H7S MultiBoot "How To" - Discussion thread

There are 72 replies in this Thread which was already clicked 19,746 times. The last Post () by urie.

    Zgemma H7S is a monster machine and by far the best of the lot available to the general public. It's a fabulous combination of HW, Linux kernel, drivers and Enigma2, plus additional SW (plugins/addons) etc. etc.


    Amongst other things, H7S boasts a large, 4GB eMMC NAND Flash, partitioned in 4 major partitions (if we are speaking in "everyday language"... it's actually partitioned in 8 partitions but OK...)!


    I.e. one can install 4 different images natively, without any additional "multiboot" plugin/addon and there is no need to install those images on a USB stick, provided an image has that part of the SW included, of course.


    Here is how to do that.


    PurE2:


    0) We shall, of course, presume you already installed PurE2 on the first/default partition, in a usual manner anyone can find and follow, including on this and other similar forums...


    1) Download other compatible images you want to try (OpenATV, OpenHDF, OpenSPA etc.) to your PC, for instance, and do NOT unzip/decompress them!


    2) Have a suitable USB memory stick formatted in FAT32, then send an image you want to install on your H7S, to the USB stick, zipped as you downloaded it. Plug it into H7S.


    3) MENU > pMANAGER > SW MANAGER > FLASH ON THE FLY (to get to the flashing menu)


    c96c5b347e9a2.jpg


    3a) yellow button (to choose an H7S partition for installation of the new image) - be careful not to install the new image over the existing, already installed image on the current partition - choose a different partition (unless you want to overwrite the old image, of course)


    370ee9a96db7.jpg


    3b) blue button (local file installation, as opposed to online installation)


    c39a2ae.jpg


    3c) choose the device from which to install the unzipped image (find the image you want to flash)


    23d34748181428bf5369374c.jpg


    3d) green button (to start installing the chosen image from the USB stick) - installation starts...


    fad97b26c29110be6f3d2f57e.jpg


    4) Wait... when successful, press OK to reboot H7S.

    "Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's own understanding without the guidance of another. This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. The motto of enlightenment is therefore: Sapere aude! Have courage to use your own understanding!"


    http://www.columbia.edu/acis/ets/CCREAD/etscc/kant.html

    Like 2

    Note no. 1: one can install E2 images from the net, also. Or one can send images from one's laptop/PC to one's H7S HDD/SSD, via FTP, say using FileZilla Client...


    Note no. 2: once one installs more than one image - this bit looks a bit confusing - one may see 5 partitions, when one chooses where to install images in H7S MultiBoot

    START

    START_1

    START_2

    START_3

    START_4


    I am no expert but it seems to me that current image/partition may be "STARTUP", as in "Default partition/image". Maybe I am wrong? Anyway, later on, once one reboots, in MultiBoot, this is no longer an issue... Simply edit the name of an image using the yellow button, for ease of operations... I presume that in such a menu SAVE button would make an image "default"...


    Note no. 3: Each image has 2 versions...


    2578f99.jpg


    1) without PiP (Picture in Picture, to see 2 channels at the same time, say when sport competitions are running at the same time)


    cf29480639744064b5686af.jpg


    2) with PiP (they all are fully functional now, I believe - PurE2 certainly is).


    eb24b538670b.jpg


    f438f947c20.jpg


    In short: send a zipped image to HDD/SSD or USB stick in your Zgemma H7S, then

    choose the partition to install it to, then after that

    choose the zipped image and flash it...


    Of course, if one wants to boot to a different image, one should press the EXIT button several times, in order to get to > Standby > MultiBoot > Startup_X (to boot to an image of your choice)...


    In OpenATV:


    MENU > Setup > SW Management > Flash Online/Local >

    yellow (where to flash the new image, say STARTUP_2) >

    blue (Local image, as opposed to Online, i.e. from a device attached to the receiver) >

    choose the image and FLASH it... wait... > press OK when finished...


    Cheerio! :)

    "Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's own understanding without the guidance of another. This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. The motto of enlightenment is therefore: Sapere aude! Have courage to use your own understanding!"


    http://www.columbia.edu/acis/ets/CCREAD/etscc/kant.html

    Edited once, last by gorski ().

    Like 3

    PurE2 image for Zgemma H7 with only 2 partitions


    Download it here: http://pur-e2.club/OU/images/i…irdigital/H7-2partitions/


    To use it, it is necessary (only once) to flash this image via USB and the button behind the front door.


