DGS Based Images:The DGStation and AB9000 images can be downloaded and installed onto the box through the default box 'Upgrade via Network' feature, and the NLB images must be copied onto a memory stick and upgraded through the satbox menus.
Image files come in 3 flavours: usb_all_noboot, which is a full image, including database, usb_db, which is the database only, and usb_kernel_root, which is the bare-bones image without database. The database contains the satellites, transponders, selected channels, favorites etc, which can be edited with the PCEditor. For most purposes, the usb_all_noboot should be used (note that the noboot indicates that the bootloader is not overwritten).
DGStation Image - this is the default image that comes with the box. It contains a good user interface, and a number of pre-defined plugins, including weather, mail, shoutcast and tetris.
AB9000HD Image - a similar image, which comes with a single pre-defined plugin: vodka, which is a basic CAM launcher.
NLB Image - again, a similar image, but in addition to the DGStation plugins, this one includes the nlb plugin, which launches the cams for you: newcs 1.65, (which interracts with the sky card) and mgcamd 1.35 (which interfaces to the decryptor, and is enabled through the green button nlb menu).
Of the three images above, the NLB image:
- supports the conditional access modules required to access a legitimate sky smartcard
- Supports EPG downloading with crossepg (after swap file is created)
- has the required elements to enable 'multi-boot', which is what you will need if you want to try out any of the Enigma based images (see below)
The NLB image, however:
- is not entirely stable - encrypted channels play OK for an hour or so, and then start to glitch every 20 seconds. Sometimes, the receiver reboots on on its own.
- is a bit slow, particularly when changing channels (2 second / channel), although this does seem to speed up if you change the skin.
- doesn't seem to have a directory structure which is compatible with the PCEditor, which means that you have to manually copy files.
NLB Image and Sky Card:
With NLB, In order to get a valid Sky Card to work, the CAMs are automatically started, all you need to do is press the green button and make sure that mgcamd or mbox is selected. - this means that you just have to plug the card in - there is, however, a glitch that happens every 20 or seconds or so. To fix this, you need to select the mbox cam in the NLBPanel plugin. It may also be necessary to add your boxkey into the /var/keys/newcs.xml file.
To find your boxkey, you need to check the system status screen in your sky decoder - you will see a system id number, which is 10 digits long, e.g. 0007559782. This number is in decimal, and the newcs.xml file needs the same number, but in hexidecimal. Convert the number to hex, and pad it out with leading zeroes to make it 8 characters long, e.g. 00735a66. This is the boxid that needs putting into the newcs.xml file.
NLB Image and EPG:
Sky uses the closed OpenTV standard, which has been reverse engineered by a number of people, most notable ambrosa in the creation of e2_loadepg. This background work has resulted in the creation of crossepg. Unlike other systems and providers, Sky only transmit now and next information with each channel, and if you want to get full browsable EPG information, you need to go to a specific channel - this is great for receivers with very low memory, like the original sky boxes, as they can extract the data live from the stream. It does lead to very slow navigation though. Crossepg can extract and store this information from the EPG stream, which is broadcast on a radio channel called "Sky EPG Background Audio".
Crossepg can be downloaded from http://www.crossepg.com/ for the DGS based images. In order to get the download working, you need to select the crossepg.plugin, and hit the menu button. Under system, you can select which channels you want epg information downloaded for. Then 'Start Downloader' to download for the first time.
It is likely that this will lock up. This is because the epg downloader uses quite a lot of RAM, and there is little left. You can overcome this by adding and enabling a swapfile (see disk and swap section below).
When the box starts, it takes a short time for the disk to come online, so I'd recommend setting the crossepg download (under the 'Automatic actions' menu option) to happen in the middle of the night, not after boot.
Enigma Based Images:
In addition to running the IPBox9000 based images, the box is also capable of running Enigma2 images. These images tend to be larger than the available internal memory, so must be installed on an external 2Gb USB pendrive.
In order to boot from the pendrive, you may well need to update the bootloader (uboot) to at least version 1.3.3, or use an image which supports multiboot (e.g. NLB). It is safer to use an image that supports multi-boot, as corrupting the uboot bootloader can trash your satellite receiver.
Interesting Files
The following files on the distribution may be of interest:
/var/S59_userboot.sh - This is a script which is run during every boot, and may be modified by the user to launch his own programs.
/var/db.dat - This is xxx
/var/keys/newcs.xml - This is the file in which you may place your boxkey for your valid Sky Card.
Multibooting with NLB
Through the TV, press the green button to pull up the NLB menu, and change the webserver from dgs to nlb. Reboot the satellite box, and then connect a web browser to it.
You will need a USB memory stick formatted with a linux filesystem rather than Windows. You can either do this with the disk manager on a Linux computer, or through the NLB webserver.
Once formatted, download and transfer an image, which must be of type '.img' to the USB stick.
Use the NLB webserver to blah...
Disk and Swap
Formatting and creating a swapfile
Multibooting with uboot
Format USB STICK to FAT32 , then unpack the file below and rename it usb_upgrade.img and transfer it to the usb stick.
Remove the USB Stick from the PC then drop down the front panel on your AB IPBox HD and press the round Standby button and the ok
button together and let them go to put the box into standby.
Insert the USB Stick into the USB Port at the back of your IPbox HD
Hold in the Standby button on the front panel and then when the box states BOOTING in the front display press the UP button and
then release both buttons, USB UPGRADE should be displayed in the LED display.
If this giets you Err 10 or stops on booting, open PCeditor ( latest ), and flash it using the normal methos for flashing an image.
In the box LED you should see it go to Erasing, then go to Flashing, this will only take a few seconds.After that it will say done.
Time to re boot your box holding the relevent remote control key number to boot from your desired device.
1) boot from cdkroot
2) boot from USB with hdd
3) original images
4) boot from release
5) boot from USB without hdd
6) boot from SATA hdd
7) boot from flash
Enigma2 Images
Boot 2 - Enigma2 AAF
Boot 3 - Enigma2 - Summer Dream
In order to install uboot 1.3.3, you will need to follow these steps:
xxx Image and Sky card
xxx Image and EPG
Links
http://www.sat-universe.com/
http://9000.freehost.pl/9000/ (plugin server for SIF team, mgcamd)
Upgrading Software
• backup important data from memory stick before try to update. Remove all data from it.
• copy "usb update.img" image to USB memory stick
• run "remove h/w(memory stick)" function on PC. You can see icon on right bottom (left of clock) screen.
• turn off the stb(Standby + OK) and insert the memory stick.
• press and hold Standby button until front display shows “BOOTING” and press UP key
(on the front side of the box, not on RC), then front display shows "USB UPGRADE" message..
• uboot will update s/w with usb_update.img from memory stick
• Wait until DONE message displays. Restart your receiver.
Background Info:
multi-boot usb stick ... http://www.sat-universe.co.uk/showthread.php?t=152576&highlight=uboot