Trying to Upgrade Custom Firmware from V4.0.8 to 4.1.3

[Victor558]

Been a while since I installed the Custom firmware at 4.0.8 and have been meaning to upgrade to 4.1.3 for so long now
recently revisited the Foxsat box and found the EPG is not loading for current date even though the box is doing it's overnight update checks
Seems to default to Feb 06 2022 and will display epg for this date but not current epg.
Recommendation on line is to upgrade to 4.1.3 and upgrade the packages but this it where the problems become more fun.
I have the latest firmware HDF file but the foxsat will not boot from the USB , I have tried a 32gb , 16gb & 1gb drive all formatted in Fat32 and the foxsat will not boot from the sticks
one of the usb drives also has a led so I know it's attempting to read the drive so trying to work out why it will not start the boot from usb - Any ideas / suggestions on what might be causing the issue ?

Thanks

Victor

 

[Black Hole]

Seems to default to Feb 06 and will display epg for this date but not current epg.
Recommendation on line is to upgrade to 4.1.3

I don't understand why you think updating the firmware will correct a problem with the internal clock. If the unit is unable to retrieve the current date/time from the broadcast, it can't know the current date.

I have the latest firmware HDF file but the foxsat will not boot from the USB , I have tried a 32gb , 16gb & 1gb drive all formatted in Fat32 and the foxsat will not boot from the sticks

I don't know the Foxsat specifically, but I imagine it has the same foibles re the firmware update process as does a HDR-FOX.

1. Windows can make a hash of formatting FAT32, use a dedicated utility.
2. The firmware update file must be unzipped (if it arrived as a .zip), and in the root directory. It must have the correct name.
3. If the UPD takes too long to respond from power-up/reset, it will miss the seek timing window and be ignored. Newer/larger UPDs seem to take much longer than old ones.

https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/problem-connecting-to-humax-portal.681/page-3#post-8876

 

[Rodders53]

First: go to LCN 999 Freesat info then check the signal strength and quality readings. If that (via the home transponder) isn't received all bets are off.

The Foxsat-HDR is very fussy about the usb stick it will read...
You ideally want a much smaller size (10s of MB is enough for the file needed).
This is clearly stated in the Readme.txt file in the zip download.
Along with the specific install process...
I quote:

Firmware installation.
----------------------
Note
----
Please be aware that not all USB sticks are compatible with the HDR when used to flash the firmware.
Experience has proven that the smaller sizes, formatted as single partition FAT32 work best.

Copy the 'FOXSAT-HDR_upgrade.hdf' file to the root directory of a USB stick.
Turn on your TV and set the video source to the HDR.
Put the HDR into standby then insert the USB stick into the front USB port.
Press, and continue to hold down the standby button on the HDR's front panel, NOT the standby button on the remote control.
The front panel display will initially show 'BOOT' followed by an incrementing series of numbers preceded by 'P', at which time the TV
will display the upgrade progress bar. You can now safely release the standby button.
Once the upgrade is completed the front panel display will show 'END' and you will be prompted to press the standby button.
Press the standby button.

Ask around friends/family/neighbours to find/borrow a small one if the above doesn't help. (I have found an old SD card in USB reader will work in the past. It's 64 MB and over 25 years young.).

 

[Black Hole]

I wonder whether the OP is holding the button in...

 

[Victor558]

The WebIF has the correct date but the EPG does not update so I'm hoping that the install to the latest Firmware and the install of the packages will fix the date issue
current WebIF values are correct Custom Firmware :v 4.0.8Web Interface :v 2.89Last housekeeping boot :Mon Jan 15 03:00:13 GMT 2024.

Yes I have followed all the correct process for using a USB and as I say I could see the Foxsat box reading the drive
I have also tried simplifying the name of the hdf file to upgrade.hdf and whilst the drive is being read at startup it does not get what it needs.
Aware that the Foxsat is a few year old as I purchased it in 2008 and my wife preferred the Fox T2 so we have that too.
The smallest and oldest USB I have is 128mb , again it has an LED , it's formatted correctly and the Foxsat does address the USB port and this time it shut itself down on one of the tries.
Obtained the files from two sources in zip and rar containers and the files arethe same size, both files behave the same ! Yes I am using the unzipped / extracted versions .
hummy.tv/forum/threads/useful-links-for-the-foxsat-hdr-customised-firmware.3330/
avforums.com/threads/media-file-server-bundle-for-the-foxsat-hdr-release-4-part-6.2024876/ (this one throws up a virus iss too.

At this stage I suspect the HDF file , Is there a better source ?

Cheers

Victor

 

[prpr]

I have also tried simplifying the name of the hdf file to upgrade.hdf

Well doing stuff like that is guaranteed to make it fail.

