Release Ready-To-Flash Firmware-Image

[EvilDragon]

Hi,

from now on, you can get ready-to-flash firmware images on the official Support page.

The current image includes all Hotfixes so far, so there is no need to install them after you reflashed the firmware.

Be sure you only reflash when really needed. Flashing is no swiss army knife. It does wear out your NAND if done often.
Before you flash, make absolutely sure there is no other solution (check the I need Help-Section on these boards).

I you ever need to reflash the firmware: It's not a hard thing to do. Just be sure to follow the instructions carefully.

1. Extract the contents of this zip to root (main) directory (folder) of your FAT32-formatted SD card.
2. Make sure the pandora is turned off (remove the battery in case it crashes or doesn't turn off by using normal means).
3. Insert that SD card into pandora's first slot (it's the one closer to headphone jack).
4. Press and hold the right trigger ('R'), then turn the power on (if you have battery removed, insert it while holding R).
5. A menu should appear on screen. Select "boot from SD1" using the d-pad by pressing B or X.
6. Wait for flash process to finish. Connect the charger to be sure the battery doesn't run out while flashing. Press enter when asked to do so.
7. The device should turn off, press power (without holding R) to turn it back on.
8. It should then start it's first boot process which might take up to 15 minutes, be sure to wait for it to finish, otherwise firmware corruption might happen.

 

[mali]

ED, has Hotfix 3 been updated with the mass storage fix?

 

[fusion_power]

Will the latest Firmware now be included into the next Pandoras? Would be logical I guess. ^^

 

[Tobriand]

When you say it does wear out the nand...? Are we still talking about upwards of 10000 writes per sector?

If so, then personally, I wouldn't be too worried - especially given how easy it is to boot from an SD card .

 

[EvilDragon]

When you say it does wear out the nand...? Are we still talking about upwards of 10000 writes per sector?

If so, then personally, I wouldn't be too worried - especially given how easy it is to boot from an SD card .

Yeah. We're using ubifs, too, which takes care of using different sectors... so the NAND should survive the device, but you never know

 

[Dead1nside]

When you say it does wear out the nand...? Are we still talking about upwards of 10000 writes per sector?

If so, then personally, I wouldn't be too worried - especially given how easy it is to boot from an SD card .

Yeah. We're using ubifs, too, which takes care of using different sectors... so the NAND should survive the device, but you never know

How proven is this NAND wear? I wonder how other devices with flash NAND cope with this, like mp3 players, solid state disk HDDs and mobile phones.

Avoiding writing to the NAND is one of the big things that necessitate PNDs correct? Otherwise a traditional repo could be used instead of hand packaging applications as PNDs, changing their paths?

Thanks.

 

[Pleng]

Avoiding writing to the NAND is one of the big things that necessitate PNDs correct?

Incorrect.

And this is not a PND-hate thread.

 

[mali]

I still think what I always did, it should be standard to have the OS on an SD Card. Especially in the beta phase it's in right now. I don't think it will harm the NAND to reflash from time to time, but having two SD card slots makes it easy to install the OS on an SD card. It would make testing apps from the Angström repo _so_ much easier. Why not release the hotfixes and firmware as a ready to run SD Card image?
Just sayin'

 

[Tobriand]

Oh, pnds make sense in any event - mostly so the programmes in them know where their data is when they might end up at any number of mount points (given that there are a minimum of two of them - one for each SD slot using mmcblk01 type mounting, and LOT more now SD card labels are being used), and so that the desktop and menu systems can be populated and emptied gracefully. Pnd is definitely useful.

Avoiding writing to the nand on a very regular basis is also sensible, I tend to think - so for instance, using it for temporary web-browser storage might have a noticeable effect, since its lots of writes on a very regular basis (much more frequently than simply when writing a new MP3 or movie or rom, for instance).

However, reflashing the whole thing, I would imagine, probably won't - it's precisely 1 write to every byte on the nand, once. Which isn't a lot of writes when the max for each byte is 10000. Case in point: since it takes 10-15 mintues to flash the firmware, this would take nearly 70 days (assuming 10 mins per re-flash) of solid reflashing with no breaks for sleep, playing, or anything else to exhaust. I don't know about you, but I don't plan on spending 70 days worth of time writing to the nand even over the whole time that I own my Pandora!

 

[fusion_power]

What would be the alternative to NAND Memory? Are there better solutions out there? I mean, for example the PSP and the gazillion $ony Firmware updates. This would kill PSP NAND pretty good I think if they use NAND memory.

 

[silverspring]

There is absolutely no reason NOT to write to NAND. It will typically survive thousands of NAND rewrites so there is nothing to worry about.

 

[Tobriand]

There is absolutely no reason NOT to write to NAND. It will typically survive thousands of NAND rewrites so there is nothing to worry about.

Well, only if you're doing thousands of writes on a very regular basis...

But anyway, roughly put I think the conclusion is that, with respect to firmware reflashing, it's less terrifying than originally implied, even if it isn't quite a cure-all. Good!

