Why Do We Have To Flash Our Gp32

[kenryuakuma]

Well, I really wanna getta know more about GP32, so I think I have to ask a few more basic questions. Sorry for being so ignorant. Anyway, I heard lots of people saying flashing your Gp32. What did they mean by FLASING? How come we have to flash our Gp32? Thanks to help me out.

 

[Hooka]

It's just simply changing the firmware (boot menu) to whatever you want it to be (given you're willing to program it or someone else already has) you don't HAVE TO but in certain cases you might prefer to.

 

[DaveC]

Well, I really wanna getta know more about GP32, so I think I have to ask a few more basic questions. Sorry for being so ignorant. Anyway, I heard lots of people saying flashing your Gp32. What did they mean by FLASING? How come we have to flash our Gp32? Thanks to help me out.

​

You don't need to flash it. If you do try to flash and something goes wrong and the flash fails the GP32 won't work anymore. I wouldn't bother doing it on a BLU, the launcher is good enough.

 

[Tobriand]

Back in the good ole days before EEPROMs, when bioses were written to straigh Read Only Memory, if you wanted to upgrade it to a newer version, you had to shine UV light onto the bare ROM in order to wipe it before you could write on the new bios (which may also have been done with UV light, but I'm not sure about that; UV was involved certainly at some point). That's where the term flashing comes from.

A while back, though, someone came up with EEPROMs, which are basically "read only memory" that doesn't need UV in order to get replaced. Most bioses/firmwares - including the GP32's - are written on EEPROMs these days. And whilst UV is no longer needed, the term has stuck when you're wiping over the old version of a firmware with a new one.

Bear in mind that anyone flashing their GP32 is doing it to change the firmware (the menu bits AND the bios) rather than simply the bios. So far as I know, all versions of the bios are identical, saving those on the BLUpluses.

 

[gp32rich]

A good explanation there Tobi

But there's a couple of mistakes I'll clear up

Having to cook an Eraseable-Programmable-Read-Only-Memory (EPROM - the one with the window*) for 30 minutes in a UV oven to erase it can't exactly be called 'Flashing'. Yes. They do come out warmed up! :lol:
To program them you needed to supply between 12Volts and 21Volts while writing the data.

Electrically-EPROM (EEPROM) chips initially used 12Volts (or more!) to erase and program the chips.

Newer silicon technology now uses the same power as the digital circuits (5V or 3.3V) to erase and program the chip and erasure in whole or in parts takes less than a second. Programming each byte takes less than milliseconds.
This technology is called FlashEPROM and is where the term 'Flashing' comes from.
And it can be done in-circuit.
It's the same technology as used in our beloved SMC's and CF (Compact Flash!) cards




Now. Who's going to correct my misunderstandings? :huh:


* There are UV-EPROM chips supplied without the window for non-development purposes.
Which is a bitch when you get the wrong order code <_< :rolleyes:

 

[dr.no]

The flashed rom in the case of the GP32 is the menu with the mp3player, filelauncher etc. that you see when you launch your GP32 with no SMC (SmartMediaCard - the thingy you put into the GP32 to play games, just like a gameboy-disc) in it.

People flash their GP32 because the old ones (non BLU) were equipped with an ugly and slow, korean firmware with which you could not properly launch emulators etc. Now you can. The new BLU has a new firmware that is much better and there is no need to flash it anymore.

OFFTOPIC:
What just came into my mind - could it be possible to fix the BLU+-error via bios-flash?

 

[moz]

no flash here.

 

[aapje89]

OFFTOPIC:
What just came into my mind - could it be possible to fix the BLU+-error via bios-flash?

​

I dont know but some people were talking about it, that would be nice, then the programmers dont have to make a "special" blu+ version.

 

[Jarska333]

Flashing GP is one thing, streaking with your GP is another.


:rolleyes:

 

[kenryuakuma]

all very well-written explanations. I think I am kind of familiar with it. Anyway, I am still in doubt about what Dr. no said

The flashed rom in the case of the GP32 is the menu with the mp3player, filelauncher etc. that you see when you launch your GP32 with no SMC (SmartMediaCard - the thingy you put into the GP32 to play games, just like a gameboy-disc) in it.

People flash their GP32 because the old ones (non BLU) were equipped with an ugly and slow, korean firmware with which you could not properly launch emulators etc. Now you can. The new BLU has a new firmware that is much better and there is no need to flash it anymore.

Doesn't he mean if we get a FLU one and we don't flash it, we won't be able to play any game or launch any emulator on it? Similarly, if we don't flash it, we won't be able to see any anything on the menu?

Having read all of you guys' post, I have also come up with a question about the new blu or blu+. If we really wanna change the firmware, we can still do so, but it need special care on optimizing, right?

 

[Hanz™]

I'm pretty sure a BLU+ can't use the BLU/FLU firmwares.

 

[raven]

Doesn't he mean if we get a FLU one and we don't flash it, we won't be able to play any game or launch any emulator on it? Similarly, if we don't flash it, we won't be able to see any anything on the menu?

​

No, for the FLU with the Korean firmware you needed 'Freelauncher' a program you would launch from which you could launch emu's and other homebrew apps but the newer FLU's come with Euro firmware (like the BLU).

 

[Blah]

About the FLU/NONLIT question: If you flash it right, you will have a BETTER menu
rather than having to use the horrible FREELAUNCHER.

Most NONLIT/FLU's you buy nowadays (like at Lik-Sang) have already been flashed with the OFFICIAL BLU/EURO firmware, so that means you don't need to flash or get Freelauncher anymore in most cases.

BLU+ have their own bios that they require because they're different. Somebody wrote a guide on how to take the BLU+ bios and combine it with another firmware, to make a firmware BLU+ compatible. But he got mixed results.

SO IF YOU GET A BLU+ YOU SHOULDN'T FLASH THE FIRMWARE UNTIL SPECIAL BLU+ FIRMWARE COMES OUT. THE ONE THAT COMES WITH IT IS GOOD ENOUGH.
(its the same as the BLU official firmware, a.k.a. Euro firmware.)
But don't flash anything but a BLU+ with the BLU+ firmware (there will be BLU+ firmwareS-note the pluralness- in the future)

BTW: I've never flashed mine, I don't want to ruin it 'cos its a BLU original and still on warranty. But the firmware it comes with works great as I said before.

 

[p j]

What is the best firmware to use?

 

[Goity]

apparently it's slubmans, but I still use EUFW.

 

[The Dude]

I would like to know what the "best" firmware is as well.

I have had my FLU for about 2 years now, and between Freelauncher and the MP3 player which simply doesn't work properly, I have been thinking of switching to a new firmware.

But on the other hand I like the official firmware with the official logos and what not, so maybe just upgrading to the new Euro firmware would be best.

 

[kknd_cf]

What is the best firmware to use?

​

Slubman's firmware

 

[Jekyll]

yay, a blu+ compatible version of aquafish's multifirmware was released: http://www.gp32x.de/cgi-bin/cfiles.cgi?0,0,0,0,42,456

 

[bast525]

Now, if I have a BLU+, with the 'good' or I guess it's the european firmware, the fast one that you dont' need freeloader with, would there be any point for me to flash over to the Aquafish firmware?


Would this firmware have any effect on games that have the grey bar problem?

 

[Jekyll]

My GP32 boots directly into YAFL, without displaying the boring gp32 logo... :rolleyes:
But if the euroFW suits your needs, there is no real reason to change

It doesn't have any effect on the grey-bar-problem in other software as far as I can see.
It's no firmware that intends to fix the LCD-problem, it's just an ordinary custom firmware that works with a BLU+