Incompatible Blade "Generations" - Gen1 & Gen2

[Guest wbaw]

My guess would be appsboot.mbn - qpstbuild.mbn isn't in the hungarian tpt update & i'm not sure that the tpt flash program will flash it - I looked through the tpt program binary (oemsbl.mbn) & it contains the file names that it'll flash, there were a few extra files, but I don't remember seeing qpstbuild.mbn.

If it is appsboot.mbn, then according to my theory (untested) we can mess around with that without interfering with the ability to perform another tpt flash.

Until we can dump a new phone & compare it with the old one, or get hold of an official update, then it's guesswork as to what exactly has changed & we can't do anything.

Edited March 21, 2011 by wbaw

[Guest hecatae]

My guess would be appsboot.mbn - qpstbuild.mbn isn't in the hungarian tpt update & i'm not sure that the tpt flash program will flash it - I looked through the tpt program binary (oemsbl.mbn) & it contains the file names that it'll flash, there were a few extra files, but I don't remember seeing qpstbuild.mbn.

If it is appsboot.mbn, then according to my theory (untested) we can mess around with that without interfering with the ability to perform another tpt flash.

Until we can dump a new phone & compare it with the old one, or get hold of an official update, then it's guesswork as to what exactly has changed & we can't do anything.

AMSS application processor boot image

appsboot.mbn

Used only by dual-core MSM chipsets

you sure?

Partition table partition.mbn Required for any download

Primary boot loader pbl.mbn Required if Trusted mode check box is not set

QUALCOMM secondary boot loader header qcsblhd_cfgdata.mbn

QUALCOMM secondary boot loader qcsbl.mbn

OEM secondary boot loader header oemsblhd.mbn Required if oemsbl selected for download

OEM secondary boot loader oemsbl.mbn

AMSS modem image header amsshd.mbn Required if AMSS selected for download

AMSS modem image amss.mbn The modem processor image

AMSS application processor image header appshd.mbn Used only by dual-core MSM chipsets; required if apps selected for download

AMSS application processor image apps.mbn Used only by dual-core MSM chipsets

AMSS application processor boot loader header appsboothd.mbn Used only by dual-core MSM chipsets; required if appsboot selected for download

AMSS application processor boot image appsboot.mbn Used only by dual-core MSM chipsets

taken from page 60 http://www.scribd.com/doc/19215998/Qualcom...sers-Guide-2006

still working through this guide, lots of useful information to apply to the tpt image

Edited March 21, 2011 by hecatae

[Guest wbaw]

AMSS application processor boot image

appsboot.mbn

Used only by dual-core MSM chipsets

you sure?

taken from page 60 http://www.scribd.com/doc/19215998/Qualcom...sers-Guide-2006

appsboot.mbn is the bootloader that loads android, it's certainly there on the phone, it's in the hungarian tpt updates & it's one of the files that needs to be patched when repartitioning the phone's nand.

I'm not sure if it's been changed by the official 2.2 update, but it's certainly there, runs & is important.

[Guest hecatae]

appsboot.mbn is the bootloader that loads android, it's certainly there on the phone, it's in the hungarian tpt updates & it's one of the files that needs to be patched when repartitioning the phone's nand.

I'm not sure if it's been changed by the official 2.2 update, but it's certainly there, runs & is important.

all the files look like they need patching, need to see if we can retrieve amss.mbn from a 2.1 blade first, apply same knowledge to a 2.2 phone and see if we can flash it across

[Guest oh!dougal]

Wouldn't RickyWyatt's TPT-by-pc ZTE program do backups of the hidden partitions? (With the password posted in the original Wednesday, Swedish Spring thread - ZTEsmt123).

http://android.modaco.com/content/zte-blad...transfer-by-pc/

Isn't that a means of dumping a Gen2 phone to a pseudo-tpt state?

Wouldn't that allow detailed comparison with the Hungarian TPT files?

RickyWyatt's find needs to run under Windows, with ZTE's usb drivers installed ...

[Guest wbaw]

amss.mbn is the largest file (about 20mb), it's the modem firmware, I'd guess that's not involved in the change to 2.2, but I could be wrong. A 2.1 version of amss.mbn along with most of the other .mbn files is in the hungarian tpt (unlock devices to 512mb) update.

if we can, we should try to find out exactly which .mbn files have been changed & how. It could just be a few bytes in one of the files that is the important difference.

oh!dougal, i don't think that works in backup mode, I can't try it because it's a Windows program & it wont run properly under wine. Somebody else tried it the other day while they were on irc & nearly bricked their phone by selecting the wrong option & flashing a p726 file to their phone.

Edited March 21, 2011 by wbaw

[Guest hecatae]

amss.mbn is the largest file (about 20mb), it's the modem firmware, I'd guess that's not involved in the change to 2.2, but I could be wrong. A 2.1 version of amss.mbn along with most of the other .mbn files is in the hungarian tpt (unlock devices to 512mb) update.

