Guide: Flash and Backup an Image via Telnet

[biju007]

can i user it through router

[C64]

can i user it through router

Yes mate, a router will be fine to use.

[dublindave]

Telnet Commands

To backup an image using Telnet

• Telnet to the box and paste the following command:

cat /dev/mtd/3 > /tmp/backup.img

• FTP to the box and navigate to the /tmp
• Here you will find the backup.img file.

Hi, I'm planning to backup my patched & working image and found ur post. I read that there is very little free space on a 500c, so I was wondering how could a 5/7mb backup image fit onto the 500c in the /tmp folder?

[Devilfish]

The /tmp folder is a separate memory location that /var.

There are 3 locations...

/var - this is the writeable section.
/tmp - this is a separate memory location.
the rest - this is a read-only section.

[tinbox11]

would there be enough memory to store the backup image?
I checked on the box it suggetsed /var only has 80k left while the rest is 100% full. you can use the command to check how much memory is free; free under the telnet screen.

[tinbox11]

I found using null modem is the sure way to flash image, while ehternet is fast but as the falsh working its way you loose the connectivity, hence not a complete flash. At least I had failed twice using such method and null modem works all the time.

did anyone get null modem flash speed higher than 10kb/s?

[CyberBob]

Query

Do you still need a crossover ethernet cable if you are connecting through a network switch.

[Devilfish]

No. If you're using a switch/hub/router you can use a patch or standard ethernet cable.

Although most modern routers will work with a crossover cable too.

[CyberBob]

To backup an image using Telnet

Telnet to the box and paste the following command:cat /dev/mtd/3 > /tmp/backup.img
FTP to the box and navigate to the /tmp
Here you will find the backup.img file.


I did this and the image is there as promised but when I try to copy the image to my PC my FTP client closes the connection without transfering the file.
I would like to keep a copy of the original image even if I cant identify it.
The telnet says BusyBox v1.01 but since I am using the dreambox manager suite v2 I am not sure if this is my image id or if it is the telnet client id.

[Devilfish]

It could be your ethernet cable that's fault or the ftp program that doesn't like something.

Reboot the PC and the dreambox and try again.

Remember, anything in /tmp is lost when the box is powered off or rebooted so you'll need to paste the backup telnet command again.

I wouldn't bother with any 3rd party dreambox program. Use a proper ftp client and you'll get much better results. I use CuteFTP but FlashFXP is also good. Or use internet explorer.

Put this into your address bar of IE or Firefox...

ftp://192.168.1.101

(replace the ip address with your own dreambox ip address)

Navigate to /tmp and drag the .img file out like any other windows explorer window.

[CyberBob]

It could be your ethernet cable that's fault or the ftp program that doesn't like something.

Reboot the PC and the dreambox and try again.

Remember, anything in /tmp is lost when the box is powered off or rebooted so you'll need to paste the backup telnet command again.

I wouldn't bother with any 3rd party dreambox program. Use a proper ftp client and you'll get much better results. I use CuteFTP but FlashFXP is also good. Or use internet explorer.

Put this into your address bar of IE or Firefox...

ftp://192.168.1.101

(replace the ip address with your own dreambox ip address)

Navigate to /tmp and drag the .img file out like any other windows explorer window.

I was using cute FTP and on other operations like copying keylist files or the updated roms it was doing just fine but had no joy copying the image from the dreambox to my pc.

also I tried flashing the dw2image onto my box using telnet but it stopped the process after deleting all the files from the box and could not find the image in the tmp folder as it no longer existed.
now the box is dead and it looks like I am going to have to get a null modem cable and use dreamup as many people recommend.
This is not a complaint just information,and I am still grateful for all the help I have recieved up till now.

[Devilfish]

When you issue a telnet command, there's no error checking, it does what you tell it to do so you need to be careful.

Also make sure the image name, i.e. backup.img, is the same in the command and the actual file.

At the point where it errored that you hadn't copied the file across, you could have still copied it to the box and issued the command again. All it had done was erase the flash, you still had control of the box. Not to worry, dreamup will defo sort it out for you.

[CyberBob]

When you issue a telnet command, there's no error checking, it does what you tell it to do so you need to be careful.

Also make sure the image name, i.e. backup.img, is the same in the command and the actual file.

At the point where it errored that you hadn't copied the file across, you could have still copied it to the box and issued the command again. All it had done was erase the flash, you still had control of the box. Not to worry, dreamup will defo sort it out for you.

DreamUp did sort me out and I have flashed the dw2 image onto my box.I guess losing everything on the box is the cost of using unfamiliar software.
On the up side dreamup was so simple to use that losing the contents of the flash are less of a fear for me now.(confidence is high).Still I obviously have a lot to learn.
Thanks for all your help Kaos.

[click]

I'm not 100% sure if that 25 pin - 9pin will work, never tried it before.

You will need to find an old PC or laptop with a com port or you can get a USB to Serial adapter.

Remember that you need to have an established connection between your dreambox and PC before telnet will connect.

You do not need to put .exe at the end. If it doesn't do anything, the connection between the PC and dreambox isn't right, i.e. you're not using a crossover ethernet cable (not the same as a standard ethernet cable) or your IP addresses are not correct.

hi many thanks for the info i will try to understend all of this
bye for now

[uskuz]

How could be made to download image from internet, and restore it with a script?, main problem is to get the image downloaded and know it is 5 - 6 mb image and not not page found, downloaded by wget to /tmp/imageupdate.img for example.

Sometimes i try to get a file with wget i get that it can?t connect to server.

Thanks