My Tivo 2.5 TCD540040

[netster403]

i purchased the TCD540040 new/surplus for $30, and said to myself... this will be easy to hack.

Not very easy, but quite a fun project.

I am logging the steps I took to hack my TCD540040 here:
http://forums.codekungfoo.net/viewtopic.php?t=4&sid=d73e977445465ecf1db73a73231bdf07


pictures are comming soon..

[Narf54321]

I'd recommend using the SST39's to replace the PLCC32 bios chip. They re-flash at 3 volts and are in general easier to deal with.

[netster403]

crap, i already bought 2 SST37's from mouser, and have'em setting at my house.

after i finish hack'in the prom the next step is replacing the kernel right?

Any one know the best kernel to run on the TCD540040? And please avoid the default "search the forums" flames :P i've found quite a few kernels on dealdatabase, just want to get your opinions of the best version :)

I would compile the kernel from scratch, but my linux distro is pure 64-bit (no 32-bit compatibility lib's) and the mips cross compiler is not a happy camper about that.

--Thankya
Alex

[netster403]

also as a side note, i was digg'in through tivo's file system and noticed in /etc/inittab references to "Rhn Linux" and "Marc Ewing (Red Hat's founder) and Damien Neil (Red Hat's first employee, a summer intern)"

per: http://fedora.redhat.com/about/history/
RHN Linux was redhat's first non-public linux release. Just thought this was kind of intresting.

[Narf54321]

Any one know the best kernel to run on the TCD540040? And please avoid the default "search the forums" flames :P

Just neuter the kernel which comes with the Tivo software upgrade. Look for replace_initrd which wipes out the initrd from pretty much any Tivo kernel.

That's one of the benefits of socketing the Tivo bios. You don't need to worry so much about specific kernels.

[mrpenguin]

Read the sticky thread "Prom Socketing" :
http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23114

It should have most of what you need, or links to them in it.

Good luck.

[netster403]

sweet, thats what I heard. Thank you for confirming it :)

one last question. i have software 5.x, would upgrading to 7 make it much harder to do hacks such as unscramble recordings, and other simular hacks?

[Narf54321]

System 7 software up through 7.3.1 has already been hacked, see the superpatch threads. You'll also want to pick up AlphaWolf's all-in-one utilities. There's a few changes required to various things like MFS_FTP but system 5 needed changes too.

The main thing to remember is to replace_initrd the new kernel everytime you let the tivo update its software.

[venkathh]

I had been reading thru this forum for a while now and you guys are just great !!
I have gained confidence and so i am getting started with this project.
My 540 been working with a 200GB HDD which i had upgraded as soon as i bought it.
I am using the piggyback method for the prom mod with help from a friend of mine. After i did this
the box booted fine. I have not tested with the cable input yet !!

I have setup the bootpage for console output..
> bootpage -P "root=/dev/hda4 dsscon=true console=2,115200 upgradesoftware=false" -C /dev/hde

I tried the replace_initrd with just the dd cmd below and i got the following results.

>dd if=null-linuxrc.img.gz.zip of=/dev/hde3 seek=XX obs=1 conv=notrunc
0+1 records in
432+0 records out

[I found the gzip sig in this file and did not see it once i 'gzip - d' it. so i am using the same file]

I am sure i made a mistake.. But could not figure out what it is..

I then loaded the HDD in tivo.
It just showed the 'powering up..' screen for ever.
I just pulled the plug and started again. Then i see the power up screen and then it just turns to a gray blank screen.

No messages on the console though (except for the regular stuff )

Service number is 54000XXXXXXX.
What is password?
Boot failed reason=53 <- When i pulled the plug

[Narf54321]

>dd if=null-linuxrc.img.gz.zip of=/dev/hde3 seek=XX obs=1 conv=notrunc

I'm pretty sure you replaced part of your boot kernel with a pkzipped compressed image. I'd say for starters you should put the original kernel back on Tivo's partition 3, and just use the replace_initrd command-line tool. It's been awhile since I dealt with a TCD540, but I'm pretty sure replace_initrd expects the "null" image to be in gzip format, but not in pkzip format.

