iLiad [Tips] How to survive without iDS

ericshliao · 07-15-2010, 04:38 AM

Due to iRex's current difficulity, I am quite worried about iDS for iLiad. If iDS goes down, we iLiad users can't get shell access right or keep our firmware up-to-date after reflashing our iLiad.
It is possible to survive without iDS. The solution I am using is to create a bootable CF and backup all files on my iLiad. If my iLiad fails, I just use the bootable CF to start my iLiad and copy the required system files back to my iLiad. Then my iLiad will be working again. No more reflashing or iDS is needed.

desertblues · 07-15-2010, 01:55 PM

I'm worried too: how does an ignoramus like me gets a bootable CF?

limon · 07-22-2010, 11:54 AM

I'd like to second that and be more concrete. This is a nice tip for someone who already has the cf-card-contents.zip. I just got a second hand Iliad and it doesn't boot. I'd like to see if I can at least boot it off a CF card but it proves harder than I thought.

The device cannot be registered as it's non-functional and I can't get access to/download the attachment from my account on a PC because it's not registered. Catch 22 in action so to speak. Funny, I can't request it through the support account either as it's "blocked' from the moment I created it. I know it's not "proper" to re-distribute the firmware image but would anyone be willing to help out a fellow forum member? Seems like the only way to do this is to do this informally.

Shaggy · 07-22-2010, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by limon

I's like to second that and be more concrete. This is a nice tip for someone who already has the cf-card-contents.zip. I just got a second hand Iliad and it doesn't boot. I'd like to see if I can at least boot it off a CF card but it proves harder than I thought.

The device cannot be registered as it's non-functional and I can't get access to/download the attachment from my account on a PC because it's not registered. Catch 22 in action so to speak. Funny, I can't request it through the support account either as it's "blocked' from the moment I created it. I know it's not "proper" to re-distribute the firmware image but would anyone be willing to help out a fellow forum member? Seems like the only way to do this is to do this informally.

I'll see if I can contact them and at the very least get an informal "go ahead" permission to distribute, or maybe they have a link to it that we don't know about which would work even better.

cbell · 07-22-2010, 06:57 PM

limon, I guess you're aware that CF-card-contents isn't useful unless your iLiad has already had the developer package installed...

joblack · 07-22-2010, 08:23 PM

Can't you just patch the firmware (with enabled root shell) and reflash it?

cbell · 07-22-2010, 08:27 PM

How can you enable root access without the developer package?

joblack · 07-22-2010, 08:51 PM

As far as I remember there were jailbreaks in the forum (small security bugs in the code which enabled you to get root access).

You can certainly adjust the firmware and reflash it (or use one of the precompiled ones). Perhaps the communication between the device and the server could be rerouted and you could emulate the root shell script. Doesn't have to be that difficult.

I would wait a few days about the Irex outcome. They ought to have a solution for it end of the month.

ericshliao · 07-23-2010, 04:07 AM

Do I have to install developer's package to boot (reflash) from CF? I don't think so. Since I have developer's package installed always, I can't verify it anymore. Please correct me if I am wrong.

There is a thread discussing how to prepare a bootable-CF. Be warned, some Linux experience is required.

There is a thread discussing how to reflash-from-CF and restore registry in the same process. Developer's package can be retained if using this techinique.

limon · 07-23-2010, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbell

limon, I guess you're aware that CF-card-contents isn't useful unless your iLiad has already had the developer package installed...

Sorry, this is off topic. I'm still exploring things as I've had a presumably bricked device with dead batteries, which I've replaced, and there was no way to tell what was installed. Last night I was able to get a hold of the file in question and once I've set up a CF card I was able to boot from it. I still have to look around but it doesn't look like the developer package is installed. I'm not 100% sure though. Will try to confirm that.

Anyway, the moral of story is still that it's difficult to get the firmware image and I'm not the only one that had this trouble:

more here

ericshliao · 07-23-2010, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by limon

This is a nice tip for someone who already has the cf-card-contents.zip.

Let me make myself clear.
What I was talking in the first posrt has nothing to do with cf-card-contents.zip. The bootable CF is just a copy of iLiad root file-system, file by file, not partition image created by "dd".

ericshliao · 10-24-2010, 03:53 AM

I see that people are concerned about how to survive their iLiad even after iDS goes down, so I am going to share some of my thinkings here.

1. Backup your iLiad.
If iDS goes down, we can't update FW anymore. So, making a backup of your iLiad is quite important.
The most important files resides in /usr , /mnt/registry, /home. Command "tar czf" can be used to create a compressed backup of files.
Developer's package (shell access previlege) and mobipocket reader are also affected if iDS goes down. They are explained in the following.

2. Install developer's package and backup registry.xml so that shell access right can be re-installed when doing a re-flash.
The so-called developer's package makes it possible to install non-official software. In fact, when we retrieve a developer's package from iDS, it just adds an entry to "registry.xml" to enable shell script can be executed through ContentLister. At boot-up, ContentLister reads "registry.xml " to find the appropriate application to launch when certain document is tapped by users, eg, ipdf for ".pdf", mobi_reader for ".prc" or ."mobi". Only after developer's package got installed, files with ".sh" extension can be executed through ContentLister.
According to some other thread, when doing re-flash, putting "registry.xml" in CF will copy it your iLiad. So, having a backup of "registry.xml" after developer's package installed is a must-have.

