Linux install on olympus m:robe mr500i

EDIT+: If you voted damaged/errored in the poll above, pls try to post in with your problem...who knows - there may be a fix. Also, it might help others.
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(EDIT: For latest Other tips, they are listed at the bottom of this post. Will add to those with time)

Disclaimer: DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK.: Getting linux on your mr500 involves firmware flashing. DO NOT TAKE FIRMWARE FLASHING LIGHTLY. THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF DAMAGING YOUR MR500, ESPECIALLY IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY

Follow these tips at YOUR own risk
Dummies' Tips for Linux On the mr500.

IMPORTANT: For any kind of connecting of the mr500 to the PC, the mr500 MUST be in a powered cradle. Failure to do so...there's a very high chance you will damage your mr500.

1.0 Installing/running opie-linux on mr500

1.1- You need to have at the very least, 1 REMIX made or already made on your mrobe. Read the mr500 instruction manual at Olympus America if you don't know how to make a REMIX. Make the REMIX on the mrobe, once is enough. Or make the REMIX in mTrip and sync the mr500 once with mTrip. If you already have more than 1 Remix cubes in your mr500, that's fine. Just know that it is the first Remix you come to in your mrobe that we will be dealing with. In Mycomputer/mrobe drive, this is the one whose folder has the lowest number in your your REMIX folder.

1.2- You HAVE TO update your firmware to the exploited firmware if you haven't got it on already,....go here > viewtopic.php?p=27833#27833 for linux to work. AND, know that
you won't be able to do the REMIX function
with your photos and songs again. Some say you can never go back to the original firmware, hence no REMIX ever again….BUT, shirour, today via email, answered my query and said you can.
EDIT: It is possible, like shirour said to remove exploited firmware and go back to fWare 1.03 original. I've done it, and if ever you want to go back to original 1.03 mr500 firmware eg to enable Remixes again, my dummies' guide to doing it is up, go here > viewtopic.php?t=2796

1.3- Then Installing
[list=1]
[*]Download the linux folder here > http://www.esnips.com/web/mrobeOrg/ . Go through all pages ...it's called linux 1.1 or 1.2.
[*]Right click on the downloaded linux zip file, then, using winrar or enzip or 'compressed files' tool, extract/unzip it into the root of your m:robe (dummies....: If your mrobe is USB connected (always in cradle for the mr500....), then click 'My Computer', you will see your mrobe drive, well, the mrobe drive is = 'root' of your mrobe...) This should create a linux directory and replace User/Remix/R0000001/R0030001.svg and System/Template/T0000001/T0010001.svg. Unzip the linux download STRAIGHT INTO the mrobe drive. I actually don't know if unzipping straight into there OR, unzip on your PC and just copy the files over is any different BUT, do the unzipping straight into the drive. Towards the end of linux being unzipped into the mrobe drive, a message comes up asking whether you want to replace an existing file T0010001 with another incoming T0010001. Say yes. When all is done, you should now see in MyComputer-mrobe drive, a folder called 'linux'. Remove mrobe safely using 'remove hardware safely' icon, bottom right of PC screen.

1.4- To then get linux/opie running on the mrobe . Have the mr500 in the cradle (not absolute necessity, but may be necessary if your battery is low...linuxing uses up power...) Start up mrobe500, Click on the middle, REMIX logo on the start screen, linux-opie booting up-starting up taking 1-2 minutes. HOWEVER, MOST PEOPLE will get system error 003... or something, go to step 1.5 below. A successful boot up will take you through 3-4 steps which include the setting up of the touchscreen desktop (make sure you have a stylus or a toothpick handy so your screen calibration at the displayed crosshairs will be exact) and clock time in opie-linux.

1.5-[/color] System error 003 or 'cannot play/load this file'....... fix : And yes, if your mr500 errors something like sys error 003.... or CANNOT PLAY/load THIS FILE when you hit the REMIX function and remix file on the mr500 screen, first fix you should try is:

- that remix cube you were trying to start to access linux with,...have it sat there on your mRobe screen, go top right and SET, go bottom middle and click on the mini cube icon to SAVE the Remix. Now try if it works booting linux again by 'playing' that remix.

If it still doesn't work....it means you should go through MyComputer, look into the mr500 drive folders to fix it. This is quite normal for most people. Most probably, the exploited Remix folder containing an svg file that came in with the exploited firmware update is numbered differently to that original first Remix folder that you had. The incoming exploited remix folder is User/Remix/R0000001 Cure:. Get connected etc, go into your mRobe drive thru My Computer, copy the R0030001.svg about 3 kb in size from inside the User/Remix/R0000001 folder and paste it into the lower no. folder of the unexploited remix folder, here eg the R0000021
Next, in that same remix folder note down with pen/paper or remember the name of the other original svg file of about 57 kb, then delete that original 57 Kb svg file. Rename the remaining exploited R0030001.svg with the name of the original 57 kb svg file you just deleted. Next, also check that the folder System/Template/T0000001 has a T0010001.svg file that is also about 3 kb size. If so, you're done. A step-by-step example fix of this error was done successfully by cncrc here > viewtopic.php?p=28631#28631 . Then shut down, Remove hardware safely try boot up again by clicking that first remix. It takes about 2 minutes to boot up btw.

