DRM_IOCTL_MODE_CREATE_DUMB failed: Cannot allocate memory

roslof

@mitu okay. Will run additional checks with OMX turned on.

roslof

That didn't take long... ES memory is completely stable with the OMX Player enabled. omxplayer.bin is releasing memory as expected. Safe to say that libvlc is leaking memory?

roslof

I'm a bit too junior to know if this is the same issue:
https://code.videolan.org/videolan/LibVLCSharp/issues/252

mitu

@roslof said in DRM_IOCTL_MODE_CREATE_DUMB failed: Cannot allocate memory:

Safe to say that libvlc is leaking memory?

Hard to say, but my guess it's not libvlc, the error you're reporting comes from the DRM layer, libvlc is used just to decode the video and not to render the video.

roslof

I let my system "soak" for 5 hours and it eventually froze on a black screen. I looked into it and learned that the video screensaver has a separate option for using OMX. Since it was using libVLC, memory was maxed in ES -- thus the freeze.

I set the screensaver to use OMX for videos, then started a new soak test. I noted the screensaver videos don't render w/OMX enabled. Perhaps I'm missing something in configuration.

Not clear is this a known issue and if there is a work-around...

roslof

Ah... Looks like if OMX is set, and "Show Game Info On Screensaver" is set to anything other than Never, the videos won't render. So for now, I've disabled overlaying game info.

Re-running soak test with OMX enabled...

mitu

@roslof on the Pi4, omxplayer can't render the subtitles - it's not supported. Maybe we need that taken care of in EmulationStation.

I've set the EmulationStation screensaver since my last reply, so it's been running for about 7 hours, but there's no crash and the memory has stayed the same (from what top tells me).

I'll see if using the theme and doing the switch as you mention would make EmulationStation crash.

roslof

@mitu for me without omx, memory creeps regardless of theme. Even Carbon. Maybe there is something out of date with my setup. Can't imagine what. Will keep looking.

mitu

Can you try to reproduce the crash again, then attach the dmesg output on pastebin.com ? Just redirect to a text file, then upload the file there:

dmesg > ~/roms/dmes.txt

Preferably after a reboot, just fiddle with EmulationStation 'till crashes, then get the log.

roslof

@mitu no trouble.

Here is the output (omx off, reboot, navigating ES w/Hursty's Magazine Madness theme - no game launching)

https://pastebin.com/vNpii7wW

mitu

Yep, it's the OOM killer alright, indicative of a memory leak or an over-commit situation.
What's your allocated VRAM in EmulationStation ?

roslof

@mitu I've played with 200-250MB. Happy to ramp it further if it prolongs the crash.

Retropia.rd

Hi all, I found out that the problem occurs when the RPi4 is configured to display 4K. If you change the /boot/config.txt and force 1080p, the problem goes away.

shavecat

Hey im having the same here any ideas ?

BuZz

@shavecat you should know how the forum works by now. Replying saying same issue with no information is useless. There's even a solution above.

Start a new topic and provide something to work with.

shavecat

@BuZz
Hey so i change the
#hdmi_group=1
#hdmi_mode=16
too
hdmi_group=1
hdmi_mode=16

But i still getting this error

shavecat

Hey all back ,
So im still having this isuue with no overclock at all ! .
Plz any help ?

shavecat

@roslof
Did u get it fix at the end ?
having this issue for a month now... with no luck :\

roslof

@shavecat said in DRM_IOCTL_MODE_CREATE_DUMB failed: Cannot allocate memory:

@roslof
Did u get it fix at the end ?
having this issue for a month now... with no luck :\

I'm stable. Can't say I know for certain what change fixed the DRM message (assuming that's your issue) but no issues here at this time. All my relevant, personal changes are documented in this thread, except now I'm using a lighter theme and exclusively using the latest version of VLC, which renders screensaver video and ES videos when hardware acceleration is off.

Backup your data first, then I suggest reading through the thread and carefully experiment, reverting changes that you find don't help. Maybe try the Carbon theme (tried and true) for a bit and see how that goes. Be sure your software is up to date (mine is) as of last weekend.

shavecat

@roslof
thanks a lot !
yes its the same issue driving my nuts i really tried everything...
will give it a try for all that u write here again :)
hope for good and will say if worked .
thank again