PRS-T1 Android Market working

[j0534ng31]

As Mark Nord say, "um recovery" still works... I'm still using the old firmware so I cannot try it, but I think that "delete" and "fulldmp" are also gone...

And I think there is a key combination to boot in recovery mode, but I don't know what one

(I've tested it and it didn't work for me, but it's possible that I've tested it before enable adb... and I think it only works after that, as you have the new boot that porkupan has kindly make for us... and now that I've enabled adb, I can't remember the combination )

uboot
I'm very busy theese days... Feel free to put this info in the wiki... or I'll do it when in I can...
I think this is the first thing that everyone have to do with a new T1 (their own backup of their own partitions)

As a matter of fact:

• I did that
• I make a backup of every partition... not only system & data
• I've mounted every image into a new /tmp folder
  Tip: To know the kind of image to mount "-t" option, you can do "file *.img"... It tell you if it is FAT, EXT, CRAMFS,... and a lot of usefull info
• I've make a ".tgz" of the contents of each image (so I can view them easily in windows, and I can recover specific files from adb)
• I've extended the system partition to maximum (I don't want to tell how as I'm speaking by heart and is a dangerous operation... but I'll write it to the wiki when I'm sure... I've not used the same method as boroda/porkupan... It was based on "resize2fs")
• I've deleted all unusefull android packages and changed some permissions
• I've installed su, Superuser.apk and the last busybox

As you can see, it's a very usefull procedure...
I've did it this way because porkupan doesn't have any packages for my firmware version... and I always like to learn "my own way", if possible...

[uboot]

Ok, I tried um recovery -> the device rebooted -> the device rebooted again and was back on homescreen

ADB is enabled and working BTW.

[j0534ng31]

Originally Posted by uboot

Ok, I tried um recovery -> the device rebooted -> the device rebooted again and was back on homescreen

ADB is enabled and working BTW.

Wait a bit...

I've asked about it to boroda/porkupan here

If I were you, I would try to apply "enable_adb" again (I mean, I don't know what "restore_set" do, if you have used them to upgrade)...

For me, "recovery mode" began to work after applying "enable_adb"... I think it also change the "uboot" (what a coincidence) image...

But you have to remember that I'm still using the old firmware... exactly for that reason! I don't like "surprises" like this...

[uboot]

That might be the cause... I did not manipulate the uboot (bootloader) after update to 1.03... adb worked without it...

Just did a enable-adb -> recovery console works

So let's see if I get the new uboot shipped... (or get my T1 shipwrecked...)

[j0534ng31]

Originally Posted by uboot

I never manipulated the uboot (bootloader)... adb worked without it...

Do you mean that you can connect to the T1 by using ADB without "enable_adb"?
I thought it was required!...

EDIT:

Originally Posted by uboot

Just did a enable-adb -> recovery console works

ok... so I need "enable_adb" at least to can use the recovery console in serial mode (it also change the passwd/shadow, so we can login)

[uboot]

nope, sorry, just corrected my last post...

Just dumped data and system...

A neat way to discover available partitions is:

% List partitions of external SD card:
[root (ttyGS0)]# fdisk -l /dev/mmcblk0

% List partitions of internal flash memory:
[root (ttyGS0)]# fdisk -l /dev/mmcblk2

Disk /dev/mmcblk2: 1958 MB, 1958739968 bytes
4 heads, 16 sectors/track, 59776 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 64 * 512 = 32768 bytes

        Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks  Id System
/dev/mmcblk2p1             801        1120       10240  83 Linux
/dev/mmcblk2p2            1121        1440       10240  83 Linux
/dev/mmcblk2p3            1441       13542      387264   5 Extended
/dev/mmcblk2p4           13543       59776     1479488  83 Linux
/dev/mmcblk2p5            1441        1953       16408  83 Linux
/dev/mmcblk2p6            1954        6306      139288  83 Linux
/dev/mmcblk2p7            6307        6627       10264  83 Linux
/dev/mmcblk2p8            6628        7908       40984  83 Linux
/dev/mmcblk2p9            7909        9445       49176  83 Linux
/dev/mmcblk2p10           9446       13542      131096  83 Linux

The unit of "blocks" is kiB.

I am curious what the other partitions contain, especially no. 6...

[j0534ng31]

Originally Posted by uboot

I am curious what the other partitions contain, especially no. 6...

