Automatic Installation for Clip Zp

[divingduck]

I will preface this by saying that I an pretty much computer illiterate, so please bare with me. I downloaded the Rockbox utility and then tried to do the automatic installation for a Sansa Clip Zip. I clicked on quick start, but the two boxes "Complete Installation" and "Minimal Installation" are greyed out, i.e., don't work. I suspect a manual install is  beyond my capabilities. I have gone through the FAQs and looked at the manual, and I cannot determine if this is a "permissions" problem (whatever that means) or something else. Could somebody kindly enlighten me as to what the issue might be. I am using a Mac G4 Powerbook (PPC). Thanks in advance.

[saratoga]

Under the installation tab, can you install the bootloader and then the main build?

[divingduck]

I can click on the Installation and then Install the Bootloader. I then get this:
Bootloader installation requires you to provide a copy of the original Sandisk firmware (bin file). This firmware file will be patched and then installed to your player along with the rockbox bootloader. You need to download this file yourself due to legal reasons. Please browse the Sansa Forums' or refer to the manual and the SansaAMS wiki page on how to obtain this file.
Press Ok to continue and browse your computer for the firmware file.

I have no idea what any of this means. Like I said, am not computer literate. BTW, when I click on autodetect when the utiltiy launches, it says it cannot find the mountpoint and that I should do so manually. But, in a box above that, I have the following: /VOLUMES/SANSACLIPZ
Isn't this the mountpoint? Sorry for my ignorance.

[saratoga]

I think the automatic was greyed out since we don't have a release yet for the Clip Zip.  That could probably be made more clear, or just install the current build in stead of a release. 

[divingduck]

Thanks for the reply. A question: when you say "I think the automatic was greyed out since we don't have a release yet for the Clip Zip," by automatic do you mean the Complete Install  button under Quick Start? Or, do you mean the autodetect button to find the Clip Zip when beginning the install process? That worked, in the sense that I could click on it, but it said it could not find the Clip Zip even though, as I said before, it said above it:/VOLUMES/SANSACLIPZ

Thanks again.

[saratoga]

Sorry, I mean the items on the "Quick Start" tab. 

[divingduck]

Yes, that is greyed out. So, that is not functional yet?

[saratoga]

Yes, that is greyed out. So, that is not functional yet?

Since theres no release to quick install, I guess you could say that. 

[prankstare]

Hey,

I just bought my Sansa Clip Zip and I'm having the same kind of issue as the original poster here using the Rockbox Utility. I know it is unstable to use Rockbox with Sansa Clip Zip, but not impossible. So, how can I get Rockbox to work with my Sansa Clip Zip? Is manual installation the only possible way around this? What if Rockbox doesn't work properly? May I uninstall it afterwards and go back to the original .18 firmware or is there a dualboot for both?

[bluebrother]

I just bought my Sansa Clip Zip and I'm having the same kind of issue as the original poster here using the Rockbox Utility.

So the answer is pretty much the same. You can't use the Quick Start tab items unless there has been a stable release of Rockbox for your player. Since there is no stable release for the Clip Zip yet you can't use it.

And using the "Installation" tab isn't manual installation, it's the normal way of installing. The Quick Start tab is only a shortcut for convenience (and it's about to go away some time in the future, since it causes more confusion than does good.)

[prankstare]

So the answer is pretty much the same. You can't use the Quick Start tab items unless there has been a stable release of Rockbox for your player. Since there is no stable release for the Clip Zip yet you can't use it.

And using the "Installation" tab isn't manual installation, it's the normal way of installing. The Quick Start tab is only a shortcut for convenience (and it's about to go away some time in the future, since it causes more confusion than does good.)

Oh, good to know  that 'Quick Start' tab will eventually go away because it really did mess my mind - I thought it wouldn't be possible to install it other than taking the manual procedure there.

Anyways I've taken the courage to install Rockbox to my Clip Zip and what a sound! With all it's tweakable features, makes a night and day difference compared to the default system OS. This is really neat!


PS: by the way let me just ask you something: is there Rockbox also for Android? I can't find it...

[saratoga]

Android isn't officially releases so we don't have binaries on the site but there are unofficial builds on the forums.

[prankstare]

Android isn't officially releases so we don't have binaries on the site but there are unofficial builds on the forums.

Pardon my perhaps dumb question(s) but what do you mean by "officially releases" ? You mean Android releases haven't reached a "stable" version or something? I know Android is open-source, or that doesn't have anything to do with developing Rockbox? Rockbox is actually a software player, right? I know it's described as a replacement firmware to the stock ones found on many MP3 players, but as far as I know every firmware needs a software to be useful, I think (please correct me if I'm wrong). What is programming anyways?


PS: I know this is very off-topic, pardon me for that too. It's that I'm very curious and have very little understanding about programming and stuff. I don't intend to become a programmer one day... just would like to understand about it a little better. Thanks!

[saratoga]

Pardon my perhaps dumb question(s) but what do you mean by "officially releases" ? You mean Android releases haven't reached a "stable" version or something? I know Android is open-source, or that doesn't have anything to do with developing Rockbox? Rockbox is actually a software player, right?

Yes, the port of rockbox to Android is still under heavy development, so its not officially available on the site or the android market.  You can of course compile your own build to try, or find binaries that people have posted for testing on the forums.  Its quite functional, but not yet fully polished.  A lot has to be changed to run an operating system like rockbox inside a java program on Android.

[prankstare]

Yes, the port of rockbox to Android is still under heavy development, so its not officially available on the site or the android market.  You can of course compile your own build to try, or find binaries that people have posted for testing on the forums.  Its quite functional, but not yet fully polished.  A lot has to be changed to run an operating system like rockbox inside a java program on Android.

Oh, OK.

I just want to understand, for example: why is it that Rockbox is designed only for some specific players and not for any (since Rockbox has its own firmware it could work with any hardware that is based on a same given architecture, right) ? By asking this I mean is Rockbox developed slightly different depending on the specific model of a player (eg: Rockbox is developed differently for 'Sansa Clip +' as it is for the 'Cowon' players) ? Why is it not supported for other good MP3 players like the Philips GoGear Vibe? It sounds almost as good as the Sansa Clip Zip therefore I SUPPOSE it has decent hardware as well.