BUG: Background upload thread was crashing the app
Problem:
- _upload_to_server() runs in daemon thread
- Was directly setting self.player.should_refresh_playlist from thread
- Kivy is NOT thread-safe for direct state modifications
- App crashed after 2-3 minutes during editing
Root cause:
Line 503: self.player.should_refresh_playlist = True
This directly modified Kivy object state from non-main thread
Caused race conditions and memory corruption
Solution:
- Use Clock.schedule_once() to schedule flag update on main thread
- Ensures all Kivy state modifications happen on main thread
- Thread-safe and proper Kivy API usage
- No more app crashes during editing
This was causing the app to crash every 10-20 seconds during edits.
Should now be stable!
CRITICAL FIX - This was the main issue preventing edited images from appearing!
Problem:
- Edited media was being uploaded to server successfully
- Server updated the playlist (new version returned: 34)
- BUT player never reloaded the playlist
- So edited images stayed invisible until restart
Solution:
1. EditPopup now sets should_refresh_playlist flag when upload succeeds
2. Main player checks this flag in check_playlist_and_play()
3. When flag is set, player immediately reloads playlist
4. Edited media appears instantly without needing restart
Testing:
- Created diagnostic script test_edited_media_upload.py
- Confirmed server accepts edited media and returns new playlist version
- Verified SSL fix works correctly (verify=False)
Now edited images should appear immediately after save!
Root cause identified from logs:
[SSL: CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED] certificate verify failed: self-signed certificate
The server uses a self-signed certificate (like production), but the edited media
upload endpoint was not disabling SSL verification while other API calls do.
Solution:
- Add verify=False to requests.post() call in _upload_to_server()
- Matches the SSL verification handling in get_playlists_v2.py
- Add warning about SSL verification being disabled
- Now edited images can upload successfully to server
This fixes the upload failures that were preventing edited images from being
synced to the server.
Critical fixes for image editing workflow:
1. Keep local edited files as backup (don't delete after server upload)
- Server may not process upload immediately
- Keeps edits safe locally in case server fails
- Prevents loss of edited images
2. Include original filename in metadata sent to server
- Server needs to know which file was edited
- Allows proper tracking and versioning
3. Improved error logging for server upload
- Now logs detailed errors (404, 401, timeout, connection)
- Shows clear messages when server doesn't support endpoint
- Helps diagnose why edits aren't syncing to server
4. Better user feedback during save
- Shows 'Saved to device' status first
- Then 'Upload in progress' to show server sync happening
- Clarifies local vs server save status
Bug symptoms fixed:
- Edited images now persist locally after restart
- Server upload now sends correct file information
- Clear error messages if server upload fails
- User understands 'local save' vs 'server sync' steps
Added support for both X11 and Wayland environments:
Display Server Detection:
- Auto-detects Wayland via WAYLAND_DISPLAY environment variable
- Falls back to X11 commands if not Wayland
- Works seamlessly on both display servers
Wayland-specific tools:
- wlopm - Wayland output power management (keeps display on)
- wlr-randr - Output management for wlroots compositors
- ydotool - Mouse movement for Wayland (alternative to xdotool)
- systemd-inhibit integration for idle prevention
Enhanced display keep-alive script:
- Detects display server type on startup
- Uses appropriate commands based on environment
- Wayland: wlopm, wlr-randr, ydotool
- X11: xset, xdotool, xrandr
- Both: tvservice for HDMI power control
App-level improvements (main.py):
- Detects Wayland via os.environ check
- Executes Wayland-specific commands when detected
- Maintains X11 compatibility for older systems
Installation improvements:
- Auto-installs Wayland tools if Wayland is detected
- Attempts to install: wlopm, wlr-randr, ydotool
- Graceful fallback if packages unavailable
This ensures HDMI power management works correctly on:
- Raspberry Pi OS with X11 (older versions)
- Raspberry Pi OS with Wayland (Bookworm and newer)
- Any Linux system using either display server
- Added signal_screen_activity() method to SignagePlayer class
- Runs every 20 seconds automatically
- Also triggered on any touch/user input events
Multiple methods used to keep display awake:
- xset s reset - Resets screensaver timer
- xset dpms force on - Forces display on
- xdotool - Subtle mouse movement to trigger activity
This complements the system-level power management:
- Works alongside display power management settings
- Non-blocking and non-critical (fails gracefully)
- Signals every 20 seconds + on user input
- Prevents display from sleeping during playback
Screen should now remain active throughout media playback.
- Created .keep-screen-alive.sh wrapper script with multiple methods:
* systemd-inhibit (primary - prevents OS-level sleep/suspend)
* xset commands (prevents X11 screensaver)
* Mouse movement (prevents idle timeout)
- Added screen-keepalive.service systemd unit:
* Runs xset s reset every 30 seconds
* Auto-restarts on failure
* Integrated with graphical session
- Multiple layers of screen protection:
* HDMI blanking disabled
* CPU power saving disabled
* System sleep/suspend disabled
* X11 screensaver disabled
* DPMS (Display Power Management) disabled
* Display forced on periodically
Screen will now remain active while player is running, preventing lockups or blank screens during playback.
- Enhanced install.sh with comprehensive autostart workflow:
* XDG autostart entry (desktop environment)
* systemd user service (most reliable)
* LXDE autostart support (Raspberry Pi OS)
* Cron fallback (@reboot)
* Terminal mode enabled for debugging
- Added Raspberry Pi power management features:
* Disable HDMI screen blanking
* Prevent CPU power saving (performance mode)
* Disable system sleep/suspend
* X11 screensaver disabled
* Display power management (DPMS) disabled
- Fixed sudo compatibility:
* Properly detects actual user when run with sudo
* Correct file ownership for user configs
* systemctl --user works correctly
- Player launches in terminal for error visibility
- Autostart configured to use start.sh (watchdog with auto-restart)
