Thread: Cheapest car pc ever.

I'd like to buy one MSNTV2 box but cant find anywhere the informations and how-to's to flash the bios. Where website u readed that?

thanks

Originally Posted by IntellaWorks

Can you get the hardware specs from that thing (i.e. what intel chipset? ) If so what's stopping you from injecting the correct drivers onto an nLited Windows XP running from a CF card. Replace thier CF card with yours, there's your windows XP??

Pretty sure it's just the bios that's stopping you. If the bios detects that the bootup files are missing from the CF card, it dials out to download the new files.

You would have to flash the bios to get around that issue.

Originally Posted by SnyperBob

You would have to flash the bios to get around that issue.

How?

I'm trying to figure out the same. It appears that the meca of information for this hack, some dude's website, is currently down. I can't find the information elsewhere.

It's either keep looking for more info, or wait for him to bring his site back up
-_-

Pandy,
Have you figured out if the USB ports on your new toy are 2.0 or less?
That makes a big difference in my decision to follow your lead.
This sounds like a fantastic project. I'll be watchin' to see how it goes.

as for vga, would a usb vga adapter work?

It might be down, but the google cache isn't.

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache...ient=firefox-a

Loading Linux - Serial interface

Logic levels on the inputs and outputs of the UART in the SuperIO chip are LVTTL (0/3.3V). The standard serial port connectors have RS-232 levels
(-12/+12V). Most PCs that have a serial port have a LVTTL to RS-232 level translator built in, however since the serial port is not a nominally
user-accessible feature on the MSNTV, the chip has not been designed in to lower the cost. So you will need a serial ttl chip something like the max3232cpe chip will work (this is what i used).
You can find the schematics for such a device here (http://nil.rpc1.org/psp/files/PSP%20...0Converter.pdf) This was designed with the PSP in mind, but will work fine with the msntv 2.
diagram.png

The Serial pins on the msntv are located at the front left of the board. (It looks like the power to a floppy drive) afterchip.jpg
The pin outs are 1-tx 2-rx 3-gnd 4-3.3v (left to right.) - Thanks to codeman for this discovery.

Getting into the service menu
Once you have serial setup connect it and set the baud rate to 115200 and power the msntv on.
The msntv will send # once this happens. Reply with $ and you will see something like this.

OK

MSNTV Service Menu
BoxID: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Box Serial)
Version: 1 Build: 387 MSNTV CRC: 758646167 MD5: FEC7884E 15CB25B6 8C59A9FA 4A6D0195
POST: 00

Kernel / rootfs / Bios.bin
You will need to place vmlinux.bin (the kernel) on the first partition of your compact flash card. A file named "cmdline" contains the command line options for the kernel.
You will also need to copy an image of the rootfs onto your cf card.
First download kernel.zip. Copy the vmlinux.bin / cmline / bios.bin to the cf card (You can delete the other files).
Then download rootfs.tar.gz extract it ( tar -xzvf rootfs.tar.gz ) and copy the image to the 3rd partition on the cf card
(dd if=rootfs.img of=/dev/sda3)

There are two kernel types currently available, PanicOpticon's which support video and Niacin's original build which does not.
PanicOpticon's kernel and configs can be found [here (http://firelife.dyn.dhs.org/~panicop...sntv/kernel/)], with more information about them available [here (http://www.toc2rta.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=11)]. Note this build does require the video bios patch and stage2 file from [msntv-video-r1.tar.bz2 (http://toc2rta.com/msntv-video-r1.tar.bz2)]
Niacin's original kernel [kernel.zip (http://mirror.toc2rta.com/kernel.zip)]
[rootfs.tar.gz (http://mirror.toc2rta.com/rootfs.tar.gz)]
[Bios.bin (http://rapidshare.de/files/13112002/...non.zip.html)] I can't host a copy of the patched bios. This contains microsoft's copyrighted code. Someone has setup a link on rapidshare.de

Flashing the patch

We flash the bios by overriding a function of the service menu in ram. In this case the "Video test and show test screen". [This (http://toc2rta.com/servicemenu.txt)] is what the service menu looks like.
Once you run the graphic test it then opens the bios.bin on the CF card and flashes it to the bios.
Heres how to do it
Now type "x" which will get you into the examine memory option.
Then copy and paste the commands from here (http://mirror.toc2rta.com/cmds.txt)
Now type "q" then "v" and you should see something like this
flashsmall.jpg
The green and blue light on the front of the msntv should flash backwards and forwards while the bios is being written.

The kernel boots!
Now reboot the Msntv. It should boot the kernel. Like this
kernelboot.jpg


Pictures of my Msntv 2 cluster and stuff
cluster1.jpg cluster2.jpg
cluster3.jpg img4.jpg



Pics of Console and Xwin + firefox. (Thanks panic)
linux1.jpg linux2.jpg
tv.jpg linux3.jpg

Questions
Q - Does this work on any Msntv's aside from the RM4100?
A - No the other msntv was MIPS based. This is x86 based
Q - Does video work?
A - YES!
Q - Who am i?
A - Check out the about page [here (http://mirror.toc2rta.com/index.php/...a_Wiki:About)]
Q - Hi res image of the board?
A - [Hi-res Image (http://toc2rta.com/board.jpg)] and InsideMsnTV
Q - Dmesg?
A - Sure Here (http://mirror.toc2rta.com/dmesg.txt). I'm using a standard kernel with certain modules compiled in (monolithic)
Q - What do you use the cluster for?
A - At the moment not much. I hope to setup beowulf / rocks in the next few days. Distcc works great
Q - Does it support cf > 64mb
A - Not at this moment. But i plan to fix that
Q - What do you use for power? / How much power?
A - I use 3x350watt atx power supplies / Each unit requires 12v/2amp

Of course, all the downloads are gone.

Chances are you will need one of these cables to interface to the board:

http://cgi.ebay.com/RS232-to-3-3-5v-...QQcmdZViewItem

http://jpedty.net/msntv2hack

That is a copy, but i don't think the downloads work on that either.

http://www.linux-hacker.net/cgi-bin/...rder=&Session=

Their are forums for the msntv 2, but not much their.

Hum, would it be possible to load Windows on this thing ? I just bid on two boxes on ebay. 100$ for both :/