Here's another thread which covers the replace_initrd process (http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/showthread.php?p=254223).

[ScanMan]

I tried the replace_initrd with just the dd cmd below and i got the following results.

>dd if=null-linuxrc.img.gz.zip of=/dev/hde3 seek=XX obs=1 conv=notrunc
0+1 records in
432+0 records out
That's not correct; you can't just use the 'null-linuxrc.img.gz.zip' as a boot kernel. That null image is used with the 'replace_initrd' program to replace the initrd of a stock kernel with a null one so that it passes security checks. If you don't want to mess with 'replace_initrd', you might just try this (http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/showthread.php?p=200649#post200649) kernel; it is reported to work fine in PROM modded tivos.

[venkathh]

These links were very very helpfull. Thank you ScanMan / Narf54321 .

I also read thru the replace_initrd (http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21976)thread again-again and found what i was doing wrong.

Here are my revised steps :

1) Boot PC via Tivo Boot CD to take a backup from Tivo HD to my HD
>dd if=/dev/hde3 of=tivo3.virgin.img
Also setup the bootpage for console log.

2) boot normal (FC5). Complile replace_initrd.c. Run
>replace_initrd tivo3.virgin.img null-linuxrc.img.gz.zip
It created another backup tivo3.virgin.img.bak and updated tivo3.virgin.img

3) boot PC via Tivo Boot CD
>dd if=tivo3.virgin.img of=/dev/hde3

This link (http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48715&page=2) gave me good details on my version of SAS2.

Put the HD back in Tivo and it just booted fine. I was very happy.
I also got my telnet to work fine.. reading thru your links..
It was too much good news for me !!

Finally i had a bad news..
I took it to my living room and connected to my cable TV. The response to the remote control were very slow. When i hit 'view Tv', it just gave me a black screen (no audio / no video). When i pull the video plug, Tivo claims there is no video feed like it would normally do.

I am now searching the forum to see if there is any effective medication for this problem. Please help me gurus.. if you have heard this before..

I am going to put the original HDD back to check if the box is healthy !!

Wish me good luck.

[Narf54321]

There's a couple things I can think of. First, do you have a valid linux-swap partition? If you boot with no swap, you will often encounter slow response and sometimes GreenScreensOfDeath.

The other more important question is: How good is your original kernel? If you overwrote bits or pieces of it before (on Oct 8th) then it is probably irrepairably damaged. You should get make sure to get a 'new, original' kernel to make sure. (If all else fails, you can try a kickstart panic code 52 and re-install all the tivo software).

Boot logs might help at this point.

[venkathh]

I left it running all night with no video/audio. The remote control response improved in the morning. I think the swap is good then.

I now replaced the my orginal 40GB HDD and it still didn't work. It boots fine. All the menus work. But 'View TV' does not work. No video/audio.

Now in this setup the only thing that has changed is the PROM(Piggy back). It boots fine but no video. Would it be the code on the PROM ?

Originally it was shipped with Prom ver 2.28.1. This issue happened just after installing the piggyback PROM with hacked ver 2.25 (downloaded from a forum). Probably i will need a hacked 2.28.1 PROM.

Please PM me is someone has this code. Also please guide me, if i am going in the wrong direction.


-----------------------
Also posted details here (http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/showthread.php?p=267337#post267337)..

[mrpenguin]

I seriously think it is the piggy. I used the 2.25 code and it worked fine once used on the chip not piggy'd. I think the piggy needs a specific socket to work. One thing I did while still trying the piggy is hooked another socket up with only pin 24 hooked straight so I could put it piggy on the stock chip (1/2 the pig basically to re-connect pin 24 and return to stock). It would work fine with that socket in place, but not the piggy 2nd chip. so I socketed the tivo and worked perfect first try.

[netster403]

holy crap, i am expereincing the same troubles. I Socket'ed the prom (still not flashed, just socketed) and am having the same troubles. (the slow, jumpy menu and the no live video)

The difference is that my tivo is still stock besides the socket. My original guess was that the prom chip was damaged during the de-soldering. Or possibly the firmware on it was damaged? Or maybe my smd soldering skillz are not so good :P

I have an additional bios (dont ask :) ) which im going to pop in and see if it works.


