[Zeppelinman_2000]

*WARNING*

**Do NOT use this if you have SL20_20120224_B_PD_INX7E_ENG_6410POP FW** <---This is a 2012 dated FW reported not compatible with the 2010/2011 FWs.

**Do NOT use this if you have any other model than a R7T40WBLF0
** <---This is a 2012 dated FW reported not compatible with the 2010/2011 FWs.

**I have been seeing some people having boot loops with this firmware - may be
more than one new firmware with this file name PDC1_20120214_B_PD_INX7E_ENG_6410POP
** <---This is a 2012 dated FW reported not compatible with the 2010/2011 FWs.

**PLEASE**
READ THE WIKI AND LEARN HOW TO IDENTIFY YOUR PDN BEFORE YOU FLASH THIS
**PLEASE**
BACKUP YOUR CURRENT FIRMWARE BEFORE YOU FLASH THIS TO REPAIR YOUR PDN

I have just bought from best buy two of these black Novels.

Model Number
R7T40WBLF0
Kernel Date
eric@ubutnu #1 thu Jan 5 15:52:10 2012
Flash Firmware
PDC1_20120214_B_PD_INX7E_ENG_6410POP

these seem to be a White one in Black covering
I re-flashed one with multiple SH20 3-1-2011 flashes and it worked flawlessly.
So I pulled the system from the other one with the newer firmware.

Any one that would be willing to work on this new kernel let me know how to post it here for you to work with.

I stuffed the files in a new flash zip that worked somewhat.

I have reached my wall as what to do next to make a true oem style flash.

I take no responsibility if you brick your Novel, Its On You!!

UPDATE: New Flash Zip 11/12/2012

http://www.mediafire...psbqp6swh24ybhq

This post has been edited by Zeppelinman_2000: 12 November 2012 - 06:22 PM

[Zero7]

Thank You!
Sounds interesting. There is some development happening at Pandigital . Can you share what version of Kernel is there?

[Zeppelinman_2000]

Well I kinda zorked the build.prop rooting them but the main kernel is

2.6.29
eric@ubuntu #1 Thur Jan 5 15:32:10 CST 2012

I don't know what changes were made but I will say the wifi works better than early SH20, but just may be me

If interested let me know how to get it to you.

[JLO]

I would be interested in trying it- and also the wifi modules in /system/lib/modules
Any way you could post it to mediafire and drop the link here? It would be much appreciated!
TIA

[JLO]

It's different. On the surface it gave me an all white boot splash screen and swapped mountings of the sdcards.
Comparing dmesg, these are the other differences.

<7>[    0.000000] free_area_init_node: node 0, pgdat c03f20c4, node_mem_map c04b8000
<7>[    0.000000] free_area_init_node: node 0, pgdat c05d30f4, node_mem_map c0699000

<5>[    0.211294] Memory: 201728KB available (3692K code, 949K data, 148K init)
<5>[    0.212707] Memory: 199808KB available (3732K code, 2825K data, 152K init)

<6>[    0.713762] msgmni has been set to 394
<6>[    0.655639] msgmni has been set to 391

<6>[    2.107464] OneNAND: generic_onenand_probe - (Virt) Base Address: 0xD0C00000
<6>[    2.013531] OneNAND: generic_onenand_probe - (Virt) Base Address: 0xD1200000

ls /dev is the same...

[Zero7]

JLO, did you see any change in performance? Is the Ext SDCard getting mounted as PDNovel now?

[JLO]

Zero7, on 14 September 2012 - 12:24 AM, said:

JLO, did you see any change in performance? Is the Ext SDCard getting mounted as PDNovel now?

