dd if='..' of='...' doesn't work

[HDorBust]

I need help. I've tried for a while now and asked help from my IT guy at work. I cannot get the kernel replaced on my HR10-250.

I have the tivo drive connected IDE1 Primary and have it mounted as hda7.

bootpage -p /dev/hda shows root=/dev/hda7 brev=0x100A

I have a copy of ptvlba48-4.01DD.iso and have tried to put the 3.1.5 kernel (replacing 3.1.5d) on the tivo drive. The kernel is compressed so I move/expand to /tmp. I then execute from the tmp folder:

dd if=vmlinux.px of=/dev/hda

I get back for a response:
1+1 records in
1+1 records out

I tried dd if=/dev/hda of=tmpfile and got
3+0 records in
2+0 records out
and noticed the files size is much larger than the image I'm trying to put on the disk. It seems the 'dd' comand is not working for me.

thanks
frank

[PlainBill]

I need help. I've tried for a while now and asked help from my IT guy at work. I cannot get the kernel replaced on my HR10-250.

I have the tivo drive connected IDE1 Primary and have it mounted as hda7.

bootpage -p /dev/hda shows root=/dev/hda7 brev=0x100A

I have a copy of ptvlba48-4.01DD.iso and have tried to put the 3.1.5 kernel (replacing 3.1.5d) on the tivo drive. The kernel is compressed so I move/expand to /tmp. I then execute from the tmp folder:

dd if=vmlinux.px of=/dev/hda

I get back for a response:
1+1 records in
1+1 records out

I tried dd if=/dev/hda of=tmpfile and got
3+0 records in
2+0 records out
and noticed the files size is much larger than the image I'm trying to put on the disk. It seems the 'dd' comand is not working for me.

thanks
frank

Let's try this approach: Use the correct syntax to replace the kernel; it'll work better. Look here.

PlainBill

[HDorBust]

And what did you means by 'correct syntax'?

Did you mean putting the kernel in "var" and then dd if=/var/vmlinux.px.....?

I tried that and dd'd to hda3 then hda6 like the post said. I got the same response for hda3 and now hda6 response is "No space left on device"

[Jamie]

If you reall did this

dd if=vmlinux.px of=/dev/hda

as shown in your original post, you've overwritten the bootpage and partition table on the disk and will need to start over with a fresh image.

[HDorBust]

If this is true then what can I do to verify it? Also, I did make a backup so can I assume that a restore will fix this?

Should fdisk work on the tivo drive? It doesn't seem too.

[Jamie]

If this is true then what can I do to verify it?

Put the drive back in your tivo and see if it boots.

Also, I did make a backup so can I assume that a restore will fix this?

If it is a valid backup and you restore it correctly.

Should fdisk work on the tivo drive? It doesn't seem too.

No. Use pdisk.

[HDorBust]

Well I did not trash the tivo image. Infact, nothing has changed. Tivo still runs like it did when I first got it. I still get the impression that dd is not doing anything. Is there something I can run/do that might give some clue as to what I'm doing wrong?

[Jamie]

Well I did not trash the tivo image. Infact, nothing has changed. Tivo still runs like it did when I first got it.

It's unlikely that you actually ran a dd command that wrote over /dev/hda then. Please be careful to make sure that the commands and output you post here reflect exactly what you did. No one can help you if you give us faulty information.

I still get the impression that dd is not doing anything. Is there something I can run/do that might give some clue as to what I'm doing wrong?

If you used the correct commands, not the ones you told us, it seems likely that your impression is simply wrong.

Put an rc.sysinit.author in /etc/rc.d that does something simple like echo "Hello World!". Watch the serial console when you boot and see if you see that at the end. If you do, the file survivied and you must have successfully bypassed the tivo initrd file system checks.

[HDorBust]

Jamie,
thanks. i do try and report what I see and type what I'm suppose to.

it occures to me that this assumption is wrong - in that I'm expecting to see the serial number on the system info screen to say 3.1.5, not 3.1.5d...? If this doesn't change then how do I know if I have succeded?

[HDorBust]

Okay, stupid question - serial console? Are you talking about watching the boot process on the TV because I added the file and saw nothing on the TV.

I'm now wondering if the tivo image I'm using has not been killhdinitrd. I remember reading that it was but I'm not sure what else could be happening.

[edit]
I looked and rc.sysinit.author is still in etc/rc.d

[eastwind]

Okay, stupid question - serial console? Are you talking about watching the boot process on the TV because I added the file and saw nothing on the TV.

I'm now wondering if the tivo image I'm using has not been killhdinitrd. I remember reading that it was but I'm not sure what else could be happening.

[edit]
I looked and rc.sysinit.author is still in etc/rc.d

No, the output on the serial cable connected to your PC or laptop computer. You need to build or buy a serial cable for debugging.

If the file is still there after booting in a TiVo, you've successfully replaced the kernel.

As for the 3.1.5d...You're not replacing the TiVo software, only the kernel. The kernel for 3.1.5d is the same as for 3.1.5. So it won't show you anything different on the TV.

ew

[HDorBust]

Thanks.

This is why some people on this forum are a little short with noob. My assumption that I would see a different version number when replacing the kernel was wrong. But, in my defense I did not read anywhere that it would not change.

I have a serial cable but left it at home. I'm on to more mods including the usb lan and dual drive. Can't wait.

Sorry if I was a bother.
Frank