lundi 15 octobre 2012

Mele_HTPC_0929_BETA_V1.3 Revised version: en_US is easy

The 1.3 beta revised version (http://tmerle.blogspot.fr/2012/10/melehtpc0929betav13-revised-version.html) comes as an update.
It contains the original launcher as expected (at start, you have the choice in the launcher), with Google Play, and busybox commands are symlinked.

Edit: here is the equivalent PhoenixCard image, customized in en_US:
Mele_4.0_V1.3BETA_revised_en_us.img
Edit(2): Look at my updated firmware, fixing the CPU hog bug: http://tmerle.blogspot.fr/2012/10/melehtpc0929betav13-revised-version_22.html

Since this is an update.zip, no more PhoenixCard flashing process is needed, just a vfat formatted sdcard as a base media is sufficient.

From the archive, put on your sdcard:
- MeleTool.apk
- recovery.img (this is a CWM recovery image with Mele F10 recognition)
- bootloader.img (choose your flavor depending on the desired output VGA, HDMI,...)
- update.zip
You can edit system/build.prop in update.zip at your convenience. For example, you can setup the updated system in en_US directly.
So my customization is only a modified build.prop that you can put into update.zip (be careful to put it in system/)

Insert the SDCard in the device, install MeleTool.apk
Then launch the MeleTool.
Choose the option #4 talking about "Recovery" (wait a little so that the recovery img is written in nandg flash)
Choose the option #5 talking about "bootloader", the device will reboot after having written down in flash the nanda bootloader.
At this stage the device is stuck since it tries to boot on SD, remove SD, remove power, put power.
You should enter into CWM recovery. Insert again the SD.
Choose "apply sdcard:update.zip" (wipe data/cache before if needed)
After that, reboot and you are done.

38 commentaires:

  1. Hi Thierry ,you said sdcard vfat formated, could be sdcard 4g fat 32 formated ?

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    1. Yes (vfat is a term that you can see under linux for fat32).

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    2. Forget about formatting. Phoenixcard do it himself.
      If you have bigger SD(< 4GB) windows will show your card as 4GB. Need "HP format tool" for restore original capacity

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  2. > You should enter into CWM recovery. Insert again the SD.
    After power up - mele start as usual.

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    Réponses
    1. Try the third option of MeleTool, it makes the device boot in recovery mode.
      Otherwise, perform manually the procedure in an adb shell (sdcard inserted); just do:

      cat /mnt/extsd/bootloader.img > /dev/block/nanda
      sync
      cat /mnt/extsd/recovery.img > /dev/block/nandg
      sync
      echo -n boot-recovery | busybox dd of=/dev/block/nandf count=1 conv=sync
      sync

      reboot

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    2. I see black monitor. I use HDMI
      http://bbs.mele.cn/showtopic.aspx?topicid=1102&page=end
      THIS guy do it specoal for me. Its very touching)
      I try new firmware

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  3. Hi Thierry,

    great work with this blog :)
    I have the same problem of Alexandr B. Tried with HDMI and also with stock audio video (yellow, red, white provided by mele) cable, but without results. I'm not able to enter in that damn recovery mod :(

    Can you or someone help me, please? :)
    Thanks, Gabriele.

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    1. dont be afraid to brick mele. Mele always start by SD card fist. bad case is install new firmware from SD. Thats all.

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    2. Yes, i'm thinking just to this.. Thanks for confirmate me:)
      I found the img version of 1.3 anyway. Installed but is a bit more slow? Possible? And the gapps? There aren't never :(
      How can i install? :)

      Thanks, Gabriele.

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    3. Can you give the link to the 1.3 img?
      For the slowness, yes, I can confirm this.
      The system_server goes up to 100% CPU progressively.
      This comes from another application that generate spurious events, but which one... I don't know.

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    4. Sure:

      http://www.lundman.net/ftp/mele/Mele_HTPC_0929_BETA_V1.3.rar

      Maybe not, but your 1.3 with apex launcher is a little better?
      Anyway i hate lag and slow, so i think go back to 1.1 :)
      But first i wanna to try a "1.5" founded on torrent way..
      Thanks for the work and help ;)

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  4. No matter Thierry,

    i read now that is for the F10 remote.
    Doesn't exist nothing for our simple stock remote? :(
    Also i want to ask you if you tried the 1.6 beta version :)
    I want to try it because is an img so with phoenix is perfect to burn, but i'm afraid to brick or do something that is not reparable u.u

    Gabriele.