    After this you can freely flash images on-line (from SW manager or pure2 manager) in STARTUP_1 or STARTUP_2. You can use 6.2 or 6.3 images.You can also flash other images into the other partition, the usual USB stick way...


    To return back to 4 partition images, just flash a 'normal' image via USB and the button thingy...


    (The best team ever!:laugh1::rasta2bigsmoke0gf1: )

    "Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's own understanding without the guidance of another. This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. The motto of enlightenment is therefore: Sapere aude! Have courage to use your own understanding!"


    http://www.columbia.edu/acis/ets/CCREAD/etscc/kant.html

    Like 3

    Thanks mate it is useful.:) But let me a little correction and additional info. Zgemma H7S has 4 GB flash memory and 4 partition named

    START_1 ; START_2 ; START_3 : START_4. Each partition has 1 GB equally. Maximum 4 images may be installed regardless zip files dimensions.

    But you may use file expander to install more images.

    • Official Post
    Quote from turoktr

    Thanks mate it is useful.:) But let me a little correction and additional info. Zgemma H7S has 4 GB flash memory and 4 partition named

    START_1 ; START_2 ; START_3 : START_4. Each partition has 1 GB equally. Maximum 4 images may be installed regardless zip files dimensions.

    But you may use file expander to install more images.


    That is obvious from the detailed screen shots, unless your using the 2 partition version....then you have start 1 and 2 only. And 1.4 gb partition


    87d43d83.jpg

    Quote from turoktr

    Thanks mate it is useful.:) But let me a little correction and additional info. Zgemma H7S has 4 GB flash memory and 4 partition named

    START_1 ; START_2 ; START_3 : START_4. Each partition has 1 GB equally. Maximum 4 images may be installed regardless zip files dimensions.

    But you may use file expander to install more images.

    No, Sir, you may not!!! :rasta2bigsmoke0gf1:


    Read in other related threads and inform yourself. Your "corrections" are factually incorrect. I explained before:


    -there is a 1/2 GB SWAP partition that each image uses

    -1/2GB /tmp - likewise...


    The rest (3GB) is divided into 4 partitions - you work it out from here... :)


    File expander doesn't exist - Flash Expander does. However, it is unnecessary in this case! I load every image with tons of stuff and I still have loads of MB free!! :laugh1:


    Clearer now? :)

    "Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's own understanding without the guidance of another. This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. The motto of enlightenment is therefore: Sapere aude! Have courage to use your own understanding!"


    http://www.columbia.edu/acis/ets/CCREAD/etscc/kant.html

    Like 2

  • master G

    Added the Label Article

    I have gone and buggered my H7.

    Was having issues swopping to the other images (via red button - Multiboot) it would always boot into OpenATV 6.3

    so I inadvertently deleted what was in STARTUP so it was blank. ReBooted

    NOW stuck on "boot" Arhhhhhh


    I have tried 2 usbs and dozens of times pressing everything!!

    I give up

    • Official Post

    you should use a good name branded 8gb or less USB stick (i prefur ones with led lights in them so you can see it working)

    inserted to the the rear usb port

    with no HDD or usb drives or any other wires connected bar the power and the stick your using to flash


    power box off with switch

    insert usb stick

    hold down button under front flap

    power on

    let it flash


    Failing that open your own thread

    Install something over it.

    "Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's own understanding without the guidance of another. This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. The motto of enlightenment is therefore: Sapere aude! Have courage to use your own understanding!"


    http://www.columbia.edu/acis/ets/CCREAD/etscc/kant.html

    Like 1

    Hi buddy, I've using H7S for sometimes and I've learnt many things about it. I suggest you flash image of openAtv or openvix on the first partition i.e Startup 1 and later you may flash other images in the rest partitions available. Let say if you prefer Egami image then you may flaah it onto startup2 and so on..

    I never falis when I'm doing this way. Hope you will have fun with multiboot on your Zgemma H7S :-)

    Hi,


    Does anyone know if it possible to "move" an image from Start_2 to Start_1. I originally had a build on both but settled on the start_2 Image. I removed he Start_1 image. Its all fine but for some odd reason, whenever I pop a fat32 formatted USB stick with movies on it into a USB slot and reboot it hangs at the words "Boot". As soon as I remove the USB it boots fine. Everything is on an internal HDD and the image i want to keep (currently on start_2 is OpenATV 6.3).


