[project]Port android to meizu M8

yesterday i managed todump some data from the mtd device. We have 7 mtd devices in linux, mtdblock0-6.
But we have only one flash chip in the device. I can read from 0 which is 256kb and gives crap. readong from 1 gave data. readgon from the other devices freeze linux.
Belcause we actually have just one flash chip i can dump the whole chip trhoug one og these devices (i think mtdblock0)
Reading this

The MTD devices come in two flavors: MTD block device drivers, and MTD character device drivers. The block devices provide a 512 bytes-per-sector layout, for use by the filesystems (HYPERLINK TO What filesystems are suitable for flash?). The character device provides a linear view of a MTD device or an MTD partition. You can read this device as you would any file. Standard UNIX utilities may be used to read the flash. Assuming MTD device 0 is the entire flash, the following command will dump the entire flash image to a file:
cat /dev/mtdchar0 > /tmp/flash.bin

made me to try to add a mtd character device and dump the whole 256mb thing. Then i will look with a hex editor if i can findo some fragments of my upgrade system. when i find them im able to flash the xip right back to its location.
If this doesnt work i need to try the dnw way and if this doenst work
i will use jtag to flash a modified uboot which can start xip. then i will start the bios upgrade system and flash the whole thing new.

And we should think of how we place android on the phone.... i m sure we must manage to get android to the device wihout needing a filsystem on mtd device.
Or we find an eady way to flash it back to windows, like the dnw way, or uboot starting windows.
Bill knew this i think but i found the partition infos in the kernel source

#if defined(CONFIG_SPLIT_ROOT_FOR_ANDROID)
{
.name = "misc",
.offset = (768*SZ_1K), /* for bootloader */
.size = (256*SZ_1K),
.mask_flags = MTD_CAP_NANDFLASH,
},
{
.name = "recovery",
.offset = MTDPART_OFS_APPEND,
.size = (5*SZ_1M),
.mask_flags = MTD_CAP_NANDFLASH,
},
{
.name = "kernel",
.offset = MTDPART_OFS_APPEND,
.size = (3*SZ_1M),
},
{
.name = "ramdisk",
.offset = MTDPART_OFS_APPEND,
.size = (1*SZ_1M),
},
{
.name = "system",
.offset = MTDPART_OFS_APPEND,
.size = (67*SZ_1M),
},
{
.name = "cache",
.offset = MTDPART_OFS_APPEND,
.size = (83*SZ_1M), //modified by lih 2009-09-16
// .size = (67*SZ_1M),
},

And there you can see that adnroid system device is a 67mb partition in our and flash. i will try to dump this, and maybe if i can get it to work someone could dump it and send it to me so i can put it back again
But till now dding on mtdblock4 freezes the system... i will try furter

mhn... when i verify how to read/write mtblock4 i will try to dump the android system in there so android should start on my m8
i can rescure it later when i know how to do it.
as i saw this layout i dont know i we can get an android/windows dualboot because i dont knoe if android will be happy in mmc storage..

okay as i see here it is possible to do so
http://www.myhtcphone.com/node/13
so we need to mount the system and mdata partitions for android on our mmc card (movinand).
but i will see / try this later first focusing on rescure my phone

Interesting too:
http://benno.id.au/blog/2007/11/13/a...under-the-hood

(should hav read this before starting android)
mounting anything to /system and /data and copying the data.img and system .img to this locations is eneugh to get android up...

DAMN FUCK i need to get my mobile back. I want android running

I realy realy hope youmanage to revive your M8.
This would be such a sad ending for it

On a brighter note i have ordered stuff to build a debug cable and hope to be able to maybe help with stuff when i get it.

R3wdy,

placing android in Movinand can do the trick, but depending on the performance our movinand has it could be that it works a bit slower then when placed in Nor.

About recovering, normally it should be possible like you mention to dump flash contents through linux.
Also writing towards it should be possible, so for now i think the easiest way is to obtain the data from someone that has Jtag and an original system. If this person would dump it, upload it, you should be able to rescue your system.

