[W-I-P][DEVELOPMENT] Dual / Multi Boot Project: Devs Only - XPERIA X10 Android Development

{ LONG POST WARNING }
{ NOT FULLY WORKING YET}
{ NEEDS A LOT OF FURTHER DEVELOPMENT }
Hey everyone I had thought of making this Dual Booting system work along side recovery… because initially (with FreeX10-alpha) it was not possible to have both recovery & dual boot...
Thank you zdzihu & jerpelea for your great work on FreeX10-alpha, which booted off SDCARD… I got inspiration to try and make this work for FreeX10-beta4 based on the amazing work that u guys did! Thank you jerpelea for all your feedback on my repeated messages when I was testing this a few months back (hope I didn’t bother u too much with questions )...
zdzihu & jerpelea u are truly LEGENDS!!!
[This is just my personal opinion] Really hoping that some devs can take interest in this to provide compatible files (ramdisks, system files) for this to work… may be as an add-on to their main roms… please don’t keep bothering devs to create ramdisks for booting off SDCARD… they are already very busy trying to make our X10 better with faster and stable ROMS/MODS/etc… this is just an additional feature…
The basic idea was to use the chargemon booting scripts provided in FreeX10-alpha and to try and make FreeX10-beta4 to boot off SDCARD…
Initially I used the img files which came with FreeX10-alpha and wiped the image to then put FreeX10-beta4 on it… while doing so I realized that all of the symbolic links were not getting copied correctly (obviously)… so I started from scratch with blank ext2fs images…
Later I thought of using clean/base nandroid/recovery backups as they are already working/preconfigured system of FreeX10-beta4…
Following is a small How-To on converting NANDROID/RECOVERY images (with yaffs fs) to ext2 fs images keeping the symlinks intact!!
I have used Ubuntu for these steps.
I have attached blank_files.7z which contains precompiled ext2fs images:
system.img [size: 256 MB]
data.img [size: 512 MB]
cache.img [size: 128 MB]
To resize or create newer ext2fs images:
[APP] Windows: Create Your Own Data.img Maker Application, +/- From Existing data.img
U can use the commands provided there even in linux to create/resize these images...
We will keep the NANDROID images at:
Code:
/home/user/nandroid_imgs/test1/
and EXT2 FS images at:
Code:
/home/user/ext2fs_imgs/test1/
while temporary mounts points will be made at:
Code:
/home/user/mntpts/
We will be using unyaffs from here:
[How-To] Extracting/Accessing Recovery/Nandroid backup (.img) files
Extracting files from the nandroid/recovery backups:
Code:
cd /home/user/nandroid_imgs/test1
mv system.img /home/user/nandroid_imgs/test1/system/
cd /home/user/nandroid_imgs/test1/system/
sudo unyaffs system.img
mv system.img ../.
mv data.img /home/user/nandroid_imgs/test1/data/.
cd /home/user/nandroid_imgs/test1/data/
sudo unyaffs data.img
mv data.img ../.
mv cache.img /home/user/nandroid_imgs/test1/cache/
cd /home/user/nandroid_imgs/test1/cache/
sudo unyaffs cache.img
mv cache.img ../.
Loop mounting ext2 fs files:
Code:
sudo mount -t ext2 -o loop,rw,noatime,nodiratime /home/user/ext2fs_imgs/test1/system.img /home/user/mntpts/system/
sudo mount -t ext2 -o loop,rw,noatime,nodiratime,nosuid,nodev /home/user/ext2fs_imgs/test1/data.img /home/user/mntpts/data/
sudo mount -t ext2 -o loop,rw,noatime,nodiratime,nosuid,nodev /home/user/ext2fs_imgs/test1/cache.img /home/user/mntpts/cache/
Recursively copy all files (preserving symlinks) from extracted yaffs images to mount points
Code:
sudo cp -r -p /home/user/nandroid_imgs/test1/system/* /home/user/mntpts/system/.
sudo cp -r -p /home/user/nandroid_imgs/test1/data/* /home/user/mntpts/data/.
sudo cp -r -p /home/user/nandroid_imgs/test1/cache/* /home/user/mntpts/cache/.
Unmount the mounts:
Code:
sudo umount /home/user/mntpts/system/
sudo umount /home/user/mntpts/data/
sudo umount /home/user/mntpts/cache/
Ok now that the ext2fs iamges are populated with working files copy them onto SDCARD…
