Small flash - how to flash to USB stick?

Is it possible, guys? If so, how exactly, please?

MiniMultiBoot (or whatever it's called) is available for our STBs/images or not?

A guy has F800HD with Japhar SIM and is asking me how to best circumvent the flash limitation of 64MB...

I am against (Flash) Expander as there are various issues there that have not been resolved properly....

So, here are the options we have, from what I can see:

1) minimal flash installation, no big plugins...

2) post installation elimination of stuff one doesn't use, like:

opkg remove --force-depends --force-remove wpa* wireless-tools tzdata-africa tzdata-americas tzdata-asia tzdata-australia tzdata-pacific smbclient sambaserver samba rtl8192cu rt61-firmware packagegroup-base-ipv6 packagegroup-base-smbfs packagegroup-base-smbfs-client oe-alliance-wifi openssh-sftp-server kernel-module-r* kernel-module-usbserial kernel-module-zd1211rw enigma2-plugin-systemplugins-positionersetup enigma2-plugin-systemplugins-mphelp firmware-* enigma2-plugin-drivers* volatile-media rtmpdump kernel-module-mac80211 kernel-module-at* enigma2-plugin-systemplugins-blindscan enigma2-plugin-extensions-epgsearch enigma2-plugin-extensions-cutlisteditor enigma2-plugin-extensions-dvdplayer enigma2-plugin-extensions-supportchannel enigma2-plugin-systemplugins-autobouquetsmaker enigma2-plugin-systemplugins-commoninterfaceassignment enigma2-plugin-extensions-mediaplayer enigma2-plugin-systemplugins-cablescan dropbear libavahi* kernel-module-belkin-sa enigma2-plugin-systemplugins-wirelesslan avahi-daemon azbox-blindscan-dvbs-utils domextender kernel-module-carl9170 kernel-module-pl2303 kernel-module-ftdi-sio packagegroup-base-wifi kernel-module-8192cu

This can, of course, be tailored to suit one's needs, leave some of those in or add some etc.

Could somebody check this set of commands, please? This is for OpenATV image in AZbug HD Premium, so one needs to modify it to suit one's needs, 'course...

3) use Expander function in PBNIGMA or Flash Expander plugin in other images

4) some multiboot plugin... IF this is at all possible...

What do we do with those old, limited machines, guys?

Thanx!

Btw, the above set of Telnet commands is for OpenATV image....

I suppose we need to tailor it to suit each image...

No ideas/solutions?

Maybe this: https://github.com/oe-alliance/openmultiboot - anyone tried it, please?

OpenMultiBoot - 1.0 2014/10/03

OpenMultiBoot will be donated to OE-Alliance by GigaBlue.
OpenMultiBoot can be modified or adapted to work with stb's from other vendors as long naming "openMultiBoot" is not changed and logos of openMultiBoot persists.
OpenMultiBoot uses boxbranding and informations from oe-alliance bitbake recipes. Due to that - ipk's are specific for each stb! Do not try to use OpenMultiBoot from stb A on stb B.
GigaBlue takes no responsibility for any potential damage openMultiBoot might cause on stb's from other vendors.
OpenMultiBoot requires some kernel-modules to work. They will be installed on installation of OpenMultiBoot.
ubifs - kernel-module-nandsim
jffs2 - kernel-module-nandsim kernel-module-block2mtd

(c) 2014 Impex-Sat GmbH & Co. KG - http://www.gigablue.de
Notes:

< device > has to be formated in ext4
< device > should be a fast usb-stick or ssd - not recommended to use a normal hdd as hdd would almost never stop spinning
Upload any zipped image to < device >/open-multiboot-upload or /omb/open-multiboot-upload
Zipped image needs regular folderstructure like flashing from usb-device
It is not recommended to re-use existing settings - do not blame us if problems occur
Check your recording path configuration and existing timers if you attach a new device
Do not use Flash-Online if you have not booted your regularly flashed image - use delete/install in OpenMultiBoot of regularly flashed image
Special thx goes to skaman, kajgan, captain, arn354 and all testers!

Seems that you are the only one having some experience with it... as no other member/moderator seems to have experience with it.

TS

From OE-A images it should go like this...

Nice, yes. Thanks for the post,

TS

That saves the bacon of old boxes with small flash...

EDIT: I am not getting email notifications of replies to my posts...

That's normal, emails out are not active from our forum.

Admin

I've have Openmultiboot on dm800se and found issue. At the end I'm using Italysat multiboot. It does the job

First, the context - what the "logic" of it all is...

Why OpenMultiBoot plugin (OMB from now on)? When do we need it?

OMB is advantageous when one's receiver has a very limited built-in flash memory! Then, one can install many more and bigger, more demanding images, too. One can also install many more plugins, tools, skins, picons and so on, than one usually can, if one is stuck with a small flash of one's Sat TV receiver.

So, there are 2 ways of installing an Enigma2 image in our satellite TV receivers:

- flash (built-in fixed memory of your receiver)

- USB device (such as a fast USB memory stick or USB SSD [never an HDD, since it has moving parts and it would spin all the time]).

Once one
- installs an E2 image into flash,
- mounts the USB device one will use for OMB, one must
- install the pluging itself (OMB) and then one can start installing more E2 images into the USB device.

PREPARATION:

a) Install E2 and then install the OMB plugin from MENU > PLUGINS > EXTENSIONS of your E2 image.

b) A USB device to use for OMB (a fast memory stick or SSD [never an HDD!]) has to be formatted in EXT4.

c) Connect the device to your box and mount it properly, using a good Device/Mount Manager.

Btw, a good Device Manager can also initialise, partition and format, not just mount the USB device.

Mount it as a "permanent mount", in FSTAB, if possible (one of the options during the mounting, as you will see).

HOW TO:

1) Using FileZilla Client, for instance, connect your PC with your Sat TV receiver and upload any zipped E2 image to /open-multiboot-upload or /omb/open-multiboot-upload folder.

2) Zipped E2 image must have a regular folder structure, as if one is flashing the image from a USB device.

3) DO NOT RESTORE SETTINGS from USB/HDD!!! Configure each and every new E2 from scratch, i.e. 'ab ovo', e.g. do it manually, step by step, do not use a 'shortcut'!

4) If you connect some new USB devices to your Sat TV receiver, then mount them carefully, i.e. set up your recording, timeshift, EPG, picons, buffering, downloading, subtitles etc. paths/folders one by one, with some forethought/planning! After that, check your existing timers, too. That way you will ensure that your E2 will be able to do whatever you are expecting from it.

5) Do not use Flash-Online if you have not booted your 'regularly flashed image'! I.e. you can use Flash-Online function only if you are in E2 that is installed in your flash! To (un)install new images in your USB device use delete/install in OpenMultiBoot of 'regularly flashed image', i.e. the E2 installed in your Flash!

Enjoy!

P.S. On F500HD, with that old kernel, I am stuck with the "Error: Cannot install kernel-module-block2mtd"...

Update: even when Delfi adds kenel module block2mtd to feeds and it installs in PurE2, OMB still does not work, not decompressing the nfi images... Even when nfidump is installed - the same thing, for whatever reason...

I have F500HD with Japhar and Delfi has 800HD SE, mind...

But MultiMiniBoot does work!!!