Another option could be that you mount the flashing xip from the bios package and upload the mzboot to your m8, run it.. and hopefully it is been restored.

I also would like to mention something that i forgot. The s3c6410 should have an irom support but i am not sure if m8 uses it. This is used on other devices to dualboot systems.
The en.pudn..whatever site should be hosting an original samsung package with documentation and tools in it.
I have no idea how it works or if it could be usefull for you, but hey.. you can have a look onto it?

Btw look on the bright side, your current experiences will be usefull if we encounter this more in the future? So if we figure out an easy recovery system it will be very usefull.


Loonix, great!
did you also order a rs232 level convertor or not yet?

@bill,
should the rx/tx serial port on m8 be fully useable? cause it seems we can not transfer data to m8 at the moment.

@banxian,
about jtag, did you solder a cable directly to the pins or ..?

i cant fix it with linux dunno,
i cant dd from mtdblock4 and i cant dd to mtdblock4.
if i cat mtdchar4 i get everytime different filesizes and it doesnt return. So fixing this through linux fails.

I try to build my own cable to try,
but for now i must go to munich for 3 days and then i will see if i can find someine where i work who helps me out.
If this doesnt work i need someone with a jtag cable to verify that it workx. If someone has a cable and lives near/in germany i can send the m8 to flash it. Would be a good lerning device :P

PS Just bought this one:
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...m=270463349274
Hope it helps :D

Originally Posted by r3wDy

i cant fix it with linux dunno,
i cant dd from mtdblock4 and i cant dd to mtdblock4.
if i cat mtdchar4 i get everytime different filesizes and it doesnt return. So fixing this through linux fails.

crap.

So if i understand you have original eboot at the moment, and a linux kernel that is flashed like a normal xip.bin?
not sure if it could.. but cant you try to jumpstart from your kernel to the flash xip? And this way opening the flash option?

hopefully the jtag can solve your issue, you could first try to flash in the bios fw but if it does not work we really will need a dump from someone else.

ps have fun in Munich!

cheer up ur guys!!

[QUOTE=evow04;103944]R3wdy,

@bill,
should the rx/tx serial port on m8 be fully useable? cause it seems we can not transfer data to m8 at the moment.
QUOTE]

yes,the rx/tx serial port on m8 is fully useable.
it can transfer data to m8 OK.

@r3wDy:
did you have tested mzupdate after you split disk to two partition with paragon partition destroyer?

@bill:
in evow04's guide,

Charger/USB mode
1 == USB VCC +5v
2 == USB Data -
3 == USB Data +
4 == N/A
5 == USB GROUND
--
Serial port
6 == SERIAL TX
7 == N/A
8 == SERIAL VCC
9 == SERIAL GROUND
10 == SERIAL RX

only can read message from M8 (TX pin defination seems ok), but we can't press space or enter in eboot, can't send chars in my test or busybox shell

Originally Posted by banxian

@bill:
in evow04's guide,

only can read message from M8 (TX pin defination seems ok), but we can't press space or enter in eboot, can't send chars in my test or busybox shell

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/281/pinlayout.png
I can't show this picture, so I don't know what is the pin number of evow04's guide.
Perhaps pin9 is Rx, you can try it.

Do your serial terminal setting like this?

Attention: no need hardware flow control, if you selected ,it will can't be input nothing like your status.

http://i35.tinypic.com/j7f39u.jpg

Maybe now ?

This is about the contens of the image.
it is showing the stylized female mini USB Plug of the M8 probably looking at it from the front.
but maybe it is a wrong pictured 10 pole Male USB plug (that should have the contacts on top and bottom of the plug, not in the middle plane.

Code:

  _______________
 1|  _ _ _ _ _  |5  USB charger
  \-------------/
  6| ' ' ' ' ' |10  Unknown
   |___________|

Originally Posted by Loonix

This is about the contens of the image.
it is showing the stylized female mini USB Plug of the M8 probably looking at it from the front.
but maybe it is a wrong pictured 10 pole Male USB plug (that should have the contacts on top and bottom of the plug, not in the middle plane.