3. Backup Mobipocket Reader.
IIRC, the reflash content from iRex does not include Mobipocket Reader. We have to get it through iDS. If iDS goes down, out iLiad will lose mobipcoket reader after re-flashing.
Mobipocket Reader and Tao's JVM resides in "/home".

I wrote the above text by my memory. I can't be sure if they are all correct.

07-15-2010, 04:38 AM	#1
ericshliao Guru Posts: 976 Karma: 687 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Dell X51v; iLiad v2	[Tips] How to survive without iDS Due to iRex's current difficulity, I am quite worried about iDS for iLiad. If iDS goes down, we iLiad users can't get shell access right or keep our firmware up-to-date after reflashing our iLiad. It is possible to survive without iDS. The solution I am using is to create a bootable CF and backup all files on my iLiad. If my iLiad fails, I just use the bootable CF to start my iLiad and copy the required system files back to my iLiad. Then my iLiad will be working again. No more reflashing or iDS is needed.

07-22-2010, 11:54 AM	#3
limon Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: PRS-505; Irex Iliad; Irex DR800SG; Entourage Edge;	I'd like to second that and be more concrete. This is a nice tip for someone who already has the cf-card-contents.zip. I just got a second hand Iliad and it doesn't boot. I'd like to see if I can at least boot it off a CF card but it proves harder than I thought. The device cannot be registered as it's non-functional and I can't get access to/download the attachment from my account on a PC because it's not registered. Catch 22 in action so to speak. Funny, I can't request it through the support account either as it's "blocked' from the moment I created it. I know it's not "proper" to re-distribute the firmware image but would anyone be willing to help out a fellow forum member? Seems like the only way to do this is to do this informally. Last edited by limon; 10-08-2010 at 11:44 AM.

07-23-2010, 04:07 AM	#9
ericshliao Guru Posts: 976 Karma: 687 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Dell X51v; iLiad v2	Do I have to install developer's package to boot (reflash) from CF? I don't think so. Since I have developer's package installed always, I can't verify it anymore. Please correct me if I am wrong. There is a thread discussing how to prepare a bootable-CF. Be warned, some Linux experience is required. There is a thread discussing how to reflash-from-CF and restore registry in the same process. Developer's package can be retained if using this techinique. Last edited by ericshliao; 07-23-2010 at 07:59 AM.

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07-15-2010, 01:55 PM	#2
desertblues Home for the moment Posts: 5,127 Karma: 27718936 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: travelling Device: various	I'm worried too: how does an ignoramus like me gets a bootable CF?

07-22-2010, 06:57 PM	#5
cbell Frenetic Posts: 590 Karma: 8181 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Australia Device: iLiad V2	limon, I guess you're aware that CF-card-contents isn't useful unless your iLiad has already had the developer package installed...

07-22-2010, 08:23 PM	#6
joblack Wizard Posts: 1,745 Karma: 4382514 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Somewhere on earth Device: Onyx Boox Tab X	Can't you just patch the firmware (with enabled root shell) and reflash it?

07-22-2010, 08:27 PM	#7
cbell Frenetic Posts: 590 Karma: 8181 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Australia Device: iLiad V2	How can you enable root access without the developer package?

07-22-2010, 08:51 PM	#8
joblack Wizard Posts: 1,745 Karma: 4382514 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Somewhere on earth Device: Onyx Boox Tab X	As far as I remember there were jailbreaks in the forum (small security bugs in the code which enabled you to get root access). You can certainly adjust the firmware and reflash it (or use one of the precompiled ones). Perhaps the communication between the device and the server could be rerouted and you could emulate the root shell script. Doesn't have to be that difficult. I would wait a few days about the Irex outcome. They ought to have a solution for it end of the month.

10-24-2010, 03:53 AM	#12
ericshliao Guru Posts: 976 Karma: 687 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Dell X51v; iLiad v2	I see that people are concerned about how to survive their iLiad even after iDS goes down, so I am going to share some of my thinkings here. 1. Backup your iLiad. If iDS goes down, we can't update FW anymore. So, making a backup of your iLiad is quite important. The most important files resides in /usr , /mnt/registry, /home. Command "tar czf" can be used to create a compressed backup of files. Developer's package (shell access previlege) and mobipocket reader are also affected if iDS goes down. They are explained in the following. 2. Install developer's package and backup registry.xml so that shell access right can be re-installed when doing a re-flash. The so-called developer's package makes it possible to install non-official software. In fact, when we retrieve a developer's package from iDS, it just adds an entry to "registry.xml" to enable shell script can be executed through ContentLister. At boot-up, ContentLister reads "registry.xml " to find the appropriate application to launch when certain document is tapped by users, eg, ipdf for ".pdf", mobi_reader for ".prc" or ."mobi". Only after developer's package got installed, files with ".sh" extension can be executed through ContentLister. According to some other thread, when doing re-flash, putting "registry.xml" in CF will copy it your iLiad. So, having a backup of "registry.xml" after developer's package installed is a must-have. 3. Backup Mobipocket Reader. IIRC, the reflash content from iRex does not include Mobipocket Reader. We have to get it through iDS. If iDS goes down, out iLiad will lose mobipcoket reader after re-flashing. Mobipocket Reader and Tao's JVM resides in "/home". I wrote the above text by my memory. I can't be sure if they are all correct.

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