iriver h320 - installing roxbox - help!

[DisturbedPyro]

ok so i got an iriver h320 and im looking into getting it rockboxed. i know i need the bootloader and the firmware/build to make rockbox work. i got the build for the iriver h3xx from http://build.rockbox.org/ so thats all good

now im looking at the "Installing the Rockbox bootloader" instructions on this site: http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/ManualRockboxInstall#Installing_Rockbox im looking at the bootloader section. it says: "The US H3xx firmware is not currently supported and cannot be patched to be used with the bootloader. If you wish to install Rockbox on a US H3xx, you must use an international firmware which will permanently remove DRM support from the player.  If you are using the US H3xx model you will need to either first flash it to an international bootloader, or flash the hacked bootloader twice (Above note still applies)"

im assuming i have a US version, i got it from a guy in california. how do you tell? but continuing on assuming it is a US version: i dont know exactly what the DRM is but i know thats used with the media port and is not necessary for recording or data transfer or anything like that...right? so its not a big deal if i permanently remove the DRM support from the player...right?

so then it has a list of different links to the bootloader for the h3xx:
H320 and H340 INT  1.28k  
H320 and H340 INT  1.28eu  
H320 and H340 INT  1.29k  
H320 and H340 INT  1.30eu  
H320 and H340 INT  1.29j  

which should i download?

so i have the right build and once someone tells me which bootloader i should get, then im all set to follow the instructions to install them right?

but i see on this site: http://download.rockbox.org/manual/rockbox-h300/rockbox-buildch2.html#x4-60002 it says: "If you wish to install Rockbox on a US Iriver H320 and H340, you must first install a non-US version of the original firmware and then install one of the supported versions patched with the Rockbox bootloader." - a non-US version of the original firmware...so thats the build right? so should i not use the build i said i downloaded above? im so confused...  

oh and do i need to install fonts? or is it just something you can do but its not necessary?

thanks for walking me through this, whoever helps me out. im trying to figure all this out but theres some stuff i just dont know and i have no idea which bootloader to get...

[Febs]

im assuming i have a US version, i got it from a guy in california. how do you tell? but continuing on assuming it is a US version: i dont know exactly what the DRM is but i know thats used with the media port and is not necessary for recording or data transfer or anything like that...right? so its not a big deal if i permanently remove the DRM support from the player...right?

If the ports are labeled "Media" and "Data," it is a US player.  

As for an explanation of what DRM is and the implications of flashing to a non-US firmware, you can read this FAQ: http://www.misticriver.net/forums/player-faqs/50898-h1xx-h3xx-series-faqs-3.html

so then it has a list of different links to the bootloader for the h3xx:
H320 and H340 INT  1.28k  
H320 and H340 INT  1.28eu  
H320 and H340 INT  1.29k  
H320 and H340 INT  1.30eu  
H320 and H340 INT  1.29j  

which should i download?

It really doesn't matter.

but i see on this site: http://download.rockbox.org/manual/rockbox-h300/rockbox-buildch2.html#x4-60002 it says: "If you wish to install Rockbox on a US Iriver H320 and H340, you must first install a non-US version of the original firmware and then install one of the supported versions patched with the Rockbox bootloader." - a non-US version of the original firmware...so thats the build right? so should i not use the build i said i downloaded above?

This means exactly what it says.  If you have a US player, should first update to one of the non-US firmwares listed above, and THEN follow the instructions to patch the firmware with the Rockbox bootloader and flash it to your player.

oh and do i need to install fonts? or is it just something you can do but its not necessary?

It's not necessary, but you will need the fonts if you want to use any of the many Rockbox themes.

[DisturbedPyro]

If you have a US player, should first update to one of the non-US firmwares listed above, and THEN follow the instructions to patch the firmware with the Rockbox bootloader and flash it to your player.

i do have a US player. now you say i should update to one of the non-US firmwares. meaning, one of these:
H320 and H340 INT  1.28k  
H320 and H340 INT  1.28eu  
H320 and H340 INT  1.29k  
H320 and H340 INT  1.30eu  
H320 and H340 INT  1.29j  

and then patch it with the bootloader

but i thought those i just listed were the bootloaders. or am i mixing them up?


i got the build for the iriver h3xx from: http://build.rockbox.org/
am i right on that?

then you say it doesnt matter which of these:
H320 and H340 INT  1.28k  
H320 and H340 INT  1.28eu  
H320 and H340 INT  1.29k  
H320 and H340 INT  1.30eu  
H320 and H340 INT  1.29j  
i download. so i get one of those and install it. then i install the build, correct?

[Febs]

but i thought those i just listed were the bootloaders. or am i mixing them up?

No, those are the original firmware files provided by iriver.  In order to run Rockbox, you need to patch the original iriver firmware with the Rockbox bootloader, and then flash the patched firmware (which, after patching, contains the Rockbox bootloader) to the H300.  However, because of a quirk in the US version, the player won't recognize the bootloader unless you flash it twice.  So go ahead and flash the non-US firmware, and then patch the iriver firmware and re-flash it to the player.

(I think it will also work if you simply patch the original firmware and then flash it twice to the player.)

