WebOS Internals Meta-Doctor

[rwhitby]

I have created a tool which will download, unpack, patch, and repack a webOS Doctor image, applying a number of transformations along the way to:

1. Bypass the need for activation
2. Enable Palm Profile access
3. Set developer mode on by default
4. Increase the size of the /var partition to 2GB

See my blog post at rwhitby.net : The WebOS Internals Meta-Doctor for details.

You can find this tool in the WebOS Internals source code repository at github.com

The tool requires a Ubuntu Linux host to run. I encourage others to take the techniques embodied in the tool and create a cross-platform solution. This does what I need, and I'm not personally interested in creating such a cross-platform tool, but will assist anyone else who is interested.

Note that using Cygwin on Windows is no longer a supported MetaDoctor option. The official Wiki pages now require you to use WUBI on Windows and follow the Linux instructions after that. The option for using Cygwin on Windows will not be reinstated.

Do not redistribute modified versions of the webOS Doctor created using this tool – it is for end-user use only. Redistribution of the webOS Doctor (either original files or modified files) is a violation of copyright law.

-- Rod

[Niris777]

Well this is definetely interesting!

[solarus]

Very cool. A cross platform program would be very useful, preferably if it was modular so that we could say increase the /var partition and enable DevloperMode but not bypass activation.

A cool piece of programming.

[en0x]

Ok i'm ready to bust my phone... in the meantime I have copied PalmDatabase.db3 file to keep all my current conversations will see how this will work.... I will dump the messages to sql file and import it in newly created PalmDatabase.db3 on my pre after doctor it

git clone git://git.webos-internals.org/tools/meta-doctor.git
;D

[en0x]

pkilian@falcon:~/dupa/meta-doctor$ make
make CARRIER=sprint unpack patch pack
make[1]: Entering directory `/home/pkilian/dupa/meta-doctor'
make[1]: Nothing to be done for `unpack'.
rm -f build/pre-p100eww-sprint-1.2.0/.patched
for app in com.palm.app.firstuse ; do \
mv build/pre-p100eww-sprint-1.2.0/rootfs/usr/lib/ipkg/info/$app.md5sums{,.old} ; \
done
mv: missing destination file operand after `build/pre-p100eww-sprint-1.2.0/rootfs/usr/lib/ipkg/info/com.palm.app.firstuse.md5sums{,.old}'
Try `mv --help' for more information.
make[1]: *** [build/pre-p100eww-sprint-1.2.0/.patched] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/pkilian/dupa/meta-doctor'
make: *** [pack-sprint] Error 2
pkilian@falcon:~/dupa/meta-doctor$



this is what i'm getting do you need to run a different make version or something?

[Abyssul]

I guess I'm going to create a dual boot partition on my PC with Linux

[en0x]

ok i got it working had to tweak makefile a little ;D

[jhoff80]

Is making the /var partition larger like that safe for updates? I thought I remembered reading that that could mess things up when Palm makes their own solution for the issue.

[daventx]

Just wanted to say thanks again!

All I had to do was "yum install git" for centos 5.3 and it worked perfectly..

[en0x]

well without reflashing you can't resize /var... you just cant take space from fat32 and put it on ext3 if /media/internal was be a ext3 partition then yes but fat32 not likely

[Jason Robitaille]

rwhitby, want me to try making a cross platform java app for this?

EDIT: lol, I could already use the extract code I made for the Repair Utility

[KnoxBNYC]

@rwhitby: Thank you. This is amazing. (Can't believe nobody thought of this before!)

@Jason Robitaille: You'll do a cross-platform? You never cease to amaze me!! Seriously!

[Compusmurf]

Excuse my ignorance, I'm neither a programmer nor a big linux guy.....

Say I did this on my 1.2.0 image, and as we know, 1.2.1 is now out..

What happens when I apply 1.2.0 with these changes then let it update 1.2.1.

Also, 2nd question, may be easier. The 2Gb for the /var. Is this a confirmed fix for the "out of memory" issue?

[SirWill]

Originally Posted by Jason Robitaille

rwhitby, want me to try making a cross platform java app for this?

EDIT: lol, I could already use the extract code I made for the Repair Utility

Ohhhhh Drooling at this already!

Maybe oh maybe it could be taken a step further and have the ability to pre-install applications, services, and patches in your doctor file! Think about it.. Sounds way cool.

And @rwhitby Thank you Thank you Thank you.

[Jason Robitaille]

Originally Posted by Compusmurf

Also, 2nd question, may be easier. The 2Gb for the /var. Is this a confirmed fix for the "out of memory" issue?

It'd fix the system memory limitation, but, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, I'm pretty sure the Palm-imposed limit would remain there. So apps like Preware and WebOSQuickInstall would be still needed (and at some point the App Catalog would each the limit and give the error still).

[jhoff80]

Originally Posted by Jason Robitaille

It'd fix the system memory limitation, but, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, I'm pretty sure the Palm-imposed limit would remain there. So apps like Preware and WebOSQuickInstall would be still needed (and at some point the App Catalog would each the limit and give the error still).

Yeah, App Catalog gives the limit at 50 regardless.

[Jason Robitaille]

Originally Posted by jhoff80

Yeah, App Catalog gives the limit at 50 regardless.

Didn't someone make a patch for that a while ago? (or was at least working on one)

[jhoff80]

Originally Posted by Jason Robitaille

Didn't someone make a patch for that a while ago? (or was at least working on one)

If so, I missed it.

[daventx]

Originally Posted by Jason Robitaille

Didn't someone make a patch for that a while ago? (or was at least working on one)

Removing app install limit in App Catalog - WebOS Internals

But nothing final had been found or developed yet.


Currently this is the fix by xorg... which is moving and linking the app

http://forums.precentral.net/web-os-...-proposal.html

^ in this thread: there is a mention of an email limit on /var? That it will basically fill up.. any reality to that?

[xorg]

Yea, I first pursued changing the app catalog code, but didn't get too far because the limit is in a binary. I then pursued the link method and it worked. The limit is not 50 apps, it appears to be the size of the /var.../apps directory. Even if you increase /var, it may not resolve the issue (anyone confirm?). The link method fakes out the app catalog, thinking apps is using up less space, because it is.

It could be that the limit is based on size of /var../apps relative to % of available space on /var. If so, the resizing var would likely work. If it's a fixed MB limit, like 25-30MB, resizing var won't work.