Unsleeper a TCD24004A

[slbailey]

I read the thread on unsleepering a TCD24004A and I've been studying these forums for an hour... I'm hoping someone will point me in the right direction.

I have a TCD24004A that was sleepered in 2003. SW version is 4.0.1b-01-2-240 and the kernel version is 2.4.18. I'd like to do the following:

1. Keep all the recordings and season passes to keep the wife happy. (THIS IS PARAMOUNT!)
2. Find out how the machine is storing the recordings "unencrypted" as I hear that using kmem is no longer a good idea. If I'm using kmem, I'd like to correct that.
3. Unsleeper the unit so I can get my software upgraded.

Now, ideally after that, I'd like to get the 200GB hard drive I've got in there to use more than the 136GB it's using today and, if possible, rehack with tivoweb, high speed ethernet, etc.

I'm going to continue researching after I get a couple hours sleep but I'm trying to figure out where to find a "virgin" 2.4.18" kernel. Would I be able to find it from the original backup I took of the system 3 years ago before I sleepered it?

[PlainBill]

This thread (http://dealdatabase.com/forum/showthread.php?p=196162&postcount=3) has all the information you should need to remove TiVoScripts. I usually suggest spending the $5.00 for the PTVupgrade cd. I also suggest you replace the outdated hacks installed by TiVoScripts with something recent, such as AlphaWolf's Series 2 binaries (http://dealdatabase.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37602).

TiVoScripts installed half the kmem hack on 4.x. You'll have to examine /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit.author to see if you added the rest of the hack, or removed the first half.

NoCSO (http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31213) has replaced the kmem technique. AlphaWolf has updated the thread; he may have removed the patches for 4.0.1b. If you completed kmem all you have to do is run csoscout from AlphaWolf's binaries.

If you disabled kmem and want to extract recordings you will need Jamie's noscramble kernel (http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39207).

It is possible to utilize the full capacity (http://alt.org/forum/index.php?t=msg&goto=769&rid=0&S=7685e15b700295296be568c78ad27ee8#msg_769) of the drive, but it is NOT a trivial operation.

PlainBill

[slbailey]

Hmm... kmem is commented out in the rc.sysinit.author field so I'm confused as to exactly how I'm storing my recordings unscrambled... And does the $5 CD have the 2.4.18 kernel on it so I can backout to that?

Back to more research.

[slbailey]

OK, I got the $5 ISO with the pre-killhdinitrded 4.0.1b kernel. So here's my game plan:

1. Execute /etc/tpm/noscramble2-1.0-6.S2.uninstall (I will not be uninstalling tivowebplus-1.0-final.tivo.uninstall or fakecall40-1.0-5.S2.uninstall)
2. Copy the 4.0.1 killhdinitrd kernel from the PTVUpgrade CD to /var/packages/vmlinux.px
3. dd if=vmlinux.px of=/dev/hda3
4. bootpage -P "root=/dev/hda4 dsscon=true console=2,115200 upgradesoftware=false" /dev/hda
5. bootpage -f /dev/hda
6. Reboot

At that point, is "TivoScripts" removed? What state will my machine be in? Will telnet and ftp still work since they were put there from the sleeper iso? Will my unscrambled (not kmem'ed) recordings still work and will I be able to apply the 7.1 upgrade?

[PlainBill]

OK, I got the $5 ISO with the pre-killhdinitrded 4.0.1b kernel. So here's my game plan:

1. Execute /etc/tpm/noscramble2-1.0-6.S2.uninstall (I will not be uninstalling tivowebplus-1.0-final.tivo.uninstall or fakecall40-1.0-5.S2.uninstall)
Unnecessary, and counterproductive. Instead run bootpage -p /dev/hda
and use the output to determine the active partition per the procedure I referenced.

2. Copy the 4.0.1 killhdinitrd kernel from the PTVUpgrade CD to /var/packages/vmlinux.px
Note that the kernel will probably be gzipped. Again, the procedure I referenced will describe how to do this.
3. dd if=vmlinux.px of=/dev/hda3
4. bootpage -P "root=/dev/hda4 dsscon=true console=2,115200 upgradesoftware=false" /dev/hda
Correct only if the active root is /dev/hda4
5. bootpage -f /dev/hda
6. Reboot

At that point, is "TivoScripts" removed? What state will my machine be in? Will telnet and ftp still work since they were put there from the sleeper iso? Will my unscrambled (not kmem'ed) recordings still work and will I be able to apply the 7.1 upgrade?
TiVoScripts installs a 'Two partition monte' to break the 'chain of trust', then installs a number of hacks which are seriously out of date. The procedure I referenced (not quite the same as your plan) will remove the two partition monte. If you plan on running 4.0.1b for any length of time I suggest replacing the outdated hacks. Telnet is a native TiVo app. It, ftp, and the rest of the hacks will continue to work. Your recordings will be viewable. And you can update to 7.x at your convenience. Note that you will have to rehack when you upgrade.

PlainBill

[cheer]

4. bootpage -P "root=/dev/hda4 dsscon=true console=2,115200 upgradesoftware=false" /dev/hda

Should actually be (assuming 4 is your active root):
bootpage -P "root=/dev/hda4 dsscon=true console=2,115200 upgradesoftware=false" -C /dev/hda
Note the -C parameter. And of course this assumes the drive is either (A) in your Tivo at the time you do this or (B) is installed in your PC as primary master. Change the /dev/hda at the end to /dev/hdb if primary slave, /dev/hdc if secondary master, or /dev/hdd if secondary slave.

[eastwind]

Should actually be (assuming 4 is your active root):
bootpage -P "root=/dev/hda4 dsscon=true console=2,115200 upgradesoftware=false" -C /dev/hda
Note the -C parameter. And of course this assumes the drive is either (A) in your Tivo at the time you do this or (B) is installed in your PC as primary master. Change the /dev/hda at the end to /dev/hdb if primary slave, /dev/hdc if secondary master, or /dev/hdd if secondary slave.
Looks like (s)he's trying to hack/upgrade without pulling the drive, so the original command was correct (no -C needed). Of course, it does assume facts not in evidence (that the active root is indeed /dev/hda4).

ew

[PlainBill]

Looks like (s)he's trying to hack/upgrade without pulling the drive, so the original command was correct (no -C needed). Of course, it does assume facts not in evidence (that the active root is indeed /dev/hda4).

ew
I'd pointed that out in an earlier post, and included running bootpage -p to retrieve the current boot information.

The OP is beyond that now, has upgraded and has a working 7.x system, just no hacks. They thought putting a killhdinitrd kernel in the new boot partition constituted rehacking. :rolleyes:

PlainBill