    Not sure if I need to, or want to, or if this change would stop the issues of booting with the USB inserted. btw. the USB has nothing in the way of images on it. Just not sure if the box is getting upset with an empty Startup_2???


    cheers

    Paul

    • Official Post
    Quote from smipx

    Hi,


    Does anyone know if it possible to "move" an image from Start_2 to Start_1. I originally had a build on both but settled on the start_2 Image. I removed he Start_1 image.

    How was the image removed ? Why remove it ?


    From what your saying i guess you are using to 2 image version from Pure2 ?


    Backup your current image your happy with to HDD, flash the box with USB stick.


    Select start one on bootup, use online flash to flash your backup to slot 1.


    once rebooted you should be sorted.

    ps. I do have 4 partitions for the images. My system is built to the internal 500Gb hdd I fitted.


    Really my reason for asking about this is because the machine refuses to boot (normal boot - not talking about emergency flashing here) with a USB stick inserted into one of the 3 USB ports and it's got me thinking that Start_1 must have an image (but I am probably totally wrong). I am thinking that if Start_1 is empty then the box will, if it has a usb inserted, try to boot from that and not look at the Start_2 from where it is being asked to reboot from in the first place!?!? If I insert a flash drive after booting up to start_2 I can use it fine (to play movies but If I leave it in and restart or deep_standby/start then the box gets to the wording "boot" on the front panel and no further - it hangs at this point like to can't see start_2 or is not even looking for it - its like its looking for an image on the flash drive but its not there and then just hanging. the usb stick itself is fine. I have used it for reflashing using the front panel button technique and all was well).


    The reason I got rid of the openvix in start_1 was because when I was in openvix I tried to swap over to start_2 (which had OpenATV) using the menus and it did not boot and I could do nothing (it bricked it). I then had to recover the system using a USB stick and special power button at front of box to reflash OpenATV (as I preferred openATV over OpenVIX).


    As soon as OpenATV was up and running I immediately deleted the Openvix in start_1 so I would never make that mistake again :-) Not sure why it did that but it is my first enigma2 box and I had it for all of 2 days and was "testing" and familiarizing myself with the system so I probably did something stupid.


    What I plan to do (at some point) is to do as you suggest. Backup_full my OpenATV that is stable and I'm happy with, Flash this to to start_1. I then plan to rename the OpenATV in Start_2 to OpenATV_Testing.


    day-to-day boot to Start_1 (now my current image). When I want to play/test new plugins and such I plan to boot to Start_2 - make my tests in there and if all bad then I can delete it and start again but always having my Main (solid) image in Start_1.




    Hope that makes sense.


    Cheers,

    Paul

    • Official Post

    Picture it like this

    You box is a pizza sliced into 4

    you use slice number 2

    slices 1,3,4 are still there, even if there is no image on them


    Im not sure what you have deleted or where but the partitions are still there, it is just that you cant see them IMO

    The issue your having with the usb stick is strange, perhaps something is corrupt, i dont know as not sure what you deleted.....

    A reflash via USB stick is all we had years ago, that should hopefully sort your boot issues out.


    BTW.......

    The 2 partition pure2 image is here:

    http://pur-e2.club/OU/images/i…irdigital/H7-2partitions/


    The reason i recommend that one is to maximise space for your image. Like in post number 6

    Good luck:thumbup:

    Indeed! This will repartition your 4GB flash and starting anew is always a good thing!


    After a while mistakes accumulate and so... have fun, that's the main thing!


    Plenty of info in PurE2 section! Njoy!

    "Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's own understanding without the guidance of another. This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. The motto of enlightenment is therefore: Sapere aude! Have courage to use your own understanding!"


    http://www.columbia.edu/acis/ets/CCREAD/etscc/kant.html

    Like 1

    Hi I did load the pure2 to start_1 and have it happily multibooting with OpenATV in start_2. The issue with the USB stick preventing boot is possibly a known problem as far as I can tell from searching. It has something to do with multiboot and the USB being quicker to mount that the internal HDD. The box will always try to boot from the first HDD partition but as the USB is quicker it nabs the "First disk" status and, as there is nowt on the stick the box just hangs at "boot". The fix is to unplug it. I think it can be gotten around in pure2 by tweaking the system to use UUID of disks but in OpenATV this is not an option I don't think.


    Cheers,

    Paul

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