WebOS Internals Meta-Doctor

[spud101]

So if I were to use meta just to bypass SIM activation (hoping to get app catalog back) but don't want to change the app storage size is this how the line should read in the make file??

"sed -i.orig -e '/<Volume id="var"/s|256MB/256MB|' build/${PATIENT}/webOS/${CODENAME}.xml"

Seems a bit odd to me, to have 2 same values there???

[grndslm]

Originally Posted by hu5t13man

GOSH!!! Im so frustrated right now!!! All of you guys MUST have prior knowledge and experience in doing stuff like this. Nothing is working for me... This is crap! Plus your directions still assume the person trying this has an idea of what you are talking about with all of this. All of my steps are still nothing like what you are describing in your tut....

I've got a little bit of knowledge. But the big thing I've got is ample spare time, and I really enjoy making things effortless for others. I need to start rewriting school books, but our government probly wouldn't like that.

But, uh.... you say that nothing is working for you. At which step are you having trouble? what os are you using?

Originally Posted by spud101

So if I were to use meta just to bypass SIM activation (hoping to get app catalog back) but don't want to change the app storage size is this how the line should read in the make file??

"sed -i.orig -e '/<Volume id="var"/s|256MB/256MB|' build/${PATIENT}/webOS/${CODENAME}.xml"

Seems a bit odd to me, to have 2 same values there???

You can actually edit the top of the uncommented Makefile (commented lines begin with # and are ignored by the machine), where it says "INCREASE_VAR_SPACE = 1"... just change that to a 0 and you should be good to go.

1 == true. 0 == false.

[elynch2006]

Hello, I'm using an unlocked germand gsm on a French sim card in france on France network. Since upgrading to 1.3.1 my app catalogue is "not avail". Do you know if using meta doctor works for fixing this? Anyone else tried this with an different sim other than palm ones.
Thank you all for your help

[grndslm]

elynch:

Meta-Doctor should have no effect on the Catalog.

Intro:
The Meta-Doctor accomplishes three tasks:
(1) Bypasses need for carrier-specific activation; allows wi-fi activation of Palm Profile.
(2) Re-partitions filesystem to increase /var limit [normal-default of 256 MB to meta-default of 2 GB or whatever you so choose]. This gets rid of the App Catalog limit once and for all!
(3) Automatically enables Dev Mode, which makes restoring a phone a little bit quicker and less frustrating... especially if you're a real tweaker.

[hu5t13man]

I have windows xp. I have tried ubuntu 8.04.3 LTS, ubuntu 9.10 & even puppy linux 4.3.1 like someone said they used and got it to work. All linux versions I tried has failed. I got both ubuntu's to install in virtualbox, but I do not know if they were installed correctly because the instructions were not exactly what my pc was letting me do. They loaded up in vb, but I couldn't get past the third copy & paste set of commands... I even reverted back to the older version of vb because in the wiki, it had the older version for download so I tried that one also. (no luck).


I have a question, when/how do you connect pre to pc, if at all? In dev mode or no?? That's confuses me because ur tut doesn't say when to connect it to pc. I assume it must be connect because I have no idea on how any of that will get onto my pre?! (that's how clueless I am about this stuff, but I love to learn new stuff just to see if I can get things working.)

[jonaddis84]

Ok, so what do we do now that 1.3.5 fixes the app space problem? Should be re-doctor to a standard 1.3.1 version? Or leave it alone and the update will fix it itself?

[rwhitby]

Originally Posted by jonaddis84

Ok, so what do we do now that 1.3.5 fixes the app space problem? Should be re-doctor to a standard 1.3.1 version? Or leave it alone and the update will fix it itself?

You can leave it as it is, and you will continue having a 2GB /var partition.

Or you can re-doctor and the /var partition will be back to 256MB.

I can't give any details of what 1.3.5 does, but I can tell you that a Pre with a 2GB /var partition will most likely survive an OTA update to 1.3.5 with no problems (note that nobody knows that the OTA install does yet - early access people only have SDK and doctor images).

If the app limit is fixed somehow without taking up space in /var, then you'll have spare room for lots of email in /var. If the app limit is not fixed, or is fixed in a way which still takes up space in /var, then you'll still have lots of room in /var.

Sorry I can't be clearer than that, but early access involves agreeing not to disclose details about the release.

-- Rod

[jonaddis84]

Thanks for the reply Rod. Guess Ill wait until were closer to having the update.

I was just reading the article on the homepage about it, saying how the update moves apps to the /media folder thus having the entire 7gb available...I would assume this means that the update will physically move the apps already installed to that new folder, meaning...like you said...you will have a bunch of wasted space in /var

[grndslm]

Originally Posted by hu5t13man

I have windows xp. I have tried ubuntu 8.04.3 LTS, ubuntu 9.10 & even puppy linux 4.3.1 like someone said they used and got it to work.

Guide clearly states 9.10. If you skip one part of the guide, there is a VERY good chance that it won't work. EVERY step is important and must be tackled one at a time.

Originally Posted by hu5t13man

All linux versions I tried has failed.

At what point did 9.10 give you problems, and what did the output say?

Originally Posted by hu5t13man

I have a question, when/how do you connect pre to pc, if at all? In dev mode or no?? That's confuses me because ur tut doesn't say when to connect it to pc. I assume it must be connect because I have no idea on how any of that will get onto my pre?! (that's how clueless I am about this stuff, but I love to learn new stuff just to see if I can get things working.)

Right before you run the Doctor. If you run the Doctor, it should be self-evident what you are doing... and I think it might even give steps itself to plug in the USB cable. Take note of the "restart and hold Volume Up" button. Each and every step is important, man.

