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Diffstat (limited to 'www/docs/flash.t')
-rw-r--r-- | www/docs/flash.t | 58 |
1 files changed, 33 insertions, 25 deletions
diff --git a/www/docs/flash.t b/www/docs/flash.t index 6c82493562..5f0bb026a0 100644 --- a/www/docs/flash.t +++ b/www/docs/flash.t | |||
@@ -12,31 +12,25 @@ by Jörg Hohensohn aka [IDC]Dragon | |||
12 | 7. Known issues, limitations<br> | 12 | 7. Known issues, limitations<br> |
13 | 8. Movies and images<br> | 13 | 8. Movies and images<br> |
14 | 14 | ||
15 | <h2>What is Flashing</h2> | 15 | <h2>1. What is this about?</h2> |
16 | 16 | <p> | |
17 | <p> Flashing in the sense used here and elsewhere in regard to Rockbox means | 17 | Flashing in the sense used here and elsewhere in regard to Rockbox means |
18 | reprogramming the flash memory of the Archos unit. Flash memory (sometimes | 18 | reprogramming the flash memory of the Archos unit. Flash memory (sometimes |
19 | called "Flash ROM") is a type of nonvolatile memory that can be erased and | 19 | called "Flash ROM") is a type of nonvolatile memory that can be erased and |
20 | reprogrammed. It is a variation of electrically erasable programmable | 20 | reprogrammed in circuit. It is a variation of electrically erasable |
21 | read-only memory (EEPROM). | 21 | programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). |
22 | |||
23 | <p> | 22 | <p> |
24 | When you bought Your Archos, it came with the Archos firmware flashed. Now, | 23 | When you bought Your Archos, it came with the Archos firmware flashed. Now, |
25 | you can replace the built-in software with Rockbox. | 24 | you can replace the built-in software with Rockbox. |
26 | |||
27 | <h2>1. What is this about?</h2> | ||
28 | <p> | ||
29 | This package contains tools to update the flash content of Archos Jukebox | ||
30 | Recorder / FM. | ||
31 | <p> | 25 | <p> |
32 | Some terminology I'm gonna use in the following:<br> | 26 | Some terminology I'm gonna use in the following:<br> |
33 | <b>Firmware</b> means the flash ROM content as a whole.<br> | 27 | <b>Firmware</b> means the flash ROM content as a whole.<br> |
34 | <b>Image</b> means one operating software started from there. | 28 | <b>Image</b> means one operating software started from there. |
35 | <p> | 29 | <p> |
36 | By reprogramming the firmware we can boot much faster. Archos has a pathetic | 30 | By reprogramming the firmware we can bot much faster. Archos has a pathetic |
37 | boot loader, versus the boot time for rockbox is much faster than the disk | 31 | boot loader, versus the boot time for Rrockbox is much faster than the disk |
38 | spinup, in fact it has to wait for the disk. Your boot time will be as quick as | 32 | spinup, in fact it has to wait for the disk. Your boot time will be as quick as |
39 | a disk spinup. In my case, that's 3 seconds from powerup until resuming | 33 | a disk spinup. In my case, that's 4 seconds from powerup until resuming |
40 | playback. | 34 | playback. |
41 | 35 | ||
42 | <h2>2. How is it working?</h2> | 36 | <h2>2. How is it working?</h2> |
@@ -66,7 +60,9 @@ I will provide more technical details in the future, as well as my non-user | |||
66 | tools. There's an authoring tool which composed the firmware file with the | 60 | tools. There's an authoring tool which composed the firmware file with the |
67 | bootloader and the 2 images, the bootloader project, the plugin sources, and | 61 | bootloader and the 2 images, the bootloader project, the plugin sources, and |
68 | the tools for the UART boot feature: a monitor program for the box and a PC | 62 | the tools for the UART boot feature: a monitor program for the box and a PC |
69 | tool to drive it. | 63 | tool to drive it. Feel free to review the |
64 | <a href="http://joerg.hohensohn.bei.t-online.de/archos/flash/flash_sourcecode.zip">sources</a> | ||
65 | for all of it, but be careful when fooling around with powerful toys! | ||
70 | 66 | ||
71 | <h2>3. Is it dangerous?</h3> | 67 | <h2>3. Is it dangerous?</h3> |
