Getting bash prompt, TiVoNet, etc. with 2.5?

[mbrubin]

I've been doing some reading around, and most of what I read seems to imply that I can't get a bash prompt or get TiVoNet and other hacks to be permanent (not overwritten by TiVo updates) if I'm already running 2.5 on my DirectTiVo. But I have found occasional reference (I think from Guyy?) that it is possible to do this. Can someone confirm for me whether this is possible, and point me at some help for doing it?

Any help is much appreciated.

[dsboyce8624]

25Xtreme

Dennis

[mbrubin]

My impression was that 25xtreme was for those who were not already upgraded to 2.5 (that it was a sort of "fake" upgrade to 2.5). Is that not true?

[T_RJ]

You can manually hack your 2.5 or you can use 25xtreme.

25xtreme is just much easier than doing the hack manually.

If you do use the 25xtreme image you will loose all your recordings and any customizations you have done.

If you want to do it manually read this thread

http://64.21.8.90/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4588&highlight=faster

[mbrubin]

Thanks T_RJ--I'm slowly learning... But now it seems to me that I'm out of luck if I backed up my drive after my TiVo go upgraded already. Is there a way for me to get a 2.0 prom that I can use?

Thanks again.

[mbrubin]

But now it seems to me that I'm out of luck if I backed up my drive after my TiVo go upgraded already.

Oops, let me clarify: I know that I could always use 25xtreme, but I'd like to avoid losing my recordings and programming. But since I didn't create a backup with 2.0, do I have no choice? Is it possible for me to get a 2.0 image somewhere, copy it over my 2.5 image, and proceed from there? I'm sure there are some technical details I'm glossing over/missing (apologies for the newbie questions), but can this be done?

[Pointfreak!]

If you are already at 2.5, and just want to get BASH so you can mess around, you just have to re-flash your PROM.

>>fake upgrade...is this not true<<

Not true. Its the same 2.5 upgrade that "normal users" get. The special thing about 25xtreme is the PROM flash, the preloaded scripts (!), and the ease of use.

[sledge]

The thread mentioned above does help with manual hacking, but you have to sift through a lot of it because they were just discovering things then. I'd love to have a more precise step-by-step manual 2.5 hack, assuming a starting point of 2.0x with bash enabled and BubbaJ's speed-boot 2.5 firmware already flashed to the prom.

Here are the steps as I now understand them:

1) start with bash access under 2.0
2) flash prom with 2.5/speedup firmware
3) let phone call upgrade hd with 2.5 software or obtain 2.5 partiton elsewhere and apply
4) clear initrd on new 2.5 so you can enable bash and mod files again.

I'm still not sure if I have this straight. I've only had my unit for 3 weeks now... It seems the new tivolater script is an attempt to automate a manual-style upgrade/hack.

Some relevent quotes from previous threads:

Originally posted by BubbaJ

What the PROM Hack DOES: (most important here y'understand)
Speeds up the boot process
allows an UNSIGNED kernel to be used
allows a kernel without an initrd to be used.

What the PROM hack DOESN'T do: (doesn't "doesn't do" seem kinda redundant?)
let you modify files
let you run fixup
wipe your ...
blow(anything)

what you need to be able to modify files or run fixup is a kernel with an altered or deleted initrd.

Originally posted by superzap
you need one more step, clear the initrd with command:

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hdx3 bs=1k seek=852 count=1196

hdx where x = b, c or d depending on primary/secondary master or slave settings for that drive.

Then enable bash, etc. on v2.5
You won't have bash after step 3 so you'll need to put HD in a PC and do step 4.

[mbrubin]

Originally posted by Pointfreak!
If you are already at 2.5, and just want to get BASH so you can mess around, you just have to re-flash your PROM.


I would like to get BASH going. Don't I have to re-flash it with a 2.0 PROM? I don't have one of these. I'm actually at the point where I wouldn't ming losing my recorded programs and programming, and just using 25xtreme, but all the instructions I've found for it require me to have a 2.0 backup. I guess I'll search to see if anyone's posted access to a 2.0 backup I could use.

[T_RJ]

You do not need anything but the 25xtreme cd to install 25xtreme.
It will however wipe all of your recordings and preferences.