Re: Re: Updating the bootloader after piggyback does not work?!

Hi ho!

> > serload.exe /path/to/an/opensimpad/image.img
> > Did'nt you already practice this a lot to upload the bootldr-image? ]
> Yes, in fact it doesn't work anymore once you have restored the simpad via
> piggyback. Any try to serload another alternate bootloader or windows image
> will result in an overlap error. You can't serload any opensimpad image
> since there isn't any option to erase (the 'Y' option in the newest
> bootloader). And you can't serload any newer bootloader because it simply
> will not work (once it restart you will always have the 2.4 bootloader, no
> matter what you have sent).
Hehe, this is again the overlapping thingy...
It seems, that someone had thought about this and knew, that the first 
bootloader ever to ship simpads with will be real old in just a litlle time, 
so that piggy-back restores some kind of old "loader_alt", so that you can 
flash the newest bootloader first, without having to upload an alternate 
bootloader, just to throw it away some minutes later. Try to flash the newest 
bootloader first, usually it should be the non-alternate version, but you can 
change between both as often as you like. Or did you try a opensimpad-image 
which requires the alternate bootloader? Then piggy-back restores the 
ordinary bootloader and you'll need loader_alt first to upload that image.
Overlapping problems are usually caused by the wrong type of the arnold 
bootloader or alternatively you image says, that it would overlap with both 
versions, but then the image would be broken or was not made for the simpad.

> > Serload cannot define what will happen to the image after uploading. It
> > is stored inside the image itself, what to do with the contained data.
> The problem is that I can't even start the upload procedure (with windows
> ce images, I've been able to upload a windowsce 3.0 16mb image rather than
> the 32mb, but it's an horrible OS Version!!)
You've got quite an old arnold bootloader restored: update it first using 
loader_alt and loader afterwards when using any CE-Images or stay at 
loader_alt, when you try to upload a newer (unpatched) opensimpad image.
The old images work with the same bootloader as windows does, the newer ones 
overlap with this bootloader, so that you'll need the alternate one.
Try chaning it. Usually this should work without any problems.


> I know it's probably my fault, since it can't be so difficult to restore
> it, but I've tried almost everything. The situation is this:
> - Bootloader 2.4
> - It's not possible to install any newer bootloader (after it restarts the
> 2.4 is always there, even if the upload procedure seems succesfully)
Hmmmmmmmm.... Waaaaaaaaaaalteeeeeeeeeer?? :-D

Right now I just don't remeber the exact flashing of the bootloader. I know 
there was something, that the bootloader-flashing was done by uploading the 
image, automatically running it and having "something" done by the image 
itself, but if you followed the instructions you'll get from serload this 
usually works.

Or don't that images belong to that device? which device exactly do you have?
You can find that info usually on the back (side [I love germanisms]) of your 
simpad on the first line of that label there.
You cant, of course, upload 32MB images to a device that only own 16MB.
I think you won't be successful uploading the SL4 (newest) bootloader to an 
CL4 device or vice versa. Even though, I would not try it, because I don't 
know what would happen to a device containing the wrong bootloader.
That could really brick you simpad and it would not respond to anything except 
jtag, but this should not be your case right now.


> - It's not possible to upload any Windows CE image nor any alternate
> bootloader (I always get the overlap error and it refuses to upload
> anything)
OK, this means that you have got the alternate bootloader installed right now 
with an real old version. I'd wonder if you could not update the simpad to 
the newest one available for your device: Figure out, whether you have a SL4 
or CL4/T-Sinus-Pad.

> - It's not possible to upload any opensimpad image (the 2.4 
> bootloader menu miss the 'Y' option to actually erase the mem before
> upload.
Right, this can also be fixed by using an empty image. Do we have something 
like this around? If not, we'll make one for you ;)

> So the upload procedure is succesfully, but after the upload I have 
> a lot of errors and at the end the opensimpad startup procedure always fail
> with some errors).
Japp, that right and a problem with jffs2, not your fault.
AS LONG AS THERE'S ANY THAT OS CAN BE FLASHED AND RUN, THEN YOU WON'T NEED 
HOPE OR PRAYERS: Everything should be still alright, it's just a matter of 
oploading the right files :-)


> Desperate!
Don't be! ;-) Don't do any mercy killings: Give it to me, then I've got two of 
them. Hang on! Just mail me you bootlog (with cut'n'paste or something) and 
let's have a look what exactly is on your device.

Ralf.


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