Using 7020 dev. kit for 7000 - progress report

[noggie]

Hi all,

Having nothing better to do, I decided to play around with compiling the new cdk for the upcoming 7020 (instructions at http://developer.elitedvb.net/listpr...hp?curr_dir=80) and trying to adapt this for my 7000. I'm a bit surprised really at how far I've gotten in just a few days, but I'm not quite there yet, and I would like to share my experiences with others doing more or less the same.

What I've done so far:

• downloaded and compiled everything as if I had a 7020
• changed the kernel config file, based on input from the 2.6.5 config, and recompiled the kernel
• copied the root file system to a directory that is nfs-exported
• booted the new kernel over tftp/nfs
• hacked some start-up scripts to use the new root file system

I haven't come as far as actually starting enigma yet (still some problems, see below), but I can log on to the box using ssh and I think the remaining problems are solvable.

Enigma crashes when I try to start it. I'm not sure why, but there's a kernel oops involved, and I think it is caused by what I had to do to load the binary-only kernel modules (fb26 and head). I couldn't get the dream-tv-7020 modules to load (changes in hardware?) so I've used a binary editor to change the 2.6.9-rc1 modules so that they can be loaded on the 2.6.9 kernel. Hrrrm... They seem to load OK, but maybe that's misleading. Another explanation is that the new enigma needs newer modules in order to work. I'll try to work around this problem by using another enigma, probably the one using by the latest Hydra.

So if anyone knows of a version of fb26.ko/head.ko for the 7000 compatible with 2.6.9, please let me know!

If I can get this running from nfs, I would like to go on and install it in flash/usb. I'm not quite sure how to do this. My kernel has usb-support built-in, but I'm still not able to get the kernel to use the usb stick as root. The obvious "root=/dev/scsi/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part1" doesn't work, nor does "root=/dev/sda1". Any suggestions?

If for some reason the kernel can't use a USB stick as the root file system, I would like to try using initrd. Has anyone succeeded in getting this to work on the dreambox? Any nice initrd-filesystems out there that I can use as a starting point?

BTW, I'm aware that the official partitioning of the flash will cause me problems, but I'm counting on being able to change the partition sizes (leaving the bootloader where it is, of course) in the kernel. Has anybody tried this? Any major problems?

I guess that's all for now. I'll be back with a report after I've tried an older enigma, if there seems to be any interest in this stuff.

[eriksla]

Originally Posted by noggie

Having nothing better to do, I decided to play around with compiling the new cdk for the upcoming 7020 (instructions at http://developer.elitedvb.net/listpr...hp?curr_dir=80) and trying to adapt this for my 7000.

Nice project!

Enigma crashes when I try to start it. I'm not sure why, but there's a kernel oops involved, and I think it is caused by what I had to do to load the binary-only kernel modules (fb26 and head). I couldn't get the dream-tv-7020 modules to load (changes in hardware?)

That is very probable, yes.

so I've used a binary editor to change the 2.6.9-rc1 modules so that they can be loaded on the 2.6.9 kernel. Hrrrm... They seem to load OK, but maybe that's misleading. Another explanation is that the new enigma needs newer modules in order to work. I'll try to work around this problem by using another enigma, probably the one using by the latest Hydra.

Can't just use an existing 7000 kernel with accompanying modules (e.g. extracted from an image)?

So if anyone knows of a version of fb26.ko/head.ko for the 7000 compatible with 2.6.9, please let me know!

All images have these...

If I can get this running from nfs, I would like to go on and install it in flash/usb. I'm not quite sure how to do this. My kernel has usb-support built-in, but I'm still not able to get the kernel to use the usb stick as root. The obvious "root=/dev/scsi/host0/bus0/target0/lun0/part1" doesn't work, nor does "root=/dev/sda1". Any suggestions?

You might try the hex notation, like root=0x0321 (but then altered for your situation, use major block device id (03 in example) + minor block device id (21 in example).

