Im Stuck, Please Help

[fadihad]

Hi
to begin the story, I have DM500S box. It came with PLI jade image and loaded with all the settings and works perfectly. the problem is I cannot access it, I do not know the root password I tried to install Tuxbox but with no luck. the box is closed in a way I cannot install any add-on manually nor automatically. I cannot even open software management as it gives me a message that it is not possible to install anything. I also cannot upgrade as it says it cannot find Http://myserver.com..... What I did is that I created a shared folder in to my pc and mounted the VAR folder in the dream box to this folder. I was able of course to edit the passwd and changed the root password but the problem is that all the channels stopped and to make things worse I was not able to return the /VAR folder to the internal flash. Whenever I try to select Internal flash I get a message saying that the box need to be reboot but after it boots up I find that the shared folder in my pc is mounted to /VAR. I tried to force unmount the /VAR but when the box boots up it cannot find any settings and starts with the wizard asking about the display and the satellite settings. Please help?
Also is there a way to backup the system and the settings, I do not want to lose more settings.
Any suggestion would be appreciated.

Thank you

[bob114]

hi

you may be able to make a back up of the image with dream up and if so put a copy of the back up in a program called

ViewVar for dm500 backup images (windows tool)

then you can open the folders of the image on your pc

also read

Digital Kaos > Satellite > Sat Dreambox > ENIGMA1 Chat ? Don't know the pin code!!!


hope this may help

[steve67474]

just reflash

why dont you just connect via a null modem cable and reflash with a new image. That will reset everything back to factory. Then you canset up your boquets and channel lists using sgtflipflop enigma1 list. This way you will learn how to flash for future and if u need to put on later images you will be able to. Always help here if you get stuck

[fadihad]

Thank you for your reply, But still my problem is not solved yet. Using the viewvar tool to extract VAR folder will not help me. As I siad when I moved the /VAR folder to my PC I was able to replace my root password to dreambox. the problem is that I cannot move back the /VAR folder to internal flash. besides doing backup using DreamUp will not copy the settings on the box and thus will not help me. I tried this by doing backup using dreamup and restored back to another box and I was not able to find any settings copied to the new box.

I found some programs that backup the settings but again as part of the copied settings is the location of the VAR folder which is located on my PC. What I need is a way to move back the /var folder to internal flash?

By the way, regarding to the ViewVar tool, and if I change the root password, how do I add the Var image back to the backup.img file?

Thank you

[bob114]

hi

doing a back up of the image will have all the setting of the backed up image

the ViewVar for dm500 backup images (windows tool)
allows you to open folders on your pc/laptop as you can
with a ftp program or dreambox control centre

because you cannot connect to your dreambox
you may need to use a null modem cable and dream up
to get a back up then if you are able to get the information
you require from the backed up image
you can then reflash using dream up another image then
put the imformation needed to the new image

note if you get the new image working make a back up

hope this may help

[fadihad]

hi

doing a back up of the image will have all the setting of the backed up image

Thats strange, the first time I did a backup using dreamup and tried the image to a another box I got as if there is no settings and when it boots it start asking me about the display and the satellite settings.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, What I exactly did is:
1)I used a null modem cable to connect my pc to the box
2) I opened dreamup tool and pressed on connect to connect to the com port
3) then powered up the DM528S box and Dreamup tools is ready. Then I pressed on backup button and did the backup.

Is what I did correct or there is another way to do backup?

Thank you

[bob114]

hi

look at the sticky in the cable dreambox section

Digital Kaos > Cable > Cable Dreambox ? Guide: Flashing a Dreambox with Dreamup

[fadihad]

I was pressing on yes when I were asked to erase the flash. I should select NO in case flashing from backup.

Untill now I still cannot see the root password. I was able to use the VeiwVar to see what is inside the /Var which I already know as I was mounting the /var to my PC.

what I need is one or both of the below
1) find a way to merge back the VAR image to its original image after using the VeiwVar tool or
2) find a way or tool to decrypt the passwd file and know the root password.

Thank you

[fadihad]

Guys, I searched the net and found a way how to merge the VAR image back to its original backup image. But unfortionately it requires Linux and I do not have this OS, besides I did not understand the steps, if some one can try those steps and then explain what he did would be appreciated
Below is the steps:

it is possible make a permenant password change in a backup.img without knowing the original password but, it is a quite technical procedure and must be done in a linux os

1) make a backup.img using dreamUP

2) open backup image in hex editor and look for the magic headers for squashfs and jffs2 indicating their partition start positions within the image. this info is also available in a kernel messages bootlog.

3) cut the image up into its three partitions.. cramfs, squashfs, jffs2

4) decompile the squashfs partition

5) delete the symlink in the decompiled squashfs partition pointing to the passwd file in the jffs2 partition.

add a passwd file containing the password dreambox as shown below replacing the removed passwd symlink

root:V26.Uf.kSvoYg:0:0::/:/bin/sh

6) recompile squashfs partition

7) join back together cramfs, squshfs, jffs2 partitions at exactly the same positions and partition sizes as original backup.img making a new image backup2.img

WARNING! new backup2.img must not be larger than original backup.img (8,126,464 bytes) by even a single byte or new backup2.img image WILL kill your box.

8) flash new modified backup2.img to box

password is now set permenantly to dreambox in read only root partition and cannot be changed again

end of the steps.

Thank you