Code:

  _______________
 1|  _ _ _ _ _  |5  USB charger
  \-------------/
  6| ' ' ' ' ' |10  Unknown
   |___________|

Perhaps pin9 is Rx, you can try it. others remain. or 7-9 connet Rx try one by one.

Originally Posted by Loonix

it is showing the stylized female mini USB Plug of the M8 probably looking at it from the front.

indeed!
i found this the easiest way to show what i needed to show,
otherwise you should been reversing pin headers and then there could be some confusion since rx-tx is for some already difficult to understand:-)

Perhaps pin9 is Rx

mmz pin 9 should be ground as far as i know, but like mentioned here
i am starting to have my doubts if i am correct.
so someone should try it :-)
cause if Bill can upload data, it should be possible on any m8!

Bill,
while speaking about this port,
do you know if in unix/android environment this can be used as usb otg ?
(so for connecting for example an usb hub/mouse/keyboard/ other..?)

@r3wDy:
did you have tested mzupdate after you split disk to two partition with paragon partition destroyer?

that is a good question! cause like i mentioned earlier overhere i think that the partitions are pretty important or contain data ..

ps loonix, nice draw, going to use this in the serial topic if that is ok?!
psc 2 for loonix, do i recall correctly that you have an SE ?

Originally Posted by evow04

did you also order a rs232 level convertor or not yet?

Yes, i ordered a This rs232 level converter using a CP2102 chip with USB plug because it can output 3,3v and 5,0v. I hope it will do...
Also a 10 pack of 10 pin mini USB male plugs, so i can spare some in the near futur '^^

Originally Posted by evow04

ps loonix, nice draw, going to use this in the serial topic if that is ok?!
psc 2 for loonix, do i recall correctly that you have an SE ?

Feel free to use it but i am shure it can be improved. Dont forget the [CODE] brackets around it.
And yes, i have an SE.
(btw the 'sudden Disk los' problem does not seem to be solved on the SE, i lost my complete 'Disk' data once since i have it)

thx bill, after I swap GRD with RX, I can enter eboot menu by hit space key now.

@r3wDy:
please view serial howto thread to make a new cable. you may fix your firmware though eboot menu.

Originally Posted by Loonix

i ordered a This rs232 level converter

Great!
that one should work like a charm and the socket with screw(s) will make your life easier while connecting wires

male plugs, so i can spare some

still waiting on the one from r3wdy, most likely the postal service is again terrible slow , i can not wait

yes, i have an SE

Ok, if you have your usb plugs start with soldering the wires to it,
so that you can hook on the plug first without the rs232 convertor.
Then you can make a quick check with a multimeter first,
since we can not say if the serial pinout will be exactly the same as on M8 (most likely it is but we do not want you to brick the m8se :P)

Feel free to use it but i am shure it can be improved

no worries, i added it like you noticed and added also a thanks to all who helped onto it

i lost my complete 'Disk' data

then we can conclude it is a software bug .

after I swap GRD with RX, I can enter eboot

Banxian thanks again (you to Bill)

you may fix your firmware though eboot

Let us hope it works when he is back from Munich!

since we can not say if the serial pinout will be exactly the same as on M8 (most likely it is but we do not want you to brick the m8se :P)

I've tested with both M8 and M8SE some minuts ago. they have same pinout I think.

If you could fully acces (t/rx) eboot through the terminal then we are sure that it is same pinout on SE:-)
So thanks again for that feedback!

Now we need to know jtag pinout for SE and then every user could start working on custom linux kernels :-)

yes, upgrade mode worked after prtitioning. the mmc card has nothing to do with the system paritions in nand flash. I can see this two paritions from linux. I will try new cable when im at home again. Then i will see if i can fix this thing trough eboot

Keep up the good work guys! Really interested on the outcome of this