care to share original bootpartition.bin for 60gig 5g?

[ryran]

Long story short:
When I updated the bootloader on my ipod, something funky happened and I can no longer boot into AppleOS. I know I could download itunes or an older updater and restore my ipod and then redo everything, but I thought I'd see if I could avoid transferring all of my 50gigs off and back (using emergency disk mode, no less, oh yay).

Anyone?

[linuxstb]

Download the .ipsw file for your ipod from this page (it just provides links to the official Apple download site used by itunes 7):

http://www.felixbruns.de/iPod/firmware/

The .ipsw file is a zip file - unzip it, and you will have a Firmware-XXXX file.  This is the image of your firmware partition.

Credit for the page goes to fxb from the ipodlinux project.

[ryran]

Dave, you rock.
I spent some time looking around on ipl's site, trying to figure out what to do with that file... but no luck so far. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

[Febs]

Here's what I just did, and it worked.  

• Extract the Firmware-XXXX file.
• Rename it to bootloader.bin
• Remove the Rockbox bootloader:  ipodpatcher N -d
• Write the original firmware back to the ipod:  ipodpatcher N -w bootloader.bin
• Install the RB bootloader normally:  ipodpatcher N -a bootloader-ipodvideo.ipod

[GodEater]

Can I ask why you felt you should remove the bootloader with ipodpatcher before you wrote the boot paritition back ?

I'm not sure I see the point of that bit

[ryran]

As soon as I read that Febs, I had to run.. but I composed my response in my head:
Febs: That was way above and beyond dude. You could've just given a guess and let me check it out, but you actually did it yourself just to find out, and then answered. Thank you!

Unfortunately, I deviated a bit from your instructions. After I loaded the Apple firmware, I thought I'd be smart (stupid) and unplug it and have a look, just to see if it booted up normally. *shrugs* Mmm.

Well. It didn't. It presented me with an icon I'd never seen before, telling me to plug it into a wall socket. That should've been my first hint to turn back. If I had been thinking quite logically, I would've figured HEY, anytime a device like this requires wall power, it's probably because it's about to do something highly dangerous that must not be interrupted. ...... So yeah, I probably would've thought that if I had been really thinking.

Instead, I decided to plug it in, and my ipod proceeded to go to a black screen with a progress bar, thus scaring the shit out of me. (Stupid part: my ipod is not fully backed up on my computer.) I panicked, thinking it might be formatting itself, though I doubt an ipod even has that capability.. bleh. Anyway, I panicked and held down menu + select as fast as I could and it shut off.

Yes, shut off.
Now, no matter what I do, I cannot get it to turn on. No combination of keys + plugging in to walls or computers produces any response. Oh yes. I'm good.

Hope you enjoyed story-time today kids, 'cause this just might be my last one ever.

[linuxstb]

That screen is the standard firmware upgrade screen - it means that the Apple software is updating the contents of the flash.

As you probably now realise, the ONE thing that you must not do during a flash update is force a reset with MENU+SELECT.

I fear your only option is to return it to Apple.

[ryran]

My heart is crying... on the inside. *sigh*
Where does one's head go in situations like this? Like I haven't dealt with so many devices/computers flashing bioses 'n whatnot.... Blah. Kills me.

In any case, thanks for all the help Dave. That's not sarcasm; I really appreciate all that you hardcore guys do. Much love.

[Llorean]

You might want to just leave it plugged in for a while anyway. I've never seen a explicit apple warning about a progress bar, and how you should not do X or Y while it's displayed. It may be possible that your battery has just died at a time that makes it *seem* very serious.

I know that there was a point where nothing I pressed seem to cause my Nano to react, despite me being sure the battery was over 50% full minutes before (and this was after changes to the bootpartition), but leaving it plugged into a computer for an hour, then toggling hold on and off, then holding menu+select for about 30 seconds brought it back up again.

[ryran]

30 seconds? Whoa. Okay.. Rockbox read 97% right before I started this whole fiasco, but it's worth a try I guess. Thanks Paul.

[PHK Brasil]

Download the .ipsw file for your ipod from this page (it just provides links to the official Apple download site used by itunes 7):

http://www.felixbruns.de/iPod/firmware/

The .ipsw file is a zip file - unzip it, and you will have a Firmware-XXXX file.  This is the image of your firmware partition.

Credit for the page goes to fxb from the ipodlinux project.

♪

I downloaded and unzipped the file, but the size is too much smaller than the original bootpartition.bin.

iPod video 60gb:   Original bootpartition.bin = 109 MB

                             Firmware downloaded = 13 MB

Is this right?

[linuxstb]

Yes, that's right - your firmware partition is mostly empty.

[PHK Brasil]

♪
Thank you, linuxstb.

Just one more question.

Renaming the downloaded file as bootloader then using ipodptacher N -w bootloader.bin, has the same result as using the original bootpartition.bin with ipodpatcher N -w bootpartition.bin ?

Both methods preserve all music on iPod?

♪

[linuxstb]

Yes.

One word of warning - your ipod may choose to update the content of its flash after you write the new firmware image.  If your ipod does this, connect to a charger (as it instructs) and let it finish.  Interrupting that flashing process (which also happens when you upgrade the firmware with itunes) will almost certainly brick your ipod.

[ryran]

Yes. Almost certainly.