Will post the results here soon...

[netster403]

also as a side note, when the machine attempts to dial out, it preforms a hard reset.

[mrpenguin]

Man, that sucks, I feel your pain. It don't look good. Are you sure pin 24 is connected? That's the trace that you needed to cut. Did you try a clear and delete everything, or do you not even get menus? Are all the white ribbon cables in tight? I am sure you've checked all these 20x, but just shooting ideas. Is the battery in? You can try the other chip and see, maybe the one was shorted and is messed up a bit?

On a possitive side, these units are pretty cheap used.

Good luck

[netster403]

the other chip did'nt boot. It seems i was a little too hard desoldering it :) I've had two machines. The first one I desoldered the chip with flux and solder alone.. yeah it was'nt pretty, Pad's torn off as far as i could see. So i slapped an fcc sticker over the damaged pads and returned it. The second time I was smart and bought some ChipQuik. The secord board went smoothly. I'm not doing the double chip thing. I just ripped the chip off and ploped it in a socket :)

I have some blank SST37's and a programmer. Does anyone know where I can get a copy of the original unmodified bios for the Series 2 Nigltlight?

Thankie. :)

[netster403]

I've discovered the problem.

I programmed a new clean prom, with the image posted here..
http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/showpost.php?p=197867&postcount=1

And still recived the same issues. Thinking back I think ive discovered the problem. When desoldering the chip i used chipquik on the pins. It was spread across all of the pins. Looking back I did not remove the battery before doing this. Do you think that the battery could of shorted something out that was connected to the prom?

:(

This could be a common mistake, thats why is showing up with other users.

[ScanMan]

I've discovered the problem.

I programmed a new clean prom, with the image posted here..
http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/showpost.php?p=197867&postcount=1

And still recived the same issues. Thinking back I think ive discovered the problem. When desoldering the chip i used chipquik on the pins. It was spread across all of the pins. Looking back I did not remove the battery before doing this. Do you think that the battery could of shorted something out that was connected to the prom?

:(

This could be a common mistake, thats why is showing up with other users.
So, the problem is slow, jumpy menus and but no tv output? But it boots and you can see tivo menus? And this is with a soldered socket with stock prom code? Seems very unlikely that the battery shorted anything out. Could possibly be bad socket/solder job. Did you use a magnifying glass and really examine the joints, etc. Did you take an ohmmeter and "pin out" the tabs to make sure you had good continuity and didn't have any bad joints? You should also get a serial cable and capture the console boot output. If you don't have a serial cable, you could also try to get the 'kernel' log out of /var/log with the tivo drive mounted in your PC, although I would encourage you to buy/build a cable as they are invaluable. Keep plugging and post the log once you get it. Don't despair, I've brought a few of these back from the seemingly 'dead.'

[mrpenguin]

I also wonder, could it be the hard drive? have you tried a different drive with a fresh image? the logs would tell more of course, but maybe not the actual answer.

[whackit]

okay, stupid question. is it showing 6.3a in messages and setup > system info on the tivo or does 6.3a just show as 6.3? I am waiting for 6.3a to re-apply my hacks and want to make sure I have it. (and don't really want to pull drives to check).

OOPS. stupider sorry posted this in the wrong foru was reading two threads at one sorry.

[netster403]

rofl, yeah it was a crappy solder job. I de-soldered the socket using quikchip, and replaced it with a backup socket that i got "Just incase". This time I ripped out that stupid plastic bottom.

I really hate the smd sockets :( i got some solder inbetween two pins under the socket (the plastic part) and it took about 30 minutes of flossing with copper wire to un-join'em. After lots of plugging, black screen, unplugging, soldering, re-plugging it finally worked!

im afraid to touch the socket, because one or two of the socket pins are soldered with quikchip which is not too strong :(

now i just gotta get some time to replace_initd :)

anyway to re-cap.

Slow jumpy menu's, and devices such as the tuner and modem not working is caused by a poor solder job, rip the chip off and start again. :)

[mrpenguin]

Cool deal that you figured it out! I bet you have a huge sence of relief and accomplishment! Thanks for posting the result so future members can search and find the solutions.