Perhaps, it did seem a bit more responsive. I didn't make any real world benchmarks though. What I did notice was that the LCD backlight seemed brighter and more crisp. I didn't use the whole ROM- just the kernel, and I used it on the CM6.2 firmware. Because it's a SH10 firmware, I figured that was why the sdcard mountings were swapped. It's easy enough to go into vold.fstab and change that but I didn't bother. In fact I had already previously swapped them for myself (I like being able to run everything off the internal so I can remove the external for my digital camera). If anyone is curious on how to do that, this is what my vold.fstab looks like:

dev_mount sdcard /sdcard auto /block/mmcblk1 /class/mmc_host/mmc1
dev_mount sdcard1 /PD_Novel auto /block/mmcblk0 /class/mmc_host/mmc0

The wifi modules were the same. Off the record, but I compiled quite a few drivers for our wifi, and the only driver that gives the rtnet3070.ko and rtutil3070.ko modules are for a combination wifi and bluetooth card. This leads me to believe that if we replaced the internal mini wifi card with a combination card such as that is found in the Toshiba AC-100, that we could have bluetooth capabilities on our pandigital (if anyone wants to try it). That wouldn't work on my Intercept CM6.2 ROM because I took out the bluetooth stuff though.

[Zeppelinman_2000]

JLO I found that the second animated logo is in the framework-res.apk but I haven't figured out how to change it but if you put a bootanimation.zip in /data/local it will replace the pandigital one from framework it, didn't try it in /system/media but that may work also.

as for the sdcard change will it work without problems for this kernel sure would like all in the internal sd card?
I don't have a vold.fstab should I add it were to put it or should I change init.rc lines and swap
export EXTERNAL_STORAGE /sdcard
export EXTERNAL_STORAGE1 /PD_Novel


thanks for looking at it, have market working with it just the same setup problems date change needed.

This post has been edited by Zeppelinman_2000: 14 September 2012 - 06:09 PM

[Zero7]

Zeppelinman_2000, on 13 September 2012 - 07:52 PM, said:

Here is the zip should be rooted and default apps(I hope) used 3-2-2011 sh20 ,userdata, cache, logo, bootloader, ramdisk,
put kernel, system, clockworks recovery from new system.
it flashed fine for me but use AT YOUR OWN RISK

PDC1_20120214_B_PD_INX7E_ENG_6410POP
http://www.mediafire...2vxnxw7krmhk212


Hope some good comes from it with all the great people here!!

I was on SH20 original FW and flashed this, twice. This won't go beyond the blue PD screen and starts looping the initial blue screen. CW recovery was installed by this rom. Revrted to JLOs firmware.

JLO,
Could you please share your mod with this Kernel to test? TIA.

[mac1_131]

I found that sometimes putting in CWM recovery messes up the logo - that might be why you see the white screen. I made a CWM recovery flash that includes logo, so they both go in at the same time, and that fixed my white screen. You might try that, just take any logo out of any firmware, I don't think any of them are different.

As for snatching the kernel out of your unflashed unit (you should have got the recovery out of it too before you put CWM in) what I did is use dd or you can also use cat and pipe the output to a file. You have to find a rw part of the filesystem that will hold the kernel, which is usually a little over 2mb. But the flash partition it lives on is 8mb. So when you do the dump, you get 8mb.

I found some of the kernel backup tools that others said would back up your kernel did not work on the novel, so I had to do it manually.

First do a cat /proc/mtd to see what lives in which flash block. The kernel lives in mtd1.

The syntax is:

dd if=/dev/block/mtdblock1 of=/data/misc/mykernel
then adb pull /data/misc/mykernel and use a hex editor to look at it (I use HxD)
then rm /data/misc/mykernel (optional)

or
cat /dev/block/mtdblock1 > /data/misc/mykernel
then adb pull /data/misc/mykernel and use a hex editor to look at it (I use HxD)
then rm /data/misc/mykernel (optional)

Then you have to use a hex editor and try to figure out where the end of the kernel is, and delete all the junk after that, and you end up with just the kernel. Start looking around 2mb down with the hex editor and suddenly the data will change to a few 00's, then the rest will be FF's all the way to 8mb. This is the tricky part - deciding where the kernal actually ends. It's probably harmless to have a few extra bytes on it, but fatal to cut it too short and cut off some of the real code. I ended up with 12 bytes of 00's only because other kernels from older firmware versions always seemed to have that. Then I cut off the rest, saved the file, and it works!