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    Réponses
    1. It should be automated (I saw in logcat that a "command" file is written by MeleTool, this made me think it is intented for /cache/recovery/command) but does not work.
      1.6 beta version, no... do you have a link on this firmware?
      No risk to brick your device, the first stage bootloader - BROM - is in ROM and always work, giving you the ability to write another firmware (http://rhombus-tech.net/allwinner_a10/a10_boot_process/)

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    2. You right, thanks for clarify me :)

      Yes:

      http://www.lundman.net/ftp/mele/mele_20120503_v1.6.img

      I tried to open with phoenix 3.03 on 7 x64 and 3.06 also under same os and same behavior: warning error in chinese and crash :\

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  5. Hello Thierry ,I installed 1.3 Step by step as you have indicated in the first post. Finally after system reboot mele opened without any problems and it worked perfectly .... But when I try to restart after shutdown it was detained at bootanimationa for a log time a never open . I will try reinstall the update doing a wipe data cache before reboot system in th recovery I 'll post here if this solves the problem

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  6. After several attempts I could not solve the periodic reboot failures wich requiring reinstall fron v1.1

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    1. I tried also to do again the operation, with no success.
      The bootloader provided with this package seems to contain a different u-boot version, with different NAND mappings (in console logs, I can see that u-boot detects a NAND size different from the previous u-boot version, not good). And u-boot fails to detect the recovery mode.
      I will try to create a new .img firmware with update.zip applied, it will be simpler for everyone even if all personal data is wiped out.

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  7. Réponses
    1. Success!
      Uploading the resulting firmware (slowly), within *too many hours* I will edit this post.

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    2. Done.
      If you can, please track system_server process to see if it eats 100% CPU:
      adb shell top

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  8. over v1.1 I've installed last firmware edited 1.3 with phonix card but startup does not exeded melé bootanimation step

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    1. Strange... Do you have a Mele A2000 device?
      The previous firmware has no importance since everything is wiped out when you flash a PhoenixCard image.
      My main issue with this firmware is high CPU usage, and boot failure after some reboots. Not really useable sadly...

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    2. Ah, and did you wait sufficiently? The first startup makes preinstallations, that could be a bit longer than a normal startup. Wait 5 minutes...

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  9. I've tried burn the firmware again with the same results .I waited more than that but the opening does not exceed bootanimation.I'm trying tried with download the file again but the speeding is very slow at this time

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    1. The file md5sum is:
      92b5b02707be7f3cae3df5d525e2df95 Mele_4.0_V1.3BETA_revised_en_us.img
      Just check if you have the same checksum, this could save useless download hours...

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    2. Installs fine starts fine, if i reboot on no change of anything in the system just localization settings hangs at the logo and doesn't start again

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  10. Man wich version do you installed ?with recovery or the Therry customized installed with phonix card edited in the first post

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  11. Hello Thierry new 1.3 img downladed, check sum OK ,burn sdcard with phoenixcard ok , succesfull install on Melé a2000, reach the bootanimation stage but never open . With the same installation method I could installed your v1.2 US custom img succefully ... really a mystery. Any idea ?

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    Réponses
    1. You have done all things correctly. Can you unplug any external peripheral at boot? Perhaps one is blocking the startup.
      My only solution is to re-generate a new firmware with less applications to install...
      I tried to upload it, but it failed. I will retry this evening.

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  12. A1000
    Is the A1000 supported by this rom?
    Every one of your roms I install (I have tried them all) boots up with no problem but starts to give me unresponsive errors especially in MX Player (Stock player terrible) these would be fine because clicking on wait and they eventually start (Not all though). However the big problem is if I power down and try and reboot the system it won't boot up again it just hangs on the Mele logo.
    The only rom that seems to work and give me the least errors and reboot is the Ver1.
    As for the external Drive, is there a limit the A1000 can support over USB? I'm using a WD 2Tb external drive and I’m wondering if that is causing the problem.
    I would love to help by checking errors I keep having and supplying them to you but I’m not sure how to.
    I love the rom and the work you have done, if it can become stable and bug free your blog and roms would be a brilliantly huge hit.
    If I am doing anything wrong please can you let me know what and if there is any way I can help by supplying you with logs etc. I am willing.

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    Réponses
    1. I generated a new firmware:
      http://tmerle.blogspot.fr/2012/10/melehtpc0929betav13-revised-version_22.html
      Please test it. I made light modifications in order to save RAM at startup (I hope).
      Should boot...
      Otherwise you will have to run adb, and run adb logcat.
      If the problem is at startup phase, I think you will have to wire the serial line like I did...

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  13. Hello Thierry I've plugged only hdmi plug and F10 USB part during installation

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    1. Please test my new firmware (new post) and give a feedback!

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  14. Hi Thiery

    Is it possible to boot the Mele directly off SD Card without using recovery and CWM update?

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    1. Theorically, yes, it could be possible. Android is booting from flash (/dev/block/sdx), no big difference with SDCard (/dev/block/mmcpblkx).
      Linux distributions run on SDCard, there is no big difference with Android at kernel level.
      The speed could be a problem, since /system is run from flash (and so would run from SDcard).

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    2. I tried unsuccessfully to make this combination work. I am able to boot but it gets stuck. Speed seems OK.

      It appears to be problem with spl / u-boot. Re-using u-boot from nand partition also didnt work.

      Let me know if you come across a working solution. Thanks.

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    3. I managed to have a functional system:
      http://tmerle.blogspot.fr/2012/11/booting-android-ics-system-from-sdcard.html
      Nothing prevents the Android system to boot from SDCard, you just need to have the right u-boot, and change the partition names in various scripts.

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