A whole section of HDSC forum (of Zgemma and other receivers) was lost when our server in Ukraine crashed... So, I will try to recreate some of the flashing/programming procedures for all to use safely..
Files are here: pur-e2.club/OU/images/index.php > choose the version from what is currently available...
==========A SHORT SUMMARY==========
Let's start with explaining the 2 types of flashing files you will find:
1) RECOVERY FILE is used to repartition your flash, i.e. delete everything on it, all the partitions and start anew, from scratch!
One does NOT need to flash RECOVERY file first! ONLY IF IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY!!!
When this file repartitions a flash, it will erase all the old partitions, everything installed and create new ones.
Then, it will install a new image in the first partition.
After that, if you want more images installed in your STB (if it has a native Multiboot function/capability), one can use
2) "Normal" FILE => used to flash an image into a single partition, when MultiBoot is fine and one doesn't need repartitioning.
These images do not have "RECOVERY" in their name but they are called either "MULTIBOOT" or "NAND"
===HOW TO FLASH AN IMAGE IN ZGEMMA H8.2H===
(Just as an example...)
1) PurE2 download page > 7.x > Air Digital > RECOVERY folder > download an image file for H8.2H from here: pur-e2.club/OU/images/index.php?dir=7.6/airdigital/ >
2) unzip it to the USB stick > properly take the USB stick out of PC (use the EJECT function) and plug it into H8.2H >
3) press the power button on RCU (remote control unit) and HOLD it >
4) press the white power button at the back of H8.2H to turn it ON and wait until the logo starts flashing (red/white) >
5) let go of the power button on RCU >
6) wait...
When it boots you must go through some of the essential settings and configure it according to your needs. That procedure is called the "Wizard" (assisted configuration of essential functions to make the STB usable).
When you're done, press the MENU button, then go to > pManager > SW Manager > SW Update and reboot afterwards, if SW Update was available.
When it boots you can put in your channel list, CamD, plugins and so on...
===ANOTHER WAY OF DOING IT===
If you are pressing the right buttons during booting (these will differ depending on the box you have) or
if you chose the recovery option in E2 menu ==>
on your TV you will see a set of options, if you get into the "Recovery menu"...
To flash another image choose:
=> "Bootmenu"
=> Flash local image
=> choose USB stick where the image is
=> choose the zipped PurE2 Zgemma H11S/2H.zip image (or equivalent to your box)
=> choose the partition to flash it into (Linux 1 - 4 are for Enigma2 images)
=> choose the partition on which you want to flash the image
=> you will see "Flashing"... wait a bit... ==> "Flashing completed"...
===MULTIBOOT/NAND FILE FLASHING IN A SINGLE PRE-EXISTING PARTITION===
This is a basic text explaining the procedure for a normal MULTIBOOT/NAND file flashing, using a USB memory stick [edited by yours truly...]
How to flash a Zgemma H7x by Satboxer
1) Download a latest release version of your chosen (favourite) firmware image directly from the developers website.
2) When the file has downloaded and been saved to your computer - unzip it.
You will then have a file named [zgemma]. (Inside that folder you should have another folder named [H7] ).
a) Copy the full folder named [zgemma] to a freshly formatted (FAT32) USB memory stick.
3) Turn off your H7 receiver with the white button, at the rear next to power input.
4) Plug in your USB key with the zgemma folder on it (any USB port should be OK).
5) Behind the front flap (door panel) you will see a small button to the top left hand side.
Hold this button down (push in) whilst turning on the rear white power push button.
Keep the front button pushed in and on the front LCD panel you will see the display change from BOOT> USB> FLASH.
When FLASH is displayed you can remove your finger from the from button.
The receiver will now remain displaying FLASH (approx 2minutes) whilst the new firmware is loaded onto your receiver.
6) The box will then restart itself showing BOOT on the front screen. [00>100]
6a) It might stop at 49% and you will see the Wizard at that point, so follow the on-screen steps from then on => when you are finished it will boot fully!
7) Alternatively to 6a) - if it does go to 100 - you could then see the installation Wizard on the TV screen, which will run you through the set-up process.
Special note – If you save your settings to your internal hard disk (HDD/SSD) or USB stick, if one is fitted, during the Wizard run you will get the option to import/restore your previous settings and bouquets, which should work in many instances, when changes between the 2 images are not too great and so this feature will cut short the setting up of your Zgemma H7 STB considerably.
My notes:
Zgemma H7x (later H17) 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 (skins/plugins/addons) etc. etc.
Amongst other things, H7x boasts a large, 4GB eMMC NAND Flash (even bigger in newer versions of it), 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 as seen above...
THE EASIEST METHOD OF FLASHING AN IMAGE, IF ONE IS ONLINE
Flashing on the fly, i.e. online flashing of PurE2 image
MENU BUTTON on your RCU > pManager > Software Manager > Flash on the fly >
YELLOW BUTTON to choose a partition on which to install a new PurE2 image >
GREEN BUTTON to choose to flash a PurE2 image online (from the net, not from USB stick or HDD) >
BLUE BUTTON to switch to the latest PurE2 image 7.x >
CHOOSE A VERSION OF THE IMAGE YOU WANT TO FLASH ON THE FLY (7.x or "Downloaded", if you put such a file on the USB stick or wherever) >
GREEN BUTTON to Flash the image...
===Flashing on the fly: using a "local" i.e. downloaded image on a USB device===
Download other compatible images you want to try (OpenATV, OpenHDF, OpenSPA etc.) to your PC, for instance, and do NOT unzip/decompress them.
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.
MENU BUTTON on your RCU > pManager > Software Manager > Flash on the fly >
choose to flash a local image (from USB stick or SSD/HDD) >
choose a partition on which to install a new PurE2 image >
choose if you want to backup the settings or not first >
Flash the image...
===VARIOUS POSSIBILITIES IN ZGEMMA H7S/C===
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 H7x 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"...
Please note: each image has 2 versions...
1) without PiP (Picture in Picture function, usually used to see 2 channels at the same time, say when sport competitions are running at the same time)
2) with PiP (they all are fully functional now, I believe - PurE2 certainly is).
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...
