Thanks and I was about ready to post a link to another Youtube video on "How To Do Just That" but your video is better! :good:
[FLASHER] [v1.3 - 2014-07-07] FlashCast: Quickly and easily mod your Chromecast
- Thread starter tchebb
- Start date
Here's another much longer video on using Diskpart that I was going to post earlier. It has a few extra steps but I don't know if that means that it's any better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TQ1RpToSsk
(im hoping this isnt a stupid question!)
Could google update the chromecast app on the playstore to affect rooted chromecast i.e to somehow block them or force a remote update to remove flashcast?
Just wondered after i blindly updated the app and was about to use it.
just to be clear i have no issues regarding this but wondering if this is technically possible for google.
thanks
Could google update the chromecast app on the playstore to affect rooted chromecast i.e to somehow block them or force a remote update to remove flashcast?
Just wondered after i blindly updated the app and was about to use it.
just to be clear i have no issues regarding this but wondering if this is technically possible for google.
thanks
It is technically possible for Google to remotely update a device running the PwnedCast rooted ROM, but doing so would not be easy for Google (they couldn't go through their normal OTA framework since rooted ROMs disable that) and I doubt they'd bother, considering the relatively few rooted devices in existence. It also wouldn't require an update to the Play Store app; it could be done fully remotely. If you want to remove this possibility, you can flash KyoCast on top of the rooted ROM, which prevents the device from interacting with Google's servers in any meaningful way.
Hello,
I was able to get flashcast installed on a USB drive and I have PWN cast running on one CC. Now that I have the USB drive setup for flashcast, I though it would be pretty simple to flash a 2nd CC. Here is a run down on what I have tried to this point. Note, I am using the same USB drive that was used to flash the first CC.
1. Tried with the original USB to flash a 2nd CC. The FlashCast screen appeared briefly and the CC rebooted. The light on the CC stayed red and no log file was written to the USB drive.
2. Started from scratch and formatted the USB drive. The copied the bin file (flashcast-1.1.bin) back to the USB with dd.
3. Retried to flash the CC but this time I don't see the FlashCast screen. The USB drive label was not updated to "FLASCAST" and the only file that is on the USB drive is in the root folder named "init_partitions". When I try to boot the CC with this USB drive the light on the drive flashes once and the CC reboots after a few seconds.
Any thoughts on how to resolve this?
Thanks!
I was able to get flashcast installed on a USB drive and I have PWN cast running on one CC. Now that I have the USB drive setup for flashcast, I though it would be pretty simple to flash a 2nd CC. Here is a run down on what I have tried to this point. Note, I am using the same USB drive that was used to flash the first CC.
1. Tried with the original USB to flash a 2nd CC. The FlashCast screen appeared briefly and the CC rebooted. The light on the CC stayed red and no log file was written to the USB drive.
2. Started from scratch and formatted the USB drive. The copied the bin file (flashcast-1.1.bin) back to the USB with dd.
3. Retried to flash the CC but this time I don't see the FlashCast screen. The USB drive label was not updated to "FLASCAST" and the only file that is on the USB drive is in the root folder named "init_partitions". When I try to boot the CC with this USB drive the light on the drive flashes once and the CC reboots after a few seconds.
Any thoughts on how to resolve this?
Thanks!
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That is not correct. FlashCast is intended to remain on the flash drive after flashing and be reusable. If it's not doing that, please file a bug report at FlashCast's GitHub repository.
Wait a minute! After Flashcast is put on the USB drive, Windows won't read it. After the Flashcast is installed on the CC, doesn't it format the USB drive, labels it as Flashcast, isn't the bin file erased? I assumed if the USB drive is formatted the bin file is erased when formatted.
After installing the PWNED! ROM, I didn't see anything besides the zip and a log file.
FlashCast installs itself to partition two of the USB drive, which is actually located at the beginning of the drive. When it's first booted, it expands partition one to fill the rest of the drive and formats it as FAT32. Partition two is small enough that you won't notice the size difference of the FAT partition on any reasonably-sized flash drive. If you open any partitioning program and look at the flash drive with it, however, you'll be able to see the second partition, which holds the FlashCast binaries and root filesystem.
Hmmm, so it's still there and I assume unless DISKPART is used? I'm not clear on one point. The same USB drive that may have a (eureka_image.zip) and log file on it can be used to install Flashcast on another CC but would or wouldn't it install the zip file as well?
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Flashcast is installed on the USB drive. Flashcast installs the eurika_image.zip on the chromecast.
My question is, does this mean that one can use the same USB drive, as is, to install Flashcast on another Chromecast and would it ignore or install the eureka_image.zip that's on it?
Flashcast isn't installed on the chromecast. Its written to a flash drive and used to install mods, distributed as zip files, on chromecasts.
I think the question being asked is, if a FlashCast prepared USB drive can be used more than once to set up another CC with FlashCast after already using it to set up one. Or, do you have to set up the drive again by formatting it, using dd to install the flashcast.bin to the USB drive again, and then set up the 2nd CC?
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
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Why is the USB drive connected to the Chromecast at the first step then a zip is copied to it?
If there is a reason then whatever USB drive one use is now for that use only??
If I read the documentation correctly:
First you use dd or win32diskimager to write flashcast to a USB drive. Afterwards you plug it in to a chromecast to finish the process of setting up flashcast (part of that is preparing a fat32 partition). Then you plug the drive back in to a PC to copy the mod you want to install.
