Release Firmware release 1.5, beta 1 released

[notaz]

I'm stealing this newspost from ED and announcing new firmware Release 1.5 - "Super Zaxxon", beta 1.


So why the name change? The upcoming 512MB units require updated bootloaders to support new RAM. You might also have heard currently used old kernel doesn't support full 512MB of RAM for the new units, updated one is needed. To add to that, linux-omap kernel community has finally reached to working power saving in recent mainline kernel releases. So because of all that, and rebirth production coming real close, it's about time to release a firmware we'll be using on updated units for general testing.


So this has:

• updated 1st level bootloader x-load to latest release 1.5.1
  
• updated 2nd level bootloader u-boot to latest release v2011.12
  
• 3.2 kernel release as a boot option in boot menu (hold R shoulder when turning on)
  

Other changes:

• various script tweaks by ED and me
  
• DSP modules available for old kernel (player elements still missing, but can't be included anyway due to patent issues)
  
• addded option to boot the system with RAM reserved for DSP
  

For other changes since hotfix 6, see this thread.


The stand-out new feature here is the 3.2 kernel with aggressive power saving and real suspend support. Now if you boot 3.2 and leave your padora sitting around doing nothing, it will automatically enter low power state and use under half the energy it used to use, potentially doubling battery time (could provide even more) in such cases. There is also real suspend support, which is activated by flipping the power switch. I haven't properly tested how long it can stay suspended, but it sould last at least several days - you are welcome to test. Note that currently there is a limitation that you must not run any PNDs while suspending or things may break. I suspect some use cases like paying games and listening mp3s might give noticeably better battery time too.


On the flip side the 3.2 kernel represents over 3 years of mainline development since we branched off 2.6.27, and many things changed. That means certain features of .27 can't be backported as-is, for example overclocking support, so need to be reworked and are currently missing. That also means some compatibility issues. That's the reason by default old kernel is still booted. Since I'm mostly working on kernel alone (over whole pandora history I've received only a few patches, I think they were form urjaman and WizStan), I expect it will take months, maybe half-a-year or more to sort new kernel issues and then, maybe then, the old 2.6.27 kernel can be finally retired. I'll open 3.2 kernel issue tracking thread to at least know what needs to be done. (EDIT: it's here).


One more thing to mention is potentially improved boot time - it should now get through the bootloaders faster.


So here it is, available as full flash:


http://openpandora.o...erZaxxon-B1.zip


(I'm not sure it makes sense to provide updater pnd, since you need to run flasher anyway to get the new bootloaders)


SD image is also in the usual place:


http://openpandora.org/firmware/


For those running from SD cards, I still suggest to flash the new bootloaders.


(Edit: it turned out they make 2nd SD slot to no longer work on older kernels, so if you do that, you need to update rootfs too (the kernel at least)).


You can do this by copying everything from above zip to root of SD card, but leaving out rootfs.img and rootfs.md5 and then following usual reflashing procedure. Then everything but NAND rootfs will be reflashed.

 

[Linux-SWAT]

Kudos !


Thanks ^^.

 

[gadgetoid]

As I run from SD 100% of the time, would you recommend flashing this to NAND so I can run the beta in parallel to my main setup and, possibly, provide useful feedback?

 

[Binky]

Does the DSP work with the 3.2 kernel?

 

[Link]

Thank you for all the hard work here! Giving it a whirl.

 

[klaxonn]

Does the DSP work with the 3.2 kernel?

I think another way to access to the DSP is possible with newer kernel which doesn't need boot allocated memory, by using dsp-bridge.


Less codecs are supported but more efficiently.

 

[StreaK]

Oh, yes, yes. Thank You for Your hard work..


"Since I'm mostly working on kernel alone (over whole pandora history I've received only a few patches, I think they were form urjaman and WizStan)"


Hmm, who said that works hard on firmware, between posts, eh?


EDIT:


find ./home/desk-drawer/ -name "spare SD card for tests"

 

[gadgetoid]

Thank you for all the hard work here!

