New OpenPeak firmware update (30th April 2012)

[gegs]

In the spirit of tinkering more than I need to (we're all guilty of that, aren't we?) I installed this last night. I must say I was quite impressed with O2's efforts to fix earlier problems. DHCP worked quicker and easier than I've experienced before (did they have updated wi-fi drivers? I wonder).

My earlier over-the-air auto-update from O2 left certain PnPIII things, like Squeezeplay, intact. Installing from the stick has wiped them. I'm going to telnet in and add all the PnPIII goodness later tonight, which will give me one PnP installation over O2 and another over Openpeak.

Like I said, this is tinkering more than I need to because the Joggler in question is hooked up to my hi-fi and runs the excellent SqueezePlay OS from a stick almost exclusively.

Finally, thanks very much to the devs at O2 for parting company with the product in such a graceful and helpful way. Passing the torch (oh no! an Olympic metaphor) to devs on this forum has been a very good decision; working to fix problems in this transitional stage is the icing on the cake.

[BuZz]

what gegs said

[Positivity]

I am a little confused about the steps required here. Can someone confirm:
1. download openpeak_12-06-14.img.gz
2. extract openpeak_12-06-14.img file
3. use a disk image writer (e.g. Win32DiskImager) to write the image to a 4GB USB key
4. insert USB into Joggler and reboot

What happens next? Does the USB key automatically run a script to completely reflash the Joggler with the new OS? or does this merely boot from the USB and run the new OS from there?

I am wondering why it needs a 4GB image to reflash a 1GB Joggler - I currently only have 2GB USB keys, so I would like to know how this works before I go out and buy a 4GB (or greater) key.

Thanks

[BuZz]

your steps look fine.

the usb key will boot, and completely reflash the joggler.

It only needs 4gb as that was how it arrived. I could probably squeeze it down. ill do that and give it a test. having said that usb keys are cheap as chips, and you should get some 4gb+ ones and try out some alternative operatings systems

[Positivity]

Thanks Buzz. I am quite happy to buy some more USB keys, just wanted to be sure that was the correct approach. No need to spend time reducing the image.

[offbeatdave]

I am a little confused about the steps required here. Can someone confirm:
1. download openpeak_12-06-14.img.gz
2. extract openpeak_12-06-14.img file
3. use a disk image writer (e.g. Win32DiskImager) to write the image to a 4GB USB key
4. insert USB into Joggler and reboot

What happens next? Does the USB key automatically run a script to completely reflash the Joggler with the new OS? or does this merely boot from the USB and run the new OS from there?

I am wondering why it needs a 4GB image to reflash a 1GB Joggler - I currently only have 2GB USB keys, so I would like to know how this works before I go out and buy a 4GB (or greater) key.

Thanks

It does indeed need a 4Gb USB stick. It's guess it's not only the OS on the stick, it's the gubbins needed to set it all up. That's just what the image we've been supplied with unpacks to. Kingston Datatravellers have always worked well for me (although I've been very lucky in that all my USB sticks have always been Joggler-compatible!)

You switch on the Joggler with the stick in.
After a little delay on the black OpenPeak or black o2 screen, it goes blue and tells you that it is preparing partitions, populating partitions and enabling telnet.
It then says READY in large letters on a green screen.
You then need to reboot and, after a delay, it'll boot into the updated OS.
The blue o2 splash screen is replaced by an OpenPeak screen.

[roobarb!]

Here's an interesting thing. The p3 partition is not populated during this firmware flash - it's 256MB of completely empty space.

Also, there's still no /etc/.usb-key file, which means that USB-based updaters are not going to work without a little twiddling over telnet first.

[Positivity]

I don't know anything about the Joggler partitioning scheme, but does this mean that there is potentially 25% more free space in the new image? Or would it be necessary to merge that free space into a another partition to make use of the space (boot from Ubuntu USB key and use parted)?

[roobarb!]

I don't know anything about the Joggler partitioning scheme, but does this mean that there is potentially 25% more free space in the new image? Or would it be necessary to merge that free space into a another partition to make use of the space (boot from Ubuntu USB key and use parted)?

