Help bricked Elonex eb600 anyone got firmware image

[tonyv]

Hi
I don't know if this is right place to post this basically i have bricked my elonex eb600 within 4hrs of owning it (dumb) without backing up firmware (downright idiotic!!). Basically i tried to install cool-er firmware on my elonex following these instructions http://www.coolreaders.com/fw.asp. My guess is that it ran the script below. The image 01.jpg is displayed maybe forever on my e-ink display. My guess is the hardware is different (has epson and serial boot flash) and have added what i have found out to openinkpot wiki. I hope that uboot is still working and will try serial when i get max3232cpe device tomorrow if not try jtag.
The problem is that i haven't got a copy of the original uboot , kernel or filesystem does anyone have a copy.

Thanks tony

script filename : sd_upgrade_fs.sh

#!/bin/sh
#check ebook device and copy uboot.bin.device ,uImage.device to u-boot.bin , uImage
#first_upgrade
ker=`cat /proc/version |grep Uboot|cut -d' ' -f1`
if [ "${ker}" != "Uboot:upgrade-01" ]; then
/bin/new_nand.sh
mount -t vfat /dev/mtdblock6 /mnt/flash
/bin/adobe_backup drm
umount /mnt/flash
echo "Found old kernel, update kernel"
#check device name!!!!! NEW FEATURE

/bin/show_pic /pic/01.jpg
echo "upgrade kernel and reboot "
/bin/upgrademtd uboot /files/u-boot-tmp
erasemtd /dev/mtd1
sleep 1
/bin/upgrademtd kernel /files/uImage
sync
/sbin/reboot
exit
fi
#end first_upgrade

/bin/show_pic /pic/00.jpg
/bin/led 2 &
echo "Update SN*******"
/bin/NOR_sn_write 2 /SN_out.bin
#upgrade_uboot
echo "Update Uboot"
/bin/upgrademtd uboot /files/u-boot.bin
#end upgrade_uboot

#upgrade_kernel
echo "Update kernel"
erasemtd /dev/mtd1
sleep 1
/bin/upgrademtd kernel /files/uImage
#end upgrade kernel

#/bin/erasemtd picture
#upgrade_filesystem
mkdir -p /mnt/flash
echo "Upgrade filesystem"
mount /dev/mtdblock4 /mnt/flash -t yaffs2
cd /mnt/flash
/bin/show_pic /pic/02.jpg
tar zxvf /files/fs.tgz
sync
sleep 1
sync
umount /mnt/flash
#end upgrade_filesystem
echo "Update uboot,kernel,filesystem Finished!!!!"
sleep 1
killall led
/bin/led 0 &
/bin/show_pic /pic/03.jpg
#pre_format
echo "Erase USB"
/bin/erasemtd other
#preformat
/bin/pre_format.sh
mkfs.vfat -n COOLER /dev/mtdblockg
#copy book function
USB_ID=6
mount /dev/mtdblock6 /mnt/u-disk -t vfat
echo "copy books to mtd${USB_ID}"
cp -rf /files/books/* /mnt/u-disk/
sync

sleep 1
#re-check the books
a=`ls /mnt/u-disk`
if [ -z "$a" ]; then
#empty!!!
echo "Found empty nand ,re-copy the books"
cp -rf /files/books/* /mnt/u-disk
sync
sync
fi
umount /mnt/u-disk
#endif of copy books
sync
sleep 1
#set RTC timer
date 081310502009
hwclock -w
#endif of RTC
/bin/show_pic /pic/05.jpg
/bin/led 1
/bin/poff

[Cyberman tM]

First off, to satisfy my masochistic side: I was stupid/reckless enough to try almost the same stunt he did.
Same fate, of course. Device bricked.

Fortunately, somehow I managed to get the Cool-Er firmware to install itself on the device, basically unbricking it.
I have yet to truly test it, but preliminary tests seem good.

Strangely, all I did was following the instructions of Cool-Er. Maybe the hardware of my EB600 is different from Tonyv's?
All I did was (repeatedly) pressing the center button as well as the third button from top(also labelled return) and pressing Reset.

Perhaps this wipes the internal memory and awaits bootable sources on the SD card?
If so, then an interruption (for whatever reason) might seemingly brick the unit.

Doing so again, this time while the eReader was connected to the PC (the Cool-Er instructions are ambigous here, they talk about disconnecting, then connecting again?).
At first it didn't seem as if it actually worked - when all of a sudden the new logo flared up.
The rest was as expected - on-screen information about update/install progress, afterwards it worked again.