2.2 ril does not work with the radio image on the 2.1 eclairs, I gather the amss has been updated to unlock new bands, see http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPho...p;idPhone2=3790

if the 2.2 update is actually the Libra platform, the modem image has to be updated for the new 850 band to work.

Wouldn't RickyWyatt's TPT-by-pc ZTE program do backups of the hidden partitions? (With the password posted in the original Wednesday, Swedish Spring thread - ZTEsmt123).

http://android.modaco.com/content/zte-blad...transfer-by-pc/

Isn't that a means of dumping a Gen2 phone to a pseudo-tpt state?

Wouldn't that allow detailed comparison with the Hungarian TPT files?

RickyWyatt's find needs to run under Windows, with ZTE's usb drivers installed ...

I ran that program against my zte mf627 usb dongle, it correctly identified the firmware as it has a msm chipset

Edited March 21, 2011 by hecatae

[Guest oh!dougal]

...

oh!dougal, i don't think that works in backup mode, I can't try it because it's a Windows program & it wont run properly under wine. Somebody else tried it the other day while they were on irc & nearly bricked their phone by selecting the wrong option & flashing a p726 file to their phone.

To do backup with it, you do need the password, which was not posted in the original thread.

Its a powerful program. No question. Care is needed.

But RickyWyatt reported flashing Racer files to his Blade (and vice versa) and using the program to unbrick both.

But I do expect that it wants vanilla windows, rather than your Wine, or me trying to run it on Virtual Win95 on a PPC Mac

Unless the Swedish updater "leaks", then Ricky's find is the only tool that we have (with the possible exception of TomG's RS232 connection), to examine the 'hidden' partitions and compare them to Gen1 Blade.

[Guest hecatae]

google translate loosely states, phone needs to be in FTM mode, enter administrator password at some point

[Guest wbaw]

To do backup with it, you do need the password, which was not posted in the original thread.

Its a powerful program. No question. Care is needed.

But RickyWyatt reported flashing Racer files to his Blade (and vice versa) and using the program to unbrick both.

But I do expect that it wants vanilla windows, rather than your Wine, or me trying to run it on Virtual Win95 on a PPC Mac

Unless the Swedish updater "leaks", then Ricky's find is the only tool that we have (with the possible exception of TomG's RS232 connection), to examine the 'hidden' partitions and compare them to Gen1 Blade.

I've got the password & so had whoever it was that tried it. The gui loads up & the backup options are unlocked, but it wont communicate with the phone under wine on linux.

The guy that tried it said the backup function didn't work, only the flasher. He tried to get it working a few times. When he ticked 'Use custom ARMPRG from phone image directory' it made his phone only boot into FTM recovery mode, but I think he fixed it.

I can't remember who it was, might have been fonix232?

If you read hecatae's other thread, he's trying some other similar qualcomm software with more options, which might do the job.

Edited March 21, 2011 by wbaw

[Guest hecatae]

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl...ead.php/130.htm

the best guide I've found is above, google translate not bad, lets see if we can backup our blades, add a simple guide and see if the same can be done with the 2.2 devices

Edited March 21, 2011 by hecatae

[Guest wbaw]

Easier just to have a small update that replaces the kernel and ril libs.

One script should work for every rom, it'd mean no extra work for rom developers or users once the script is written. However, it's likely to be a different place in each compiled binary kernel that needs patching, if it is, then that would make it hard to write such a script. It would be better to fully automate it, so that normal users don't even need to know whether they're gen1 or gen2. If it's the same hex address in every compiled kernel, or if there's a fairly easy way to find the right hex address, then it'd seem to be the best option. I'd help to write the script, if somebody (kallt?) can help me with the needed info.

Even if we can't do a binary patch, both versions of the files could be included in the rom zip & a script could automatically choose which to install, that'd be pretty easy.

A tpt update to switch between gen1 & gen2 would be another fairly good option.

An update.zip to replace kernel & ril is going to be the easiest solution to get working at first, but in the long term it's going to cause more work for more people & cause confusion. Does the ril need replacing?

Edited March 21, 2011 by wbaw

[Guest wbaw]

I can easily write a small script that can be included with a rom to flash a different boot.img & any needed files if it's a new phone. Let me know if you want it. It'd save having to know if you've got a new phone or not & having to download & flash a different zip file.

[edit] We're going to need something similar to flash the right clockworkmod too, maybe something to add to rom manager.

Edited March 21, 2011 by wbaw

[Guest fonix232]

For your information, both TM_ hungarian softwares (and the TPT) are G1. Just asked T-Mobile, they said as soon as ZTE gets them the 2.2 update package, they will update devices. And good news is, that a new shipment with 2.2 hungarian Blades arrived, but they won't sell it until there's remaining pieces of the 2.1 shipment.