I have placed it at:
Code:
/sdcard/FreeX10
lets move on to the chargemon script...
This is, as of now, based off xRecovery chargemon (modified from FreeX10-alpha)
Code:
#!/system/bin/busybox sh
# modified chargemon for recovery + dual boot from NAND/SDCARD
/system/bin/charger
cat /dev/input/event2 > /dev/keycheck&
sleep 3
kill -9 $!
# intact recovery
if [ -s /dev/keycheck ]
then
# remount rootfs rw
mount -o remount,rw rootfs /
# Umount MTDs
umount -l /data
umount -l /cache
# Extract recovery
cd /
rm -r /sbin
rm -f etc
tar -xf /system/bin/xrecovery.tar
# Umount system
umount -l /system
chroot / /init
fi
echo "check if reboot into SDCARD OS was called"
if [ -e /data/local/tmp/rebootsdcardos ]
then
echo "Booting from SDCARD!"
# FreeX10-alpha code follows with slight modifications!!!
# remount rootfs rw
mount -o remount,rw rootfs /
busybox chmod 0777 /dev -R
busybox chown 0.2000 /dev/oncrpc -R
rm -r /sdcard
cd /
mkdir sd
chmod 777 sd
rm init*
rm logo.rle
rm default.prop
tar -xf /system/bin/sdcardos_ramdisk.tar
# Umount system,data,cache
umount -l /system
umount -l /data
umount -l /cache
# Check and mount SD Card
dosfsck -y /dev/block/mmcblk0p1
sleep 5
mount -t vfat -o rw,noatime,nodiratime /dev/block/mmcblk0p1 /sd
sleep 5
# Mount system and data ext2 images
losetup /dev/block/loop1 /sd/FreeX10/system.img
sleep 5
losetup /dev/block/loop2 /sd/FreeX10/data.img
sleep 5
losetup /dev/block/loop3 /sd/FreeX10/cache.img
sleep 5
e2fsck -y /dev/block/loop1
e2fsck -y /dev/block/loop2
e2fsck -y /dev/block/loop3
mount -t ext2 -o rw,noatime,nodiratime /dev/block/loop1 /system
sleep 5
mount -t ext2 -o rw,noatime,nodiratime,nosuid,nodev /dev/block/loop2 /data
sleep 5
mount -t ext2 -o rw,noatime,nodiratime,nosuid,nodev /dev/block/loop3 /cache
sleep 5
# zdzihu: hack-fix
if [ -e /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/telephony.db ]; then
/system/bin/chroot / /init
exit
fi
# Chroot :)
chroot / /init
# jump out of chargemon to skip NAND booting
exit
fi
echo "Booting from NAND!"
# remount rw
mount -o remount,rw rootfs /
cd /
rm -r /sdcard
rm init*
rm logo.rle
rm default.prop
tar -xf /system/bin/ramdisk.tar
# zdzihu: hack-fix
if [ -e /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/telephony.db ]; then
/system/bin/chroot / /init
exit
fi
chroot / /init
Recovery is intact so u can get into recovery the normal way… (press/tap back key after seeing SE text logo)
OS on NAND (normal system on MTD) will boot by default…
To reboot into OS on SDCARD issue the following commands in terminal emulator/adb shell:
Code:
touch /data/local/tmp/rebootsdcardos
reboot
NOW the OS should start booting off the SDCARD…
It completes commands in chargemon and then BootAnimation can be seen…
BUT HERE IS THE PROBLEM!
Check LOGCAT here: http://www.mediafire.com/?phxm3uqzp0dzzhb
here is wht J had to say:
jerpelea said:
as you can see in logcat
1.your prelink is not ok
2.you don't have something ok in initrd
3.you dont have all permisions ok on data
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From my limited understanding we yet have to make a proper ramdisk (sdcardos_ramdisk.tar)… I feel the init.rc file has to be changed especially the following line (based off FreeX10-beta4 ramdisk):
Code:
mount yaffs2 [email protected] /system rw remount
mount yaffs2 [email protected] /data nosuid nodev
mount yaffs2 [email protected] /cache nosuid nodev
As for Multi-Booting:
We can keep adding different sections to chargmeon:
Code:
/data/local/tmp/rebootsdcardos1
/data/local/tmp/rebootsdcardos2
etc…
OR
possible solution for having both recovery and dual boot
and similarly keep adding ramdisks in NAND /system:
Code:
sdcardos1_ramdisk.tar
sdcardos2_ramdisk.tar
etc
So we can have as many OS/ROMs on SDCARD as u have free space… though we need to make specific ramdisks for each…
Hope this was slightly useful… and waiting for feedback from advance users on how we can get this working....