Any comments on the actual firmware availability? (Sorry for derailing the topic initially)

 

[EvilDragon]

ED, has Hotfix 3 been updated with the mass storage fix?

Yes. Redownload, rerun and it will work.

Will the latest Firmware now be included into the next Pandoras? Would be logical I guess. ^^

Yes.

I still think what I always did, it should be standard to have the OS on an SD Card. Especially in the beta phase it's in right now. I don't think it will harm the NAND to reflash from time to time, but having two SD card slots makes it easy to install the OS on an SD card. It would make testing apps from the Angström repo _so_ much easier. Why not release the hotfixes and firmware as a ready to run SD Card image?
Just sayin'

Because you can download the firmware as tarred rootfs from http://www.openpandora.org/firmware/ , including instructions of how to put the OS on your SD Card.
So yeah, if you want, you can do it.

The OS is not in that bad state that it shouldn't be on NAND, though

 

[mali]

Yes. Redownload, rerun and it will work.

That's good, I put some notes in the Tweaks Thread.

Because you can download the firmware as tarred rootfs from http://www.openpandora.org/firmware/ , including instructions of how to put the OS on your SD Card.
So yeah, if you want, you can do it.

That's great (edit: Sorry for forgetting, it was already posted in the Software Hacking section.)

The OS is not in that bad state that it shouldn't be on NAND, though

Yes, it's pretty good already My primary thought is, that it could encourage users to test more stuff from the Angström repo, cause they don't have to worry about filling up the NAND. Working apps could be converted to PNDs then.

 

[noisome]

Yes. Redownload, rerun and it will work.

That's good, I put some notes in the Tweaks Thread.

Because you can download the firmware as tarred rootfs from http://www.openpandora.org/firmware/ , including instructions of how to put the OS on your SD Card.
So yeah, if you want, you can do it.

That's great (edit: Sorry for forgetting, it was already posted in the Software Hacking section.)

The OS is not in that bad state that it shouldn't be on NAND, though

Yes, it's pretty good already My primary thought is, that it could encourage users to test more stuff from the Angström repo, cause they don't have to worry about filling up the NAND. Working apps could be converted to PNDs then.

Is this firmware Zaxxon with the latest Hotfixes? Can this be stated within the README or something acknowledging what version this is and if we need any hotfixes, or hotfix #4 and up only.

Thanks!

 

[EvilDragon]

Is this firmware Zaxxon with the latest Hotfixes? Can this be stated within the README or something acknowledging what version this is and if we need any hotfixes, or hotfix #4 and up only.

Thanks!

Ermmm, in my first post I wrote:

"The current image includes all Hotfixes so far, so there is no need to install them after you reflashed the firmware."

And on the support site (where the link leads to) it says:

"Complete firmware image including all Hotfixes 2010-07 (Zaxxon)"

So it should be clear, eh?

 

[GizmoTheGreen]

you have fixed the mounting bug in hotfix 3?

 

[noisome]

Is this firmware Zaxxon with the latest Hotfixes? Can this be stated within the README or something acknowledging what version this is and if we need any hotfixes, or hotfix #4 and up only.

Thanks!

Ermmm, in my first post I wrote:

"The current image includes all Hotfixes so far, so there is no need to install them after you reflashed the firmware."

And on the support site (where the link leads to) it says:

"Complete firmware image including all Hotfixes 2010-07 (Zaxxon)"

So it should be clear, eh?

I meant under the openpandora.org/firmware section. For instance, the rootfs version for the SD card, is this the 7-2010 version or 5-2010? And I do understand everything you said, but others who want to download this will not at first glance, so this will save on future incidents of "Duh, what?"

 

[EvilDragon]

you have fixed the mounting bug in hotfix 3?

As mentioned above already, yes.
Redownload and reinstall the hotfix and all is fine.

I meant under the openpandora.org/firmware section. For instance, the rootfs version for the SD card, is this the 7-2010 version or 5-2010? And I do understand everything you said, but others who want to download this will not at first glance, so this will save on future incidents of "Duh, what?"

Well, 5-2010 is from May 2010, so first release, 7-2010 is from July 2010, so latest release

 

[DaveC]

There is absolutely no reason NOT to write to NAND. It will typically survive thousands of NAND rewrites so there is nothing to worry about.

Actually there are many reasons NOT to write to NAND.

For one if apps start writing all kinds of crap there it will fill up pretty fast and users won't have a way of getting rid of all of the shit that gets dumped on there. Especially if an app writes crap there then the user decides he doesn't want the app and deletes it, the crap stays on the NAND, the user doesn't know it is there wasting space. This will be a BIG problem as more and more stuff is released and tested.

If apps continually write to NAND it increases the chance for CORRUPTION if a bug occurs or battery dies in the middle of write etc. Now the unit won't boot and the user will need to rebuild the system which is a big hassle.

And yes continuous writes wear it out. When the NAND goes the unit is worthless.

There should be no reason that apps should be writing to nand. That is what that appdata thing is for. Anything else is just sloppy/lazy coding. SD cards are replaceable, the NAND is not.