Customisation

[DJWillis]

The Firmware and Software are totally seperate from one another, to use your PC analogy its like the BIOS and the Operating system. You dont need to flash the BIOS everytime you reinstall windows...

So even If you screw up the Software in some way all you will need to do is replace it with a backup of the original, and as the firmwares untouched theres no way it would brick the unit.

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Whilst you are somewhat correct, in the case of the GP2X and most embedded devices, screwing up the Linux disk image or anything on the NAND could be a "very bad thing(tm)".

All the default stuff stored in NAND really should stay un-tampered unless you know what you’re doing as you can brick your unit if you make a mistake.

Of course GPH upgrades (and community ones in time I am sure) are a different matter as they will be self contained upgrades with verification, tested etc. etc.

The way to look at it is…

BIOS Equivalent = U-Boot Boot loader
O/S Kernel = Linux Kernel 2.4.25 (Brings the hardware up etc.)
O/S Environment = Disk Image using various Linux tools, GPH’s launcher, shared libs etc. etc.

If you, for example, stuff up the shared libs or break the GPH launcher trying to skin it you would be left with a unit that to all intents failed to boot as it does not get far enough into the boot to pass control out to the screen, d-pad etc.. (i.e. Bricked).

Now with no way to get into Linux the Linux based firmware loader from GPH becomes sort of useless so you would then have to result to hooking a serial lead up to your GP2X’s EXT port (or maybe USB in later revisions) and logging into the console to try and fix your install (assuming you can get into the shell to run a fix).

If you can’t get into the shell then the best course of action is to rewrite the disk image and/or kernel (via serial and U-Boot) and that can take a while and a bit of knowledge of how the memory is laid out in the GP2X is very essential. If you screw that up you’re getting into jTAG reflashing territory .

In simple terms, most people did not hack about with the old GamePark launcher and reflash there firmware all the time, the combination of Boot loader, Kernel and Disk image warrants the same level of respect .

Some people will mess about with these items (I have extensively and I plan to do a lot more messing about with the kernel and boot loader) but I would not recommend it unless you have the tools to dig yourself out of the hole or your using well tested code and/or methods .

Basic tools are a serial lead to plug into the EXT and maybe a jTag if firmware hacking about is your thing . Just in case .

 

[Ninjia^]

Thanks for clearing that up for me DJWillis it doesnt sound as easy as I thought it would be but Im more eager than ever to get inside the GP2X!! Hopefully someone like yourself will be able to write up some basic tutorials in the future on how to go about doing the above as safely as possible.

I kinda had the image in my head that hacking the GP2X interface would be somewhat similar to changing windows files such as the bootup logo i.e. Copying over the Launcher/OS files to a PC and then going into them with something like reshack (but for linux) and replacing the images/sound files with my own. Obviously not :unsure:

Just out of interest which serial cable do I need for the GP2X by the way? Im gonna buy one anyway

EDIT : Forgot to add, do you think that it will be likely someone will create a GP2X emulator at some point that would make it possible for myself and others to test skins ect. through a computer before installing them onto the GP2X. Or even better wouldnt GPH have such software that they could release? Sorry if Im asking stupid questions

Thanks a lot h34r:

 

[DJWillis]

Without letting anything much slip there are some cool things in the community being worked on, one of them is a sweet skinable launcher on top of all the usual bits and bobs.

You need a standard serial lead and a GP2X EXT<>Serial adaptor. People will start selling them for the GP2X very soon I am sure .

Some of the hacking about with the Linux disk image is as easy as you describe but if it goes wrong your screwed .

 

[Jengo]

I just hope that one day we will be able to change the background images and icons etc. i dont really feel like replacing anything else. (im not trying to say they are ugly, just they will probably get old after a while)

 

[Ninjia^]

Well the wait is finally over just checked the news page to find this

http://archive.gp2x.de/cgi-bin/cfiles.cgi?0,0,0,0,8,861

A nice easy way to skin the GP2X, no hacking just a simple case of altering PNG files and copying them over to NAND obviously there is still the possibilty this could screw up the launcher but it seems pretty straight forward

Look forward to some cool skins in the near future when I get a GP2X to test them on that is. h34r:

 

[Prothall]

Well, thanks, Ninjia. I find it strange my thread on the same topic promted a grand total of 0 replies, but so long as the info gets out, it's fine with me.

I look forward to a few Fritz Lang Metropolis backgrounds, myself.

 

[TelcoLou]

Well, thanks, Ninjia. I find it strange my thread on the same topic promted a grand total of 0 replies, but so long as the info gets out, it's fine with me.

I look forward to a few Fritz Lang Metropolis backgrounds, myself.

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wow. How wierd ... I just read an article on yahoo:

Article about "Metropolis" poster

sum up:

"LONDON (Reuters) - A poster for the classic German 1920s film "Metropolis" has been sold for a world record $690,000 to a private collector from the United States, the London gallery which arranged the sale said on Tuesday."

 

[Prothall]

I do have a reproduction of that best of all movie posters which I need to frame. Apparently, however, nobody knows what the American posters for that film look like, though the interest in the film suggests that if one of those posters ever did turn up it would start a blood feud or war.

If you aren't familiar with the film it must be seen, as it's the basis of (at the very least) roughly one-half of everything you see on the screen today. I enjoy it very thoroughly, but I have very strange taste.

 

[alibee]

Mention is made here (by DJWillis) of the EXT/RS232 port... is there anywhere (like a PDF) to get details of the hardware (pinouts, etc) or do I need to wait until I actually get my GP2X for that kind of info?

Thanks.

 

[DJWillis]

Mention is made here (by DJWillis) of the EXT/RS232 port... is there anywhere (like a PDF) to get details of the hardware (pinouts, etc) or do I need to wait until I actually get my GP2X for that kind of info?

GPH have not released detailed pin outs for the EXT port, all I know thus far is in the WiKi. You have at least 1 UART (we have the pinouts for that), jTAG and one of the DAC’s from the video encoder (TV out), there may be further DAC’s from the TV our (I hope so) and another UART and maybe some misc I/O of some sort. Sitting down with a scope is on my TODO list but its low down it .