1.5.1 Installing other games and applications on linux-mrobe 500. go here > viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3433&hilit= YOUR RISK THO.

1.6- Exit from Linux-Opie: When you've finished linuxxing and you want to come out of linux, pressing the switch down does the trick for me. It takes a minute for Opie to end, at which point the usual mr500 home screen comes up. chansthename posted in to say another way of exiting linux is to use the remote, ie, do the heart+ mode+play reset method. It's a quicker exit. thks chan.

1.7 Linux freezes or mrobe won't switch on again after you try to shutdown linux : Connect the remote, do the heart+ mode+play reset method. If you don't have a remote, you may have to go in there and disconnect and reconnect one of the battery terminals to reset.

2.0 Uninstalling opie-linux

If for any reason you need to uninstall opie-linux...

2.1 Have mr500 in a powered cradle, USB connect, open My Computer, open mrobe drive, rt-click the linux folder and delete (info from RK).

3.0 Don't want linux anymore and want back the normal REMIX function

If you want to enjoy the photos + song REMIX function again, run a firmware update (carefully of course) back to an unexploited version (info from shirour). Don't think you need to actually uninstall linux to get the normal REMIX function back. See below, section 4.4

4.0 Other Tips

4.1 Readily available cheap stylus for mr500 touchscreen running opie-linux viewtopic.php?p=27864#27864

4.2 RK's vid of him showing the basics of using Drawpad application in opie-linux on the mr500 to sketch stuff (thnks RK..) http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid= ... 5259986749

4.3 If doing doodles/sketches using Drawpad, to make sure they're still there next time you power up linux on your mr500, make sure you use the 'x' in corner of Drawpad panel everytime to exit Drawpad. If in Drawpad you just click the power switch to exit, I think you'll lose your sketches.

4.4 You did linux. Fine. But now you want to go back to the original firmware to be able to do REMIX properly or whatever....Well, go here... viewtopic.php?t=2796

4.5 Can you have linux on the mr500 AND have hacked backgrounds? Yes, as long as your mr500 skins/backround hacks were done using exploited firmware.

4.6 Drawpad tip: Import photos from mrobe HD into drawpad and draw on it. Thanks Tim Baird... viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3439&p=32297#p32297

4.7 Possible games tip....arrow keys on linux keyboard to play Pacman etc ? viewtopic.php?p=33252#p33252

5.0 Linux-remix gives error 003 after each mTrip sync:. chansthename made an exe file that you run after each mTrip sync to fix the problem but unfortunately it does not work (yet) judging by the 1 feedback i've had so far on it here > viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2717&p=32803#p32803

Linux conking out after mTrip syncs: The fix that I do and does work.

This is a well-known downside and is actually the well-known error 003...like when you first install and try to boot linux on the mr500.

a. If linux is working well for you at any time - this is the time to get USB connected normally, without booting up linux, go MyComputer-mrobe drive. Rt click anywhere in open space and create New Folder, name it something like 'Storage'.
b. Next, get to MyComputer-mrobe drive-user-remix.
c. Rt click copy the R0030001.svg about 3 kb in size from inside the User/Remix/R0000001 folder or whichever has the 3 kb svg file and paste it into the created 'Storage' folder.
d. Every single time that you sync with mTrip, because the Remix files get redone according to mTrip, you will get the error 003...when trying to boot up linux bcos the exploited 3 kb svg file gets changed back to a 57 kb unexploited svg file....
e. What you do is therefore, after every mTrip sync, get to your 'Storage' folder, rt click copy that 3 kb svg and paste it into the Remix folder(s) that contains the 57kb svg. Rt click rename the 57kb svg by tagging 'x' or something on the end. Rt click rename the pasted in 3kb svg, to the pre-change name of the 57kb svg without the 'x'.
f. That should make linux work again now.
g. ALTERNATIVELY, a long term cure, and this depends on whether you want to or not. Don't sync with mTrip ever. Use syncdrop to sync songs and m:manager to sync photos. These alternative synccers I believe do not disturb the Remix folders because they don't have the Remix facility. Great advantages of syncdrop and m:manager tho are, they maintain real song names in the mr500 drive, and a huge plus for some, you can sync/add songs and photos from any PC without a different mTrip wanting to delete existing files.
h. For me, as My song nos have stabilized, and I use m:manager now to sync photos, I very rarely sync with mTrip. When I do however, yes I go thru the fix i detailed here.
i. If the fix doesn't work, also check that the folder System/Template/T0000001 has a T0010001.svg file that is also about 3 kb size. If it doesn't, let me know.
j. Also if it doesn't work, on the mrobe, when going into the remix function, try SetUp (top right) and 'save' the remix, before clicking it to boot up linux.

Good luck

jam