iPod: disable boot to original firmware with "hold"-button

[Tron]

Greetings,

I'm a happy Rockbox user for years now, just one thing bothers me a bit: I really don't need to boot into the original firmware any more (I know I can do that while holding "Menu" on boot), but quite often I happen to insert the device into my car adapter while locked (i.e., with the Hold-button on). Of course it always boots into the original firmware, which I don't want.

Is there a way to disable the "boot into original when Hold-button is on"?

Thanks in advance!

[saratoga]

I think you'd have to edit the bootloader, compile it and then install it to your player.

[Tron]

Yeah, probably. I think I'll check out the source then and see if I find something fitting there.

[saratoga]

The ipod ports were before my time, but probably in /bootloader/ there should be an ipod.c or something similar that checks if the hold switch is activated. 

[whiskers75]

Specifically, line 367 onwards:

   if (button_was_held || (btn==BUTTON_MENU)) {
        /* If either the hold switch was on, or the Menu button was held, then
           try the Apple firmware */

        printf("Loading original firmware...");
   
        /* First try an apple_os.ipod file on the FAT32 partition
           (either in .rockbox or the root)
         */
   
        rc=load_firmware(loadbuffer, "apple_os.ipod", MAX_LOADSIZE);
   
        if (rc == EOK) {
            printf("apple_os.ipod loaded.");
            return (void*)DRAM_START;
        } else if (rc == EFILE_NOT_FOUND) {
            /* If apple_os.ipod doesn't exist, then check if there is an Apple
               firmware image in RAM  */
            haveramos = (memcmp((void*)(DRAM_START+0x20),"portalplayer",12)==0);
            if (haveramos) {
                /* We have a copy of the retailos in RAM, lets just run it. */
      printf("RetailOS in RAM, running");
                return (void*)DRAM_START;
            }
        } else if (rc < EFILE_NOT_FOUND) {
            printf("Error!");
            printf("Can't load apple_os.ipod:");
            printf(strerror(rc));
        }
       
        /* Everything failed - just loop forever */
        printf("No RetailOS detected");
       
    } else if (btn==BUTTON_PLAY) {

[Tron]

   if (button_was_held || (btn==BUTTON_MENU)) {
        /* If either the hold switch was on, or the Menu button was held, then
           try the Apple firmware */

That worked, it sufficed to remove the "button_was_held" from the first line, thus only allowing the Menu-Button to boot into the original firmware. I compiled the bootloader and it works.

However, I neglected the fact that Rockbox resets to default values when that switch is on. I don't think it is too dangerous to remove that, too. If I someday should run into trouble, a reflash should cure any warped settings.

I found the following in apps/main.c:

    /* Reset settings if the hold button is turned on */
    if (button_hold())
#endif
    {
        splash(HZ*2, str(LANG_RESET_DONE_CLEAR));
        settings_reset();
    }
    else

Is that the correct location? Disabling the if-loop should do it, I think...

[whiskers75]

Yes, but it would be advisable to leave it in or change the button as that is really for your safety should you near-brick it.
Although, it is true that you can ALWAYS go into disk mode and reflash.
(I have an iPod Mini 1G that doesn't work with Rockbox)

[soap]

Yes, but it would be advisable to leave it in or change the button as that is really for your safety should you near-brick it.

If you near-brick it one should still be able to boot into Apple's disk mode, no?

[whiskers75]

Yes. (Updated post.)

[whiskers75]

By the way, I can make a custom build for you with these tweaks enabled

[Tron]

By the way, I can make a custom build for you with these tweaks enabled

Thanks, I might come back to you about that. Until now, I have successfully compiled and installed Rockbox including the bootloader, but somehow I'm commenting the wrong if-statement. It runs, but still resets if the hold-switch is set...

[whiskers75]

By the way, I can make a custom build for you with these tweaks enabled

Thanks, I might come back to you about that. Until now, I have successfully compiled and installed Rockbox including the bootloader, but somehow I'm commenting the wrong if-statement. It runs, but still resets if the hold-switch is set...

No problem. Maybe try commenting out the ENTIRE reset code block

[[Saint]]

Although, it is true that you can ALWAYS go into disk mode and reflash.

ipodpatcher supports a few different types of installation, the default installation type (the most robust, but not the fastest) that Rockbox Utility uses being just one of many possible configurations. It isn't always safe to assume that the OF is going to be accessible.

The Nano2G and Classic are special exceptions. It is possible to 'brick' a Nano2G (but you have to really try to do it), but it is recoverable by opening the device and shorting two pads. The Nano2G is also special in that it can use either the Rockbox bootloader or emCORE.

The Classic an exception because it pretty much doesn't matter what you do to it, even though it isn't currently capable of booting either EDM or the Apple OF under emCORE you will always be able to restore the device using DFU mode and iTunes unless the hardware is actually damaged.


[Saint]

[Tron]

Hi all,

just a short post to tell you: it worked. Rockbox now boots flawlessly with the hold-switch on and I'm still able to boot into the original OS by holding "menu" if I really need to (that is sometimes necessary when the battery is really drained. In that case, Rockbox, which cannot charge while switched off, somehow cannot sustain itself by external power alone and keeps rebooting over and over. Booting into the original OS and charging the battery for a few minutes there does the trick...).

Thanks to all for the help!

[whiskers75]

Hi all,

just a short post to tell you: it worked. Rockbox now boots flawlessly with the hold-switch on and I'm still able to boot into the original OS by holding "menu" if I really need to (that is sometimes necessary when the battery is really drained. In that case, Rockbox, which cannot charge while switched off, somehow cannot sustain itself by external power alone and keeps rebooting over and over. Booting into the original OS and charging the battery for a few minutes there does the trick...).

Thanks to all for the help!

No problem. (I had the same power problem too!)