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Lol, you're working very hard Doom! Keep going!

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Doom! You are making enormous progress and helping a lot with Other Devs.
A Combination of a good rom and one of these additional Dual Boot would make x10 better than any Android mobile SE could deliver.
Thank you and I really pray to give SE a run for their money!

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for someone thats always saying hes not a developer you sure as hell seem to know what your doing!
Keep up the great work, i hope to see this working flawlessly that would be awesome to be able to dual boot.
Whats the next steps in the project?

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BULL3TPR00F said:
for someone thats always saying hes not a developer you sure as hell seem to know what your doing!
Keep up the great work, i hope to see this working flawlessly that would be awesome to be able to dual boot.
Whats the next steps in the project?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well i am not exactly a ROM developer and dont know much about how to compile libs/sources/etc...
next step is that we need to make compatible system files & ramdisk (init.rc) for dual booting

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DooMLoRD said:
well i am not exactly a ROM developer and dont know much about how to compile libs/sources/etc...
next step is that we need to make compatible system files & ramdisk (init.rc) for dual booting
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may not be a rom developer but your an amazing commited x10 modder
Sent from my X10i TripNMiUI using XDA App

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DooMLoRD said:
well i am not exactly a ROM developer and dont know much about how to compile libs/sources/etc...
next step is that we need to make compatible system files & ramdisk (init.rc) for dual booting
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am also excited buddy..... Once i get through my experiments i will surely like to focus on this as this will allow us to have more then one version of ROM on one machine.

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Based on your first post
all i can get is we are getting the boot animation but not going after that.
i would suggest following things based on my experiments with ubuntu work.
use loops above 10 coz i suspect some loops are already in use during my ubuntu boot i am watching that loop7 is already created so i would suggest avoiding it.
also as we have been adding debug "we have reached here" style code can we do the same here that might help us.
also can we find any debug-able place i mean place where we can track the progress to get the position inside the rom so that we can understand except logcat where we are.

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any progress or hurdles buddy.....
i am eager to test this .....

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anantshri said:
any progress or hurdles buddy.....
i am eager to test this .....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry man havent had time to do any further testing for this... have been very busy with some personal work and kernel manager scripts...

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DooMLoRD said:
sorry man havent had time to do any further testing for this... have been very busy with some personal work and kernel manager scripts...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep up the good Work Doom. ! and thx for your work

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Sorry if its no help but there's a thread in the x10 mini pro section
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1084555
Sent from my SEX10 using XDA App

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These are great news, keep on developing!
sent from my x10i with wolfbreaks CM 6.1.3 v006 undervolted, bb67

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rtblittlebrown said:
Sorry if its no help but there's a thread in the x10 mini pro section
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1084555
Sent from my SEX10 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they have posted exactly the same thing!
read my 1st post in this thread and then read the first few posts there

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Ohk so since we now have one more option in Xrecovery i am back to my old suggestion.
however this time i will post my thought out in open so that if someone has required skills and time then they can work on .
I have an idea of using xrecovery as a boot menu.
process would be
1) Xrecovery to start everytime. (this needs some consideration.)
2) To have a timeout value if any key pressed before that then remain in menu otherwise boot to the os.
3) inside menu we should have options of all O.S. / ROM (os coz my intention are to run linux off dualboot) available with selection options.
4) ON selection it will just be the same procedure as already using in xrecovery 1.0 to handover the command to a script. and let it load.
5) boot menu if possible could be controlled by an outside file which we can edit just like grub.conf in linux.
Note : This will requires good understanding of booting process of X10i and c skills as xrecovery is written in complete c.

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anantshri said:
Ohk so since we now have one more option in Xrecovery i am back to my old suggestion.
however this time i will post my thought out in open so that if someone has required skills and time then they can work on .
I have an idea of using xrecovery as a boot menu.
process would be
1) Xrecovery to start everytime. (this needs some consideration.)
2) To have a timeout value if any key pressed before that then remain in menu otherwise boot to the os.
3) inside menu we should have options of all O.S. / ROM (os coz my intention are to run linux off dualboot) available with selection options.
4) ON selection it will just be the same procedure as already using in xrecovery 1.0 to handover the command to a script. and let it load.
5) boot menu if possible could be controlled by an outside file which we can edit just like grub.conf in linux.
Note : This will requires good understanding of booting process of X10i and c skills as xrecovery is written in complete c.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
point no.1 is easy... not an issue..
abt point 2 i think that too would be possible... a while loop with sleep function & wait for input/keppress
pt3 the newer xrecovery v1.0.0 already has something similar may be we can look into it to add "Boot NAND system" as first option
point no. 5 if possible WILL BE BRILLIANT!!!
@anantshri
dude may be these guys can help us:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=14354231&postcount=49

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DooMLoRD said:
they have posted exactly the same thing!
read my 1st post in this thread and then read the first few posts there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oops sorry..
Sent from my SEX10 using XDA App

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rtblittlebrown said:
Oops sorry..
Sent from my SEX10 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no dude thanks for the info... i have already contacted those guys for help... lets see may be they can help us out to get this working!!!

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dual boot hint by Z
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1107111
something related