Read flash image

General

You need an Image of the flash memory in order to save the flash memory's contents.
This is nothing but a byte-by-byte copy of the flashes contents. The actual content of the flash memory is not important.
The methods described here read linux-images as well as broken or unbroken BR images.
You need a working network connection of PC and Dbox for all of this.

Methods:

Bootmanager
dbox2.rar
Telnet
Expert functions
Problems

Bootmanager

The most simple method is reading the image via the Read Image (Image auslesen) function of the Bootmanager.

A serial Nullmodem is handy, but not absolutely necessary.
Make sure the serial line speed is set to 9600.
The RARP-server should be activated.
Simple press Read image (Image auslesen) (Utilities), and the bootmanager prompts for an image filename. It takes care of all other settings automatically.
Now you can start the box.
The file ppcboot_read is transferred and the reading starts automatically.
Now you should see lots of dots in the com-terminal and the left-most number in the status line at the bottom should increase.
This takes a while. When it is done, the bootmanager notifies you via a pop-up.
If you see lots of lines saying nochmal in the com-terminal, or if the status line stops increasing at 0/8192, your network is too slow for this method.
In this case use the file dbox2.rar by derget.

dbox2.rar

This is actually a mini linux distribution which has files for reading flash images only.
You need a serial Nullmodem, the file dbox2.rar (self-extraction version available here) and the Bootmanager.
Extract the archive (using Winrar e.g.) to a directory, for example: C:\dbox

Use the following settings in the bootmanager:

BootP/TFTP-Server starten	On (Ein)
Bootfile für Dbox	C:\dbox\tftpboot\ppcboot
NFS-Server starten	On (Ein)
Root directory (Root-Verzeichnis)	C:\dbox\cdkroot
use serial line (com-port öffnen)	On (Ein)
Serial line speed (Verbindungsgeschwindigkeit)	9600

Picture

Now press Start (not read image/Image auslesen!) and start the box.

The box loads ppcboot, kernel etc.

After a while there is a prompt in the com-terminal:
Press Enter to activate this console

Now press [Enter]
After that, in the com-terminal, type:

cat /dev/mtd/5 > flash.img

Look into C:\dbox\cdkroot. There should be a file called flash.img now. This is your image.
This image does not contain the boot loader.

If you also want to save the boot loader (and you should have a backup), enter:

cat /dev/mtd/0 > boot.img

The file boot.img is now also in the directory C:\dbox\cdkroot

Telnet

If there is Linux on the box already, the whole thing is much simpler. You only need an FTP client.

Start the Dbox and configure the network.
Connect to the box via telnet.
For this, enter the following line at the DOS prompt:
telnet 192.168.5.5 (your IP address may differ, just use your Dbox's IP address)
The box prompts for a login.

Use root as username.
The password is dbox2
Do not be misled by the password not being displayed. This is absolutely normal.

No enter

cat /dev/mtd/5 > /tmp/flash.img

This takes a while, and when it is done, the cursor starts blinking again.
Now you can connect to the box via an FTP client (same username/password as for telnet) and download your image from the directory /tmp

Expert functions

If there is Neutrino on your box already, you can read the image via the expert functions.
For this, you need an FTP client.

Start Neutrino (Network must be configured) and enter the main menu.
Now select Service -> update software -> expert functions (Service -> Software aktualisieren -> Expertenfunktionen)

For the whole flash memory, select read flash image (Flashimage auslesen)
For an image without bootloader (only this can be flashed back into memory again), select read single partition -> flash without bootloader (Einzelne Parttion auslesen -> Flash ohne Bootloader). Now confirm the operation and the image is read.
You can then download the image file via FTP (User: root, Password: dbox2) from the /tmp directory

Problemes

ppcboot is not being transmitted.

Your network card is probably too slow.
Try resetting the box: simultaneously press up-arrow and standby button and release only the standby button.
Hold the up-arrow button for a while.
After that, enter boot net in the com-terminal.
The ppcboot should be transmitted now.

Feedback

E-Mail

Further Assistance

If you have problems, consult the forum
or visit the IRC channel #dbox2 using, for example, irc.freenet.de as IRC server.