At this stage I suspect the HDF file

Don't be ridiculous. The first link you gave gives the correct file.
For the record:

$ sha1sum raydons_Media_and_File_Server_Bundle_for_the_Foxsat_HDR_release_4.1.3.rar
f55946f556cb4c32e03c1b9975d1c4f318eec7fc  raydons_Media_and_File_Server_Bundle_for_the_Foxsat_HDR_release_4.1.3.rar
$ md5sum raydons_Media_and_File_Server_Bundle_for_the_Foxsat_HDR_release_4.1.3.rar
e3cb346af4649ecc9d54cc89284e6c5b  raydons_Media_and_File_Server_Bundle_for_the_Foxsat_HDR_release_4.1.3.rar

It sounds more likely that your box has a hardware problem.

 

[Victor558]

Hmm , hard to tell where the problem lies, I noticed one of the threads where the guy was struggling and then all of a sudden it worked but I don't think
it's the hardware as the box is little used and we never used the front port for anything except the original custom firmware install .
I have an external disk plugged in the back and now I have found the smaller usb key I will try removing this from the situation again.
I'm currently sticking with the original file name and will give it another go tomorrow with the external hard disk removed.

I guess my faith in the HDF file is not helped by the fact my Anti Virus will not allow the download the file from the source page on this forum
here: hummy.tv/forum/threads/useful-links-for-the-foxsat-hdr-customised-firmware.3330/ saying file is infected !! and then there are messages further down the thread saying cloud.io is broken !!
Both the zipped and rar versions have the same named file "FOXSAT-HDR_CFWupgrade.hdf" and are the same size.
I was looking to see if there were issues upgrading from the previous custom version rather than the original Humax version.

Hoping I can find the reason as I would like to get this all working again as it is intended.

Cheers
Victor

 

[Black Hole]

You haven't said whether this was successful:

First: go to LCN 999 Freesat info then check the signal strength and quality readings. If that (via the home transponder) isn't received all bets are off.

The WebIF could be getting time from the Internet.

I have an external disk plugged in the back

Why didn't you mention that before? Not a good idea when trying to get a firmware update to take!

I'm currently sticking with the original file name

You have no choice in that matter. The update file MUST BE FOXSAT-HDR_upgrade.hdf whether you like it or not. Trying it with other variations is pure foolishness – the update process is looking for that one filename and that filename only.

 

[Victor558]

Following is the line taken from the Web interface for channel 999 so looks like it's receiving this okay.

999

Freesat Info

Data

Freesat

Visible

10528

freesat 28.2E

11427 H

27500

3400

8192

8192

8191

8192

8192

HDF file is "FOXSAT-HDR_CFWupgrade.hdf"

Will remove the Hard disk tomorrow to see if the USB ports are having issues or least exclude this from the situation.

 

[Victor558]

Okay - I have tested both rear USB and Front USB ports - No other disk connected and same behaviour on both.
Using the 128mb usb stick format FAT 32 , File used is the file extracted from the zip file. With title FOXSAT-HDR_CFWupgrade.hdf

If you try to boot from the Foxsat box after switching off and on at the back the device will start to read the USB and switch off .
If you try to boot from the USB just using the front panel button the USB stick will flash and then proceed to boot from the internal hard disk..

I did this previously for 4.0.8 but that was from the original Humax firmware. However , now I am trying to update to 4.1.3 it just does not want to play nicely.
People have put effort into the Firmware in recent years enabling the interface to continue supporting the packages but of course the earlier firmware 4.0.8
is not able to access these packages.

Makes me wonder if there is an issue with a conflict from the firmware level it was upgraded from and the base Humax level included in the 4.1.3 firmware update file ?

Similar issue found on forum here:
avforums.com/threads/humax-requires-custom-firmware-re-flashing-after-shutdown.1684950/

Any other ideas always appreciated.

Best WIshes

Victor

 

[Black Hole]

HDF file is "FOXSAT-HDR_CFWupgrade.hdf"

That won't work. It needs renaming.

Following is the line taken from the Web interface for channel 999 so looks like it's receiving this okay.

WebIF probably caches data, so check live on the TV.

 

[Victor558]

Hi,
This is why I originally renamed the file earlier because I used the name in the read me file which is "FOXSAT-HDR_upgrade.hdf" and not the name of the provided file FOXSAT-HDR_CFWupgrade.hdf.
and now that I'm using the smaller usb I have switched back to what it says the filename should be in the read me file and get the same result.It won't boot from the usb.

I have checked channel 999 and that is 100% on strength - Quality is 90%

I know that the Foxsat is reading the usb stick as the stick has an LED and when you remove the stick the Foxsat tells you it's been removed when you take it out.

All appears to be working as it should but it just won't boot up from the hdf file on the usb stick .
Also interesting that Foxsat switches off when you try to boot from a hard power on boot but does not do this when you restart from the front power button !

It was a long time ago but I remember the 4.0.8 install working first time.

I have tried 4 usb sticks of varying sizes and ages but it just won't play fair !

thanks for your help on this.