The p3 partition is usually used as a backup OS, but this seems like a tacit acknowledgement that the fail-over never really worked. Also, it speeds up the reflash process.

The easiest way to use the space would be to mount it, preferably somewhere on the /media partition.

Code: Select all

mkdir /media/stuff
mount /dev/mmcblk0p3 /media/stuff

That would give you an additional 256MB in the /media/stuff directory, over and above the 512MB you get on the /media partition already.

Of course, the proper way to do it would be to jiggle with the partitioning and expand p4.

[BuZz]

I made a 400mb image of the openpeak flash image - ftp://ftp.exotica.org.uk/pub/joggler/fi ... -14.img.gz - for those with small usb sticks.

[ilovemyjoggler]

Also, there's still no /etc/.usb-key file, which means that USB-based updaters are not going to work without a little twiddling over telnet first.

For those of us without any knowledge, what does this mean .... Would it have any negative impact after applying the update? If I update, will I still be able to reflash using the reflash tool (as plan B) if something goes horribly wrong? I have Ubuntu on a stick, would I still be able to use it? Sorry, many questions but I don't want to muck it up as I don't have the knowledge to rectify! Many thanks in advance for any advice!!

[gegs]

For those of us without any knowledge to tinker .... does this have any negative impact to using the update? If I update, will I still be able to reflash using the reflash tool (as my plan B) if something goes horribly wrong?

This was missing from the last OpenPeak update but I could still (and did) reflash my Jogglers. Also, any bootable OS on a stick will still work. I installed it last night out of curiosity and afterwards booted into SqueezePlay OS on a stick.

[gegs]

Also, there's still no /etc/.usb-key file, which means that USB-based updaters are not going to work without a little twiddling over telnet first.

Couldn't we add this to the image and repackage it?

[Mevi]

I have one O2 Joggler that i have updated to first the 30th April FW that O2 supplied and now this new FW.

Since booting into the new OP OS, boot times when using one of my XP builds take an extra minute and a half to boot. That's between the first half screen corruption and before the screen redraws and the Windows 'loading' screens appear. I've tried different builds of XP and confirmed that other Jogglers without the update boot quickly.

Strange. It's my 'hero' Joggler too, the one that used to be my go-to Joggler.

[danfoshizzle]

Strange, will have to test that out aswell, does the new update change the efi then?

[ilovemyjoggler]

This was missing from the last OpenPeak update but I could still (and did) reflash my Jogglers. Also, any bootable OS on a stick will still work. I installed it last night out of curiosity and afterwards booted into SqueezePlay OS on a stick.

Whew - that's a relief and very reassuring. Thanks!!

[Mevi]

Strange, will have to test that out aswell, does the new update change the efi then?

I've only updated the O2 Joggler with the new FW, so I can't say if your OP Joggler will be affected. The boot logo hasn't changed, so I can't be sure if it has updated the EFI. The boot just grinds to a halt at the half-screen corruption after mup.sys.... little or no drive access.... then a minute or more later the drive access starts again and Windows continues to boot. after that point Windows works just fine. Boot time goes up from 1.5 mins to more than 4 mins.

If you've not updated yet though, Dan, I'd wait to hear back from others who already have. 8-O

[murph7355]

Thanks very much for posting this.

I tried JoliOS and a couple of others, but they weren't quite there IMO. This is neat and simple and works nicely.

Is it easy to remove apps that aren't used?

And is there a uPNP player that works with it?

[offbeatdave]

If you like the functionality of the standard OS, have a look at the PnP III thread. I've tried Ubuntu, Joli and two versions of Android, but I find that the PnP'ed OS is what works perfectly for me.

[roobarb!]

Also, there's still no /etc/.usb-key file, which means that USB-based updaters are not going to work without a little twiddling over telnet first.

Couldn't we add this to the image and repackage it?

Yes, I'm sure we could. But it's not there by default, so no PnP / SqueezePlay / SSH using USB installers for the time being.

All that's required is an empty .usb-key file and we're on a roll.