I'm not sure what would happen if you just left the junk in there - in other words put the full 8k in your flash image and not worry about finding the end. It probably would still work because after all it's an image out of the device. But would waste time flashing so best to trim it to the actual size.

Some of the other flash partitions are harder to deal with, because they are gzip files with a fuse header on them, or they are yaffs2 images.

Recovery.img, and ramdisk.img are gzip files with fuse headers stuck on them. Others, like system.img, userdata.img, , cache.img and bootloader.img are yaffs2 images. I guess fuse figures this all out when flashing a unit.

What I did was remove the fuse header with a hex editor (you can spot the start of the gzip file by the bytes 1F 8B on the hex editor), then try to find the end of the file, which are some checksum bytes, and kept saving that and opening the result with 7-zip until it had a valid gzip file with valid start and end lengths. If the size is bogus then you don't have the end just right - try again. Once I knew where the gzip file really ended, then I want back to the original image with the fuse header in it, and took the crap off the end from where I found the file really ended, and saved that as an image, say ramdisk.img - with the fuse header present. Those will then flash properly with fuse. I also looked at other firmware versions with the hex editor to help me spot what the "end" looks like.

Hope that makes sense... some are just binary (like the kernel), some are gzips with fuse headers on them, and some are yaffs2 images.. I guess fuse figures out what is what when it flashes.

This is sort of complicated but it's how you reconstruct the complete firmware when all you have is a flashed device and Pandigital won't release the firware that is in your device. Makes no sense to me why they won't release it, as all it is going to do is cause them to get lots of returns for messed up devices that could be reset easily without causing a return.

[godlywil]

Have this same device and it is in a loop. Newbie have no idea what I am doing. Just want to repair it. Need help in restoring the unit please advise. Thanks

[bsuich]

Yeah....mine is in the same loop! This sucks!

[godlywil]

I have the pandigital novel black Model Number R7T40WBLF0. Tried to flash it got loops also. After trying to reset it, by pressing the power and up vol buttons, I now have the CWM_based Recovery v5.5.0.4 screen from slatedroid. I am very new to this environment, but with your help, I am sure I can get this working. There are 7 choices on this screen. I would truly appreciate it if I could get some assistance as to how to get things going. I have downloaded Android sdk manager (never used it before) and eclipse (likewise). I would definitely require step by step assistance. Thanks

[Zeppelinman_2000]

godlywil, on 31 October 2012 - 12:10 AM, said:

I have the pandigital novel black Model Number R7T40WBLF0. Tried to flash it got loops also. After trying to reset it, by pressing the power and up vol buttons, I now have the CWM_based Recovery v5.5.0.4 screen from slatedroid. I am very new to this environment, but with your help, I am sure I can get this working. There are 7 choices on this screen. I would truly appreciate it if I could get some assistance as to how to get things going. I have downloaded Android sdk manager (never used it before) and eclipse (likewise). I would definitely require step by step assistance. Thanks

I had the same thing happen when I first re-flashed from sh20 - try flashing it a second time.

if that doesn't work use the "wipe cache partition" and wipe data/factory reset" then re flash it again.

if that doesn't work pull the sd card out from inside and try rebooting once sometimes helps.

if that doesn't work pull the sd cards out and reformat them (search the wiki for this) then put them back in and reboot.

if you can't get to the CWM_based Recovery

pull battery lead then wait 30 seconds put it back then hold up vol then power for 10 seconds.

or I also got there by holding up vol, power and then pushed reset switch with paperclip.

