Dumbo (en)

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To read the complete article please refere to the German version at:

→ Dumbo - das dumme Boot Plugin

Dumbo - the dumb boot plugin

Do you have less flash-memory at your Dreambox for your daily Updates, Skins or Picons? Than Dumbo may be interesting for you. This plugin helps you to boot the Dreambox via a compressed image from a removable media like Compact Flash or USB-Stick. Dumbo is not a tool for Multiboot but it supports to boot via removable drives. Of course you can backup this kind of image. This plugin also helps to create a swap-file (/media/swap/swapfile) at a size of 200MB. Because of this you can use Dumbo at Dreamboxes with less RAM (like the DM 7025) without having problems due to less memory while decompressing or maintaining the image. The swap-file is activated during the boot process of Dumbo as told in the /etc/fstab. The Dumbo Plugin You configure Dumbo in this steps. Install the plugin into the flash image (the main image in the Dreambox). Than plug in the Compact Flash card or your prefered media to create partitions on it. You will get two partitions. The first to create a bootable FAT file system and the second to create the main ext3 file system. Now start the plugin Dumbo to choose the image that will be installed at your removable media. After about 5 minutes of decompression, installing and rebooting the Dreambox will be available for your new experiments. The complete configuration of the Dumbo-Plugin is described in this article. Please take your time to read it carefully to get all requirements. Good luck and have a lot of fun! :-) This article is based at the forum-topic: Dumbo - the Dumb Boot Plugin (German language) Objectives: Configure bios of the corresponding box. Prepare desired image for the Dumbo device. Installation of Dumbo plugin. Start Dumbo, partition the desired media and extract desired image to attached media. Learn operation / functions of Dumbo. To know the webinterface of Dumbo. Able to update the Dumbo plugin. Uninstall Dumbo if required. Integrate Dumbo into BluePanel (optional). Read chapter "Troubleshooting Dumbo Plugin". To know the support thread of Dumbo. Requirements: Enigma2 based Dreambox. Supported boxes are DM 7025 (+), DM 800HD PVR, DM 800HD se and DM 8000HD PVR. DM 500 HD should also work, but an USB mod (German language) is required. An OE 1.6 image in flash, with recent second stage loader (e.g #82 or #83 depending on box typ). Images with SSL #76 are successfully tested onto Dumbo device. But care about updates. If current SSL will be replaced by an older one, booting from Dumbo device will no longer work. It only helps to update SSL manually via secondstage-dmxxx-xx.nfi, or via dreambox-secondstage_xx-dmxxx.ipk packet, unless flash memory is booting flawlessly. Attached removable device needs at least 512MB. Maximum supported device size is 32GB. DM 7025 (+) needs a CF card as storage medium. DM 500 HD, DM 800HD PVR, DM 800HD se and DM 8000HD PVR need an USB Stick as storage medium. During setup, attach only desired media to the dreambox. The desired device must be formated in FAT or FAT32. Operation of telnet for packet installation. Strong-willed to read the article before anger the family. Installing Dumbo the dumb boot plugin Bios-Configuration of the Dreambox Bios - DM 8000 HD PVR Bios - DM 7025 (+) You need to prepare the Bios to be able to boot via a removable media containing the FAT filesystem. The following chapter shows you the needed preparation for the different kind of Dreamboxes. You need to activate USB Support at all Dreamboxes. But you do not need to activate this at the 7025. Changing the Bios Like flashing the Bios via Webbrowser you can connect to the Bios. After you see "STOP" at the display you can connect via telnet ip_der_dreambox to the Bios. Than you can change the needed values. Choose Boot Source If you cannot change the values at Boot Source between Flash / CF / USB, then use the [Page UP] or [Page Down] keys at your keyboard. DM 500 HD Primary boot source: usb [/autoexec_dm500.bat] Secondary boot source: flash DM 7025 (+) Primary boot source: cf [/autoexec_dm7025.bat] Secondary boot source: flash DM 800HD PVR und DM 800HD se Primary boot source: usb [/autoexec_dm800.bat] Secondary boot source: flash DM 8000HD PVR Primary boot source: usb [/autoexec_dm8000.bat] Secondary boot source: flash Back to table of contents Dumbo plugin installation For the installation both files from the Dumbo thread are needed. dosfstools_3.0.11-r2_mipsel.ipk enigma2-plugin-extensions-dumbo_x.xx_mipsel.ipk Dosfstools is used to create the FAT partition. The second packet is the actual Dumbo plugin. Copy dosfstools and Dumbo plugin via FTP to the Dreambox into the /tmp folder. Use telnet or ssh to access the command prompt and install both packets with following command. opkg install /tmp/*.ipk To install both packets individually, use following steps. opkg install /tmp/dosfstools_3.0.11* Followed by the next command, that installs the Dumbo plugin. opkg install /tmp/enigma2-plugin-extensions-dumbo* Switch dreambox off and connect the Compact Flash card or USB-Stick. Turn on the dream (Dreambox) and follow the next step of the wiki article. Back to table of contents Prepare desired image for the Dumbo device Now copy the desired image for the CF card or USB-Stick to the Dreambox. Per default, the plugin scans following directories. Path settings to desired image Is the desired image on another location, the path can be changed afterwards during the image selection. Dumbo remembers also the new path, if changed. /tmp /MB_Images /media/hdd/backup/FlashBackup Back to table of contents Start Dumbo Plugin, partition it and decompress it Dumbo in action Start the Dumbo Plugin via the Extenstions and press the yellow Button called [Booting] at your remote control. To configure you need to execute the following steps. The GIF animation on the right side shows the steps as screenshots. 1. Select [Destination device] (CF-Card or USB Stick) 2. Choose [fill with image] 3. Set size of [FAT] (e.g. 8MB) 4. Select [Your desired Image]. The flash memory will be decompressed at the removable media. Alternatively you type in the path if the images is not located at the standard path. 5. Confirm the questions by pressing the [OK] button. The partitions are now build at the plugged in removable media. After this the images is decompressed. While the plugin is working the sleeping Dumbo is shown. Than restart the Dreambox. The new images should be started and it should be ready to use. Partition Label After the partition the FAT file system is labeled Timothy and the ext3 filesystem is labled Dumbo. Back to table of contents Using the Dumbo Plugin Dumbo Menu The functions of Dumbo depends of using the Flashimage or the Dumbo-device. Please read the following chapters to learn the main functions. This two functions are the same in Flashimage or Dumbo-device. [Cancel] - Close the Dumbo Plugin [Donation] - Shows the donation information on the TV Start via Flashimage Yellow button [Booting] You can call three functions by pressing the yellow button at your remote control called [Booting]. The screen-shot on the right shows the possibilities. [boot existing image] - Starts the image from the Dumbodevice [re-fill with image] - Starts partitioning and choosing the image to decompress at the Dumbodevice. [Filesystemcheck] - Verifies the Dumbodevice about FAT or ext3 filesystem errors You cannot use the green button [Backup] while the flash image is still in use and active. Format Dumbo device to ext3 A new feature is available when booted from flash image. When changing the FAT size to zero the Dumbo device will be formated and equipped with one ext3 partition. Back to table of contents