Introducing ubiboot N9 (multiboot OS loader)
 

Now the first version of ubiboot N9 environment is ready for release :D

See the (low quality) video on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGxnqUgm3WM

The downloads and documentation can be found from http://www.swagman.org:8008/juice/ubiboot/

WHAT IS UBIBOOT N9

- Configurable boot environment that can be used to launch different OS'ses / kernels for N9
- Integrated repair/maintanance mode

With ubiboot you need not ever flash a kernel again, you can use similar procedures to maintain your kernels an on regular desktops, just copy kernel&mudules to device and edit boot list.

With ubiboot it is easy to change OS'es on the fly, you can boot your device to Harmattan/Nemo/Nitdroid without any extra equipment, and select what kernel you want to use with the OS.

Thanks (in alphabetical order) go to at least the following people;
Hurrian, Jonni, Peterleinchen, Sledges, Stskeeps and propably others :)

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Note about Open Mode

To use Ubiboot, your device needs to be running in Open Mode. What this means, is that some of the Aegis security framework functionality is suppressed even as you cannot ever turn Aegis off completely in a Harmattan device. For this reason it matters greatly how you enter Open Mode.

This following note is relevant not for only ubiboot but also to all the cases where a device is being run in Open Mode, regardless of the kernel and boot mode to do so.

To correctly flash the device for Open Mode, you need to ensure that the Aegis keys and credentials on the device are created with Open Mode keys, not with the default Closed Mode keys.

The Aegis key generation happens the first time a device boots after a clean flash, before user is presented with the UI of the device. Hence, it is important to make sure that the device boots up in Open Mode the first time after flashing. The way to accomplish this is what I call back-to-back flashing.

Back-to-back flashing is performed by first flashing the device like in "normal closed mode flashing", both emmc and rootfs. Then, immediately flashing the device again, now with an Open Mode kernel, without letting the device to boot up between the two flashing rounds.

If you perform this correctly, the device will start up in Open Mode so that aegis keys are created correctly. This will help you avoid all odd problems caused by running device with incorrect credentials (password problems, strange hangups and boots, general slowing and lagging of device...)

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Changed the link to point to non-filtered site URL

The administrator of swagman.org has opened an unfiltered port for access.

Re: Introducing ubiboot N9 (multiboot OS loader)
 

23.03.2018
Released ubiboot-02 (integrated) version, rev. 0.3.9

New features:

N/A

Bug fixes:

Fix login to device in repair mode

General enhancements:

N/A

Work in progress:

N/A

Get it fresh from HERE
See the README file
See the Changelog file

Installation notes:
This version uses internal interface version 5 which was introduced in version 0.3.8. If you have 0.3.8 it is enough to just flash the kernel. If you are updating from older version you need to update the kernel, config file and cpio to be of the new version.

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06.03.2018
Released ubiboot-02 (integrated) version, rev. 0.3.8

New features:

Additional parameters to kexec in ubiboot.conf
Replace Ubuntu iconn with Maemo-Leste icon

Bug fixes:

Fix error message in kernel loading failure

General enhancements:

N/A

Work in progress:

N/A

Get it fresh from HERE
See the README file

Installation notes:
This version pushes the internal interface to version 5, which means it requires that the kernel, config file and cpio need all be of the new version.

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24.03.2014
As some people have been unable to reach the ubiboot home page due to tight abuse filtering of our administration, I have requested opening of a non-blocked port for the site.

(For example, most of mainland China addresses are blocked by our sysadmin...)

Now, all locations on the world should be able to use http://www.swagman.org:8008/juice/ubiboot/

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09.01.2014
Did some re-organizing of the ubiboot repositories on Swagman and Skeiron.

• moved old stuff under "historical"
• updated the tiny-kernel version to frozen one

ADDITION: There's also a new beautiful ubiboot theme made by @FotixChiang called "Arctic"

• The icons are better drawn than in my version :D
• The menu screen has white background
• It is compatible with ubiboot 0.3.5 and 0.3.6
• Get it from swagman.org or from skeiron repositories

This is English localization but there is also a Chinese version available :)

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04.01.2014
Released ubiboot-02 (integrated) version, rev. 0.3.6. minimal

New features:

Not really, just a stripped-down version to fit into 8M kernel partition

Bug fixes:

N/A

General enhancements:

N/A

Work in progress:

N/A

Get it fresh from HERE
See the README file

Installation notes:
This version is compatible with 0.3.5, but not older versions.

The files are also uploaded at Skeiron, for your convenience: http://juiceme.cloud-7.de/ubiboot/ub...2-small_060114

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30.10.2013
Released ubiboot-02 (integrated) version, rev. 0.3.5.

New features:

• Support for SSHD & SFTPD in the maintanance mode
• Better chekcking for error conditions
• Strict version checks
• Better logging
• New kernel layout support larger initramfs
• New version of ubiboot.conf

Bug fixes:

• Fixed typos in template ubiboot.conf.

