iRex listens to us and opens up its specs! Flashing soon possible.

Alexander Turcic · 08-24-2006, 04:44 AM

Alright iLiad fans, we've got some good news for you. Fresh into our tattle box, an iRex insider tips us to the fact that soon you'll be able to perform your own software updates from flash images stored on CF card. Especially those of you with bricked iLiad devices will appreciate all the merit contained in this.

The second good news is that iRex means to open the specs of its iDS protocol, you know, the protocol which defines how the iLiad communicates with the iRex server (also see recent controversy). This could enable features such as:

Content downloading directly to the other devices;
The possibility of developing applications that push content from your PC to the iLiad (which could be useful e.g. if your iRex is not connected to the Net);
Sharing documents between different devices and users.

ETA: sometime around October/November, together with the formal launch of the SDK.

Excited? I can barely contain myself. Props to iRex for listening to its customers and reading our forums.

verbosus · 08-24-2006, 05:40 AM

This is very cool! The only thing is that I wished the SDK would have been released earlier (they talked about September at some point, but now it’s been pushed until November), oh well.

Rejoyce! :-)

Drops · 08-24-2006, 05:51 AM

Well, Irex and unexpected delays, that's really something new

masc · 08-24-2006, 06:14 AM

Real good news. For the iDS would be good that the provide something to changing the iDS Server IP, so you can select different content providers.

deadite66 · 08-24-2006, 06:20 AM

yay get a 3rd party to brick your iliad o/

R2D2 · 08-24-2006, 07:40 AM

Nice!

So this really mean (compare discussions on Irexforum) that developers will be able to go beyond creating viewer applications?

CommanderROR · 08-24-2006, 09:38 AM

let's hope it does R2...

But I think it's good news and we should be happy about it...I guess the delay is due to the unfinished software. Maybe iRex wants to make sure the software is really final before giving out stuff to devs so that the software that is written for the Iliad will really work and not have to be rewrittene very two weeks when the next bugfix appears.

scotty1024 · 08-24-2006, 12:21 PM

No offense but I'll get excited when I see the press release announcing this (hopefully after it downloads into my iLiad via iDS.)

For a company planning on being "open" they sure could have saved themselves some development time by simply opening up earlier. I would have happily helped make the unit brick proof, WPA2'd the WLAN, heavily optimized xpdf and done yeomen service on ContentLister.

DHer · 08-24-2006, 02:41 PM

That's really great.

Kudos to iRex for doing this.

b_k · 08-24-2006, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scotty1024

No offense but I'll get excited when I see the press release announcing this (hopefully after it downloads into my iLiad via iDS.)

...

http://developer.irexnet.com/home

astfgl · 08-24-2006, 05:50 PM

Read the release carefully, it only says that upgrades will be possible from a CF card. This will not allow the bootloader to get a initial flash image from the CF card, just the normal update packages which would be downloaded from IDS.

If your unit is hung in the boot process, and the update check from the CF card is before that point, you might recover that way if the update happens to replace the part of the boot process which is hanging you. I doubt most of us would be that lucky. :-(

A properly bricked unit is still bricked, until we get access to JTAG or the bootloader over serial/USB.

Of course, I'll be very pleased(and amazed) if iRex pushed through an upgrade which makes the bootloader CF-aware. :-)

Janus · 08-25-2006, 10:17 AM

http://developer.irexnet.com/

TadW · 08-25-2006, 10:57 AM

Is there a reason why you guys are posting the same link every two posts?

scotty1024 · 08-25-2006, 11:24 AM

I've read the release, I'm not impressed.

This will enable developers to pull content from iDS for transfer to other devices or to the iLiad via a PC? What content? What is there to pull from iDS? I don't want to write software to pull content, I want to write software to push content!

The CF upgrade will hopefully be bootloader based so it can recover non-bootable iLiads. I think the release date for it is a bit late, this capability should have been in the units from the beginning. Especially with the beta software they're packing.

My repair box is in Kentucky, scheduled arrival is Monday. My Wife and I are both using our portable devices plugged into the wall now. I'm on my tethered iLiad and she's got one of the 12" Powerbooks that Apple says to yank the battery out of. Sometimes this portable technology really bites.

cervezas · 08-25-2006, 12:45 PM

The other thing that no one has mentioned is that if you want to write software other than a new viewer you have to pay iRex for the right:

iRex will release two versions of the SDK:

* We will offer a development tool environment at no cost to our iLiad users that will suffice for most development needs. Developers can connect to the iLiad using a SSH connection over TCP/IP and logon to a development account where they can add additional executables (format viewers) on the iLiad. More details about this SDK will be announced in the coming period and is expected to be available in September/October.
* In addition we also offer an extended SDK with direct iRex support which will come at a cost, for companies that are in need for a full development support tool. Next to a specially prepared iLiad the SDK contains a professional JTAG probe allowing advanced debug options and a full engineering staff is available for technical support. For more information on the extended SDK please contact us at info@iRexTechnologies.com.

08-24-2006, 04:44 AM	#1
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,171 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	iRex listens to us and opens up its specs! Flashing soon possible. Alright iLiad fans, we've got some good news for you. Fresh into our tattle box, an iRex insider tips us to the fact that soon you'll be able to perform your own software updates from flash images stored on CF card. Especially those of you with bricked iLiad devices will appreciate all the merit contained in this. The second good news is that iRex means to open the specs of its iDS protocol, you know, the protocol which defines how the iLiad communicates with the iRex server (also see recent controversy). This could enable features such as: Content downloading directly to the other devices; The possibility of developing applications that push content from your PC to the iLiad (which could be useful e.g. if your iRex is not connected to the Net); Sharing documents between different devices and users. ETA: sometime around October/November, together with the formal launch of the SDK. Excited? I can barely contain myself. Props to iRex for listening to its customers and reading our forums.

