[MB Premium Twin HD] Clean rebuild

[adm]

Having tried some of the plugins and found they either impact on the main performance of the box or else don't work in an acceptable way I would like to put my box back into as "delivered from the sponsor" state with with just the VIX image and the embedded plugins therein. I'm also prepared to reformat the hard disk it clear it from any stray c**p that may have been left by un-installed plugins etc.

As the next upgrade of the VIX image will require a USB flash this seems an ideal time to clean up my box. I've only done couch flash before so will this USB flash fully clear/overwrite the flash memory in my box or will there still be remnants of other things that I may have installed in the past? If the latter, what is the best way of clearing out any residual rubbish in the flash memory?

 

[abu baniaz]

Flashing by USB will overwrite everything on flash memory. Couch flashing should do the same too.

There should be no need to format HDD. Just delete any links/folders that are not recordings if you want to play safe.

 

[adm]

Couch flashing should do the same too.

If that was the case wouldn't I have needed to re-install the plugins that were not embedded as part of the VIX image? The (extra) plugins remained and were operational after a couch flash without me having to do anything else.

 

[abu baniaz]

What do you understand to be "couch flashing"?

 

[adm]

What do you understand to be "couch flashing"?

From the menu
Setup -> Software update - and when a new version of VIX is available select the option to upgrade.
The box then backs up the old image and settings, installs the new image and reboots. At this point I have a fully working system again with all (extra) plugins still working.

 

[abu baniaz]

Thats is performing an online update.

My understanding of "couch flashing" is:
Blue > Vix > Image Manager > Blue (restore)

Edit: You will see Beta Cenaturi's ofgwrite during this process.

The selected image will be flashed. It does not matter if this image was downloaded from server through receiver, is stored on a network mount or on a storage device.

 

[adm]

Thats is performing an online update.

Which is presumably written to the flash memory. After a power off or deep standby the box boots from the contents of the flash memory and it isn't still booting to Version VIX 32 that the box came with on delivery.

My understanding of "couch flashing" is:
Blue > Vix > Image Manager > Blue (restore)

The selected image will be flashed. It does not matter if this image was downloaded from server through receiver, is stored on a network mount or on a storage device.

But again, the "online update" was also flashed after it was downloaded (and I subsequently) requested the updated VIX image.

So to clarify, updating on-line and writing the new VIX image to flash memory (via the option in the software update menu) doesn't clear the flash of extra information such as user selected plugins but a flash via USB/front panel buttons or Image Manager > Blue (restore) will replace the VIX image AND also clear any extraneous rubbish left over from previous tinkering - including removing user selected plugins?

 

[judge]

Online update: updates everything it can online.
Couch flash: same as USB flash (just without the need for a USB stick), you choose to restore any updates or set-up from scratch on a reboot.

 

[abu baniaz]

Updating an image is not flashing/writing an image. This process only updates files that have been updated on Github/plugin feeds. Other files are left intact.

Flashing a new image, by USB or ofgwrite (to avoid any confusion) wipes out everything on the flash memory and installs the image. You then have a "virgin" image.

If you apply the flashing process and use a backup image, you have an exact copy of the image you have flashed/restored. E.g you set your receiver exactly as you like and want to test some modifications. Flashing that backup will wipe everything and restore only what is contained in your "backup".

Hope that helps.

 

[abu baniaz]

P.S Can you assist with logs as per this thread?
http://www.world-of-satellite.com/showthread.php?42301-ABM-Terrestrial-HD-(UK)-User-input-required

 

[birdman]

Updating an image is not flashing/writing an image.

Two different meanings of "image".
You actually update an installation. It's the same as logging in, saving a few files, running "opkg update; opkg upgrade", then putting the backup files back into place. You've modified a few files, but much of the file-system is the same.

When you flash an image you actually flash a raw image of a complete UBI file-system onto NVRAM. Likewise, if you create an image backup you actually end up with a raw UBI file-system in a file (I had great fun working out how to mount this on another Linux system).

 

[judge]

When you flash an image you actually flash a raw image of a complete UBI file-system onto NVRAM. Likewise, if you create an image backup you actually end up with a raw UBI file-system in a file (I had great fun working out how to mount this on another Linux system).

Don't see where the confusion comes from? Updating an image updates it.
Flashing an image (released or back-up) restores that image.

 

[adm]

P.S Can you assist with logs as per this thread?
http://www.world-of-satellite.com/showthread.php?42301-ABM-Terrestrial-HD-(UK)-User-input-required

I no longer have terrestrial tuners fitted to my box because the box doesn't handle ACC5.1 audio in an acceptable way compatible with my Onkyo AV amp. The stereo down-mix of UK HD ACC5.1 audio results in very poor quality audio, even compared with ProLogic decoding of the audio on the UK SD channels.