72 | <p> | 68 | <p> |
@@ -84,7 +80,7 @@ such low level code should behave different on your box. | |||
84 | There's one ultimate safety net to bring back boxes with even completely | 80 | There's one ultimate safety net to bring back boxes with even completely |
85 | garbled flash content: the UART boot mod, which in turn requires the serial | 81 | garbled flash content: the UART boot mod, which in turn requires the serial |
86 | mod. It can bring the dead back to life, with that it's possible to reflash | 82 | mod. It can bring the dead back to life, with that it's possible to reflash |
87 | completely from the outside, even if the flash is completely erased. I used | 83 | independently from the outside, even if the flash is completely erased. I used |
88 | that during development, else Rockbox in flash wouldn't have been possible. | 84 | that during development, else Rockbox in flash wouldn't have been possible. |
89 | Most of the developing effort went into this tooling. So people skilled to do | 85 | Most of the developing effort went into this tooling. So people skilled to do |
90 | these mods don't need to worry. The others may feel unpleasant using the first | 86 | these mods don't need to worry. The others may feel unpleasant using the first |
@@ -134,12 +130,17 @@ different. It takes a developer with the serial mod to go ahead with it. | |||
134 | I'm using the new plugin feature to run the flasher code. There's not really a | 130 | I'm using the new plugin feature to run the flasher code. There's not really a |
135 | wrong path to take, however here's a suggested step by step procedure: | 131 | wrong path to take, however here's a suggested step by step procedure: |
136 | <ul> | 132 | <ul> |
137 | <li> copy the following files of <a href="http://joerg.hohensohn.bei.t-online.de/archos/">this package</a> to your box:<ol> | 133 | <li> download the correct package for you model, |
134 | <a href="http://joerg.hohensohn.bei.t-online.de/archos/flash/flash_rec.zip">Recorder</a> | ||
135 | or | ||
136 | <a href="http://joerg.hohensohn.bei.t-online.de/archos/flash/flash_fm.zip">FM</a> | ||
137 | , copy some files of it to your box: | ||
138 | <ol> | ||
138 | <li> "ajbrec.ajz" into the root directory (the version of Rockbox we're going to use and have in the | 139 | <li> "ajbrec.ajz" into the root directory (the version of Rockbox we're going to use and have in the |
139 | firmware file)<br> | 140 | firmware file)<br> |
140 | <li> firmware_rec.bin or firmware_fm.bin into the root directory (the complete firmware for your model, | 141 | <li> firmware_rec.bin or firmware_fm.bin into the root directory (the complete firmware for your model, |
141 | with my bootloader and the two images) | 142 | with my bootloader and the two images) |
142 | <li> all .rock files to .rockbox/rocks (the plugins for Rockbox)<br> | 143 | <li> the .rockbox subdirectory with all the plugins for Rockbox<br> |
143 | </ol> | 144 | </ol> |
144 | <li> Restart the box so that the new ajbrec.ajz gets started. | 145 | <li> Restart the box so that the new ajbrec.ajz gets started. |
145 | 146 | ||
@@ -212,9 +213,9 @@ it down to about 58% of the original size. For details on UCL, see: <a | |||
212 | href="http://www.oberhumer.com/opensource/ucl/">www.oberhumer.com/opensource/ucl/</a> | 213 | href="http://www.oberhumer.com/opensource/ucl/">www.oberhumer.com/opensource/ucl/</a> |
213 | 214 | ||
214 | <p> Linux users will have to download it from there and compile it, for Win32 | 215 | <p> Linux users will have to download it from there and compile it, for Win32 |
215 | and Cygwin I can do that, so the executables are in <a | 216 | and Cygwin I can do that, so the executables are in |
216 | href="http://joerg.hohensohn.bei.t-online.de/archos/">the package</a>. The | 217 | <a href="http://joerg.hohensohn.bei.t-online.de/archos/flash">the packages</a>. |
217 | sample program from that download is called "uclpack". We'll use that to | 218 | The sample program from that download is called "uclpack". We'll use that to |