08-24-2006, 05:50 PM	#11
astfgl Member Posts: 24 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Townsville, AU Device: Iliad & REB1100	This won't help bricked units Read the release carefully, it only says that upgrades will be possible from a CF card. This will not allow the bootloader to get a initial flash image from the CF card, just the normal update packages which would be downloaded from IDS. If your unit is hung in the boot process, and the update check from the CF card is before that point, you might recover that way if the update happens to replace the part of the boot process which is hanging you. I doubt most of us would be that lucky. :-( A properly bricked unit is still bricked, until we get access to JTAG or the bootloader over serial/USB. Of course, I'll be very pleased(and amazed) if iRex pushed through an upgrade which makes the bootloader CF-aware. :-)

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08-24-2006, 05:40 AM	#2
verbosus Unicoder Posts: 15 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Sassuolo, Modena, Italy Device: iRex iLiad	This is very cool! The only thing is that I wished the SDK would have been released earlier (they talked about September at some point, but now it’s been pushed until November), oh well. Rejoyce! :-)

08-24-2006, 05:51 AM	#3
Drops Connoisseur Posts: 65 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2006	Well, Irex and unexpected delays, that's really something new

08-24-2006, 06:14 AM	#4
masc Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Austria Device: iLiad	Real good news. For the iDS would be good that the provide something to changing the iDS Server IP, so you can select different content providers.

08-24-2006, 06:20 AM	#5
deadite66 Groupie Posts: 197 Karma: 16 Join Date: Apr 2006 Device: irex iliad, uk Kindle gen3	yay get a 3rd party to brick your iliad o/

08-24-2006, 07:40 AM	#6
R2D2 Mad Scientist Posts: 294 Karma: 242 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Germany Device: Zaurus, HTCMagician, iLiad	Nice! So this really mean (compare discussions on Irexforum) that developers will be able to go beyond creating viewer applications?

08-24-2006, 09:38 AM	#7
CommanderROR eink fanatic Posts: 2,022 Karma: 4924 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Germany Device: STAReBOOK, iRex Iliad, Sony 505, Kindle 2	let's hope it does R2... But I think it's good news and we should be happy about it...I guess the delay is due to the unfinished software. Maybe iRex wants to make sure the software is really final before giving out stuff to devs so that the software that is written for the Iliad will really work and not have to be rewrittene very two weeks when the next bugfix appears.

08-24-2006, 12:21 PM	#8
scotty1024 Banned Posts: 1,300 Karma: 1479 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Peoples Republic of Washington Device: Reader / iPhone / Librie / Kindle	No offense but I'll get excited when I see the press release announcing this (hopefully after it downloads into my iLiad via iDS.) For a company planning on being "open" they sure could have saved themselves some development time by simply opening up earlier. I would have happily helped make the unit brick proof, WPA2'd the WLAN, heavily optimized xpdf and done yeomen service on ContentLister.

08-24-2006, 02:41 PM	#9
DHer Addict Posts: 261 Karma: 156 Join Date: Jul 2006 Device: iliad	That's really great. Kudos to iRex for doing this.

08-25-2006, 10:17 AM	#12
Janus Member Posts: 20 Karma: 35 Join Date: Jul 2006 Device: iRex iLiad	http://developer.irexnet.com/

08-25-2006, 10:57 AM	#13
TadW Uebermensch Posts: 2,583 Karma: 1094606 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Italy Device: Kindle	Is there a reason why you guys are posting the same link every two posts?

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08-25-2006, 11:24 AM	#14
scotty1024 Banned Posts: 1,300 Karma: 1479 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Peoples Republic of Washington Device: Reader / iPhone / Librie / Kindle	I've read the release, I'm not impressed. This will enable developers to pull content from iDS for transfer to other devices or to the iLiad via a PC? What content? What is there to pull from iDS? I don't want to write software to pull content, I want to write software to push content! The CF upgrade will hopefully be bootloader based so it can recover non-bootable iLiads. I think the release date for it is a bit late, this capability should have been in the units from the beginning. Especially with the beta software they're packing. My repair box is in Kentucky, scheduled arrival is Monday. My Wife and I are both using our portable devices plugged into the wall now. I'm on my tethered iLiad and she's got one of the 12" Powerbooks that Apple says to yank the battery out of. Sometimes this portable technology really bites.

08-25-2006, 12:45 PM	#15
cervezas palm & java hacker Posts: 52 Karma: 251 Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Manitou Springs, CO Device: Visor, T3, i500, iQue ...	The other thing that no one has mentioned is that if you want to write software other than a new viewer you have to pay iRex for the right: iRex will release two versions of the SDK: * We will offer a development tool environment at no cost to our iLiad users that will suffice for most development needs. Developers can connect to the iLiad using a SSH connection over TCP/IP and logon to a development account where they can add additional executables (format viewers) on the iLiad. More details about this SDK will be announced in the coming period and is expected to be available in September/October. * In addition we also offer an extended SDK with direct iRex support which will come at a cost, for companies that are in need for a full development support tool. Next to a specially prepared iLiad the SDK contains a professional JTAG probe allowing advanced debug options and a full engineering staff is available for technical support. For more information on the extended SDK please contact us at info@iRexTechnologies.com.