How to edit prebuilt Android images - Revision history

LubOlimex at 12:10, 23 December 2015

2015-12-23T12:10:56Z

LubOlimex: /* The algorithm to edit the Android image for microSD card */

2015-02-11T10:01:00Z

‎The algorithm to edit the Android image for microSD card

LubOlimex: /* The algorithm to edit the Android image for microSD card */

2015-02-11T09:59:38Z

‎The algorithm to edit the Android image for microSD card

LubOlimex: /* The algorithm to edit the Android image for microSD card */

2015-02-11T09:35:46Z

‎The algorithm to edit the Android image for microSD card

LubOlimex: /* The algorithm to edit the Android image for microSD card */

2015-02-11T09:05:43Z

‎The algorithm to edit the Android image for microSD card

LubOlimex: /* The algorithm to edit the Android image for microSD card */

2015-02-11T08:21:54Z

‎The algorithm to edit the Android image for microSD card

LubOlimex: /* The algorithm to edit the Android image for microSD card: */

2015-02-11T08:20:38Z

‎The algorithm to edit the Android image for microSD card:

LubOlimex: /* The algorithm to edit the Android image for the NAND memory: */

2015-02-11T08:20:10Z

‎The algorithm to edit the Android image for the NAND memory:

LubOlimex: /* The algorithm to edit the Android image for microSD card: */

2015-02-11T06:47:24Z

‎The algorithm to edit the Android image for microSD card:

LubOlimex: /* The algorithm to edit the Android image for the NAND memory: */

2015-02-10T14:59:05Z

‎The algorithm to edit the Android image for the NAND memory:

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:10, 23 December 2015
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	<b> Note that the method for editing Android image suitable for NAND memory is completely different compared to the method for editing Android image suitable for microSD card.</b>		<b> Note that the method for editing Android image suitable for NAND memory is completely different compared to the method for editing Android image suitable for microSD card.</b>
		+
		+	The sources for the Android images can be found in this repository (if decide to rebuild the images from scratch): [https://github.com/hehopmajieh/olinuxino_configs https://github.com/hehopmajieh/olinuxino_configs]

	===The algorithm to edit the Android image for the NAND memory===		===The algorithm to edit the Android image for the NAND memory===

@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 *1. Identify what type of Android image for microSD card you have downloaded
 **There are two types of Android images for microSD card that we usually provide and each of them can be edited in a different way. The image provided for microSD card is either the native Android image that can be edited with a tool like the DragonFace mentioned above or an image taken from an already prepared microSD card which can't be loaded in DragonFace.
 **'''Why did you make two types of images microSD card images with Android?''' The original image was a bit hard to load to a microSD card and you had to use PhoenixSuit - a not-so-consistent program. Something more - it had no Linux alternative. The images that were a copy of a prepared microSD card are easier to deploy and use - just write the image to the microSD card.
 **'''But how to tell which image is which?''' It's simple - if the Android image for microSD card (that you downloaded from the wiki) opens successfully in DragonFace then it is the first type. If it doesn't load successfully - it is the second type. If the image is the first type go to step 2. If the image is the second type skip to step 3.
@@ Line 52: / Line 53: @@
 *4 At this point you have located the script.bin file. However, you can't edit the script binary file directly so you would need to convert it to text format (it is called .fex in this case), then edit the parameters via a text editor and finally switch it back to the binary format.
+**The different options for the script are explained here: [http://linux-sunxi.org/Fex_Guide SUNXI FEX GUIDE]
-The different options for the script are explained here: [http://linux-sunxi.org/Fex_Guide SUNXI FEX GUIDE]
+**IMPORTANT! ADJUSTING SCRIPT.BIN WITH IMPROPER VALUES MIGHT BREAK YOUR ANDROID IMAGE AND IT IS ALWAYS RECOMMENDED TO KEEP A BACK-UP OF YOUR DEFAULT SCRIPT.BIN
+**To convert back and forth the script.bin you might use different tools. You can find Windows tools here: [https://github.com/OLIMEX/OLINUXINO/tree/master/SOFTWARE/fex-bin-convertor-windows SUNXI TOOLS FOR WINDOWS] . For Linux convertors please check the sunxi tools here: [https://github.com/linux-sunxi/sunxi-tools SUNXI TOOLS]

@@ Line 48: / Line 48: @@
 **Note that the images suitable for DragonFace, generally, are  smaller than 1 GB of size, while the images that were copied off a prepared card are 4GB or 8GB of size.
-*3. It is most likely that the image is the second type - not the original Android image card, but a copy of the memory of an already-prepared card. In that case to edit the configuration you would need to download the image to the card and edit the script.bin (script.fex) file located inside the card. You would need a card reader to do so.
+*3. It is most likely that the image is the second type - not the original Android image card, but a copy of the memory of an already-prepared card. In that case to edit the configuration you would need to download the image to the card and edit the script.bin file located inside the card. You would need a card reader to do so.
-**Note that the card is prepared in EXT4 file system which is not native a native for Windows. This means that if you are using Windows you would need a software tool that would allow you to explore the microSD card. There are such tools available for free - tools like Ext2Fsd, ext2expolerer and DiskInternals Linux Reader. Of course, if you are using Linux to browse the microSD card you are good to go - no need to use additional software.
+**Note that the card is prepared in EXT4 file system which is not native for Windows. This means that if you are using Windows you would probably have trouble editing the image and saving the changes. I've tested Windows tools that are supposed to do the job (like "Ext2Fsd", "ext2expolerer" and "DiskInternals Linux Reader") but I was unable to write the script.bin back onto the image. '''Thus, my only advice is to use a Linux computer or Linux virtual machine to explore the microSD card and change the configuration.'''
-*4 To edit the script.bin (script.fex) file inside the Android microSD card you would need to explore the contents of the card - it is usually located in a "FAT16 Volume 1 partition".
+*4 At this point you have located the script.bin file. However, you can't edit the script binary file directly so you would need to convert it to text format (it is called .fex in this case), then edit the parameters via a text editor and finally switch it back to the binary format.
-*5
+The different options for the script are explained here: [http://linux-sunxi.org/Fex_Guide SUNXI FEX GUIDE]
-'''It is possible that only one of the types mentioned above is available for a specific board.'''
+IMPORTANT! ADJUSTING SCRIPT.BIN WITH IMPROPER VALUES MIGHT BREAK YOUR ANDROID IMAGE AND IT IS ALWAYS RECOMMENDED TO KEEP A BACK-UP OF YOUR DEFAULT SCRIPT.BIN

