Defcon Kaklkaklkekl (Wiki)

====== Upgrading the ROM on a Cobalt RaQ4 ====== **Do not attempt this with a RaQ550, it will damage it!** ((http://www.osoffice.co.uk/romupdate.html)) **For RaQ3, please see the methods for "Flash without OS"** ((http://www.osoffice.co.uk/romupdate.html)) ((http://wiki.parvi.org/index.php/ROM_Flash_without_OS_Guide)) Installing any mordern OS onto the RaQ GenIII hardware, requires that the RaQ's BOOT ROM is upgraded to a version that supports Linux kernels newer than the Linux 2.4 series. The the StrongBolt((http://www.osoffice.co.uk/)), BlueQuartz and Cobalt-ROM((http://sourceforge.net/projects/cobalt-rom)) projects are the sources for newer BOOT-ROM's. How to update your ROM file is outlined at http://www.dincom.co.uk/bq/rom.php and at the StrogBolt OS pages (http://www.osoffice.co.uk/romupdate.html). Basically, you need a running OS on your RaQ before you start. This is because the flashtool((http://www.dincom.co.uk/bq/centosbqfiles/mirror/flashtool/)) needs to be run on the actual hardware. If you do not have an operational original OS on disk, using the Strongbolt CDROM, or other means of net-booting __may__ get you to your goal. If not, and you're not afraid to brick your hardware, you may take a look at http://wiki.parvi.org/index.php/ROM_Flash_without_OS_Guide. Anyways, please do read http://www.dincom.co.uk/bq/rom.php before proceeding. The procedure used below is basically a copy of the process outlined there, but without the very useful warnings and information. Assuming we have an operational disk- or net-booted RaQ4, the following steps are needed to upgrade the ROM. * Boot up, and log in as root. Preferably, log in using the serial console, to be able to see the boot process later on. * Download the appropriate ROM file: * The RaQ4 has a 1MB ROM chip * Using [[http://www.dincom.co.uk/bq/centosbqfiles/mirror/cobalt.rom-2.9.34.img|cobalt.rom-2.9.34.img]] is a safe ROM, but not the latest. * Preferred ROM, but most likely to fail is [[http://www.dincom.co.uk/bq/centosbqfiles/mirror/cobalt-2.10.3-ext3-1M.rom|2.10.3-ext3-1M.rom]]. * I download my ROM files from http://www.dincom.co.uk/bq/centosbqfiles/mirror/ as the "official" locations are either down, moved or difficult to get at... * Download [[http://www.dincom.co.uk/bq/centosbqfiles/mirror/flashtool/|flashtool]]. I have never had issues with the one at dincom. * Make your flashtool executable: <code> chmod 777 flashtool </code> * Test that flashtool works correctly on your RaQ by backing up the old ROM. Doing so is __very__ recomended anyway, as you __may__ be able to restore it, in the event of a failed flashtool run: <code> ./flashtool -v -r >original.rom ./flashtool: searching for PCI 10b9:7101 : found it at /proc/bus/pci/00/03.0 ./flashtool: systype = COBT_3K ./flashtool: bank 0: Intel E28F008S5 1MB ./flashtool: reading page 0 ./flashtool: reading page 1 ./flashtool: reading page 2 ./flashtool: reading page 3 ./flashtool: reading page 4 ./flashtool: reading page 5 ./flashtool: reading page 6 ./flashtool: reading page 7 ./flashtool: reading page 8 ./flashtool: reading page 9 ./flashtool: reading page 10 ./flashtool: reading page 11 ./flashtool: reading page 12 ./flashtool: reading page 13 ./flashtool: reading page 14 ./flashtool: reading page 15 ./flashtool: flushing buffers </code> * Perform the ROM upgrade: <code> ./flashtool -v -w cobalt.rom-2.9.34.img ./flashtool: searching for PCI 10b9:7101 : found it at /proc/bus/pci/00/03.0 ./flashtool: systype = COBT_3K ./flashtool: bank 0: Intel E28F008S5 1MB ./flashtool: writing page 0 ./flashtool: buffer page 0 does not exist - creating it ./flashtool: writing page 1 ./flashtool: buffer page 1 does not exist - creating it ./flashtool: writing page 2 ./flashtool: buffer page 2 does not exist - creating it ./flashtool: writing page 3 ./flashtool: buffer page 3 does not exist - creating it ./flashtool: writing page 4 ./flashtool: buffer page 4 does not exist - creating it ./flashtool: writing page 5 ./flashtool: buffer page 5 does not exist - creating it ./flashtool: writing page 6 ./flashtool: buffer page 6 does not exist - creating it ./flashtool: writing page 7 ./flashtool: buffer page 7 does not exist - creating it ./flashtool: writing page 8 ./flashtool: buffer page 8 does not exist - creating it ./flashtool: writing page 9 ./flashtool: buffer page 9 does not exist - creating it ./flashtool: writing page 10 ./flashtool: buffer page 10 does not exist - creating it ./flashtool: writing page 11 ./flashtool: buffer page 11 does not exist - creating it ./flashtool: writing page 12 ./flashtool: buffer page 12 does not exist - creating it ./flashtool: writing page 13 ./flashtool: buffer page 13 does not exist - creating it ./flashtool: writing page 14 ./flashtool: buffer page 14 does not exist - creating it ./flashtool: writing page 15 ./flashtool: buffer page 15 does not exist - creating it ./flashtool: flushing buffers ./flashtool: flushing block 0 to ROM... verifying... done ./flashtool: flushing block 1 to ROM... verifying... done ./flashtool: flushing block 2 to ROM... verifying... done ./flashtool: flushing block 3 to ROM... verifying... done ./flashtool: flushing block 4 to ROM... verifying... done ./flashtool: flushing block 5 to ROM... verifying... done ./flashtool: flushing block 6 to ROM... verifying... done ./flashtool: flushing block 7 to ROM... verifying... done ./flashtool: flushing block 8 to ROM... verifying... done ./flashtool: flushing block 9 to ROM... verifying... done ./flashtool: flushing block 10 to ROM... verifying... done ./flashtool: flushing block 11 to ROM... verifying... done ./flashtool: flushing block 12 to ROM... verifying... done ./flashtool: flushing block 13 to ROM... verifying... done ./flashtool: flushing block 14 to ROM... verifying... done ./flashtool: flushing block 15 to ROM... verifying... done </code> You should now have an upgraded ROM installed. With the serial console attached, go ahead and reboot your RaQ, and note that the new ROM version is being used.