OpenInkpot on Netronix EB600 devices (eSlick Foxit, Orsio b731, Explay V3, etc.)

[lunohod]

Hi!

The first testing live-on-sd OpenInkpot distribution is available for Netronix EB600 devices (Samsung S3C2440, PVI Apollo, 64Mb RAM). I run it successfully on eSlick Foxit FE-01 (thanks goes to Marcel for donating the eSlick reader). This live version is known to work on Orsio b731 and Explay V3 devices.

The live-on-sd version doesn't touch internal memory and will run completly from SD card. It shouldn't break you hardware, but I cannot guarantee that.

HOWTO:
1. Download oi-netronix-eb600-live-xxxxxx.zip from http://openinkpot.org/pub/daily/ and unpack it to the SD card. (Put also some books on the SD card, the internal memory is not accessible in this version).
2. Insert the SD card and reboot the device.
3. Enjoy!

Don't remove the sd card while OpenInkpot is running. Press and hold power button for 2-3 seconds to poweroff the device. If you want to disable OpenInkpot, just remove or rename update_kernel script in the root directory of your sd card.

Since it's testing version, don't expect too much. Some functions may be unavailable or do not behave properly.

You can access the sd card via usbnet. Usb mass storage mode is not available yet.

Audio doesn't work. USB 2.0 doesn't work.

Feedback is welcome.

[Cyberman tM]

I tried it, didn't work. The normal system started.

Is there a special keypress necessary perhaps?

How can I make sure the hardware fits? The CPU should be the same. I don't know what this PVI is?

I guess U-Boot should call the update_kernel script? It seems to me that this doesn't happen.
I copied the program "poff" into the OI directory and changed the script to call this file instead of boot-oi.sh.
I also added a command to create a file.

Nothing happened.

My device was an Elonex EB600, which uses now a CoolEr firmware. I don't think there's anything unusual, besides the custom pictures, but they shouldn't matter - unless I really broke something when I overwrote the picture MTDBlock to get a startup image?

--

I suppose it would be too late if the actual system called this script, instead of U-Boot?

[edit]I didn't find any reference to update_kernel in either CoolEr or Kobo firmware. Nor in a few others I have.
I did find references (though no idea where it's called) in eSlick and CyBook files.

[lunohod]

Originally Posted by Cyberman tM

I tried it, didn't work. The normal system started.

Is there a special keypress necessary perhaps?

How can I make sure the hardware fits? The CPU should be the same. I don't know what this PVI is?

I guess U-Boot should call the update_kernel script? It seems to me that this doesn't happen.
I copied the program "poff" into the OI directory and changed the script to call this file instead of boot-oi.sh.
I also added a command to create a file.

Nothing happened.

My device was an Elonex EB600, which uses now a CoolEr firmware. I don't think there's anything unusual, besides the custom pictures, but they shouldn't matter - unless I really broke something when I overwrote the picture MTDBlock to get a startup image?

--

I suppose it would be too late if the actual system called this script, instead of U-Boot?

Well, actually the update_kernel is called from a startup script, not from U-Boot. It should happen automatically, without any keypresses.

It seems that the CoolEr firmware doesn't run update_kernel.

Btw, you've got EB600E, which is another model with epson chip. There no OI for you hardware, sorry.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by lunohod

Well, actually the update_kernel is called from a startup script, not from U-Boot. It should happen automatically, without any keypresses.

It seems that the CoolEr firmware doesn't run update_kernel.

Btw, you've got EB600E, which is another model with epson chip. There no OI for you hardware, sorry.

Thanks for pointing this out. I have an Astak mentor, and it's also an EB600e. Fortunately my eSlick worked okay.

The firmware's not very good, though.

[lunohod]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

The firmware's not very good, though.

Please, tell me more details.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by lunohod

Please, tell me more details.

The menu design doesn't work all that well when you don't have number buttons. Also, you really should have it set so that when a menu opens, something is already selected.