General enhancements:

• Rewrote the README document from scratch
• Handling of RSA certificates
• Added clearer GPLv2 licensing
• Reorganized the svn repository
• Changes in the kernel build environment

Work in progress:

• Ported wpa_supplicant for WLAN configuration
• Lot of work towards WLAN initialization, yet incomplete.

Get it fresh from HERE
See the README file
See the Changelog

Installation notes:
Again, just as last time, this version is not compatible with any files from the previous versions. Hence you need to review your current ubiboot.conf and put your kernel configuration into the new ubiboot.conf file.

The files are also uploaded at Skeiron, for your convenience:
ubiboot-02_0.3.5_301013.tar

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03.10.2013
Released ubiboot-02 (integrated) version, rev. 0.3.4.

New features:

• Support for 6 different OS'es in the menu
• New tools menu
• Configurable IP addressing for DHCP & device address
• Support for EXFAT partitions
• Automatic numbering and mounting of partitions
• More versatile configuration, new options
• Automatic searching for configuration files across all filesystems
• New kernel command line options; it's possible to append/replace items on the command line
• Configurable log file locations

Bug fixes:

• Fixed the typo causing ubifs mount problem on /mnt/u5.
• Fixed typo that attempted kexec() even when kernel path was incorrect.
• Removed partitions 8 and 9 from the partition list.

General enhancements:

• Rewriting the animation toolkit.
• Removing surplus modules from config
• Strict versioning compability checks for config/cpio/kernel
• More logging for success/failure operations

Work in progress:

• Nearly complete sshd & sftpd for maintanance mode
• Started implementing WLAN support for maintanance mode

Get it fresh from HERE
See the README file
See the Changelog

Installation notes:
This version is not compatible with any files from the previous versions. Hence you need to review your current ubiboot.conf and put your kernel configuration into the new ubiboot.conf file.

The files are also uploaded at Skeiron, for your convenience:
ubiboot-02_0.3.4_081013.tar

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04.06.2013
Released ubiboot-02 (integrated) version, rev. 0.3.3.

• Fixed problems booting Harmattan on HW revision 1603 devices.

Get it fresh from HERE
See the README file
See the Changelog

If you have installed/downloaded the previous release 0.3.2, you need only update the new kernel to your device as the configuration file and cpio are compatible with previous release.
You can find the correct kernel image here

The files are also uploaded at Skeiron, for your convenience:
ubiboot-02_040613.tar
zImage_2.6.32.54-ubiboot-02_040613

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31.05.2013
Released ubiboot-02 (integrated) version, rev. 0.3.2.

• Configurable boot partitions by peterleinchen.
• Fixed module dependencies for extra module loaded off cpio archive.
• Serial console logging for 1st stage boot.
• New BME initialization.
• Watchdog kicker by Jonni.

Get it fresh from HERE
See the README file
See the Changelog

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19.04.2013
Mirrored the ubiboot repository on swagman.org to skeiron.org.
It might be that for some people access to skeiron is faster.
The mirror url is http://juiceme.cloud-7.de/ubiboot/

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05.04.2013
Released ubiboot-02 (integrated) version, rev. 0.3.1.
Bug correction to race condition caused by umounting mmcblk0p2 partition during menu selection.
See the README file

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04.04.2013
Released ubiboot-02 (integrated) version, rev. 0.3.0.
Totally rebuilt version with easier installation and all sorts of niceties.
See changes of installation the README file

Support on IRC at #ubiboot

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18.03.2013
Updated ubiboot to use alternate installation FS. Now it is possible to use either mtd4 or mtd5 partition.
See changes of installation the README file

wow, you released it, nice! will try it soon :)
thank you

Re: Introducing ubiboot N9 (multiboot OS loader)
 

Wow, it's finally done! Time to start playing with this.

EDIT: Got it to work, it was a pretty smooth installation. Cheers, juiceme!

Re: Introducing ubiboot N9 (multiboot OS loader)
 

Juiceme! I don't know who you are or what you want, but I am here and I'll give you a thanks :D

Anyway, great job! I will start playing around with it :)

Re: Introducing ubiboot N9 (multiboot OS loader)
 

wow great job! :)

Re: Introducing ubiboot N9 (multiboot OS loader)
 

Thank you very much! Now all that's missing is an image of Sailfish OS and then dual boot!! :D

Re: Introducing ubiboot N9 (multiboot OS loader)
 

Ubuntu & FF OS are welcome as well :p lol

Thanks for the great job :D I hate Android so i wont try it now, waiting for another worthy OS

Re: Introducing ubiboot N9 (multiboot OS loader)
 

well, I have not decided yet what to port to it next, time will tell :D
btw, even as you say you hate android, ubuntu phone OS currently runs only on top of android...

Re: Introducing ubiboot N9 (multiboot OS loader)
 

Props for Hurrian on being the first to install ubiboot and report back to me :D
It's good to know I did not leave out anything important from the install instructions.