Rockbox as mobile phone soft?

[RavMahov]

I've got unused Sony Ericsson W300i. Is it possible to make Rockbox it's main firmware? I don't care about it's telephone and text messenger functions and Java is too slow and limited. If it will be possible to convert this phone to music player with many playable formats, cool options, full customizability and many additional features (playing Doom?! maybe some use of camera and second screen? maybe sim-card reader utility? IRDA? Bluetooth?)

[saratoga]

No.

[RavMahov]

I wanted more complicated answer like:
-there is no compiler for SE processors
-no one is going to do it (I wanted to do it btw, but I need some help)
and some technical info. I just disassembled mobile to look in it, I can send photo of mainboard with chip symbols

[saratoga]

I wanted more complicated answer like:
-there is no compiler for SE processors
-no one is going to do it (I wanted to do it btw, but I need some help)
and some technical info. I just disassembled mobile to look in it, I can send photo of mainboard with chip symbols

Ah ok.  The wiki is offline now, but you can still see the google cache of the newport page:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:fuAJ_THA2kAJ:www.rockbox.org/wiki/NewPort

Since thats a cell phone, its an ARM processor, so at least theres a compiler for it.

[RavMahov]

Thanks for some info. Hmm, if these mobiles can be upgraded with soft from PC (some key needed to be hold) it shouldn't be that hard to install new soft. Worse if I'll broke something xD Is there any W300i owner interested in work on it? Any help will be appreciated

[Jennifur]

Thanks for some info. Hmm, if these mobiles can be upgraded with soft from PC (some key needed to be hold) it shouldn't be that hard to install new soft. Worse if I'll broke something xD Is there any W300i owner interested in work on it? Any help will be appreciated

The main problem would be, the cellphone/text/multimedia messaging and camera. That would need to be written from scratch.

[Chronon]

In the original post, RavMahov mentioned that retaining phone and messaging functionality was not important.  Rockbox doesn't have any support for cameras either, but if the intention is to just install an audio player firmware on it then it doesn't appear any more prohibitive than other devices that Rockbox has been ported to.  (On the surface, supporting the camera doesn't seem like a prohibitively difficult extension if someone put the work in.)

One of the problems with this is that most other people who own this device will probably not be eager to sacrifice the phone/messaging/camera functions of the device.  RavMahov, if you want to see this happen you may be on your own.

[torne]

Most cellphones have secure flashing mechanisms; some can be bypassed but many can't. You'd need to find out what is involved in flashing the device first.

[RavMahov]

Yeah, for now I should get rid of phone addditional functionality. But about this, I know just some ASM basics (for some microprocessor, not ARM), C even worse (I was learning some C++, but given up because of lack of time and dead motivation). If it works, I will be very happy

[Jennifur]

I've flashed a phone or two. The actual flashing of the phone isn't all that hard. Getting the firmware and the tools may be a problem. Not every phone has the OF available for it. You also run the risk of bricking the device if things do go wrong, but this is also true of other devices rockbox runs on.

Also, I think I have found the OF of the phone. It is here http://www.badongo.com/file/2285739

[RavMahov]

Thanks for info Off-topic, why wiki died?

[Jennifur]

Thanks for info Off-topic, why wiki died?

Not really sure why, but the wiki isn't the only thing that has died. The main site, wiki, SVN, irc logs are all not working.

I might try and dig up the tech manuals for the phone later. Just to let you know, I do not own this phone, so I can't really help with porting rockbox to it. Trying to find information about it on the other hand is something I can do.

EDIT:

I found a disassembly guide for the phone. You can grab it here: http://www.mediafire.com/?mm1i52wmuml

[RavMahov]

Wow, I wonder that I won't disappoint you

[torne]

I've flashed a phone or two. The actual flashing of the phone isn't all that hard. Getting the firmware and the tools may be a problem. Not every phone has the OF available for it. You also run the risk of bricking the device if things do go wrong, but this is also true of other devices rockbox runs on.

Also, I think I have found the OF of the phone. It is here http://www.badongo.com/file/2285739

I didn't say it was difficult to flash, I said the mechanism was probably secure. It doesn't matter how easy it is to flash a different version of the phone's firmware if it only accepts signed binaries. Regulatory bodies don't like handsets where it's possible for people to run arbitrary code that can control the radio.

So, before there's any point in trying to work out how to actually port Rockbox, you need to demonstrate that it's possible to run arbitrary code on the phone. Some smartphones allow it because their radios are driven by a seperate processor, but no "normal" phone has a seperate processor for it, they run their application UI on the same chip as the radio stack.

[Jennifur]

I've flashed a phone or two. The actual flashing of the phone isn't all that hard. Getting the firmware and the tools may be a problem. Not every phone has the OF available for it. You also run the risk of bricking the device if things do go wrong, but this is also true of other devices rockbox runs on.

Also, I think I have found the OF of the phone. It is here http://www.badongo.com/file/2285739

I didn't say it was difficult to flash, I said the mechanism was probably secure. It doesn't matter how easy it is to flash a different version of the phone's firmware if it only accepts signed binaries. Regulatory bodies don't like handsets where it's possible for people to run arbitrary code that can control the radio.

So, before there's any point in trying to work out how to actually port Rockbox, you need to demonstrate that it's possible to run arbitrary code on the phone. Some smartphones allow it because their radios are driven by a seperate processor, but no "normal" phone has a seperate processor for it, they run their application UI on the same chip as the radio stack.

I know this, but first step is to get a hold of the firmware and see if we can decrypt it. Other devices rockbox will run on also checked for signed binaries. If I do remember correctly, the Gigabeat and iPod do check.