BTW why don't you keep using NFS? I am using it, and it works like a charm, also very handy for developing...

[noggie]

(about getting kernel and corresponding binary modules)

Originally Posted by eriksla

Can't just use an existing 7000 kernel with accompanying modules (e.g. extracted from an image)?

No matter what solution I come up with, I can't use the standard kernel. I will need to recompile. Initrd is not supported in the standard kernel, just to take an example.

(about binary modules for 2.6.9)

Originally Posted by eriksla

All images have these...

Not quite. They have modules for 2.6.9-rc1, compiled by gcc-3.2. I need modules for 2.6.9 (final), gcc-3.4. There might also be extended functionality in the latest modules by dream, I don't know.

(about booting with root file system on USB)

Originally Posted by eriksla

You might try the hex notation, like root=0x0321 (but then altered for your situation, use major block device id (03 in example) + minor block device id (21 in example).

I never tried this. I decided to go the initrd way, and then this problem became a non-issue. I'm up and running on initrd, by the way. Will probably use the jffs2 partition in flash for some configuration files, make some more partitions on the USB stick, and I will then be able to do true multi-root by just changing a config file and rebooting. It's not quite multi-boot (the same kernel is used) but that would require changes in the boot code, and I'm not up to writing my own boot loader.

Originally Posted by eriksla

BTW why don't you keep using NFS? I am using it, and it works like a charm, also very handy for developing...

Handy for developing, yes, but I don't want the dreambox to be dependant on the PC just to run. Sometimes I use the dreambox just to watch TV

BTW, a non-critical nice-to-have would be a program to select configurations using the TV for output and the remote control for input, something similar to what musicbob is doing in FlashWizard. Does anybody know of available source code for this kind of stuff?

[noggie]

eriksla,

Sorry. I was probably wrong. I haven't tested this yet, but now that I've played around with initrd a little while, I think you were right, in that the standard kernel (2.6.9-rc1) should be usable. The idea will be to use the standard root-partition (squashfs formatted) of the flash as if it is a ramdisk.

My initrd-image will then be loaded as squashfs, the normal "magic" with pivot_root etc. will be done by a script in squashfs, and booting will continue on USB. Best of all, I can test it using root from NFS.

I ran into the same problems with the hydra-based enigma as I did with the enigma from the 7020 dev-kit. There's a kernel oops in what seems to be one of the loaded binary modules, and enigma dies a horrible death. Seems that my rather optimistic editing of the modules to make them compatible with the kernel is not sufficient, I would need new modules from dream to have a chance.

[noggie]

Originally Posted by some tosser

I ran into the same problems with the hydra-based enigma as I did with the enigma from the 7020 dev-kit. There's a kernel oops in what seems to be one of the loaded binary modules, and enigma dies a horrible death. Seems that my rather optimistic editing of the modules to make them compatible with the kernel is not sufficient, I would need new modules from dream to have a chance.

Running the standard 2.6.9-rc1 kernel did the trick. As I'm writing this, the Dream 7020 alfa (or whatever name you want to give it) is doing a transponder scan.

OK, I admit to running a slightly older kernel than the 7020 release will have, but still! I don't even own a 7020...

The boot is currently highly unconvensional, but it should be possible to streamline it quite a bit, and I think it should also be quite easy to boot-strap a binary version using just a PC, with no need for linux or NFS servers.

The really good news for us 7000 owners is that we needn't be left behind when all developers flock to the new, sexy, shiny, developer-friendly 7020-series. It shouldn't be too difficult to support the 7000 as long as extra storage is available either as USB, cardflash or disk.

Which image-maker will be the first to deliver a 7020 image for the 7000, and will they do it even before the 7020 is available?

(While I've been writing this, the scan is finished, and I'm now watching BBC1...)

[Souldream]

Originally Posted by noggie

Which image-maker will be the first to deliver a 7020 image for the 7000, and will they do it even before the 7020 is available?

