Flashing a Stock Z2 to Newest Debian Image (Windows edition)

Information re-posted from www.hunterdavis.com . As requested, I walk you the full flashing, wireless firmware, and userland setup for the newest debian image (apt-get!!!). All using only Windows software.

Youll need 1. Either Aliosa27s 1gb or 2gb disk image posted to the SF page.
2. Aliosa27s latest oe userland image
3. phsydiskwrite (I recommend the GUI version for ease of use)
4. The autoflasher script
5. (if windows cant see the fat partition) Windows ext2 filesystem driver

Ready? 1. First, flash the zipit. Extract the autoflasher bundle to a fat16 formatted memory card
2. Open Aliosa27s wireless+x+audio.tar.gz file, and copy out the /boot/linux-2.6.29 file to your memory card
3. Rename this file kernel.bin
4. Boot the zipit with the SD card inserted. If this does not start the linux flash, go to settings-reset to default and it should soft-reset
5. Some SD cards are reported to not work, or not always be seen by the zipit. Try both with and without the power cable plugged in
6. The z2 will boot linux and copy the wifi firmware to the sd card before flashing linux to the Z2
7. Copy off the 2 wireless firmware files gspsi.bin and gpspsi_helper.bin to a folder, you will copy these back to the memory card after we write the image
8. IMPORTANT — rename helper_gspi.bin to be gspi8686_hlp.bin or it will not load later!
9. Extract the 1/2gb image to a folder
10. Extract phsydiskwrite to a folder
11. Insert your microSD card into the computer (adapter, usb stick, etc)
12. Run phsygui.exe from within the folder you extracted psydiskwrite to (requires .net framework)
13. right-click on the drive letter for your SD card, select the first menu item, and then select the 1/2gb image you extracted earlier (.img)
14. After it writes, safely remove the disk then plug it back in. if windows can see the fat partition copy the firmware files to it
15. If windows cannot see this fat partition, congratulations! Windows sucks! Dowload the ext2 filesystem driver, run it, then copy the firmware files over to /lib/firmware/notlibertas/ (yes notlibertas, the fat filesystem is mounted as /lib/firmware/libertas so you cant use that)
16. Insert the sd card into the Z2, and boot. Login as root, password debian. Congrats! Youve got debian on the zipit!
17. If windows couldnt see your fat32 partition, copy the firmware files from /lib/firmware/notlibertas to /lib/firmware/libertas. You may need to run fsck if linux cant see the files.
18. Reboot, and you should have wireless device when you type iwconfig. Configure the wireless settings, and youre ready. I like to apt-get install ssh right away, as thats what I use most of all. Ahhhhhhh! Doesnt it feel refreshing to install new software to the Z2 without cross-compiling?
19. Install ssh/sshd with apt-get install ssh Youll also have to force-move the real start-stop-daemon back in place with mv /sbin/start-stop-daemon.REAL /sbin/start-stop-daemon

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• z2
• zipit
• flashing
• kernel
• linux
• emulator
• hacking
• mp3
• audio
• windows
• only
• easy
• faq

[C4ptainNuggetS]

@huntergdavis Hi huntergdavis, I have a little problem. I successfully flashed my Zipit like you did. But I don't have my 2 gspi files. I delete them accenditialy. I tried to relaunch the flashing but it seems to not work. Do you have any idea ? Thanks

[huntergdavis]

@C4ptainNuggetS Yah you can get them a few different places online. There were a couple of userland images that had them included and they are probably still linked places (cough cough) online. There were also direct downloads for them on the sourceforge page too I believe. You should be able to get them in short order. best!

[Intanius]

@huntergdavis

will 16gb cards work

[huntergdavis]

@Intanius Should work, yes

[theappleguy582]

i have two questions

1: when i do ipconfig it says no wireless extensions.

2:my mouse emulator doesnt seem to be working. I checked the files on the sd card and i couldn't really tell much im not that knowledgeable about the zipit hack. got any ideas?

thanks.

[huntergdavis]

@sandchris Nope, not bricked. That picture lets you know the flashing process went ok, and it's trying (and failing) to read an operating system from the SD card. I would double check your userland image was written correctly to the SD card, but I believe your zipit is fine. Good luck!

[sandchris]

@huntergdavis well let me explain what happened i guess...i flashed it and after turning it back on all i got was that picture in the corner...no words...and two lights on the side of the zipit are turned on...i cant do anything to it...it cant turn off by itself, i have to take out the battery...so is it bricked?

[huntergdavis]

@sandchris Nah, it is probably just not reading off of your SD card

[sandchris]

if there is no logo but just a picture that means the zipit is bricked right?

[huntergdavis]

@GalacticGuardian , these are all documented over at the zipit sourceforge page. Anecdotally, I've posted all these numbers over at my site. Framebuffer. 3 hours sometimes. Good luck!