You can then use that drive to install mods on other chromecasts. You don't have to write flashcast again, its already there.
Exactly this. Once a drive is setup, you can use it on as many chromecasts as you want. it is NOT device specific.
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What is it?
FlashCast is a USB image that provides a standardized way to mod your Chromecast. Think of it like a recovery which runs off of a USB drive. No more struggling with the limitations of the GTVHacker image, which is hard to modify and can only flash the /system partition. FlashCast is based on shell scripts, so it you can use it to do anything you can do with a root shell. It also comes with a comprehensive suite of helper functions, so many tasks actually become much easier than they would be using a regular shell.
How do I use it?
If you prefer to follow a video tutorial, @ddggttff3 has made one here. Otherwise, read on for written instructions.
Preparation
Before you begin, you'll need some materials:
- A Chromecast with a vulnerable bootloader. (For the bootloader to be vulnerable, the Chromecast must have never been connected to the internet and have a rootable serial number.)
- The latest version of FlashCast (the download link is at the bottom of this post).
- A USB drive (minimum size 256MB) which you are willing to have erased.
- A powered Micro-USB OTG cable such as this one. (Alternatively, an unpowered USB hub and unpowered OTG cable can be used as shown here. I have not tested this method and cannot help you if your USB drive is not detected.)
Installation
Once you've gathered everything required, you can install FlashCast to your USB drive. To do so, you need to write the .bin file contained in the FlashCast .zip file you've downloaded to your drive. Simply using a file explorer to drag the .bin file to your USB drive is not correct and will not work. The specifics of doing a low-level write differ depending on OS, but, in general, Linux and OS X users should use dd and Windows users should use Win32DiskImager. This operation will erase your flash drive.
After you've written the .bin file to your USB drive, your computer will no longer recognize a filesystem on it. This is normal. In order for FlashCast to set up the drive's filesystem, you need to boot your Chromecast from the drive. To do this, perform the following steps:
- Connect the male end of your Micro-USB OTG cable to your Chromecast.
- Plug your USB drive into the USB-A female connector of the OTG cable.
- Simultaneously hold the button on your Chromecast and connect the Micro-USB power connector to the female Micro-USB port of the OTG cable.
If FlashCast was copied correctly, you will see a red light on your Chromecast for approximately 9 seconds. It will then turn white and your TV will display a screen containing the FlashCast logo (shown at the top of this post) and various instructions. Once you see this screen, you may release the button. The screen will appear for another 9 seconds or so, after which your Chromecast will reboot on its own to the stock image. After it has rebooted (you may disconnect the power when it starts to boot into the stock image if you're worried about it updating), FlashCast is installed on your USB drive and ready for use. Your device is NOT rooted at this point and can still be updated by Google. To root, you need to flash a mod such as Team Eureka's Eureka-ROM. When you plug the drive into your computer, it should appear as an empty drive which you can copy files to.
Usage
FlashCast-compatible mods are distributed as .zip files. To flash a mod, simply copy it to the USB drive with the name eureka_image.zip. Do NOT use dd as you did in the previous section. If you do, you will have to repeat the whole process. Instead, just copy it onto the drive's filesystem as you would any other file. FlashCast is also capable of flashing a GTVHacker-style raw system image; if there are no native FlashCast mods present and the system image is in a file called Chromecast-Rooted-System-GTVHacker-cj_000-July27-635PM.bin, it will be flashed. This method of flashing is very inflexible and is not recommended.
How do I develop for it?
If you are interested in creating mods for FlashCast, please see the developer thread.
Who made it?
FlashCast is based on a generic Buildroot Linux image. Its mod framework was written entirely by me, but I couldn't have done it without the help of various individuals. Thanks, @cj_000, for helping me and putting up with my stupid questions in IRC. And thank you, @tvall, for releasing your update-free images so promptly up until now. Without those, FlashCast would have a much smaller potential user base.
Where do I get it?
Downloads and source code are available at FlashCast's GitHub repository. The latest version is currently v1.3.10
The initial software which the Chromecast shipped with, build 12072, had a vulnerable bootloader. In all following software versions (12840, 12940, and 13300), the vulnerability is patched and FlashCast can't be used. If your Chromecast has been allowed to access the internet, it will have updated itself and will not be vulnerable. If you have not set up your Chromecast and it still has the software from the factory, it may or may not be vulnerable, depending on when you bought it. To check, you can plug it in (but not set it up), and check its "Build" in the Chromecast app. Alternatively, you can simply try to boot FlashCast on it. If it's patched, nothing bad will happen; the USB drive will simply fail to boot.5
Have a Tutorial Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRsUuiuWQMM
Not my best work, but was somewhat rushed. Hope that's OK.
Commands Used in CMD:
Code:diskpart list disk select disk * (where * is your jump drive disk number) clean convert mbr create partition primary
Like I said in the video, make sure you select the drive letter of your jump drive! If you select the wrong disk you can accidentally wipe all of the data from your computer. Me, XDA, and team eureka are NOT responsible for any data loss.5
This is just a flashing tool, so all of your questions depend on the ROM you flash. If you flash the 13300 package I made, it will disable updates and enable telnet/adb. If you want updates in the future, just wait for me,or someone else to release a new image once a new update rolls out.
Yes, it means you can change the DNS server chromecast uses. I actually plan on making a flashable zip to do just that in the next few days.
EDIT: Posted the flashable zip in its own thread. http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2455888
