general beginners questions

uncinogb

Registered
Messages
3
Congratulations to all for your enthusiasm and helpful hints.
I am a beginner and just started playing with my new Dreambox 500HD. I am totally confused about the various components of the firmware and software and how they could be upgraded without causing any major problems. I ahve been looking at all the forums and pretty well everywhere but I have not found an idiot's guide that clearly explained what is going on in the box.

I have the following setup
Sim 2.1,
SSL 83-ro,
Peter Pan Neverland Image
Image version experimental 2011-04-05,
Enigma version ramiMaher-experimental,
dvb module 2.6.18-74-dm500hd-20110309-ro.
frontprocessor Vnone
tuner BCM4505

My questions are:
  • is Enigma part of the image so that if I upgrade Peter Pan or install another image I also upgrade Enigma?
  • If I find an image such as PL1 that says for instance Enigma 3.2 and my Enigma is 2 can I sitll use that image on my box?
  • Can I upgrade from SSL83 to SSL84 without changing the image also.
  • Is there any order (SSL, Image, driver, bootloader etc.) in which one should do the upgrade?
  • I read about drivers also conflicting with imge versions. How do I find out which drivers I have and how do I go about to change/upgrade them?
  • What is the EMU (emulator? of what?)
As you can see I am totally confused and will very much appreciate some pointers from the experts on this board.
Many thanks
 

Brummie

Staff member
Administrator
Messages
5,794
so this is a clone 500HD

you can only flash new firmware for this receiver for sim 2.1 as this is what you stated above that your sim is 2.1

your receiver is an Enigma 2 receiver

your bootloader usually gets updated when you flash a new firmware/image onto the receiver,some image earlier bootloaders may need updating manually first before flashing newer firmware/images.

an EMU can be downloaded usually within the image or from a plugin added to your image,which is used to open certain cards you insert into the card slot,and can also open encrypted channels with keys/CW keys.

there are plenty of howto's and picture tutorials in the dreambox HD section

hope this helps you out a little
 

Ferret

Marching On Together !
Staff member
Administrator
Messages
17,480
You have a sim2 clone so you need to use patched images

Use these

http://www.sat-universe.com/showthread.php?t=217285

These contain the bootloader and drivers so you dont have much to worry about. You will if you want to use the 84ssl image have to flash the 84ssl before you flash a 84 image.

You can update the bootloader without updating the image yes. A emu is like a software version of a hardware cam if you like but on the whole do a lot more than most hardware versions.
 

uncinogb

Registered
Messages
3
getting a bit deeper in

Many thanks to Ferret and Brummie for your very prompt replies to my silly questions. Thanks in particular to Ferret for pointing me to the images for my box. I am now clear about the EMU, thank you. I am starting to understand but not totally yet, it might be a problem of terminology. I have in my head the way a standard PC starts up and I am finding it difficult to relate it to the Dreambox. When you switch on a PC the sequence of events is:
1) The BIOS fires up and points to the boot track on the hard disk where is the, let's call it boot loader, of the operating system
2) The OS checks on the hardware installed and loads the various drivers, its ow routines and the user interface. It is all in one package and if you update it the whole lot changes automatically.
On the Dreambox it seems to me that we have a first stage boot loader (true or false? Is this in flash or harware?), a second stage loader "SSL" (I take it that this is what you abbreviate as "loader"). Then you have, in my case, Enigma (can we assume this is the operating system proper?) and on top of it (or maybe part of it?) you have the user interface, in my case Peter Pan. The drivers for the tuner, USB, HD etc. are part of Enigma or Peter Pan (any idea?) but can be easily updated through the user interface.
Please correct me if the above description of the Dreambox doesn't make sense.

Now to the question of the SSL83 versus SSL 84. You say that in most cases the SSL is contained in the image, but then Ferret says that to flash an image with SSL84 I have to flash the upgrade to my SSL83 first. Confused again. For a practical example: in the thread that Ferret sent me I see his Peter Pan image 2.3. sim2, ssl84r1. Does this mean it contains SSL84 or that it will only work with SSL84? Can I just flash this on my system and voila everything is upgraded?

Thanks again guys, you are doing a great job for the good of this great community.
 
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