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If you see an Aw, Snap! error message on your DAKboard OS device, this is coming from the Browser we use and not the OS. This message simply means that there is an error reaching your URL. This article will explain the most common Error Codes that come with the Aw, Snap! error message, and how to troubleshoot this to get you back online.
What is the Aw, Snap! Error?:
Aw, Snap! is a message built into Chrome and Chromium browsers to alert you to an issue with the page you are trying to reach. They happen when the URL is inaccessible, it is accessible but fails to load, or the CPU runs out of memory before it can finish loading.
Troubleshooting:
With DAKboard OS devices, there can be a few things that will trigger this failure. First, it could be a network issue where the device disconnected and was unable to load content, causing the error. If this is the case, we recommend making sure the WiFi signal strength is strong where the device is located. To check this, open your DAKboard account, click on Displays & Devices, click the three dots to the right of the Display, and then select Settings. From this page, hover your mouse over the WiFi symbol to see the strength. A value between 0 and -67dBm is considered with values closer to 0 being better. You can improve this by moving your DAKboard closer to your router, connecting it via Ethernet rather than WiFi, or with our latest OS we now support Mesh Nodes, APs, and WiFi Extenders which can be used to improve your connection.
Second, we've seen instances where there are too many blocks or too much activity on the screen causing the device to become overloaded or use up all of the CPU's memory before the screen can load. If this is the case, we recommend temporarily removing or disabling some blocks to see if the problem disappears. Also, if you have photos on a very fast rotation (15, 10, or 5 seconds) we recommend setting that to 30 seconds or one minute to see if this also prevents the error from showing.
NOTE: The DAKboard Mini has only 512 MB of RAM. This means for particularly busy screens you may see those errors more often. We recommend you keep your screens as simple as possible when using this CPU.
Error Codes with the Aw, Snap! Message:
Sometimes the Aw, Snap! message will include an error code. This code will let you know more details about what the failure was and could help when troubleshooting the cause. Below are some of the more common ones we see and what the most likely cause of the failure is.
Error Code 5:
This is the generic error code and usually means something went wrong during the load. This could be a failure to connect to the URL, a drop in the internet connection mid-load, or the CPU ran out of Memory while it was loading. You will have to use all the troubleshooting methods above to determine the cause
Error Code 9:
This is more specific. This code means that the URL could not be reached or resolved. Troubleshooting network connectivity is the best place to start.
Error Code Out of Memory:
This is more specific. With this error code, you know that the CPU ran out of memory before completing the load. Start by simplifying your Screen, or reducing the resolution as this will lessen the memory load on the CPU.