Firmware updates, dictionaries, fonts and third-party software for M92

[phycodurus]

Originally Posted by kodomo

1) it needs to be there when you boot

2) is answered by update procedure doc

3) unless it knows the zip password, it couldn't - even if it were eager to copy every SD card content it finds over its firmware

4) you install 1.6 (period)

Cheers.

Thanks Kodomo. Please assume that I would not have asked these questions without a careful reading of the information posted here! Something that may be obvious to an expert is not necessarily obvious to a new reader. May I please clarify:

1. It's OK to transfer the new firmware file to SD card using the Boox cable, & then one reboots?
2. The file to be transferred is the zip file?
3. It is safe to use the camera SD card, and then replace it in the camera?

[renushan]

Hi,

After installing the newest firmware, my books aren't remembered in the Recent Documents. Should I revert? I tried installing it once again, too.

@Booxtor: I spoke to ONYX, China. They keep saying that it isn't a hardware problem. What should I do?

RENU.

[mSSM]

Your questions are cute.

Originally Posted by phycodurus

1. It's OK to transfer the new firmware file to SD card using the Boox cable, & then one reboots?

Yes, of course. You can use your M92 as a "card reader", put the file on there, and then reboot. The file only has to be there at boot-up (with the joystick pressed).

Originally Posted by phycodurus

2. The file to be transferred is the zip file?

Yes.

Originally Posted by phycodurus

3. It is safe to use the camera SD card, and then replace it in the camera?

Technically, it is safe. I have done this and nothing happened. But well - you never know. In a very very very unlikely scenario your pictures on the SD card might get corrupted. Since it only takes a minute, why don't you copy all your pictures to your computer first as a backup?

[kodomo]

Originally Posted by mSSM

Your questions are cute.

Yes, of course. You can use your M92 as a "card reader", put the file on there, and then reboot. The file only has to be there at boot-up (with the joystick pressed).

Please make sure you copy them on the card (and not the internal memory). Someone in another thread claimed that updating from internal memory caused problems.

P.S.: I just realized I misunderstood question nr. 3 - sorry

[kodomo]

Hi folks.

I've ported (read: compiled - it compiles smoothly ) sqlite3-3.6.22 to the M92 (and updated the "Software development" wiki w.r.t. how to compile regular software for the device) .

The sqlite3 binary allows to read (and modify - please be careful about what you do ) the sqlite databases on the M92 itself.
I attached the binaries and build instructions, in case someone has use for it.
Simply unzip it onto your device/SD card.
The installation script places it into /usr/local/bin - but that's optional.

Cheers.

P.S.: (Since there are basic users on the thread.) Mind that this probably is most useful to folks hacking on the device. If you don't know how to get and use a shell on the M92, this likely is of no use to you.

[tuxor]

I haven't tested it yet, but anyway: Thank your very, very much! Now I can mess around with the *db-files in the /root/ directory without transfering them back and forth all the time

[kodomo]

Originally Posted by tuxor

I haven't tested it yet, but anyway: Thank your very, very much! Now I can mess around with the *db-files in the /root/ directory without transfering them back and forth all the time

Very much welcome.
As an example on how to use them, please consider the attached pm_config scripts. (tuxor: this sentence was not for you, of course )

They use the (installed) sqlite binaries ( https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...&postcount=395 ) , and allow to set custom timeout values for suspend and shutdown. (Lacking a way to trigger config reload, the values take effect after a reboot)

Please mind that they mess with your device's configuration.
I've done my best to insert some sanity checks, but please back up your important data before using them.
I won't accept liability if they destroy your data, force you to reinstall the firmware, or eat the newborn puppies of your pet.

Please read the entire readme.txt before using them, so you'll know how to handle problems, if any should ever occur.
If you should have set so short a timeout that you have trouble using the device afterwards (e.g., it is not a very good idea to set a 1 second shutdown timeout ) _and_ did reboot before thinking about it:
The power manager does not suspend/shutdown as long as the device is externally powered. Connect it to the power plug, and you should have time to fix things.

Otherwise: enjoy.
Cheers.

01/04/12 01:29h+01:00 : safety update (fixed bug allowing users to accidentally set milisecond timeouts + added dump of actual raw db values into config file to allow sanity checks by users) - update recommended

17/07/13: I noticed that the database fields seem to be filled out once the power management setting has been changed at least once via the Onyx setup tool. Thus: if you miss the current values in the config file after executing the get_config script, change the power setting (selecting a different entry(!)), then try get_config again.

[kodomo]

To the user who downloaded the initial version of the pm_script archive: please download the new version.
It fixes an important safety hole and adds more status information to the config file

[kodomo]

Hi folks.

Attached, you'll find a set of scripts that use the (non-integrated) Onyx snapshot tool.

With single_snapshot, the scripts create a single snapshot.png in the 'snapshot' directory of the SDCard.

With *_snapshot_screensaver, the snapshots are used as screensaver image.
(If you wonder why someone would want this: I did when I was cooking, and didn't want to waste battery power on just displaying the recipe )

Since there is currently no way to modify the user interface (adding menu items) or the system manager, I had no choice but to hijack the VolumeDown button (it still does what it's supposed to, but when you use the scripts, it'll additionally serve as snapshot trigger).