[BAbnkr]

I have a similar question about the 1.3.5 Update, but I guess we'll have to wait to see... If I do decide to re-doctor in order to get that space back, does anyone know a quick way to back up and restore all the apps I have installed already, any way to backup and restore my page layouts?

hopefully the update won't actually move any apps, it seems like that would be unnecessary for it to work..

[grndslm]

In regards to launcher page layouts....

I'm not positive whether "official" apps (stock & from App Catalog) will actually remember their layout. I'd guess no, but that's a very wild guess.

As for "homebrew" apps, they definitely won't be there. Because of this, your "official" layout will probly be messed up anyway. If you have the "homebrew" patch to enable more than 3 launcher pages... you better believe that everything is gonna be messed up after a Doctor.

An update won't move anything, but a Doctor most certainly will.

[rwhitby]

Originally Posted by grndslm

elynch:

Meta-Doctor should have no effect on the Catalog.

Intro:
The Meta-Doctor accomplishes three tasks:
(1) Bypasses need for carrier-specific activation; allows wi-fi activation of Palm Profile.

There does seem to be some undiscovered link between the patch to the First Use application to achieve (1) and access to the App Catalog.

-- Rod

[palmdoc2005]

I just flashed a Metadoctored 1.3.1 on my GSM Pre and it seemed OK. However when I ran the First Use, it won't let me create a new Palm Profile over Wifi. It did however let me sign in to my existing Palm Profile.
I thought the Activation Bypass would permit me to create a new Profile over Wifi?

[ebeneezerc]

I'm having exactly the same issue in creating a new Palm Profile after using a metadoctored 1.3.1 (although I don't have an existing profile). I have tried over 2 different WiFi networks and also over the cell network with several different O2 simcards (all of which have data contracts) with the same results. I have also tried my SIM in a different Palm Pre in the O2 store - but there is no first use application on their phone so I can't set up a profile. I have also tried changing the network settings on the Palm Pre to mobile.o2.data.uk with username = vertigo and password = password which is the usual APN setup and this doesn't work either.

I have also contacted Palm and they say it should work, and O2, who didn't really have any answers at all other than they had been told if you put in a different SIM it locks the phone - sounds unlikely to me, and Palm didn't mention that when I told them I've tried with several SIMs.

I have also ensured I am in a 3G area but the Pre doesn't pick up 3G or Edge which I'm told you need to be able to activate over the cell network. I'm beginning to suspect there is something in OS 1.3.1. which points the Palm at a specific APN for activation which is somehow linked to a Pre specific data tariff, which you can't access over WiFi - but nobody knows about it

[palmdoc2005]

Well I suspect too there are changes in 1.3.1 which although enables access to the First use app, still does not allow creation of a Palm Profile by Wifi.
Anyway what I'll do next is to flash with a Metadoctor 1.1.3 for GSM and see if I can create a new profile without activation.

[grndslm]

Originally Posted by palmdoc2005

I just flashed a Metadoctored 1.3.1 on my GSM Pre and it seemed OK. However when I ran the First Use, it won't let me create a new Palm Profile over Wifi. It did however let me sign in to my existing Palm Profile.
I thought the Activation Bypass would permit me to create a new Profile over Wifi?

I'm not gonna lie. I had that same problem when I was messing around with Meta-Doctor around two weeks ago.

I ran the First Run app, and it kept giving me an error... telling me to contact Palm Support. I contacted a woman who was helping me solve the problem until she said, "Do you see the "EV" icon in the top bar?" I was like, "NO! That's probly it."

Soo... sure enough, whenever I went to "Update Network Settings"... the EV icon showed up and I was able to login to my Profile. I wasn't really consciously thinking about this, since I was only interested in increasing the size of the /var partition. The thought occured to me subconsciously, but after the Palm support lady helped me figure my problem... I just dropped it from memory.

So there's definitely something not working with 1.3.1, Rod.

[grndslm]

Any word on this??

I'm thinking about cutting service soon... and I'll need the Meta-Doctor to be working properly.

[TopTongueBarry]

Attempted to Meta Doctor a TelCel GSM Pre and was unsuccessful in getting beyond the initial activation screen.

Started from scratch twice with same end result: Error 1 as indicated in the attached capture file.

Ended up with just a renamed, but not patched replica of the original Palm WebOS Doctor file which when executed does what Palm intended it to do, return the device to it's fresh out of the box condition and will not let me past the activation screen.

Also including my edited Makefile
Please advise ASAP.

[rwhitby]

Originally Posted by TopTongueBarry

Attempted to Meta Doctor a TelCel GSM Pre and was unsuccessful in getting beyond the initial activation screen.

Started from scratch twice with same end result: Error 1 as indicated in the attached capture file.

Ended up with just a renamed, but not patched replica of the original Palm WebOS Doctor file which when executed does what Palm intended it to do, return the device to it's fresh out of the box condition and will not let me past the activation screen.

Also including my edited Makefile
Please advise ASAP.

I've updated Meta-Doctor to support Telcel. Please try it and let me know how it goes.

You will need to comment out ENABLE_FIRSTUSE_WIFI (not supported for earlier than 1.3.1) and possibly INSTALL_SSH_AUTH_KEYS (if you don't want that functionality) ...

-- Rod

[fassa]

root@ubuntu:~/meta-doctor# make CARRIER=wr unpack patch pack
make: Nothing to be done for `unpack'.
rm -f build/pre-p100ueu-wr-1.3.1/.patched
[ -d patches/pre-p100ueu-wr-1.3.1 ]
mv: cannot stat `build/pre-p100ueu-wr-1.3.1/rootfs/usr/lib/ipkg/info/com.palm.app.firstuse.md5sums': No such file or directory
make: *** [build/pre-p100ueu-wr-1.3.1/.patched] Error 1
root@ubuntu:`/meta-doctor#

How do I fix this error ?