No problem... I've yet done

[root@home]# find . -type f | sort -V | file -f - > info.txt

./mmcblk2.img:             x86 boot sector; partition 1: ID=0x83, starthead 0, startsector 51200, 20480 sectors; partition 2: ID=0x83, starthead 3, startsector 71680, 20480 sectors; partition 3: ID=0x5, starthead 3, startsector 92160, 774528 sectors; partition 4: ID=0x83, starthead 3, startsector 866688, 2958976 sectors, code offset 0x0
./mmcblk2p1.img:               Linux rev 1.0 ext4 filesystem data, UUID=e37c631d-0c0b-458b-a912-6d131f177414, volume name "Recovery"
./mmcblk2p2.img:               Linux Compressed ROM File System data, little endian size 7667712 version #2 sorted_dirs CRC 0xfe1b1dba, edition 0, 4321 blocks, 576 files
./mmcblk2p5.img:               Linux Compressed ROM File System data, little endian size 12984320 version #2 sorted_dirs CRC 0x8dd1daad, edition 0, 4687 blocks, 45 files
./mmcblk2p6.img:               Linux rev 0.0 ext2 filesystem data, UUID=ecab395c-586a-4667-91ec-a677f0cf6764, volume name "dictionaries"
./mmcblk2p9.img:               Linux rev 1.0 ext4 filesystem data, UUID=55445d30-0242-4f9b-81ec-8b414fbe0e71, volume name "data" (needs journal recovery) (extents) (huge files)
./mmcblk2p10.img:                Linux rev 1.0 ext2 filesystem data, UUID=aaffb579-2c0d-4c1d-a146-a93e49d0e3ac, volume name "system"

./Others/mmcblk2p3.img:                      x86 boot sector; partition 1: ID=0x83, starthead 3, startsector 16, 32816 sectors; partition 2: ID=0x5, starthead 3, startsector 32832, 278592 sectors, extended partition table, code offset 0x0
./Others/mmcblk2p4.img:                      x86 boot sector, mkdosfs boot message display, code offset 0x58, OEM-ID " mkdosfs", sectors/cluster 8, reserved sectors 38, Media descriptor 0xf8, heads 4, sectors 2958976 (volumes > 32 MB) , FAT (32 bit), sectors/FAT 2884, serial number 0x4d1e7050, label: "READER     "
./Others/mmcblk2p7.img:                      x86 boot sector, mkdosfs boot message display, code offset 0x3c, OEM-ID " mkdosfs", sectors/cluster 4, root entries 512, sectors 20480 (volumes <=32 MB) , Media descriptor 0xf8, sectors/FAT 20, heads 64, serial number 0x4e811ec9, label: "SETTING    ", FAT (16 bit)
./Others/mmcblk2p8.img:                      Linux rev 0.0 ext2 filesystem data, UUID=72c0c5fc-6229-443f-96d1-0278739faf67, volume name "preload"

Conclusion:

mmcblk2.img x86 boot sector 24MB
partition 1: ID=0x83, starthead 0, startsector 51200, 20480 sectors
partition 2: ID=0x83, starthead 3, startsector 71680, 20480 sectors
partition 3: ID=0x5, starthead 3, startsector 92160, 774528 sectors
partition 4: ID=0x83, starthead 3, startsector 866688, 2958976 sectors
code offset 0x0

mmcblk2p1.img Linux rev 1.0 ext4 filesystem data "Recovery" 10MB (linux tree)
mmcblk2p2.img Linux Compressed ROM File System data 576 files 10MB (linux tree)
mmcblk2p5.img Linux Compressed ROM File System data 45 files 16MB (fonts)
mmcblk2p6.img Linux rev 0.0 ext2 filesystem data "dictionaries" 136MB (dictionaries)
mmcblk2p9.img Linux rev 1.0 ext4 filesystem data "data" 48MB (android data)
mmcblk2p10.img Linux rev 1.0 ext2 filesystem data "system" 128MB (android system)

Others:
mmcblk2p3.img x86 boot sector 1KB
partition 1: ID=0x83, starthead 3, startsector 16, 32816 sectors
partition 2: ID=0x5, starthead 3, startsector 32832, 278592 sectors
extended partition table
code offset 0x0
mmcblk2p4.img x86 boot sector, FAT (32 bit) "READER " 1.4GB (internal memory)
mmcblk2p7.img x86 boot sector, FAT (16 bit) "SETTING " 10MB (reader for PC)
mmcblk2p8.img Linux rev 0.0 ext2 filesystem data "preload" 40MB (userguide + ebooks)

[uboot]

Argh, my fears became true: sys and data partition may become corrupted and will never fsck-ed automatically by the T1

