OK so here bricked an Openpeak OPOF2B2110 - Cisco model by accident.
I have been trying to write a new EFI boot ROM here. Specifically the seabios rom.
I did get in to a command line prompt when booting to a USB stick.
I then deleted all of the boot files on the mmc supposing by default the USB efi boot stick would boot.
NOT. It did not work. I bricked it.
I was left here with a Cisco logo and no boot.
I am able to get to a booting USB stick right now BUT it still isn't just right. This is what I did.
Connected a USB boot stick with one of Buzz's Ubuntu images, USB Keyboard.
I powered it up and kept hitting the escape key from boot. I saw all of the led's flash once on the Keyboard and kept hitting the esc key.
Note the whole time all I see is the Cisco logo on the screen.
typing in
fs1:
a few times hitting return each time.
Then I type in
boot
and it booted from the USB stick.
note the important piece here is typing boot as that is the name of the file on the usb efi boot partition.
I have been able to do this twice now.
It boots to the Ubuntu on the USB stick. Here wanting to format the MMC with GParted such that the ROM only sees the USB stick by default.
Only issue right now is that I have to set the keyboard to a US keyboard so that I can type.
Noticed too as soon as I do anything in the Ubuntu windows the Openpeak device locks up. IE: mouse moves for a while and I have icons on the screen but they go away after a bit.
Here is a picture of the files / structure of the EFI boot partition on the boot USB stick to reflash which I am going to use now instead of the Ubuntu build. Will reflash the MMC such that it boots with the Cisco logo to the 2Gb flash on the device. Note file named boot.nsh.
Whatever I did I cannot get reflash to run. It looks like it starts then goes to the MMC partition where it just trashes out the boot.
Trying again here with Buzz's Ubuntu. Will try to format the MMC such that there is nothing there. Noticed too that I cannot do a modeprobe fh. Not sure why?
Well here is the issue I am having. Note this issue is only related to said bricked Openpeak. I seemed to have trashed the MMC partitions. That said it seems to be hanging on boot or after booting trying to read the MMC. Ideally I just need to get to a terminal prompt then format the MMC partition so that when booting it doesn't hang. So now trying the simple Ubuntu base booting to see if it works. If I can get it to boot to a terminal window then will reformat the MMC partition.
OK so I was able to boot to Buzz's Ubuntu Desktop and get to a terminal window using a keyboard with no mouse.
Here then did sudo su and used fdisk -l to look at the partitions. Deleted the partitions on the MMC 2 Gb flash. Created a new ext4 partition non bootable on the MMC. Rebooted and it went right to Buzz's ubuntu. Now still cannot do a modprobe fh. I do not know why. I do have now a bootable via USB stick Openpeak device. Next will try to update MMC using flash utility. Not really totally sure but thinking that the MMC is trashed and this may not work.
OK so switched to a different USB hub and usb keyboard/mouse combo. It is working fine now booting to Buzz's latest Ubuntu.
The keyboard is an Intel combo made in Spain. It has no f keys on it. That said I changed everything in the base Ubuntu build to a US region and keyboard and it looks to be working. Installed gparted and checked MMC and it looks fine...but I do not trust it to write on right now. Now doing an update and upgrade and going to install FH (rom tools). It'll be easy then to write a new ROM. Probably going to leave MMC blank as I think that it is trashed. As the current build was slowing down due to the original bad mmc it appears now to be running fine and fast.
So decided to try an older Buzz Ubuntu build. Booted fine with one of these. modprobe fh works. Next is to write the seabios rom.
Will copy the rom file over via ssh and run / install it via ssh.
So in a recap here relating to Openpeak device.
1 - bricked it (not on purpose) - it would not boot to the USB stick - well had issues.
2 - blind typing booted up to a USB stick
3 - in terminal mode deleted and reformated mmc to one ext4 non bootable partition
4 - booted up to an old Buzz Ubuntu build
5 - copied over seabios rom to stick
6 - installed seabios build over efi boot rom.
7 - goal here will be to run latest USB booting XP GPS software which I tested on another Openpeak device with Seabios and it works great.
Here are the two original USB keyboards that I used. Note the second one with the touch pad didn't have an escape key.
Easiest to work with but not do the esc key blind typing is the Logitech wireless keyboard. Easiest for the ESC key blind typing thing was the plan keyboard in the center. Note too the USB hub that I used to boot USB stick via blind typing. El cheapo ebay special.
Note that the bottom keyboard is a special Intel USB keyboard used for an Intel all in one computer that looked like a MAC but was only sold in Spain as an AOL computer in the 1990's. It was an interesting computer. I was able to get one and modify the computer inside of it to make it faster. I also stuck a TV tuner inside of it such that it worked as a television and computer (CRT monitor).
Personally I like this Openpeak device look the best. It has a combination wireless bluetooth mini pcie module built in. It has a second USB port on the top (well just the pins), DECT chip, Zigbee chip inside, 2Gb MMC and speakers in the front. Ideally maybe a mini SSD SATA to mini PCIE card inside and a customize USB WLAN/Bluetooth on the top would work. It does also have a different audio chip set than the smaller Openpeak device. It is made to have some sort of DIN wall mount device on it but I have never found one. It is easy to flush mount on a wall as the NIC / Audio / power ports are in a bit.
Issues with it are trying open the case which is a bit of a PITA. There are traces for a secondary mini PCIE. ZIF clip IDE traces are there but no ZIF clip (personally I use the smaller Openpeak devices with SSD drives and they work great) and the EFI boot rom is soldered in to place (so if you trash this you are SOL).