Updating to 9.1, now S2 Tivo in constant reboot stream

[tinkrtoy]

We started receiving the cannot contact Tivo service message this month and I finally got around to using my handmade instructions to apply the 9.1 update manually (I think it was on 8.1 before). After manual application and reboot, the S2 went in to the applying service update message and then rebooted again. Now, though, it won't fully boot up and just keeps rebooting after the 'Almost there' screen. I am going to look for my console cable since I don't do this that often. Here are the instructions I used (again, my own piecing together of commands). Any idea what went wrong or did something change that this will no longer work via this method? My original bootpart was /dev/hda7 and I am sure that I used the right substitutions in my commands where applicable. Before reboot, the flipped bootpart listed as /dev/hda4.

TIA

Instructions to update software release:

Telnet to Tivo

# bootpage -p --> What is bootpart (/dev/hda4 or /dev/hda7)

# echo mls /SwSystem | tivosh --> What is the software to be installed (i.e. 9.1-01-2-140)

# mount -o remount,rw /

# vi /tvbin/installSw.itcl

--> change 'reboot' to 'exit 0'
--> :wq

# mount -o remount,ro /

# dd if=/dev/hda6 of=/var/tmp/MyKernel.px --> if=/dev/hda3 if bootpart=/dev/hda4, if=/dev/hda6 if bootpart=/dev/hda7

# /tvbin/installSw.itcl 9.1-01-2-140 --> sub software to installed actual filename

# bootpage -p --> check to make sure bootpage has flipped (i.e. /dev/hda4)

# dd if=/var/tmp/MyKernel.px of=/dev/hda3

# mount /dev/hda4 /mnt

# cp /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit.author /mnt/etc/rc.d

# cp /sbin/iptables /mnt/sbin

# mkdir /mnt/mpc

# cp -ar /mpc/* /mnt/mpc

REBOOT Tivo

[Narf54321]

It might be network driver problem.
Unplug your USB-Ethernet dongle and see if the machine boots. If that works, but crashes/reboots when you plug in the USB-Ethernet dongle, then you need to make sure to install Jamie's backport drivers.

Otherwise it could be a poorly copied boot kernel, among other things. I was just having a pain of a time with a couple of my own S2 boxes.

In particular, if you used Tiger's MFSTools awhile back, the size of the kernel and possibly the root software partitions may not be the same. (I believe older versions only created a 2MB alternate kernel partition).

Boot with MFSLive CD or similar, and re-copy the boot kernel one byte at a time:
i.e.

dd if=/dev/hda6 of=/dev/hda3 bs=1


Also give the hard drive about 30 seconds to a minute to make sure it finishes flushing its buffer before rebooting/shutting-off the hard drive.

Try those two things.
After than, you'll likely need to hook up a console connection and capture the output.

[tinkrtoy]

Ah, forgot about that darn USB adapter. Yep, I finally got the Tivo to boot once I removed it. Moving the files over via the console to get the drivers installed now.

Thanks

[abba]

I followed the steps above, except when I got to
# dd if=/var/tmp/MyKernel.px of=/dev/hda3
system did not find my MyKernel.px

I rebooted anyway, not my Toshiba SD-H400 is stuck in "Welcome. Powering up..." loop.

Do I need to pull the drive and start from fresh?

Thanks

[jt1134]

system did not find my MyKernel.px


Did you have a kernel there? If not, then all the files you copied over or changed on your new partition were blown away when you rebooted.

[abba]

Did you have a kernel there? If not, then all the files you copied over or changed on your new partition were blown away when you rebooted.

I probably did not. So the only way to fix this is to pull the drive from TIVO or is there another way to get it booted?

[jt1134]

Pull the drive, installed a killhdinitrd'd kernel, replace drivers with backport drivers, and replace the files that were deleted.