148 replies to this topic

[EvilDragon]

Thanks to a more great work from notaz and skeezix, SuperZaxxon Beta 2 is ready to be tested!

Compared to SuperZaxxon Beta 1, this release has more bugfixes for the new kernel 3.2:

• Added Overclocking support (not overvolting!)
• Partly fixed sound issues

The default kernel 2.6 has also seen a bugfix:

• Hopefully fixed the touchscreen-crashing that sometimes happened

And of course there are more additional fixes and changes:

• notaz' SDL (hardware accelerated) has been updated to be compatible with more recent kernels (i.e. 3.2).
• notaz' SDL both supports nubs and touchscreen as mouse as well now.
• MiniMenu: Added List-Mode (lists all your apps instead of showing icons).

And here's a list of currently known issues:

• Bluetooth not working when using experimental kernel
• WiFi automatically starts when booting with experimental kernel (can be switched off afterwards)
• MiniMenu: Doesn't properly add / remove apps when you remove / insert an SD Card. Simply select "Rescan Application" in the MiniMenu-Mainmenu after you swapped cards

I encourage everyone to try out the new firmware release and help us to hunt down remaining bugs of the experimental kernel.
Most programs should now also run using the new experimental kernel - but please report any that don't work yet here on this thread.
If possible, add the contents of /tmp/pndrun_xxx to your post.

If you switch on your Pandora, it will automatically boot using the standard old kernel.
To boot the new experimental kernel, press R (shoulder button) while switching on the Pandora and select to boot the experimental kernel.
When you see the green boot-screen, you can be sure you are booting the experimental kernel!

The stand-out new feature here is the 3.2 kernel with aggressive power saving and real suspend support. Now if you boot 3.2 and leave your padora sitting around doing nothing, it will automatically enter low power state and use under half the energy it used to use, potentially doubling battery time (could provide even more) in such cases. There is also real suspend support, which is activated by flipping the power switch. I haven't properly tested how long it can stay suspended, but it sould last at least several days - you are welcome to test. Note that currently there is a limitation that you must not run any PNDs while suspending or things may break. I suspect some use cases like paying games and listening mp3s might give noticeably better battery time too.

So here it is, available as full flash:
Download SuperZaxxon Beta 2

Please note: Flashing the new firmware will put your unit back into a default state. All your settings and users will be lost. Of course, this does not apply to PNDs which save their stuff on the SD-Card.

For those running from SD cards, you first need to install the new bootloaders (unless you already did that for SuperZaxxon Beta 1)
You can do this by copying everything from above zip to root of SD card, but leaving out rootfs.img and rootfs.md5 and then following usual reflashing procedure. Then everything but NAND rootfs will be reflashed.

To install it, simply extract the archive onto the root of your SD Card.
Insert the SD Card into the left slot. Keep R (shoulder) pressed while switching on your Pandora and select "Boot from SD1"

If "Boot from SD1" doesn't appear, try to reformat the SD Card using Panasonic SD Formatter, recopy the files and retry.


You can also use the SD Installer and run the OS off SD Card.
Grab the image needed for the SD Installer here

Enjoy

[Linux-SWAT]

Yipee ^^.

[bosbeetle]

very very tempted to try this

[jerome.st.knuppau]

i hav a SD card formatted and 2 partitions on it:

1st: fat32
2nd: ext2

how instalation procedure will look like if i want to instal super zaxxon on 2nd ext2 partition..?
what i need to do..

[notaz]

how instalation procedure will look like if i want to instal super zaxxon on 2nd ext2 partition..?
what i need to do..

Extract pandora-rootfs.tar.bz2 to your ext2 partition (as root), create autoboot.txt on any of partitions with:

setenv bootargs root=/dev/mmcblk0p2 rw rootwait vram=6272K omapfb.vram=0:3000K
fatload mmc 0 0x80300000 uImage;bootm 0x80300000

uImage should sit in the same root directory as autoboot.txt, you can also specify boot/uImage if autoboot is in ext2 partition (might need to use "fatload mmc 0:2" in that case). For experimental kernel, use uImage from lib/boot/ .

[BaDToaD]

The FW is updating as I type this. Looking forward to giving it a go.

Thanks ED, Notaz, Jeff

[EvilDragon]

Thanks ED

Don't thank me - thank notaz and skeezix. I didn't do anything except for building and releasing the image, I was way too busy with Pandora production to do much here

[dreamer]

Oooooh! Great features!

This week I'll definitely try a re-install of my machine

[B-ZaR]

Yay! Flash day

[Lafazar]

Just amazing. This new kernel makes Pandora so much more attractive, usable and useful.

Thanks a lot to all contributors, especially notaz and skeezix.

[ensoniq2k]

Special thanks from me too. I just flashed the new firmware.

Seems the scrolling directions for the nubs have changed. When I push it to the left the browser scrolls right and vice versa. In beta 1 this was the other way round. Is this somehow configurable?

Besides, is this the right thread to report issues?

[dave]

It's a good thing I know about "wget -c" AND up-arrow
Perhaps you should get an account at someplace like sourceforge?
or a torrent?

dave

[jerome.st.knuppau]

a bug:

superzaxxon started from SD card:

after trying to suspend a OP using switch im getting only:

[ 395.622222] mmc0: card e624 removed

i suspect that FW tries to unmount a SD Card with FW on it

[mcobit]

You cannot suspend while running from sd, as you're right and it unmounts the card, it is installed on, when suspending.

This is known afaik, but ED did not mention it on his post.

[jottt]

Check the other thread concerning Beta 1. There is a "fix" described by Notaz to keep the system from removing the SD card. Might make sense to put that right into the opening post.

[sparkymark]

hmmmm I updated and it all seems the same with no option to boot experimental when pressing right shoulder button. I only have the following options
default boot
power off
boot from sd1
usb serial prompt
serial prompt

I'm pretty sure it updated correctly, it said press enter to switch off at the end and it switched off all properly. I was on hotfix 7 beta 1. Will try again now, and report back

[gunrock]

• WiFi automatically starts when booting with experimental kernel (can be switched off afterwards)

That's not great for folks like me, where activating the wifi means that the machine cannot be shutdown (7 out of 10 times) and must be hard reset.

[sparkymark]

tried again, still noy joy??

[Cloudef]

I just flashed with b1, oh well b2 then Great work notaz.

[EvilDragon]

tried again, still noy joy??

Does it say "SuperZaxxon Beta 2" when booting?
If yes, then you flashed rootfs.img (the OS), but it hasn't flashed the new bootloader or kernel.
Have you used the boot.scr and bootf.tgz included in the SuperZaxxon archive to flash?