@@ Line 46: / Line 46: @@
 *2. If the image is the first type (an image suitable for DragonFace) then simply follow the algorithm in the previous section: "The algorithm to edit the Android image for the NAND memory". That would allow you to modify the configuration and then you can upload it to your board using PhoenixSuit.
 *3. It is most likely that the image is the second type - not the original Android image card, but a copy of the memory of an already-prepared card. In that case to edit the configuration you would need to download the image to the card and edit the script.bin (script.fex) file located inside the card. You would need a card reader to do so.
 **Note that the card is prepared in EXT4 file system which is not native a native for Windows. This means that if you are using Windows you would need a software tool that would allow you to explore the microSD card. There are such tools available for free - tools like Ext2Fsd, ext2expolerer and DiskInternals Linux Reader. Of course, if you are using Linux to browse the microSD card you are good to go - no need to use additional software.
-To edit the script.bin (script.fex) file inside the Android microSD card you would need to explore the contents of the card an
+*4 To edit the script.bin (script.fex) file inside the Android microSD card you would need to explore the contents of the card - it is usually located in a "FAT16 Volume 1 partition".
 '''It is possible that only one of the types mentioned above is available for a specific board.'''

@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 ===The algorithm to edit the Android image for microSD card===
-There are two types of Android images for microSD card that we usually provide and each of them can be edited in a different way. The image provided for microSD card is either the native Android image that can be edited with a tool like the DragonFace mentioned above or an image taken from an already prepared microSD card which can't be loaded in DragonFace.
+*2. If the image is the first type (an image suitable for DragonFace) then simply follow the algorithm in the previous section: "The algorithm to edit the Android image for the NAND memory". That would allow you to modify the configuration and then you can upload it to your board using PhoenixSuit.
-But how to tell which image is which? It's simple - if the Android image for microSD card (that you downloaded from the wiki) opens successfully in DragonFace then it is the first type. If it doesn't load successfully - it is the second type.
+*3. It is most likely that the image is the second type - not the original Android image card, but a copy of the memory of an already-prepared card. In that case to edit the configuration you would need to download the image to the card and edit the script.bin (script.fex) file located inside the card. You would need a card reader to do so.
-If the image is the first type (an image suitable for DragonFace) then simply follow the algorithm in the previous section: "The algorithm to edit the Android image for the NAND memory".
+To edit the script.bin (script.fex) file inside the Android microSD card you would need to explore the contents of the card an
 '''It is possible that only one of the types mentioned above is available for a specific board.'''

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 <b> Note that the method for editing Android image suitable for NAND memory is completely different compared to the method for editing Android image suitable for microSD card.</b>
-===The algorithm to edit the Android image for the NAND memory:===
+===The algorithm to edit the Android image for the NAND memory===
 *1. Download the latest official Android image for NAND from the wiki article of your board.
@@ Line 20: / Line 22: @@
 *4. After the update is complete and the interface of the program is available click on the "Firmware" button and then load the *.img file that we got in point 1.
 **During the opening of the firmware additional processes might attempt to start. Windows user account control might prompt for your approval. Make sure that you allow those.
-**If you receive an error loading the image: ensure that the torrent program or any local or remote program or proccess that might interfere with the image had been closed and the link to the image had been terminated. If the image you are goind to edit is open by another program you will not be able to edit it via DragonFace - the error that usually gets displayed in such a case is: "DragonFace: Firmware does not support the tools to modify, make sure that the firmare version: OK".
+**If you receive an error loading the image: ensure that the torrent program or any local or remote program or process that might interfere with the image had been closed and the link to the image had been terminated. If the image you are going to edit is open by another program you will not be able to edit it via DragonFace - the error that usually gets displayed in such a case is: "DragonFace: Firmware does not support the tools to modify, make sure that the firmware version: OK".
 *5. After the load is complete navigate to the "Advanced Settings" tab. In the tab select "System Configuration". This would open the configuration in simple text form in your default text editor. Refer to the picture below:<br>[[File:Df1.png|600px]]<br>

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:47, 11 February 2015
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	===The algorithm to edit the Android image for microSD card:===		===The algorithm to edit the Android image for microSD card:===
		+
		+	There are two types of Android images for microSD card that we usually provide and each of them can be edited in a different way. The image provided for microSD card is either the native Android image that can be edited with a tool like the DragonFace mentioned above or an image taken from an already prepared microSD card which can't be loaded in DragonFace.
		+
		+	But how to tell which image is which? It's simple - if the Android image for microSD card (that you downloaded from the wiki) opens successfully in DragonFace then it is the first type. If it doesn't load successfully - it is the second type.
		+
		+	If the image is the first type (an image suitable for DragonFace) then simply follow the algorithm in the previous section
		+
		+	'''It is possible that only one of the types mentioned above is available for a specific board.'''