Also all external events w.r.t. suspension happen _after_ the screensaver has been set (so I had the choice of using VolumeDown for the screensaver modification as well... or taking nice pictures of the displayed screensaver image *narf*)

If Onyx opens gui_shell and system_manager, or at least provides a usable plugin interface to modify its behaviour, I'll try to change the scripts.
But now, I don't see a better way... sorry.

Hope you can enjoy them nonetheless.

P.S.: please read the README.txt ; the screensaver scripts are moving your screensaver images to a temporary location ; this should be safe (it's non-volatile), but it's always best to do a backup beforehand

update 02/04/12 00:03h+01:00 : snapshot_resume.zip does not hijack volumeDown for screensaver functionality anymore. Instead, it takes a snapshot 5-10 seconds _after_ resume. Thus, to use it, you'll have to suspend - resume - wait ~10s - suspend. This seems weird, but I deemed it better than long term hijacking of the volume button . Anticipating that some folks may prefer the old version, I left it as well.

[CJY]

I have just installed the latest firmware, so far, so good - but a few things are really beginning to bug me:

1. Every time I update, the time, date and time zone has to be set again.
2. Boot splash custom image has to be set again (minor issue, I'll grant).
3. All my added start pages for the browser has been wiped out.
4 The MAC address keeps changing (guys, this is supposed to be a hardware address!), and I have to change router settings to re-gain access.

Booxtor, can you please ask the good people at Onyx if they could come up with a script to address these issues, or let the update procedure respect the existing settings, if at all possible...

On the plus side, it seems that the volume control issue has been sorted (I have yet to test with headphones).

Cheers!
CJ

[PF4Mobile]

Originally Posted by CJY

I have just installed the latest firmware, so far, so good - but a few things are really beginning to bug me:

....
4 The MAC address keeps changing (guys, this is supposed to be a hardware address!),
...

Using the hardware address is not mandatory.
Many NIC drivers have this option exactly for the opposite -a specific MAC address is already locked down on an upstream device (static arp for routers or static MAC for switches)
That rather proves flexibility...than a bug

[Beryll Snyder]

Originally Posted by CJY

I have just installed the latest firmware, so far, so good - but a few things are really beginning to bug me:

1. Every time I update, the time, date and time zone has to be set again.
2. Boot splash custom image has to be set again (minor issue, I'll grant).
3. All my added start pages for the browser has been wiped out.
4 The MAC address keeps changing (guys, this is supposed to be a hardware address!), and I have to change router settings to re-gain access.

Booxtor, can you please ask the good people at Onyx if they could come up with a script to address these issues, or let the update procedure respect the existing settings, if at all possible...

On the plus side, it seems that the volume control issue has been sorted (I have yet to test with headphones).

Cheers!
CJ

It has been a while that I posted some rather dire predictions concerning the development of software/firmware for M92 and the involvement/interest of Onyx in their products.
Basically they add a beta version on top of a beta version on top of a beta version.
Still incomunicado.
Pretty incredible, I must say.


I add a quote that sums things up rationally:

The others[M92] mentioned are from small companies and seem to be "semi finished" products (always waiting for firmware upgrades or with a number of hardware drawbacks). I would recommend waiting.
(https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...12#post2026512)

[kodomo]

Originally Posted by tuxor

Okay, I'd love to have access to that menu, as well. So we really need the sources for gui_shell und system_manager, Booxtor! Please keep asking Onyx for those.

Maybe it'd make sense to elaborate a bit, so non-programmers will understand the dilemma (and so Booxtor may understand why we're so obnoxious about it - not to mistake it for petulancy ).

There are sources to create new separate applications (e.g., a new reader, a new (standalone) sketch application, a new mail program, ...).

At the moment, there seems no way to modify the (naboo) pdf reader, no way to modify/extend M92 scribbling, no way to extend input support e.g. to stylus buttons, no way to integrate configuration applications with the 'Settings' environment.

These require modification of the menu (spawned by pressing the home button), interception and processing of input events (which only the running application, and possibly gui_shell or system_manager see), or extension of the scribble application functionality.

However, this is only possible by either modifying the closed source components, use of a (missing) plugin interface, or by rewriting at least gui_shell (see OpenBOOX), or possibly even system_manager.

There's currently an ongoing discussion amongst interested developers (see https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...24#post2026524), whether the latter would be the most sensible to do.
But clearly, this means a waste of efforts: Existing things need to be recreated, and Onyx will not be able to easily integrate extensions into their firmware.

@Booxtor: This is the reason tuxor and I keep nagging about a solution to these issues. The way things are, we are effectively barred from implementing a substantial part of the things on the wishlist.

[CJY]

Originally Posted by PF4Mobile

Using the hardware address is not mandatory.
Many NIC drivers have this option exactly for the opposite -a specific MAC address is already locked down on an upstream device (static arp for routers or static MAC for switches)
That rather proves flexibility...than a bug

True, though the description 'Hardware Address' is not mine, but Onyx'.
Also, calling the, seemingly arbitrary, alteration of MAC after updates a feature is stretching it a bit, I would say.

Cheers!
CJ

[phycodurus]

thanks mSSM & kodomo!