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Re-imaging the BlackDog on a Linux Host

This section provides detailed instructions for restoring your BlackDog Kernel and File System on a Linux Host.

Warning: Performing these steps erases all data on the BlackDog device. Save backup copies of any data/applications you want to keep on another machine.

Perform the following steps, if you need to copy or restore the BlackDog kernel and file system:

  1. Download the mpscon_version.tgz tarball from:

    http://download.projectblackdog.com/releases/latest/

  2. Download the BlackDogImages_version.tgz tarball from:

    http://download.projectblackdog.com/releases/latest/

  3. Extract the tar files into the same directory. For example:

    tar -zxvf BlackDogImages_version.tgz

    tar -zxvf mpscon_version.tgz

  4. Do one of the following to launch the BlackDog into the bootloader (depending on whether your operating system is still functional):

    If your operating system is still functional:

    1. Open a shell on the device.
    2. Type:

      echo 2 > /proc/sys/realm/bootmagic

    3. Type:

      reboot

    4. The led will flash purple, indicating the device is launched into the bootloader.

    5. If your operating system is not functional:

    1. Unplug the device from any power source.
    2. Make sure the device is completely shutdown (the led is off). Depending on the state of the device, you may have to wait for the battery to drain. This could take some time.
    3. Plug in the device and wait for the led to flash green and then yellow. As soon as the led flashes yellow unplug it, wait for the led to go off, and then reinsert the device.
    4. Repeat step b until the led flashes purple and then leave the device plugged in. The flashing purple led indicates that the device is launched into the bootloader.
    5. If you time the plug/unplug perfectly, you will need to launch into the bootloader on the fifth plug in. However, the timing is a bit tricky and you may need to plug/unplug the device several more times.

  5. On the host computer, open a shell and navigate to the directory where you extracted mpscon, and the file system and kernel images.
  6. As a root user, execute the mpscon utility, by typing:

    ./mpscon

    mpscon displays the following prompt:

    goKey>

  7. From the goKey prompt, erase the existing kernel image and file system. Type:

    goKey>erase 1

  8. From the goKey prompt, enter the following to load the kernel image:

    goKey>load 1 path_to_image/zImage-blackdog-primary.elf

    mpscon displays messages similar to the following:

    Uploading zImage-blackdog-primary.elf to key with options "load 1"...

    Waiting for far end...done

    Block 83 acked.

    Received final ACK, transfer completed with 0 resends.

    zImage-blackdog-primary.elf uploaded successfully @ 1414.650 kB/s Success

  9. From the goKey prompt, enter the following to load the file system image:

    goKey>load -n 32 path_to_image/blackdog-primary.jffs2

    mpscon displays messages similar to the following:

    Uploading blackdog-primary.jffs2 to key with options "load -n 32"...

    Waiting for far end...done

    Block 8287 acked.

    Received final ACK, transfer completed with 0 resends.

    blackdog-primary.jffs2 uploaded successfully @ 1437.963 kB/s Success

  10. Exit the goKey program:

    goKey>exit

  11. Unplug the device.
  12. Reinsert the device.
  13. The first boot takes several minutes. Open a shell on the device and confirm that the image was restored correctly.

 

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