reset config on iPod 5.5? (black on black text)

[peterw]

Playing with some themes today, I ended up with black on black text.

How can I reset the configuration to the default without using the player UI (since I cannot see what I have selected on the screen)? The iPod manual section 9.3.3 states "Note: You can also reset all settings to their default values by turning off the player, and turning it back on with the hold button on." If I engage the Hold switch before the main Rockbox screen (while the apple or Rockbox splash screen are visible), my player boots the Apple firmware. If I engage it after the main Rockbox screen appears, nothing happens. If I engage it while the player is off, then how would I switch the player on?

Can I mount this as a USB disk and delete/rename some file to revert to default settings? Or change the background or something??

Thanks,

Peter
running Rockbox from SVN from about Aug 7th, FWIW

[chrisjs169]

Before I start, I don't own an iPod, so I can't say how easy it'd be for you to do this.

If you delete (or rename) the config.cfg file in the .rockbox directory, it should clear all the settings.  Of course, this has to be done over USB, and I'm assuming it can be done via Disk Mode.  Hope it helps.

[Llorean]

Try turning hold on shortly before you see the Rockbox screen. Or simply delete the config.cfg file in your /.rockbox folder.

[peterw]

Thank you, both. Removing /.rockbox/config.cfg did the trick.

I think this merits a Flyspray ticket -- there should be a reliable way of resetting the config. This is especially problematic with the iPod, since the wheel makes it difficult to navigate "blind", even if you know the order of the options (unless, I guess, you're using the spoken menus). Something like Hold Prev on the main screen should trigger a config reset (jumping to the top of the menu just doesn't seem all that interesting to me).

Again, thanks.

-Peter

[Llorean]

There is a reliable method: Turn on hold shortly before the Rockbox screen shows up, or delete config.cfg. The second one is especially reliable.

[peterw]

"There is a reliable method: Turn on hold shortly before the Rockbox screen shows up,"

Define "shortly". And what's the tolerance for the timing of that maneuver? A number of times I tried engaging the hold switch at various points -- dark Apple logo, bright Apple logo, early Rockbox splash, late Rockbox splash. It takes about 5.5 seconds for my iPod to boot Rockbox (first dark Apple logo to appearance of main Rockbox screen). What's the window for engaging the hold switch to reset the configs?

"or delete config.cfg. The second one is especially reliable"

and requires a USB host device that can mount the fat32 storage device. I'd like a technique that doesn't require my Linux box. :-/

Thanks.

[Chronon]

Huh.  I don't have any problem clearing settings on a nano.  I flick the Hold switch when the backlight turns on (bright Apple logo) and it seems to work every time.  

[LambdaCalculus]

Chronon's right. The minute the backlight for the screen turns on at the Apple logo, click the switch. You should see "Settings Cleared" on the screen before the main menu appears.

[peterw]

Thanks, Chronon. Yes, that works well. I wish the instructions in the manual were as clear. And it seems wrong that this maneuver is so similar to what users do to boot the OF, but I'm happy that it works. Thanks!

[Chronon]

You're welcome.  

The manual is certainly still under development as is the project as a whole.  We welcome revisions through the patch tracker -- preferably in the form of a patch for the LaTeX source, but plain-text indicating the proposed changes are also acceptable.

Previously booting the Apple firmware was done by pressing "Menu" at the right time during startup.  But it seemed a lot more finicky than the current Hold switch method.  

[peterw]

Something like the following. I can't verify this -- I've installed 80 MB of TeX software but still can't build the manual-html or manual-pdf targets:

Code: [Select]

Index: manual/advanced_topics/main.tex
===================================================================
--- manual/advanced_topics/main.tex     (revision 14204)
+++ manual/advanced_topics/main.tex     (working copy)
@@ -353,8 +353,10 @@
       \ButtonRec button immediately after the \dap\ turns on.}
   }
   \opt{ipod}{\note{You can also reset all settings to their default values
-      by turning off the \dap, and turning it  back on with the hold button
-      on.}
+      by turning off the \dap, turning it back on, and switching on the hold
+      button when the backlight illuminates the Apple logo. When the Rockbox
+      splash screen appears, you should see a note that the settings are being
+      cleared.}
   }
   \opt{gigabeat}{\note{You can also reset all settings to their default values
       by turning off the \dap, and turning it back on with the \ButtonA

[Chronon]

Yes, that looks about right.  Now just open a task in the patch tracker (the link at the bottom of the sidebar) and attach that patch to it with a brief explanation.  Thanks peterw!