Editing the read-only parts of an image

[Devilfish]

Enigma images are created in such a way that there is a read-only section of the image and read/write section. The /var folder and /tmp folder is the old folders in an image that you can edit. If, for any reason, you want to edit the read-only folders, i.e. /bin, /etc, /lib, /share, etc. this is what you'll need to do.

First of all, you'll need a linux platform to make your changes. This could be a PC with a linux OS, i.e. Ubuntu, or you could have a program called VMWare which is a virtual machine that allows you to run a different OS from within an existing OS. It's up to you which one you choose and I will not go into setting it up in this thread.

Telnet to the dreambox...
username: root
password: dreambox

Follow these commands...

 mkdir /var/tmp/root

 mount -t squashfs -o ro /dev/mtdblock/5 /var/tmp/root

 cd /var/tmp

 tar -cf root.tar root

FTP the root.tar to your linux desktop and open a terminal.

cd Desktop

 tar -xf root.tar

Leave the terminal window open.

Treat the root folder on the desktop as the box itself but don't add or change anything in /var because that is a different location.

When you have finished go back to the terminal window and...

 ./mksquashfs root mtd5.img -be

Then ftp the mtd5.img back to the box. You will need a copy of mksquashfs on the Desktop to be able to perform this command.

Telnet back to the box and...

 cd /tmp && eraseall /dev/mtd/5 && cp mtd5.img /dev/mtd/5 && reboot

Done.

To check what mtd# ...

more /proc/mtd

...but most squashfs are mtd5.

Njoy!

[mattwills71187]

is there anyway to do this from a Pc running on windows

[beady]

is there anyway to do this from a Pc running on windows

No, but you can install a virtual linux machine, using e.g. vmware, and do it from there. It's fairly easy to set up, and there's plenty of guides on the interweb.

[ronlkh]

can anyone please tell me if this method works? I have tested so many times but not working. I have done and follow devilfish's instruction. I am able to produce mtd5.img but when I flash back to the box, the box dont work at all. Can someone please advise me?

Thanks

[DavC]

will this method work for neutrino on the dbox as well?

[mrdude]

can anyone please tell me if this method works? I have tested so many times but not working. I have done and follow devilfish's instruction. I am able to produce mtd5.img but when I flash back to the box, the box dont work at all. Can someone please advise me?

Thanks

Yes of course it works - This is the exact method I used to make the moddified jade image I posted in here.

[ronlkh]

must I umount the root and delete the root.tar before I flash the new mtd5.img?

Thanks

[ronlkh]

What I am running is vmware + ubuntu 8.04.

First I telnet to the dm500 from ubuntu terminal
then I make directory
root@dm500 ~ #mkdir /var/tmp/root
root@dm500 ~ #mount -t squashfs -o ro /dev/mtdblock/5 /var/tmp/root
root@dm500 ~#cd /var/tmp
root@dm500 /tmp #tar -cf root.tar root
root@dm500 /tmp #
then I open another terminal to ftp to dm500
root@ubuntu8041:/home/user/Desktop# ftp 192.168.0.112
Connected to 192.168.0.112.
220 Welcome to the PLi dreambox FTP server
Name (192.168.0.112:user): root
331 Please specify the password.
Password:
230 Login successful.
Remote system type is UNIX.
Using binary mode to transfer files.
ftp> cd /tmp
250 Directory successfully changed.
ftp> get root.tar
ftp>bye
root@ubuntu8041:/home/user/Desktop# tar -xf root.tar
root@ubuntu8041:/home/user/Desktop# ./mksquashfs root mtd5.img
I mksquashfs back the original root and a new mtd5.img is created.
then I ftp back to dm500
root@ubuntu8041:/home/user/Desktop# ftp 192.168.0.112
Connected to 192.168.0.112.
220 Welcome to the PLi dreambox FTP server
Name (192.168.0.112:user): root
331 Please specify the password.
Password:
230 Login successful.
Remote system type is UNIX.
Using binary mode to transfer files.
ftp> cd /tmp
250 Directory successfully changed.
ftp> put mtd5.img
ftp>bye
exit back to Desktop and telnet back to the box
i change the directory to /tmp
root@ubuntu8041:/home/user/Desktop# telnet 192.168.0.112
Trying 192.168.0.112...
Connected to 192.168.0.112.
Escape character is '^]'.

PLi dm500 Jade 20080718 (based on 1.09)
welcome on your dreambox! - Kernel 2.6.9 (13:08:41).
dm500 login: root
Password:


BusyBox v1.01 (2008.07.11-10:44+0000) Built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.

root@dm500 ~ # cd /tmp && eraseall /dev/mtd/5 && cp mtd5.img /dev/mtd/5 && reboot

after image flashed dm500 reboot but dm500 is dead

I did not umount the root directory in the /var/tmp nor I have deleted the root.tar

Have I done anything wrong?

[Devilfish]

On a working image, do a 'more /proc/mtd' in telnet and see what it says.

[ronlkh]

Hi Devilfish,
What I got is :-

root@dm500 ~ # more /proc/mtd
dev: size erasesize name
mtd0: 00600000 00020000 "DreamBOX cramfs+squashfs"
mtd1: 001c0000 00020000 "DreamBOX jffs2"
mtd2: 00040000 00020000 "DreamBOX OpenBIOS"
mtd3: 007c0000 00020000 "DreamBOX (w/o bootloader)"
mtd4: 00800000 00020000 "DreamBOX (w/ bootloader)"
mtd5: 004e0000 00020000 "DreamBOX SquashedFS"
mtd6: 00120000 00020000 "DreamBOX Cramfs"

thanks

[Devilfish]

That looks right, was just checking that the squashfs part was indeed mtd5. Not sure what else to suggest. Maybe try a totally different image.

[unai_goiko]

Hello there! I've just found this forum and have to say that i'm impress with it

Continuing with the thread, I'm having the same problem as ronlkh here. I followed the steps explained by Devilfish except from the part of using a mksquashfs binnary copied on the Desktop. I used the mksquashfs binnary from ubuntu instead. Then, after rebooting, the dreambox does not respond and i get a black screen...

I've read that squashfs-lzm is used for building most of the dreambox images, shouldn't will be using that program? Thanks in advance!

[ajeeb]

hi,
this is gr8 topic tested with gemini4.6 not work (Black screen after reboot)
I do exactly same steps said Devilfish

BR

[Devilfish]

I followed these steps about a month ago to edit /var_init on an image so that certain files stayed there after a factory reset and it worked 100%.

Maybe the SquashedFS partition is not mtd5 on a Gemini image, I'm not sure, but I imagine it would be the same.

[ajeeb]

hi I get this
root@dreambox:~> more /proc/mtd
dev: size erasesize name
mtd0: 00500000 00020000 "DreamBOX cramfs+squashfs"
mtd1: 002c0000 00020000 "DreamBOX jffs2"
mtd2: 00040000 00020000 "DreamBOX OpenBIOS"
mtd3: 007c0000 00020000 "DreamBOX (w/o bootloader)"
mtd4: 00800000 00020000 "DreamBOX (w/ bootloader)"
mtd5: 003e0000 00020000 "DreamBOX SquashedFS"
mtd6: 00120000 00020000 "DreamBOX Cramfs"

I tried only to change a font in /share !!!

thanks