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_nz_

Member
Dec 10, 2010
22
11
And so I've been digging into this, and it turns out that this is really quite similar to how the Gen 7 Archos 5 IT is locked.

The signature there is a RSA + MD5 signature, which is really the worst case as that means a 2048 bit RSA key, so we're kinda screwed there.

... has a good description of the situation on the 5IT. Getting a flash_unlock binary should be fairly trivial, so perhaps we can tamper with the key store to add additional keys.

just a note of caution, if you write a bad key store or a bad bootloader, you will brick this device permanently. I would advice you to wait for the gen8 "SDE" release that will allow you to run your own kernel and userspace without risk of bricking. SDE should be out in a few days.
 
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chrulri

Senior Member
Dec 7, 2010
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so with SDE we could run perm. root with the Archos' Froyo or even Googles Android 2.3 / 3.0 release and do whatever we want? (e.g. custom rootfs / custom kernel)
what are the borderlines of SDE?
 

mothy

Senior Member
Oct 3, 2008
596
65
Fort Collins
just a note of caution, if you write a bad key store or a bad bootloader, you will brick this device permanently. I would advice you to wait for the gen8 "SDE" release that will allow you to run your own kernel and userspace without risk of bricking. SDE should be out in a few days.

nz: If I'm wrong let me know but you work for Archos right?
 
thats what I thought but is it dangerous to the root development to have a company rep seeing what we are doing? I dont know just wondering?

you really dont think that google/htc/microsoft etc dont use these forums? i know for a fact microsoft have been for many years when these guys were hacking up wm5 roms

its just a shame that they dont take positive actions from what they must learn (i'm positive that some people on here are much better devs than what some companies have in their dev teams!)
 
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mothy

Senior Member
Oct 3, 2008
596
65
Fort Collins
you really dont think that google/htc/microsoft etc dont use these forums? i know for a fact microsoft have been for many years when these guys were hacking up wm5 roms

its just a shame that they dont take positive actions from what they must learn (i'm positive that some people on here are much better devs than what some companies have in their dev teams!)

Yeah true!
 

Hexidecimal

Senior Member
Sep 18, 2010
55
2
Pittsburgh
If I'm mistaken please let me know but the SDE looks like the environment that lets you install Angstrom linux. How will that be helpful in loading a rooted android image onto the device? Will it give us the ability to see the encryption on these flash chips so we can build new ROMs without fear of bricking? Just curious. Thanks!
 

czesiu

Senior Member
Apr 13, 2010
336
38
Warsaw
twitter.com
so with SDE we could run perm. root with the Archos' Froyo or even Googles Android 2.3 / 3.0 release and do whatever we want? (e.g. custom rootfs / custom kernel)
what are the borderlines of SDE?
there is some info for older devices at the bottom of this page:
http://www.archos.com/support/support_tech/updates.html
Once the SDE firmware is installed on a device, this device will be watermarked and ARCHOS will be able to detect that this firmware has been installed once.
Installing the SDE firmware is considered by ARCHOS as a voiding of the warranty
:(
 

_nz_

Member
Dec 10, 2010
22
11
If I'm mistaken please let me know but the SDE looks like the environment that lets you install Angstrom linux. How will that be helpful in loading a rooted android image onto the device? Will it give us the ability to see the encryption on these flash chips so we can build new ROMs without fear of bricking? Just curious. Thanks!

SDE lets you install a kernel and a user space file system. Angstrom is just a demo, it is not limited to angstrom.
 
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fzelle

Senior Member
Mar 19, 2006
1,009
143
yes.
And they have any right to do so.

Just see it that way, when all those modders have ported 2.3 or 3.0 to the device so that the normal user can use it, warrenty will already be over.
 

N23

Senior Member
Mar 29, 2007
180
22
What if the screen dies or other non software related problem occurs - could Archos look at the watermark and say that warranty is void?

this depends on the country - so no clear answer!

but keep up the good work, can't wait to see 2.3 running (and i mean running, not crawling like 2.2) :)
 

zelch

Member
Nov 14, 2010
40
2
just a note of caution, if you write a bad key store or a bad bootloader, you will brick this device permanently. I would advice you to wait for the gen8 "SDE" release that will allow you to run your own kernel and userspace without risk of bricking. SDE should be out in a few days.

Thank you _nz_, the information about the coming SDE is quite helpful.

Are you able to answer specific questions regarding as of yet unreleased firmware, or does ArchOS require that everything come via official press releases?

Thank you.
 

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    And so I've been digging into this, and it turns out that this is really quite similar to how the Gen 7 Archos 5 IT is locked.

    The signature there is a RSA + MD5 signature, which is really the worst case as that means a 2048 bit RSA key, so we're kinda screwed there.

    ... has a good description of the situation on the 5IT. Getting a flash_unlock binary should be fairly trivial, so perhaps we can tamper with the key store to add additional keys.

    just a note of caution, if you write a bad key store or a bad bootloader, you will brick this device permanently. I would advice you to wait for the gen8 "SDE" release that will allow you to run your own kernel and userspace without risk of bricking. SDE should be out in a few days.
    1
    If I'm mistaken please let me know but the SDE looks like the environment that lets you install Angstrom linux. How will that be helpful in loading a rooted android image onto the device? Will it give us the ability to see the encryption on these flash chips so we can build new ROMs without fear of bricking? Just curious. Thanks!

    SDE lets you install a kernel and a user space file system. Angstrom is just a demo, it is not limited to angstrom.
    1
    Thank you _nz_, the information about the coming SDE is quite helpful.

    Are you able to answer specific questions regarding as of yet unreleased firmware, or does ArchOS require that everything come via official press releases?

    Thank you.

    I will not answer questions about unreleased firmwares
    1
    some informations about SDE (for gen7): http://archos.g3nius.org/index.php?...cial_Developer_Edition_firmware_means_to_you?

    so we have to wait for gen8 SDE to make some big steps forward

    @nz excuse me for asking you this kind of "unfriendly" question: does "in a few days" mean within next (two) week(s) or before new year or next year? it would make it a lot easier for me to plan my vacations ;)

    I was told it should get out on monday
    1
    I guess we'll lose access to DRM contents though, which is fortunately not something I care about.

    can't we just backup DRM and restore it later manually as these sectors are only locked in SDE mode?