Here is a little info from a friend .......
Updating your AZBox Firmware (tutorial) by:AcWx Radar
I would like to assist all AZBox owners with the subject of updating the firmware. I am doing this as I have the time to sit down and wade through it step by step (not much else to do here because of the weather conditions). Besides, I like to help out and not only is it fun, but it preserves a set of instructions that I myself can reflect upon or direct others to to assist.
Seasoned AZBox owners may find my information redundant, but please read this in case I make any errors, or if you wish to add to it or (just possibly), if I hook on something that may help you.
In the next few posts, I am going to wade through the whole process, step by step, as I go through the process of updating my own AZBox.
In this initial post, I will state first off that it is important to "backup" certain files before you begin any update. The AZBox is basically a "MINI-MEDIA CENTER-PC" in a way and backing up certain files will save you from repeating some of the setup work down the road. This is especially true if anything should go wrong during the update process. I have not yet experienced too many, if any problems in this regard, but it is always a good idea to plan for the unexpected and the bad things.
Here is an outline of what I propose to cover in this thread:
1] Backing up files
2] Upgrade firmware via USB
3] Upgrade firmware via Internet
4] Formatting the "Application Area"
If you will bare with me until I am done with this entire outline before jumping in with comments, it will be appreciated. Then we can open the thread to questions and comments and corrections (hopefully few corrections will be necessary as I am doing this first hand, as I type the posts).
Backing up certain files is highly important. You never know when something may go wrong and if you have spent a lot of time and thought on how to set up your AZBox already, you don't want to lose that information and be required to start over from scratch.
First of all, and for the time being, don't utilize the editor programs for your backups (unless you are already accustomed to them and can trust them well). I personally don't think that the editor programs are reliable enough for this and therefore, I don't use them for this specific purpose.
I am going to mention one program to be used for backing-up your files only. There are others that can be utilized, but this is the one that I am currently using it can be highly trusted by everyone.
This program is FileZilla. It is a FTP and TELNet program that serves to transfer files back and forth between the AZBox and your PC via a NETWORK connection of some type (whatever you have set up and configured).
Use FileZilla or a reasonable and trusted FTP program for the back-up purpose. You don't need an editor at this point, unless it is one that you can rely upon.
It is most important to backup the following three files from the DISK2 folder within your AZBox:
all_channels.dat
antenna_list.dat
DVBS.dat
To back up these files, you need to have some NETWORK communications already configured between your AZBox and your PC. With FileZilla, you can connect to the AZBox and copy these files from the AZBox to the queue. Then TRANSFER the files from the queue into a backup folder or file on your PC. You will have to become adept at using Filezilla in order to know how to navigate this process, but it is really quite forward and simple. Just browse around the Filezilla toolbar and menus and it should be quite user friendly and for the most part, self-explanatory. There are help dialogs to rely upon as well (as you go).
Backing up just these three files should be fairly easy. To restore them to the AZBox when needed, the process is simply the reverse. This really is extremely user friendly and easy to figure out. It is basically just cut and paste from AZBox to PC and back.
I will leave setting up the Filezilla program and the NETWORKING to you. I am only explaining what to do afterwards.
Now, there are some other files that I think we should be able to back-up here, but I have to do some investigation to determine the specifics. I think that we should be able to save all the NETWORKING connection information and setup as well, but I don't know what files and folders to capture and back-up this information from are. Or if it is actually possible, I think so, but since I have not done so myself, I will need to learn.
The files that we have backed-up so far all have to deal with our saved satellites and TPs and channels. This is a good rough start.
Updating the AZBox firmware via USB is the most trusted and sure method. However, it requires more steps to do so. It is relatively simple, if you know what to expect from the start. I will lead you through the process here, step-by-step.
1] Download the firmware to your PC (all AZBoxes use the same firmware) . I recommend that you create a folder for AZBox IMAGE FILES and individual folders within that main folder for each firmware version. This is for archiving purposes, but not entirely necessary. I save all the firmware files simply for my own personal reasons - mainly to have a backup set of files for myself so that I don't have to go and retrieve them again from the original source.
2] Copy and paste the firmware you wish to update your AZBox with to a USB flash memory stick and rename the file on that device as "patch". NOTE: You may need to rename the file as patch.bin, but do not do so unless the AZBOx does not recognize the patch file when named simply "patch". The LINUX operating system is a little picky about the filename format, so be careful here. No harm will become of anything if you rename the firmware file incorrectly, it (the file) will simply not be recognized by the AZBox and nothing will happen - no harm and no foul.
3] Now that the firmware file is copied to the USB drive and renamed "patch", remove the USB drive from the PC and insert it into the USB port of the AZBox.
4] Press and hold the STB POWER button on the remote for the AZBox until it enters the REBOOT mode (hold the button down for 4-5 seconds).
5] When the AZBox reboots, somewhere during the process, it will read the USB drive and should identify the new patch file automatically. If and when it does, the AZBox will present you with an option menu of what to do next. This menu will contain the following five options:
1) USB
2) NETWORK
3) OTA
4) Format Application Area
5) Boot without updating
6] Since we wish to update via the USB flash memory drive, point the arrow at option #1 (USB) and press OK.
7] You will be shown the current firmware version within your AZBox AND the new version found on the USB drive. You will be offered the option to update to the new version found. Press OK to update from USB and sit back and wait.
8] The rest of the process will be conducted automatically by the AZBox. Do not interfere with the process, just let it do its thing, which will require a few minutes.
9] When done, your AZBox should take you rigt back to the same message (option menu) as seen in step #5.
10] At this point, chose option #5 "REBOOT W/O UPDATING". You have already updated, so no need to repeat it again.
11] After this second "reboot" is complete, you may remove the USB drive from the AZBox and you will be finished with the process.
NOTE: If you don't like to remove the USB device "hot" then simply power off the AZBox and remove the USB flash drive and then power the box back on.
That is all there is too it. We are done with the update process.
This approach to updating your AZBox is very simple. A few steps are eliminated, but you do have to wait for the file to download, just as you would from a site that offers the firmware to be downloaded to your PC. Therefore, you will have to wait for the download time just the same here.
The big difference right off the bat, is that only the official AZBox released firmwares will appear on the Update List. You cannot download any beta versions via this route. Probably best for those who are new to the AZBox.
Here's how to do it via Internet:
1] Press the HOME buttom of the remote and select the SETTINGS tab (or page).
2] Ensure you are on the SYSTEM INFO page and press the ">" arrow button on the remote to navigate to the "FIRMWARE UPGRADE" option line.
3] Use the "<" or ">" buttons to select between USB, INTERNET or ETHERNET options and select "INTERNET".
4] If you are connected to the internet with your AZBox and the proper URL is set up, then a list of "OFFICIAL" AZBox firmware revisions will be displayed from which you may select from.
5] Highlight the version of the firmware that you wish to download (upgrade your AZBox with) and press OK.
6] The version selected will then begin to download. Don't be impatient, this takes quite a long while.
NOTE: I don't like using this method as my internet connection is slow enough as it is and coupled with the slow download process of the AZBox, it seems to drag on forever. I recommend the USB flash drive process. At least with downloading to the PC, if anything goes awry during the download process, you can catch it and it will not affect the AZBox.
7] Once the file is done downloading and installing (this entire process is all automatic and you don't have to do anything) the receiver will reboot and go directly to TV mode (or it should if all went right).
Very nice and simple.
Here we are going to get into the real heavy stuff... Formatting the Application Area.
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