Truth! I forgot my manners. Thank you a million times over, Notaz, for the effectively single handed effort of producing this most wondrous of kernels!


Flashed the update to my NAND already, will try and use it and see what happens.

 

[juliano]

This is cool. Thanks again Notaz.

 

[notaz]

As I run from SD 100% of the time, would you recommend flashing this to NAND so I can run the beta in parallel to my main setup and, possibly, provide useful feedback?

I guess you can, it looks pretty solid to me. The flasher will wipe the NAND though, so don't forget to backup if you have anything there.

Does the DSP work with the 3.2 kernel?

I haven't got it working at all, and the included dsplink modules are for the old kernel.

I think another way to access to the DSP is possible with newer kernel which doesn't need boot allocated memory, by using dsp-bridge.


Less codecs are supported but more efficiently.

Yeah dspbridge is included with 3.2, but I don't know if it works.

 

[klaxonn]

I haven't got it working at all, and the included dsplink modules are for the old kernel.

Which parameters do you use for the boot ?

 

[gadgetoid]

As I run from SD 100% of the time, would you recommend flashing this to NAND so I can run the beta in parallel to my main setup and, possibly, provide useful feedback?

I guess you can, it looks pretty solid to me. The flasher will wipe the NAND though, so don't forget to backup if you have anything there.

If I had anything there, I can't imagine what it might be. Haven't used it for ages. I'll probably find out, though, ho ho d'oh!


Now booted with the experimental kernel. Will see what I can or can't do.

 

[notaz]

I haven't got it working at all, and the included dsplink modules are for the old kernel.

Which parameters do you use for the boot ?

I mean I haven't really tried to use it.


I used "mem=96M@0x80000000 mem=128M@0x88000000" for the boot option as that's a superset of mem=99M@... , also left out omapfb bootargs as they look unneeded to me. If gstreamer wants vram pre-allocated for overlay, there is "ofbset -fb /dev/fb1 -mem <size>" command on pandora.

 

[TitanUranus]

First let me say THANK YOU, once again you have come up with unexpected marvels and we pandora owners are indebted. I have not used my pandora for over a week now cause of personal and family problems, but I really look forward to trying out these impressive updates.


I do have a question. Since overclocking is not supported in 3.2 does that mean the pandora is "locked" at 600mhz OPP3 from the time it boots? I relaise changing clock speed on the fly isn't possible, but is there any way to get the pandora to default to 800mhz instead of 600mhz, and can the OPP be changed in some of the startup scripts or something (even if it cant be overclocked, if it's locked at 600 my pandora can run at 600 on opp2 so I'd be as well undervolting)?

 

[EvilDragon]

What you really should try is to just leave your unit alone while not doing anything or try Powersaving mode while not running a PND... seems like 200 hours now.

 

[fusion_power]

New Kernel and stuff sounds promising.


I still don't know why the DSP just can't use the RAM only when he needs it, at least this would be the most logic way. (other mobile devices also use a DSP, I wonder if they also have a permanent RAM area only for the signal processor reserved)


The rest of the bugs seems to be solvable, "real" power saving also sounds great. I'm not sure if this can be used for music players since it is written that you can't run a PND during powersave, but at least we can keep the Pandora on without stressing the battery.

 

[EvilDragon]

Overall powersaving with kernel 3.2 is better, so if an MP3 Player uses the DSP and the CPU doesn't do much at all, it should last really long.


If you let your Pandora sit on the table without doing anything (NOT in Powersaving mode!), remaining time goes up to about 150 hours

 

[moz]

Wow! Thanks for all your hard work! Can't wait to give this a shot!


Sent from my GT-S5660 using Tapatalk

 

[peelie]

Many Many thank notaz!


gonna try it out on me nand! i assume like gagetoid i can try out new kernel and switch back fine to old kernel running off sdcard?

 

[Caine]

Sounds like a fantastic update. Thanks to everyone involved for working on this.

Note that currently there is a limitation that you must not run any PNDs while suspending or things may break.

I leave Emacs running pretty much non-stop on my unit. So, out of curiosity, what is the actual problem here?