TiVo Community Forums Archives - v2.0.1 HDR312 unit

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v2.0.1 HDR312 unit - Serial Shell problems
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Posted by: FuseWerx

This unit is "interrupted" (gone about a year and a month now without a functioning modem, has been sitting in my closet until today) and I was preparing to set up the serial/PPP link so I can update through my existing home network. I'm proficient with Linux and serial programming and such, but this has me stumped.

I've put the drive in another machine and made the requisite edits to the rc.sysinit on both of the appropriate partitions(4 and 7), I've triple-checked them for typos. I've unmounted, remounted, and checked for typos. They're entered properly per every FAQ out there related to getting a BASH prompt on the DSS Serial port.

So I restart the TiVo. I can get the Diagnostic menu over minicom attached to the DSS Serial port (connected to /dev/ttyS0 on the linux box) at 9600 N81. I hit B to continue booting -- no shell.

I bounce TiVo again, this time without attempting to go to the Diag menu -- no bash. Tried every other baud rate (along with N81) and STILL no love.

Any clues?

(edit to update the actual time it's been nonfunctional)

Posted by: FuseWerx

Perhaps it is significant that the box REALLY wants to make a call because it's interrupted and has no guide data, but I can't get a call to work. Hopefully there's a way around that -- It is paid for. :)

Posted by: FuseWerx

*bump* (Sorry for the shameless self-bumping, but I wanna stay visible in hope I can fix this problem. :P)

Posted by: dsmdriver

Have you put "shondss=true" in the boot menu? You put it after "root=/dev/hdaX" in the boot parms. Then you hit B to boot.

Posted by: FuseWerx

I have tried that as well, although it is my understanding that this functionality goes away at version 2.x -- and I'm at 2.0.1 (on that machine, shows how long it's been offline!)

Thanks,

Dustin

Posted by: wejones

I know nothing about level 2 versions, as I'm still running ver 1.3, but is it possible that the line enabling the serial connection are in the rc.sysinit file twice? I think I remember an example of someone having troubles when it was enabled twice.
Ie if your rc.sysinit file has:

if [ "$shondss" = true ]; then
echo "Starting bash on /dev/ttyS3"
bash </dev/ttyS3 >& /dev/ttyS3 &
fi

it could be enabled once, then if you've manually put in another
bash </dev/ttyS3 >& /dev/ttyS3 &
line in the file, it could be running twice, which as I said, I think doesn't work.

Another possibility...... is it possible that the TIVO was configured to send channel changes over the DSS port? I don't know what this would do, but I've always disabled the DSS port for controlling other equipment when I've connected via the computer.

Just a couple thoughts.

Posted by: FuseWerx

Possibility one -- Nope. V2.0 doesn't even have the shondss variable defined anymore.

Possibility two -- TiVo is set to use the IR port for channel changes.

Thanks for your help, though -- It's looking more and more like a boat anchor, and I don't have the funds ATM to get the modem fixed.

Posted by: stormsweeper

Are you using the cable that came w/ your Tivo, or did you get a null modem cable?

Posted by: FuseWerx

Sorry, I thought that was clear when I said I could get the diagnostic screen. :) I'm using the cable that came with the TiVo + Null Modem adapter + gender changer. Cable is functioning (characters echo back if I short TX/RX on tip/ring) and the wiring is correct (I can see the diagnostic screen).

Thanks for trying to help! :)

Posted by: FuseWerx

*bumpity-bump*

Posted by: FuseWerx

I said *BUMP*! :) Any more takers?

Posted by: Demandred

Does the TiVo actually boot all the way up? (watch it on a TV to be sure...maybe it's stuck in a reboot loop?)

I just got this working like last night with the help of people on this forum, and here is all it took for me.

I edited rc.sysinit on /dev/hda7 to allow me to get a bash prompt over the serial port. Then I put the hard drive back in the TiVo, and booted. Once the TiVo was all the way booted, I pressed enter in Minicom. I had to type "stty echo cooked" to get my commands to show up in Minicom, but that was it, I had a bash prompt.

If that isn't working for you...man, I dunno. I thought that was the easiest part. :)

Posted by: FuseWerx

My TiVo is in "service interrupted" mode because it hasn't downloaded any data in over a year now. I suspect that's what's stopping me from getting the bash prompt. My rc.sysinit (on both partitions, just to be safe) is correct, down to the letter. Thanks, though, for the vicarious excitement of getting a BASH prompt. :) Wish I could! :(

Posted by: Demandred

You *might* want to try doing what I did to mine - I deleted everything. I think it's a menu option under Setup somewhere - clear and delete everything. It makes your TiVo think it's new again. (it comes up and wants to go through Guided Setup) I didn't do that for any reason, (never tried getting a Bash prompt before doing it) but you might try it.