This post has been edited by Zeppelinman_2000: 31 October 2012 - 01:51 PM

[panengineer]

godlywil, on 31 October 2012 - 12:10 AM, said:

I have the pandigital novel black Model Number R7T40WBLF0. Tried to flash it got loops also. After trying to reset it, by pressing the power and up vol buttons, I now have the CWM_based Recovery v5.5.0.4 screen from slatedroid. I am very new to this environment, but with your help, I am sure I can get this working. There are 7 choices on this screen. I would truly appreciate it if I could get some assistance as to how to get things going. I have downloaded Android sdk manager (never used it before) and eclipse (likewise). I would definitely require step by step assistance. Thanks

Read the CWM thread, it should give you some instructions on using CWM. Are you at the first choices of process or at the choices of which file to flash? The choices on files to flash depends on what zip files you have on your SD card and what you want to flash.

[bsuich]

I have tried all the steps above and still no luck. I can get into the CMW but not sure what to do after that. Tried to look up the thread mentioned above but, no luck with that either!

[Zeppelinman_2000]

bsuich, on 31 October 2012 - 04:05 PM, said:

I have tried all the steps above and still no luck. I can get into the CMW but not sure what to do after that. Tried to look up the thread mentioned above but, no luck with that either!

Here is a link to a tutorial
http://www.addictive...complete-guide/

make sure the flash zip is on your internal sdcard then in cwm install from zip on sdcard then select the
flash zip and re-flash it again and try to reboot.

[bsuich]

So I read the tutorial...followed all the steps and still.....stuck in a restart loop. I flashed, reflashed, formatted, reformated....copied the sd from my other new unit. After I install the update, it says sucessfull after it flashes...I reboot and still just a restart loop.

[Zeppelinman_2000]

bsuich, on 31 October 2012 - 08:28 PM, said:

So I read the tutorial...followed all the steps and still.....stuck in a restart loop. I flashed, reflashed, formatted, reformated....copied the sd from my other new unit. After I install the update, it says sucessfull after it flashes...I reboot and still just a restart loop.

Well without knowing what firmware version was on your novel before you flashed it's hard to say what to revert you to that firmware.

Really needed tor read the wiki first to make sure that you have the right type of novel even though you have this same model if it used the SL20 firmware you shouldn't have flashed this firmware, but lets try something, first how are you formatting the internal MicroSD card?

If you are just formatting from pluging in the novel by usb not gonna work you have to erase the 2 partitions on the internal MicroSD both the fat and the Linux style partition have to be wiped.

I never flash or change firmware with external sdcard installed, always make sure everything is working before putting the external card in and I make sure that it has been formatted and clean when ever I change firmwares.

Take the internal MicroSD card out and use windows xp or higher system then follow this to format the card.

An alternative if you don't have a digital camera for restoring the full size of the MicroSD card is the Windows diskpart utility:

1) Open command line and run diskpart
2) Type 'list disk' (Note the disk number that is the same size as your MicroSD)
3) Type 'select disk #' (replace # with number from above)
4) Type 'list partition'
5) You should see two partitions
6) Type 'select partition 1'
7) Type 'delete partition' (repeat 6 and 7 to delete the second partition)

Once both partitions are deleted, you probably need to create a new normal FAT partition. While still in diskpart, type 'create partition primary' and it will create a primary partition using the whole available space. You can format as you normally would or do it from diskpart by typing 'FORMAT FS=FAT QUICK'.


Then put the internal MicroSD card back in the novel and boot it and see if that fixes it.


If that doesn't work you can try {AT YOUR OWN RISK} downloading a sh20 2011 firmware flash then before you start it the first time with the new firmware reformat the internal MicroSD card like above then put it back in and restart.

{I have found that one of mine will not boot without the internal MicroSD card installed it boot loops, the other one will boot up without it it's strange but goes to show no two are alike.}

[bsuich]

F/W is PDC1_20120214_B_PD_INX7E_ENG_6410POP. I formatted the internal SD by pulling it out and puting it into my laptop. I did notice that the 4g sd only showed me that it was a 2 g on my screen so the other partion must be hidden/locked. I will try to wipe it tonight. Thanks for the info!