Updating Ben with an SD

How to update the built-in software on the Ben NanoNote using an SD card

1. Read Updating_Ben_NanoNote_software first
2. Update u-boot ( if required) using usbboot
3. Create an OpenWRT installation on your SD card along with a copy of the rootfs
4. Boot the OpenWRT installed on the SD card
5. Use the OpenWRT commands to re-flash your NanoNote

Updating u-boot using usbboot

Boot your NanoNote in USB_BOOT_mode then on your workstation:

$ sudo usbboot
:> boot
:> nerase 0 8 0 0
:> nprog 0 openwrt-xburst-qi_lb60-u-boot.bin 0 0 -n
...
Error - can't read bulk data from Ingenic device
...
:> exit

Note the nerase command above erasing 8 blocks, each 512 KB in size, so a total of 4 MB starting a block "0", i.e. the first block on the NAND.

Creating an OpenWRT installation on your SD card

Some of the parameters ( such as the path to the SD card device) may need adjusting for your workstation before you run these commands.

$ sudo mkfs -t ext2 /dev/mmcblk0p1
$ sudo mount /dev/mmcblk0p1 /mnt
$ cd /mnt/
$ wget http://downloads.qi-hardware.com/software/images/Ben_NanoNote_2GB_NAND/2010-06-15/openwrt-xburst-qi_lb60-rootfs.tar.gz -qO - | sudo tar xz
$ mkdir boot
$ wget http://downloads.qi-hardware.com/software/images/Ben_NanoNote_2GB_NAND/2010-06-15/openwrt-xburst-qi_lb60-uImage.bin -O boot/uImage
$ wget http://downloads.qi-hardware.com/software/images/Ben_NanoNote_2GB_NAND/2010-06-15/openwrt-xburst-qi_lb60-root.ubi
$ cd
$ sudo umount /mnt/

Use OpenWRT on the SD card to re-flash your NanoNote

Insert the SD card into the NanoNote, hold down the [M] key and power on.

To re-flash the kernel

$ flash_eraseall /dev/mtd1
$ nandwrite -p /dev/mtd1 /boot/uImage

To re-flash the rootfs

$ flash_eraseall /dev/mtd2
$ ubiformat /dev/mtd2 -f openwrt-xburst-qi_lb60-root.ubi

Any changes made to the rootfs ( such as new packages installed) will be lost. Please keep a diary of changes you make to your rootfs so they can be re-applied after you upgrade.

To format your data partition

WARNING: these commands destroy all data in your data partition

Clearly you only want this if you're upgrading from a stock NanoNote that only has 3 partitions. The kernel and rootfs steps can be used without this step to upgrade your NanoNote with affecting your data.

$ flash_eraseall /dev/mtd3
$ ubiformat /dev/mtd3

To finish

$ halt

Remove the SD card and ( if everything worked) boot the NanoNote into the latest system. If not, please ask on IRC.