Tiger ,isn't it ?

[jpm]

wishful thinkin

[mcs1]

@ noggie,

How did you manage to compile the plugins, my compiler has a problem compiling tuxmail? It has to do with freetype (I am using 2.1.7) but I could not quite find what. Any help is greatly appreciated
Best wishes
MCS

[noggie]

Originally Posted by mcs1

@ noggie,

How did you manage to compile the plugins, my compiler has a problem compiling tuxmail? It has to do with freetype (I am using 2.1.7) but I could not quite find what. Any help is greatly appreciated
Best wishes
MCS

I did it the dirty way. I just edited the relevant Makefile in build/.... and deleted the tuxmail dependancy. Hey, I was making a test-environment, who cares if tuxmail is compiled or not? :-)

In the very latest pull (just before the weekend) the problems with tuxmail seems to have vanished, and it's now building. I have not tested it.

Be aware also of the instructions on the official Dreambox board on www.dream-multimedia-tv.de. I didn't know of it until a week or so ago.

Originally Posted by tmbinc

Hi,

please remove all CVSDATE- and PREFERED_VERSION_* from your local.conf, and modify

DISTRO = "opendreambox"

into

DISTRO = "opendreambox-1.0.0"


when doing this, please insert a

OEMASK = "(gcc-cross-sdk.*|nslu.*)"

as these packages corrupt dependency information.

These instructions are from early December, and I have the feeling they are already slightly outdated. At least I ended up by following his advice on changing DISTRO and removing CVS_DATE etc, while I'm not anymore doing any masking. When I changed the config , just to be sure to be sure, I deleted my cache and the whole of tmp, and remade the whole lot. I'll tell you, I'm sick and tired of watching glibc being recompiled!

I do have some strangeness still left somewhere, or maybe something's been deliberately changed. In the latest build, enigma is running single-threaded on my machine, and while this is probably more stable etc, it also makes it unresponsive as hell and a real pain in the arse to use. It could be something I have done, though, or maybe there's another magic variable that should be set or deleted somewhere. Or maybe there are some 7020 optimizations that's hurting the 7000. There's a definite lack of documentation, and this probably won't improve until the Dream developers have finished the first release for the 7020. I guess they are pretty busy at the moment...

[mcs1]

Originally Posted by noggie

I did it the dirty way. I just edited the relevant Makefile in build/.... and deleted the tuxmail dependancy. Hey, I was making a test-environment, who cares if tuxmail is compiled or not? :-)

In the very latest pull (just before the weekend) the problems with tuxmail seems to have vanished, and it's now building. I have not tested it.

Be aware also of the instructions on the official Dreambox board on www.dream-multimedia-tv.de. I didn't know of it until a week or so ago.


These instructions are from early December, and I have the feeling they are already slightly outdated. At least I ended up by following his advice on changing DISTRO and removing CVS_DATE etc, while I'm not anymore doing any masking. When I changed the config , just to be sure to be sure, I deleted my cache and the whole of tmp, and remade the whole lot. I'll tell you, I'm sick and tired of watching glibc being recompiled!

I do have some strangeness still left somewhere, or maybe something's been deliberately changed. In the latest build, enigma is running single-threaded on my machine, and while this is probably more stable etc, it also makes it unresponsive as hell and a real pain in the arse to use. It could be something I have done, though, or maybe there's another magic variable that should be set or deleted somewhere. Or maybe there are some 7020 optimizations that's hurting the 7000. There's a definite lack of documentation, and this probably won't improve until the Dream developers have finished the first release for the 7020. I guess they are pretty busy at the moment...

Thank you very much for that! I thought of removing tuxmail, but then....
Cannot wait to get home and try it again!
Watching glibc being recompiled is one of my favorite pastimes....
Especially since I compile 5620 images as well
Will report how I get on
Cheers

MCS