Of course, I couldn't leave it at that. I tried to install the CyBook firmware, using the same method.
Apparently it didn't work. Device bricked again :-(

So did the same again, with the Cool-Er firmware. Seems to work the second time.

Either the Cool-Er firmware update is somehow specially built for this purpose, or it's just luck that this one works while others don't. It seems as if the Cool-Er actually compiles the entire firmware. (The firmware package content looks like that too, though I didn't really check too closely.)

Interestingly, when connected to the PC, it still identifies itself as Elonex EB600.

So, what it boils down to is: The Cool-Er firmware update might be able to unbrick an EB600 if it is lacking a firmware. It takes a long time till it responds, perhaps it IS coincidence that it works?

In any case, it worked twice on my device, and I'm happy. Hopefully no one else needs to read this.

[user_none]

Originally Posted by Cyberman tM

It seems as if the Cool-Er actually compiles the entire firmware. (The firmware package content looks like that too, though I didn't really check too closely.)

The update includes a complete Linux installation that it boots into. This way it doesn't have to relay on what is installed on the hardware. It appears the ability to startup and hand off control to the system on the SD card is not affected by the installed firmware. Once the Linux system boots it runs a few scripts to copy the firmware components (kernel, uboot, filesystem) onto the device. Those components are already compiled and located in the files directory.

Originally Posted by Cyberman tM

It takes a long time till it responds ...

How long did you have to wait? I've been trying to get it on my Cybook but after 15 minutes nothing. I'm going to assume the hardware is different enough that it isn't actually booting into the installer. Or Bookeen has done something to prevent any firmware but their own from being installed.

[Cyberman tM]

Originally Posted by user_none

The update includes a complete Linux installation that it boots into.

That explains a lot.

How long did you have to wait? I've been trying to get it on my Cybook but after 15 minutes nothing.

Not that long. I don't think it was any longer than perhaps a minute, though it certainly felt that way.

I'm going to assume the hardware is different enough that it isn't actually booting into the installer. Or Bookeen has done something to prevent any firmware but their own from being installed.

Is that possible? I would think the ability to boot from SD card is built into the hardware(i.e. non-volatile memory).

Did you connect it via USB? I did restart it a few times, pressing reset - perhaps the reset itself is not just to restart it, but actually does something important?

[dottedmag]

Originally Posted by Cyberman tM

Is that possible? I would think the ability to boot from SD card is built into the hardware(i.e. non-volatile memory).

No. It isn't "boot". Just the script in main memory reads firmware update from SD and unpacks it.

[codeMonkey]

Originally Posted by Cyberman tM

Strangely, all I did was following the instructions of Cool-Er. Maybe the hardware of my EB600 is different from Tonyv's?

Between his attempt and yours Interead released a new firmware image on their site.
This new firmware has a file system for both eb600e and eb600em.

Speculation: It might be that the eb600em version wasn't compatible with the Elonex, and that now they include the eb600e version within the image it used that instead.

[Cyberman tM]

Originally Posted by codeMonkey

Speculation: It might be that the eb600em version wasn't compatible with the Elonex, and that now they include the eb600e version within the image it used that instead.

Yes, that seems likely.
Unfortunately, there seems to be no way to see what version of EB600 I have, short of opening it.
I didn't even realize that there are different versions of the same model.

[codeMonkey]

The Cool-ER firmware update process uses an executable called 'check' to get the device type.

If you really want to know what type it is you can do the following:

In the Cool-ER firmware look in bin/sd_upgrade_fs_all.sh for

dev_name=`/bin/check`

Add

echo $dev_name > /device.txt

after that and flash the firmware again it will put the device.txt file on the sd card you're using and you can read it from there.
Though you could break it accidentally, so if you do, be careful.

[Cyberman tM]

Originally Posted by codeMonkey

Add

after that and flash the firmware again it will put the device.txt file on the sd card you're using and you can read it from there.

Very good suggestion, will try as soon as I have time to do so.

Though you could break it accidentally, so if you do, be careful.

Well, that risk always exists.
As long as the hardware survives, I'm confident, though. I've reflashed the firmware several times now (I tried to skin it, didn't work. Didn't respond even. So I reinstalled the firmware.).
This Cool-Er firmware (which includes the whole OS) seems to be like the elixier of life for (at least my) EB600.
Let's hope it doesn't fail me one day.

[edit]Well, it worked. So my eBook is an EB600E .
Anyone know what exactly that means?

