Make 770 Self-Reliant: Flash OS from 770
 

(Bug entered as Enhancement at https://maemo.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=651 )

(This idea came from an unknown party at http://maemo.org/maemowiki/ImprovementIdeas about 45 days ago, and I also added some thoughts on the matter as well. The first paragraph below is his idea (with some slight changes to make it more positive), the 2nd paragraph is my spin on it. (I say this just so as everyone knows I am not taking credit for the idea on this one... but only for submitting the combined thought for this idea to Bugzilla, because the author himself stated he didn't know where to post his ideas other than at the maemo improvement ideas area)....... It truly is a great idea, and deserves to be seen, I wish I HAD thought of it. Heh. :D :D :D

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Please consider making system software updates available directly from the 770 (via rs-mmc?), not through a Windows/Linux/Mac/whatever PC. If people outside of the computing world can update easily (really, really easily - think 1-button), the 770 has even MORE potential to sell big. Think: self reliance! Having a 770 that can update itself without a computer would be slick, genius, and create even more demand because you wouldn't NEED a computer to keep the thing current! Using a real package system for the device software and not just user installs would be a good direction to go here. A lot of linux distributions already have "one click" dist-upgrades.

We 770 owners should have a way to flash our 770's OS without the use of a PC or Mac. Reliance on another computer is foolish. We could download the new update to our RS-MMC cards, shut down; then boot up (holding the Home key) and instead of having the USB connection do the work through a PC/Mac, the 770 would have a built-in flasher utility program loads instead that says "Choose Binary File..." which then loads up our RS-MMC card where when we select the file. Once selected, it flashes the OS from our own MMC cards! Why can't something like this work? It could be added in the 2006 update and FREE US from dependancy on other computers.

I myself don't have a computer, the 770 is my computer, it does almost everything I need so why should I have to buy a computer just to flash my 770? How crazy is that! And, to have to hunt down a friend and borrow his computer to update my 770 is embarressing, wastes time, and it means that I can't upgrade without someone else's input in the matter. :cool:

Make the 770 self reliant, will you please Nokia? ;)

So how do you print stuff?

Printing stuff....
 

Re: So how do you print stuff? :rolleyes:

I have an idea in the works for THAT already, heh.... :D but no, for now, I don't print stuff. It sucks. :mad: I included the idea in that contest, but didn't post it here. So after I post it, I'll come back and give you the link to that post.

Later.

EDIT: Here's the link I promised .... http://www.internettablettalk.com/fo...ead.php?t=2289

Ah. As a hack, it's not a bad one, but I'd still like lp or cups in my 770. But then again, It's easy for me to say that: I already have a PostScript LaserJet and a Bluetooth-to-parallel adapter.

Right now I "print" by emailing Abiword documents to myself and it would indeed be nice to be able to do without the desktop; It tends to stretch my pocket...

Forgot: emailing to a Google mail account is almost as universal as faxing to yourself. The only thing needed extra (if your desktop really doesn't fit in you pants pocket) is a USB stick with a run-in-place version of Abiword on it. Here's the link for that:

http://portableapps.com/apps/office/...rtable_abiword

So now I can print (at least Abiword stuff) on any computer that runs Windows (anyone knows if there's a Linux version of Portable Abiword?), has Internet access, a USB slot and a printer attached.

Hmm, come to think of it, that's still a lot of "ifs"...

Of course it can work - my iRiver H320 mp3 jukebox does exactly that. You don't need any special boot gimmick, either : there is a menu item called "upgrade firmware" :-)
You just copy the .BIN file you downloaded from iRiver to the root of the disk drive, activate that menu and sit back until it reboots with the new firmware. You can't make it any simpler.
The Sharp Zaurus, OTOH, is a very different case. It does flash itself from files on its SD or CF card, but its makers have managed to make *that* process so complicated and error-prone that flashing the 770 is actually simpler :-)

Thanks!
 

Ahhh, yes, Karel you are a genius! I love that idea... I have a USB stick already, I didn't know you could do this. But... can we save Abiword documents from the 770 directly on the USB stick? If so, I have a new way to print stuff now. Thanks!

If you have a powered USB hub (there is a thread somewhere on how to make your own powered hub) and sufficiently enabled your 770 (it's not in host mode by default: Nokia must really think all their users are mentally ******ed), I don't see why not.

Of course, you still need that desktop. Too bad the 770's Abiword can't save in Psion Word format: I have an old Psion 5MX lying around; if I could find a Compact Flash to MMC adapter that didn't have bits sticking out (the 5MX has a card "door" which needs to be closed), I could superglue that to my equally ancient DeskJet 350 and the printing problem would be all but solved.

If Abiword on the 770 had more file formats...

And if I could find that adapter...

The ability to flash the 770 from the memory card would be very sweet indeed.

Does the 770 recognize the MMC slot before it loads the OS? I bet not, that's why nokia hadn't thought of that. Unless it was designed like that from the beginning it might not be possible? I don't know...I'm just guessing here. I mean I got a Phillips TV myself that can update firmware from SD card but I don't know about the nokia 770 though.