 

[Black Hole]

This is why I originally renamed the file earlier because I used the name in the read me file which is "FOXSAT-HDR_upgrade.hdf" and not the name of the provided file FOXSAT-HDR_CFWupgrade.hdf.

What you said was

I have also tried simplifying the name of the hdf file to upgrade.hdf and whilst the drive is being read at startup it does not get what it needs.

...and since we're trying to pin down why the update isn't taking, this was a possible reason.

I have checked channel 999 and that is 100% on strength - Quality is 90%

So is the on-screen EPG showing the right date now? If not, this does not sound recoverable.

See what happens when you unplug the external HDD. I guess your setup makes this inconvenient, which is why you've not done it already.

 

[Victor558]

Good Morning ,
The Onscreen guide has always shown the current date. The Webif EPG guide also shows the correct date. But the guide does not populate for the current date !
However, if you take the option from the "Go to date/time" button it will display the guide from feb 2022
This is the reason I am trying to carry out the Firmware update which will enable me to install the latest epg pkg.


I have tried the update with the external hard disk removed but I get the same result .

As far as I can tell the 128mb usb stick is being read , I have the file named as per the readme.txt file provided
The television EPG is working correctly, the Webif EPG shows the current date but it will not populate the guide for the current date
this issue has been covered in the Forum and the solution is to update the firmware and the epg package.

Just need to understand why the firmware update will not apply itself from boot. As explained earlier if you try to boot from a power on it switches off the foxsat
if you try to install from the use of the front power button it does boot from the USB.


Thanks

Victor

 

[prpr]

Both the zipped and rar versions have the same named file "FOXSAT-HDR_CFWupgrade.hdf" and are the same size.

This is a lie. Troll alert.

 

[adrianf36]

This is the reason I am trying to carry out the Firmware update which will enable me to install the latest epg pkg.

Have you tried installing the latest version of the EPG package anyway (v1.9.0)?

From what I can see, EPG v1.9.0 only has two dependencies:

Depends: busybox(>=1.18.4),sysclock(>=1.1)

And the latest versions of both busybox and sysclock have no dependencies defined.

I definitely don't see any dependency on WebIf 4.1.3.

 

[Victor558]

I believe the simplest way would be through the package management system but this is not showing the EPG v1.9.0 is not available
through the package system because the current webif is unable to get the pkg updates , again this is why I am trying to update to 4.1.3

It may be that I can edit or put a new script into my current setup to get the packages via the webif ?
perhaps I can install a new version of the get new packages script via ftp ?

Thankyou

Victor

 

[adrianf36]

You could install the relevant packages from USB. Given your issues upgrading the CFW from USB I'm slightly cautious in recommending this but it's worth a shot (as it's a slightly different process and there's a possibly of getting a log file if there are issues).

Full details on this installation method can be found in the "Documentation", "Custom Firmware", "Installation", "Software Package Installation" section of the Web Interface. But in summary:

Download the busybox, sysclock and epg packages from here: https://hpkg.tv/foxsat/ (Just click on the [package] link next to each one).

You should now have 3 x .opk files. Copy them (without renaming them) to the root folder of a FAT32 formatted USB stick.

Power on the Foxsat and wait for it to boot.

Insert the USB stick into the front USB port (important that you do this AFTER the machine has booted). You should see some activity from the light on the USB stick. Wait for the activity to stop and a minute or two in addition for good measure.

Unplug the USB stick and plug it back into a computer. The *.opk files should have been renamed to *.opk.done and there should be a *.opk.install.log file for each package. If this is the case then the packages have been installed successfully. If not, look at the log files and report back.

 

[Victor558]

Good Morning,

When your message arrived I was just installing the epg package update after reading the update method via usb, which you have kindly repeated.
IT works, the epg now works and it displays the current date and populates as it did before, I have also loaded the latest channel icons package too.

So, this proves the USB stick I;m using is working and that the Foxsat box is working well.

Would be nice to get the firmware update working but it still appears to be an issue upgrading from 4.0.8 to 4.1.3 ,Maybe safer to stay on 4.0.8 !
Is there a package or script that will enable me to get the system to update the package list from the new repository?

Many Thanks

Victor

 

[adrianf36]

With regards to the issue you're having with the package management update process is similar to this (as yet unresolved) issue:

Cannot install any packages

Hi. I want to update and add some new packages but get the following message - and cannot install any packages. Note - Forum won't allow me to post external links so have replaced / with * Help appreciated. " wget: bad address 'hpkg.tv' Downloading http:**hpkg.tv*foxsat*base*Packages.gz...

hummy.tv

It appears to be some sort of name resolution problem. You should follow the troubleshooting process in that thread and post the results. In particular it would be useful to see the network settings on your Foxsat as per post #8 in the thread above. Also useful would be the results of the following commands issues from a telnet session onto your Foxsat:

nslookup 8.8.8.8
traceroute 8.8.8.8
cat /etc/resolv.conf

I suggest you post all of the above to the aforementioned thread rather than this one as it appears to be the same issue.