Other than that I think my biggest problem is that the d-pad is a poor design. I keep pressing the wrong button.

Edit: I'm also running OI on the Hanvon N516. I'm quite happy with it.

[GA Russell]

How does OpenInkpot do on a Hanlin V3 like an Astak EZReader?

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

How does OpenInkpot do on a Hanlin V3 like an Astak EZReader?

I have been using an EZ Reader Basic with OpenInkpot as my primary ebook reader for more than a year. It has been completely trouble free.

Note that flashing OI on a V3 reformats the internal storage (for ebooks), and so you have to manually reformat it back to FAT after switching back to non-OI firmware (which I have never done). OI, unlike most other ebook readers, does not export any filesystems via USB. Under Windows XP, I instead use WinSCP to copy files over (Connect device via SSH access).

[Cyberman tM]

Originally Posted by lunohod

Well, actually the update_kernel is called from a startup script, not from U-Boot. It should happen automatically, without any keypresses.

Startup script from the system you mean?
Why not use the mfg_test call? I think that is standard Netronix and should be available in any firmware. Of course, you need a binary file for that, scripts don't seem to work.
(Or I did something wrong.)

Btw, you've got EB600E, which is another model with epson chip. There no OI for you hardware, sorry.

Damn.

[GA Russell]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

I have been using an EZ Reader Basic with OpenInkpot as my primary ebook reader for more than a year. It has been completely trouble free.

Note that flashing OI on a V3 reformats the internal storage (for ebooks), and so you have to manually reformat it back to FAT after switching back to non-OI firmware (which I have never done). OI, unlike most other ebook readers, does not export any filesystems via USB. Under Windows XP, I instead use WinSCP to copy files over (Connect device via SSH access).

Thanks wallcraft! I'll look into it.

[lunohod]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

The menu design doesn't work all that well when you don't have number buttons. Also, you really should have it set so that when a menu opens, something is already selected.

I just took all the settings from Hanlin V3 and enabled d-pad support.
Maybe a gui theme with not so many items on a page will perform better. And the button mappings should be adjusted too.

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by lunohod

The first testing live-on-sd OpenInkpot distribution is available for Netronix EB600 devices (Samsung S3C2440, PVI Apollo, 64Mb RAM).

That's also a Cybook Gen3 (1st version--200MHz, 64MB--at least), right? I remember there was an OI version for this sometime ago already, so is this actually the second version?

2. Insert the SD card and reboot the device.

If I'm not mistaken, in the Gen3 you have to press the central button for some seconds when the first splash screen appears (until the screen flashes black), in order for the update_kernel file to be read. Would this apply here too?

[lunohod]

Originally Posted by Jellby

That's also a Cybook Gen3 (1st version--200MHz, 64MB--at least), right? I remember there was an OI version for this sometime ago already, so is this actually the second version?

No. Older Gen3 had S3C2410 cpu (200Mhz) and only 16Mb RAM. That model was EB100.
This OI distribution is for EB600 and won't run on EB100.

If I'm not mistaken, in the Gen3 you have to press the central button for some seconds when the first splash screen appears (until the screen flashes black), in order for the update_kernel file to be read. Would this apply here too?

AFAIK, it's true for EB100, but on EB600 this script will be called without any keypresses.

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by lunohod

No. Older Gen3 had S3C2410 cpu (200Mhz) and only 16Mb RAM. That model was EB100.
This OI distribution is for EB600 and won't run on EB100.

Ah, bad memory on my part. What about newer Gen3 versions (particularly the Gold edition)?

[lunohod]

Originally Posted by Jellby

Ah, bad memory on my part. What about newer Gen3 versions (particularly the Gold edition)?

It might work if it still uses PVI Apollo controller and not the Epson chip (EB600E or EB600EM). Someone should try it and see what happens.

You can also try to run this script: http://openinkpot.org/raw-attachment.../update_kernel and upload the resulting txt files.