[Guest oh!dougal]

For your information, both TM_ hungarian softwares (and the TPT) are G1. Just asked T-Mobile, they said as soon as ZTE gets them the 2.2 update package, they will update devices. ...

Might the updater leak, as fortuitously as the first one did?

[Guest StevenHarperUK]

I can easily write a small script that can be included with a rom to flash a different boot.img & any needed files if it's a new phone. Let me know if you want it. It'd save having to know if you've got a new phone or not & having to download & flash a different zip file.

[edit] We're going to need something similar to flash the right clockworkmod too, maybe something to add to rom manager.

I have asked Seb in his thread about this

http://android.modaco.com/content/zte-blad...ger-v0-34-beta/

[Guest fonix232]

Might the updater leak, as fortuitously as the first one did?

I will do the best I can :D

[Guest jt_mcg]

I will do the best I can :D

I'll chip in if palms need to be greased!

Seriously though, the Blade's my first android and I'd kind of assumed that the quality of the community would be nearly as high for other devices, but after helping a few friends with their new androids, I'm even more impressed than I was initially (which was highly impressed btw) at the incredible amount of knowledge, effort & assistance provided by you all.

Keep up the good work and send me a reading list!

[Guest wbaw]

If any rom developers want a hand with making their rom update scripts detect gen1 or gen2 blades & install the appropriate files, send me a pm.

if cat /proc/iomem | grep "02900000-029fffff : ram_console"

then

echo "Gen1 Blade"

else

echo "Not a Gen1 Blade

fi

In a shell script does the job. Obviously replace the echos with commands to flash the right files (flash_image boot boot2.img, cp, etc). Job done.

[Guest Sebastian404]

There has been a lot of talk about a TPT changing the entry address of a device but..

There has recently been two threads started, one by a guy with a V880 (with a stock 2.2) who used the Blade Hungarian TPT and totaly screwed up his device, he was not able to get it to boot again.

And last week another guy did the same with the new V9 tablet, installed the russian 2.1 TPT over on his device was not able to boot either the g1 or g2 version of clockwork (or anything else he tried).

While neither guys where overly technical, and its possible they went wrong somewhere along the line... thats 2 failures..

just how sure are we that a TPT will change the ROM entry address?

[Guest wbaw]

the v880 guy screwed up, he deleted all the .mbn files, including appsboot.mbn & flashed an incompatible partition_zte.mbn (different to the partition table in appsboot on his phone). there are other differences in the chinese phones too.

the swedish are upgrading gen1 2.1 phones to gen2, the only logical way they can do that is by a tpt or something similar flashing those files over usb. seems logical that going the other way with a 2.1 tpt would be possible too, it's just there would be no way back until we have a gen2 tpt & if it doesn't work, your phone might be totally screwed.

[Guest hedgepigdaniel]

I would expect that it would work to TPT a gen2 phone with a Gen1 Image. We know that some operators are offering to update 2.1 phones to 2.2, so it seems a given that a gen2 image works on a gen1 phone. Unless hardware changes have been made (ie gen2 phones are physically different) then a Gen1 image would work on all blades. Obviously it is possible that they have changed physically, and the Gen2 image might just be designed to be backwards compatible. My money is on the TPT updates working just as well on all phones, when flashed properly.

Does anyone know exactly what hardware is different in the x880? because that is the one that guy bricked - not actually a blade, or so I hear. All of that said, If I had a gen2 phone, I certainly wouldn't volunteer to be the first one!

[Guest hecatae]

I would expect that it would work to TPT a gen2 phone with a Gen1 Image. We know that some operators are offering to update 2.1 phones to 2.2, so it seems a given that a gen2 image works on a gen1 phone. Unless hardware changes have been made (ie gen2 phones are physically different) then a Gen1 image would work on all blades. Obviously it is possible that they have changed physically, and the Gen2 image might just be designed to be backwards compatible. My money is on the TPT updates working just as well on all phones, when flashed properly.

Does anyone know exactly what hardware is different in the x880? because that is the one that guy bricked - not actually a blade, or so I hear. All of that said, If I had a gen2 phone, I certainly wouldn't volunteer to be the first one!

x880 is also known as a zte libra, it has a different radio to the blade, it might actually be worth asking zte for the libra source

[Guest StevenHarperUK]

x880 is also known as a zte libra, it has a different radio to the blade, it might actually be worth asking zte for the libra source

Yes good idea - nothing to lose really

[Guest Aurimas L.]

OUK_P729BV1.0.0B10

mr. Pigfish says: G1

ram_console: 0x02900000

system RAM: 0x02a00000

Touch screen sometimes stops to respond after switching on/off. Removing battery solves the problem...

Sad very sad... :D