net-2.0-0:armhf                2.0.1+dfsg1-3                         armhf        Network library for Simple DirectMedia Layer 2, libraries
ii  libsdl2-net-dev:armhf                  2.0.1+dfsg1-3                         armhf        Network library for Simple DirectMedia Layer 2, development files
ii  libsdl2-ttf-2.0-0:armhf                2.0.14+dfsg1-2                        armhf        TrueType Font library for Simple DirectMedia Layer 2, libraries
ii  libsdl2-ttf-dev:armhf                  2.0.14+dfsg1-2                        armhf        TrueType Font library for Simple DirectMedia Layer 2, development files

I heard that raspberry pi has an experimental driver open gl and altering config.txt fix the issue, In odroid exist something similar?

mitu · 31 Mar 2019, 05:00

@ray3d You seem to have the correct SDL library installed (2.0.8+1mali is installed by the RetroPie script).
The advice about the OpenGL experimental driver on the PI doesn't apply to Odroid.

ray3d · 31 Mar 2019, 05:04

Yes it seems correct. I will try to look for more but Is very strange. Everything is there.

mitu · 31 Mar 2019, 05:14

@ray3d Are you running Emulationstation from the terminal or from the desktop environment ?

Try running it like this from the terminal

SDL_VIDEO_EGL_DRIVER=/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/mali-egl/libGLESv2.so emulationstation --debug

and see if you get a different result.

ray3d · 31 Mar 2019, 05:18

I’m running now all the tests via SSH: I gave your command and these are the results:

SDL_VIDEO_EGL_DRIVER=/usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/mali-egl/libGLESv2.so emulationstation --debug

lvl2:   EmulationStation - v2.7.6rp, built Mar 31 2019 - 02:33:22
lvl2:   Creating surface...
lvl2:   Created window successfully.
terminate called after throwing an instance of 'std::logic_error'
  what():  basic_string::_M_construct null not valid
Aborted
pigame@odroid:~$

What means that?

mitu · 31 Mar 2019, 05:25

@ray3d Looks to be working, you're using an older version of Emulationstation and there's something wrong with your installation.

Did you install from the RetroPie-Setup script or from a 3rd party image ? Did you update your RetroPie-Setup script - what version are you using ?

ray3d · 31 Mar 2019, 05:35

I had from last year the image and I constructed carefully but I didn’t remember present these problems but now I’m a fool because I didn’t make the backup of some things :( Look this is the file: “retropie_packages.sh” and it says _version="1.65 FINAL". What I did is go to:

sudo ~/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_setup.sh

Then update retro pie script and that’s all because I don’t know how to update more. Well what I did also went to manage then core and update all from source that are the two things I did nothing else. How can I update maybe with commands and not the GUI? But I don’t know how.

mitu · 31 Mar 2019, 05:39

@ray3d Can you show a screenshot after the start of the setup script - the version should be shown there. The retropie_packages.sh script is not showing the version.

ray3d · 31 Mar 2019, 05:45

This is the picture of what I see:

mitu · 31 Mar 2019, 05:53

@ray3d This is not the RetroPie-Setup script distributed by the RetroPie project - it's probably a 3rd party image (ORA maybe ?). We don't support those images, you should probably ask the creator(s) for support.

ray3d · 31 Mar 2019, 19:24

I installed everything as it says here with the latest version:

https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Odroid-XU3-XU4/

I deleted from the retropie setup directory:

Now I see:

https://ibb.co/F4ksdhn

But same error emulationstation. or line for same error. When I installed the new retropie it took almost 3 hours it was a lot of time but did nothing. Same SDL error :(

retrodroid · 12 Oct 2024, 05:03

@ray3d did you ever figure this out?

aaronouthier · 10 Feb 2025, 04:17

I'm not sure if I should create a new topic here, or respond to this one, but I'm sure someone will tell me if I'm doing this wrong...

My issue seems to be the same as above Troubles compiling EmulationStation until I compiled and installed sdl2. Then EmulationStation doesn't start with the same message.

I believe I made it one step further, when I discovered the video driver for Exynos wasn't installed, specifically: xserver-xserver-video-armsoc-exynos . Once I installed that, I get a step further, but still an error.

Feb 09 20:04:05 lvl0:   Error creating SDL window!
        eglQueryDevicesEXT is missing (EXT_device_enumeration not supported by the drivers?)
Feb 09 20:04:05 lvl0:   Renderer failed to initialize!
Feb 09 20:04:05 lvl0:   Window failed to initialize!

Platform: Odroid XU4, 16 GB uSD card, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS from odroid.in site (official). Official RetroPie install script.

Possible culprit or catalyst: Early on, setup complained about some missing Python3 packages. I rectified 2 of the 3, however, package Python3-uinput doesn't seem to exist in the usual repos. I'm not sure where to find it.

Although much of work was done via SSH, tasks requiring xorg were performed, such as running emulationstation, were done from an actual keyboard from the terminal.

aaronouthier · 10 Feb 2025, 19:08

Additionally, I didn't realize that I was supposed to type the "sudo systemctl stop lightdm" in the instructions, as the text isn't formatted in the same way as other text to be typed.

I tried it last night, but was basically told that the lightdm service didn't exist. I tried "sudo apt install lightdm", and it installed a bunch of related xorg package dependencies. Still get the same message when running emulationstation. I dd stop lightdm first.

I'm sure someone will want some more info before they can help, but I don't know exactly what, so I'll await further instructions.