[DisturbedPyro]

lol ok, im still confused. idk what flashing is first of all. you say to "flash" the firmware? so you mean download one of the ones off the list and then install it?

can you just tell me in what order to install what things? im sorry, but im totally new to this and i kinda follow but not really. sorry for sounding lilke such a noob

[Febs]

Please use real English in our forums, and not abbreviations like "idk."

Just follow the step-by-step instructions set forth in the "installing the bootloader" portion of the installation chapter of the manual.  They tell you the exact order that things need to be done.

[DisturbedPyro]

i patched the H300.hex file with the fwpatcher. it said it was successful. i move that onto the root directory of my iriver along with all the stuff in the build. so i have the .rockbox folder and the now patched H300.hex file. but i see no change when i load up the unit. i know you said i have to "flash" the non-US firmware (the .hex file) and THEN patch it. so did i skip a step? i followed the steps as given here: http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/ManualRockboxInstall#Installing_a_Rockbox_daily_build

so what do i need to do to flash the .hex file before i patch it?

also it says here: http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/ManualRockboxInstall#Installing_a_Rockbox_daily_build "The build contain a file named rockbox.iriver and a directory called .rockbox which are located in the root of your jukebox's hard drive." the rockbox.iriver file was INSIDE the .rockbox directory. the above quote makes it sound like they are separate and the rockbox.iriver file should be in the root directory and not in the .rockbox directory. so i moved it...and still nothing

[GodEater]

The wiki page you are reading is not what Febs has told you to follow. Read the manual, as he has repeatedly asked you to. There's a nice long section there on how to install the bootloader, telling you EXACTLY what you need to do.

[LinusN]

i patched the H300.hex file with the fwpatcher. it said it was successful. i move that onto the root directory of my iriver along with all the stuff in the build. so i have the .rockbox folder and the now patched H300.hex file. but i see no change when i load up the unit. i know you said i have to "flash" the non-US firmware (the .hex file) and THEN patch it. so did i skip a step? i followed the steps as given here: http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/ManualRockboxInstall#Installing_a_Rockbox_daily_build

Those steps tell you how to install Rockbox once you have installed the bootloader. You haven't yet managed to install the bootloader, so you have to go back to the previous chapter in the manual:

http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/ManualRockboxInstall#Installing_the_Rockbox_bootloade

Hint: See step 10.

[DisturbedPyro]

i patched the H300.hex file with the fwpatcher. it said it was successful. i move that onto the root directory of my iriver along with all the stuff in the build. so i have the .rockbox folder and the now patched H300.hex file. but i see no change when i load up the unit. i know you said i have to "flash" the non-US firmware (the .hex file) and THEN patch it. so did i skip a step? i followed the steps as given here: http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/ManualRockboxInstall#Installing_a_Rockbox_daily_build

Those steps tell you how to install Rockbox once you have installed the bootloader. You haven't yet managed to install the bootloader, so you have to go back to the previous chapter in the manual:

http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/ManualRockboxInstall#Installing_the_Rockbox_bootloade

Hint: See step 10.

the link you gave me sends me to a page that says: "THIS PAGE IS OUT-OF-DATE AND EXISTS SOLELY FOR HISTORICAL PURPOSES Please refer to the Rockbox Manual" so i click that link to the manual and it takes me here: http://download.rockbox.org/manual/rockbox-h300/rockbox-buildch2.html#x4-60002 once i select my version of the iriver. im trying to look at the manual, thats what i get when i go to the manual

so if thats what im supposed to be looking at, it has the "Installing the firmware" section first, and then "Installing the bootloader." but you just said i have to install the bootloader first. so is that where im messing up?

[LambdaCalculus]

If you already have an original iriver firmware patched with the Rockbox bootloader, you now need to upgrade the firmware on your iriver with that patched firmware.

In the original iriver firmware, bring up the main menu, select "General", then "Firmware Upgrade". (NOTE: Make sure your iriver is plugged in during this process!) It'll ask if you want to upgrade your firmware; select "Yes". The player should display "FIRMWARE UPGRADING...", then it'll turn off after a minute or so.

Turn it back on, and Rockbox should load.

[DisturbedPyro]

thanks Lambda, someone just explained it to me in a very similar way on another forum. nice simple terms as to exactly what i needed to do. thanks for the help

[LinusN]

Funnily enough, that description is very similar to the one in the manual:

"To do this, turn the jukebox on. Press and hold the Navi button to enter the main menu, and navigate to General → Firmware Upgrade. Select Yes when asked to confirm if you want to upgrade the firmware. The Iriver will display a message indicating that the firmware update is in progress. Do not interrupt this process. When the firmware update is complete the player will turn itself off. (The update firmware process usually takes a minute or so.)"

And yes, I am an idiot that linked to the wrong manual.  

[Febs]

And yes, I am an idiot that linked to the wrong manual.  

Actually, it looks like MarcGuay revised that wiki page today as part of his wiki clean-up, so maybe you're not a total idiot.  

[MarcGuay]

Actually, it looks like MarcGuay revised that wiki page today as part of his wiki clean-up, so maybe you're not a total idiot.  

Actually, I did that after reading this thread just to make sure there was no confusion in the future.  Preventation is best practice IMHO.