[codeMonkey]

Yeah, sorry, standard disclaimer in case you broke it

Since you're running the Cool-er firmware you should be able to skin yours the same way I did with a genuine Cool-er - check out the link in my signature for more info.

As for the differences, I'm not really sure.
According to the wiki page the difference between eb600 and the eb600e/em is the epson display chip. I'm not sure what other differences exist between the e and the em.

[Cyberman tM]

Originally Posted by codeMonkey

Since you're running the Cool-er firmware you should be able to skin yours the same way I did with a genuine Cool-er - check out the link in my signature for more info.

Since you mention it - I already tried. Either I did something wrong(which certainly is possible), or there is more difference than it seems.
The device was left unusable, required new firmware.

The result is the same wether I put the files on the SD card or onto the internal memory(that is, the part of it that is visible once connected via USB).

Simply restarting it (turning off, turning on) doesn't seem to do anything.
Pressing the two buttons(Center and Return) like I do when reinstalling the firmware seems to ruin the device.

Not sure if I tried with only pressing the center button, perhaps that would have an effect.

Mind giving me a step-by-step guide for dummies, so I can make certain I do it right?
Especially the last part - rebooting. Sounds simple, but apparently isn't. Maybe I'm merely missing the obvious.

[codeMonkey]

Pressing the centre and return buttons while pressing reset definitely does something to the device where it forces it to boot from the SD card.

Simple guide below - I'll try to explain better, so if you have any questions let me know.

With your reader working correctly, all you should need to do is:

1. Plug your reader into your computer.
2. Download the skinMod script and a skin (example penguins here)
3. Unzip skinmod-1.1.zip, and copy backdoor.sh to your reader internal memory (not the sd card). If you're using Windows it will go on the root of D: or E: or F: etc depending on where your reader is mounted. If you're using a Unix variant and it mounts at /media/elonex then you would copy it to there.
4. Copy the skin (skin.penguins.0.9.tgz) to the same place that you copied backdoor.sh
5. Rename the skin to skin.tgz (case is important, if it can't find this file the reader will just boot up normally with no changes)
6. Disconnect the reader from your computer - you'll be back to the normal library view.
7. Turn off the reader normally by pressing the power button (no resetting or reflashing).
8. Wait a few moments, then turn the reader back on.

The device should start up normally, the led will flash while it extracts the skin file, and a skin.txt log file will be created on the internal memory.
It should be fairly obvious if it has worked - instead of the Cool-ER logo start-up screen it'll display a penguin.

If it hasn't worked, once the device has started up you can plug the reader back into your computer and look at the skin.txt file, which should give a reason why it didn't work. If you find any problems you can send me the skin.txt file and I'll help.

The script shouldn't be able to stop the device from functioning - the only thing I can think of that might do that is if you do the vulcan-nerve-pinch reset on it.

[Cyberman tM]

[very late edit]
I'm not too sure if it's really my fault anymore. I KNOW that it's not the fault of the mod either, but for some reason it didn't work three times in a row. Of course it worked when I followed these instructions, but I didn't do anything different before.
The only difference was that the device didn't react the same way - to being connected, being disconnected, etc...
Very weird...
[/edit]

Hum. Well, it obviously was my fault that it didn't work before.

It worked perfectly this time.

It took some time to exctract the archive/install the skin, perhaps I've merely been too impatient before.

Many thanks.
It looks quite better now, those new graphics are truly an enrichment.

[edit]Since you seem to have spent some time with this device - do you know if it's possible to add another language to the menu? Apart from replacing the files of an existing language, I mean.

[codeMonkey]

No problem - as I've said in another thread I'm working on a MobileRead based skin, which will just be a general purpose nicer skin than the one from Cool-ER, and another few ideas for some related projects.

The only way I can think of for language replacement at the moment is to just replace the existing files - the menus etc are all images. We'd probably need access to the ebrmain program's code in order to add additional languages whilst maintaining the existing ones.

[Cyberman tM]

Originally Posted by codeMonkey

The only way I can think of for language replacement at the moment is to just replace the existing files - the menus etc are all images. We'd probably need access to the ebrmain program's code in order to add additional languages whilst maintaining the existing ones.

I fear you are right. The number of languages seems hardcoded. It might be possible to hide one, but not add.

Well, replacement is the next best thing.

[edit]Also, it's quite fun to snoop around in the filesystem (included in the firmware update), this system seems to be prepared for almost everything. Too bad the EB600 can't use most of it.