After mounting, dmesg said:

EXT4-fs (mmcblk2p10): warning: mounting unchecked fs, running e2fsck is recommended
EXT4-fs (mmcblk2p10): mounted filesystem without journal. Opts:
EXT3-fs (mmcblk2p9): error: couldn't mount because of unsupported optional features (240)
EXT4-fs (mmcblk2p9): warning: maximal mount count reached, running e2fsck is recommended
EXT4-fs (mmcblk2p9): recovery complete
EXT4-fs (mmcblk2p9): mounted filesystem with ordered data mode. Opts:

[j0534ng31]

Originally Posted by uboot

Argh, my fears became true: sys and data partition may become corrupted and will never fsck-ed automatically by the T1

So you understand why I want to have a "very first time" backup of everything?

A little notes:
- My original system was a ext2 filesystem and I have changed it to ext4... now it seems to be ext4 by default
- Those messages about system shouldn't be a problem... at least if system is mounted read-only as Sony pretends!
- On the other hand, data filesystem messages are a complete different animal

[uboot]

Cool, just did a fsck on dd-ed images via PartedMagic @ Virtualbox -> T1/ext SD

fsck works directly on image files. No need to fiddle with loop back devices...

If I dump them back, they're fixed...

But first I will enlarge data partition to 512MB to get rid of Link2SD... Let's see if I get internal flash repartitioned via fdisk...

The steps in the wiki are incomplete!! They'll break the extended partition & internal sdcard...

[j0534ng31]

Originally Posted by uboot

But first I will enlarge data partition to 512MB to get rid of Link2SD...

What do you mean?
You can enlarge the system filesystem just because it is not as large as the partition where it resides
But I don't know if it's the same case with data filesystem...
Anyway, we are speaking about enlarging filesystems, NOT partitions...
have you any valuable info that I have, anyhow, missed? I don't think you can edit the partitions this way without a great risk

Originally Posted by uboot

The steps in the wiki are incomplete!! They'll break the extended partition & internal sdcard...

Can you explain that a bit more? I've used the steps on the wiki without problems... and almost all my forum pals are also using it... without so much problems

[uboot]

Ok, sorry, my fault. I see that the thing in the wiki is only to squeeze a bit more out of the partition scheme by making unused blocks of the system partition available to the overlying file system...

What I have in mind is a complete repartitioning of the internal flash, i.e. shrink 1.5GB vfat partition, enlarge extended partion, move system partition, enlarge data partition.


EDIT: Well.... but before doing that - is there any way to raw access internal flash - just in case the complete partition table / boot sector / mbr get corrupted?

Will SD-Card recovery do the trick?

[j0534ng31]

Originally Posted by uboot

Ok, sorry, my fault. I see that the thing in the wiki is only to squeeze a bit more out of the partition scheme by making unused blocks of the system partition available to the overlying file system...

Yes, but a great bit more (about 14MB in my case)... A lot of little system applications...

Originally Posted by uboot

What I have in mind is a complete repartitioning of the internal flash, i.e. shrink 1.5GB vfat partition, enlarge extended partion, move system partition, enlarge data partition.

EDIT: Well.... but before doing that - is there any way to raw access internal flash - just in case the complete partition table / boot sector / mbr get corrupted?

well! We are speaking the same language again... answer: not to my knowledge!

Originally Posted by uboot

Will SD-Card recovery do the trick?

I don't know yet where the recovery call is done... if it's called from a file in the partition then it is a dangerous game to change the disk...

Do you know if there is any link to learn more about Sony readers (or about porkupan ebook_msc utility)... I mean technical / coding information

[uboot]

I just found these so far:

http://www.slatedroid.com/topic/2490...e-and-upgrade/

http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/...sign_Tools_Tab

Edit: WAAA THERES A GINGERBREAD IMAGE!!!!

Edit2: I examined update.img from sdrecovery via mount -o loop.

-> SD recovery definitely won't recover full system, but restore mmcblk2p9 and mmcblk2p10 from images only.

But: it seems that you can boot a completly working Android image from SD Card!

So, i case you break something, you can recover - provided that you have backups of partition table, etc

To dump whole bootarea inkl. MBR:

[root (ttyGS0)]# dd if=/dev/mmcblk2 of=boot.bin bs=32768 count=800

Yay, and if you download the IMX_MFG_TOOL from Freescale, you'll get lotta tools to flash / create sd recovery image, etc....

[j0534ng31]

Very interesting, thank you too!