Fast Boot Firmware - 15 Second Boots

[theoddbot]

Boot your gp2x in less than 15 seconds or your money back!



Features:

    Very fast boot time - 15 seconds

    Latest official firmware - version 1.4

    Read Only - save your precious NAND

    Automatic menu respawn - recover from crashes

    Automatic USB Serial console - straight to the system

    DaveC's LCD tweaker image - for the best picture

    Includes Some Useful Software:
        sterm 0.1 - for hacking on the go
        screen - multiple terminals
        lrzsz  - send and receive files via serial
        strace - see what that pesky app is up to

Download Now!


Big Fat Warning!!!:
Beta Only - Use at own risk!!!!!

Because cramfs is a read-only file-system, some applications may fail to
work properly. Best efforts have been made but we can't account for all
situations.

The gadget storage doesn't work at all, but it's broken in the official
firmware anyway.

Instructions:

    1. Download and extract 
        http://brendan.mine.nu/gp2x/cramfs/gp2x-cramfs-0.0.4.zip

    2. Turn on your gp2x

    3. Copy cramfs-0.0.4.dump to your SD card

    4. Put your SD card in the gp2x

    5. run:
        dd if=/mnt/sd/cramfs-0.0.4.dump of=/dev/mtdblock/4 bs=1M
        sync

        This step takes around 2-3 minutes to complete before it returns to
        the menu.
        
        flash_cramfs.gpu is provided for the terminal impaired, it has been 
        tested but use it at your own risk.

    5. Copy gp2xkernel.img to your SD card, and flash your gp2x as normal

That's it!, enjoy your new boot time

If you want to revert to the old firmware, simply reflash the kernel
to your current firmware (gp2xkernel.img) , your original file-system will not be
touched.


Edit: updated the link to 0.0.4

 

[DaveC]

Cool is there a way to change backlight brightness? If not could one be added? The current setting is too bright and washed out and it would be nice to be able to adjust the backlight brightness on a screen similar to the tweaker one (could use the same image). If that could then be saved somewhere so all apps use it it would be great. (make not read only for that) It seems that all different FW versions have different brightness settings.

 

[Paradox]

im usually the first to dive in trying the beta's but i think ill wait till this is more developed cause im lazy

 

[whiskthecat]

You should dive in paradox its totally worth it. I went from 40 seconds to 13 seconds.

 

[calqlater]

I must say: this is a totally exciting development!!!! It works great so far and I think I'll stick with a similar system (who wouldn't want read-only stuff on the nand, anyway?).

I do have a question, though. I don't understand what the DD is actually doing there (other than copying the cramfs image into the nand somewhere. Where is it actually going? Spare partition? How does it coexist with the default filesystem?

Thanks!

 

[theoddbot]

It's going on to the spare partition.

 

[iignotus]

What about skins? Do they still work, with all the read-only-ness?

 

[thetictacaddict]

Works for me! - 14 seconds.

Favorite feature: usb terminal at boot, with working ctrl+c

 

[Hochler]

Link down.

 

[daclassicgamingmaster]

is everyone using the dump or has anyone tried the .gpu file?

 

[Hochler]

Hmm... Is the link only down for me? How did you get it?

 

[thetictacaddict]

is everyone using the dump or has anyone tried the .gpu file?

​

The gpu file is just a script that copies the dump for you. I've done it with and without the script, no problems.

 

[whiskthecat]

I just used the script and it works flawlessly.

 

[bmilleker]

I think the link is http://brendan.mine.nu/gp2x/cramfs/gp2x-cramfs-0.0.3.zip

 

[Shikaku]

im usually the first to dive in trying the beta's but i think ill wait till this is more developed cause im lazy

​

... to reflash your unit if it messes up?

Just curious =p

 

[sand_man]

Does this mean we can overclock like we used to without it reverting back in the menu?

 

[bmilleker]

How do you revert your system if you dont want to have this on anymore? Just a simple reflash of the GPH official firmware?

 

[mwolson]

BTW: See BUILD.txt for instructions on making your own custom cramfs image.

One known problem with these instructions is that Step 4 issues some errors. For each error, you'll need to call "mkdir <name-of-folder>". Example follows.

cp: will not create hard link `mycramfs/mnt/sd' to directory `mycramfs/dev'

What you need to do: "mkdir mycramfs/mnt/sd".

 

[theoddbot]

Does this mean we can overclock like we used to without it reverting back in the menu?

​

No, it's still the 1.4 firmware menu app.

How do you revert your system if you dont want to have this on anymore? Just a simple reflash of the GPH official firmware?

​

Just reflash the gp2xkernel.img from the official firmware. No other patching required.

 

[bmilleker]

Wow awesome. I used the script and it works very well.

One suggestion though, the lcd setting should not be on 1, maybe 4 or 5.