218 | compress "rockbox.bin" which is the result of the compilation. This is | 219 | compress "rockbox.bin" which is the result of the compilation. This is |
219 | a part of the build process meanwhile. If you compile Rockbox yourself, | 220 | a part of the build process meanwhile. If you compile Rockbox yourself, |
220 | you should copy uclpack to a directory which is in the path, I recommend | 221 | you should copy uclpack to a directory which is in the path, I recommend |
@@ -236,10 +237,10 @@ bootloader), with maximum compression, by typing | |||
236 | "uclpack --2e --best rockbox.bin rockbox.ucl". You can make a batch file for | 237 | "uclpack --2e --best rockbox.bin rockbox.ucl". You can make a batch file for |
237 | this and the above step, if you like. | 238 | this and the above step, if you like. |
238 | 239 | ||
239 | <li> Normally, you'll download or compile rockbox.ucl. Copy it together | 240 | <li> Normally, you'll simply download or compile rockbox.ucl. Copy it together |
240 | with ajbrec.ajz and all the rocks to the appropriate places, replacing the old. | 241 | with ajbrec.ajz and all the rocks to the appropriate places, replacing the old. |
241 | 242 | ||
242 | <li> Just "play" the .ucl file, thos will kick off the "rockbox_flash.rock" | 243 | <li> Just "play" the .ucl file, this will kick off the "rockbox_flash.rock" |
243 | plugin. It's a bit similar to the other one, but I made it different | 244 | plugin. It's a bit similar to the other one, but I made it different |
244 | to make the user aware. It will check the file, | 245 | to make the user aware. It will check the file, |
245 | available size, etc. With F2 it's being programmed, no need for warning this | 246 | available size, etc. With F2 it's being programmed, no need for warning this |
@@ -261,6 +262,12 @@ compression by itself, but that's hard to do because a plugin is very limited | |||
261 | with memory (32kB for code and data). Currently I'm doing one flash sector | 262 | with memory (32kB for code and data). Currently I'm doing one flash sector |
262 | (4096 bytes) at a time. Don't know how slow the compression algorithm would be | 263 | (4096 bytes) at a time. Don't know how slow the compression algorithm would be |
263 | on the box, that's the strenuous part. | 264 | on the box, that's the strenuous part. |
265 | <p> | ||
266 | If you like or have to, you can also flash the Archos image as the second one, | ||
267 | e.g. in case Rockbox from flash doesn't work for you. This way you keep the | ||
268 | dual bootloader and you can easily try different later. I prepared | ||
269 | <a href="http://joerg.hohensohn.bei.t-online.de/archos/flash">UCLs</a> | ||
270 | for the latest Recorder and FM firmware. | ||
264 | 271 | ||
265 | <h2>7. Known issues, limitations</h2> | 272 | <h2>7. Known issues, limitations</h2> |
266 | <p> | 273 | <p> |
@@ -290,11 +297,12 @@ the new version before flashing it. | |||
290 | 297 | ||
291 | <p> | 298 | <p> |
292 | Two people have an issue with recording, it freezes after a few minutes or so | 299 | Two people have an issue with recording, it freezes after a few minutes or so |
293 | (statistically). The use F1 to record with Archos software as a workaround. | 300 | (statistically). They use F1 to record with Archos software as a workaround. |
294 | 301 | ||
295 | <h2>8. Movies and images</h2> | 302 | <h2>8. Movies and images</h2> |
296 | <p> | 303 | <p> |
297 | Jörg's AVI movie (1.5MB) <a href="flash/rockbox_flash_boot.avi">rockbox_flash_boot.avi</a> showing his unit booting Rockbox from flash. | 304 | Jörg's AVI movie (1.5MB) <a href="flash/rockbox_flash_boot.avi">rockbox_flash_boot.avi</a> |
305 | showing his unit booting Rockbox from flash. | ||
298 | <p> | 306 | <p> |
299 | Roland's screendump from the movie:<br> | 307 | Roland's screendump from the movie:<br> |
300 | <img src="flash/rockbox-flash.jpg" width="352" height="288"> | 308 | <img src="flash/rockbox-flash.jpg" width="352" height="288"> |