Anyone know Buildroot password..?

[Spanner]

I still can not get in to Buildroot, I have tried a few passwords, at the moment I am tried to bypassing it by changing its boot command and get it to mount its ramdisk, then you do not need a password, it keeps kernel panicking at the moment, this way takes time.

I have tried user: root, and pass: no password so just press enter so it has a password, that didn't work, I tried: 2600+, 2600, Atari2600+, Plaion, PLAION, Atari.

As I always say `If you don't ask, you don't get`...

Edited December 4, 2023 by Spanner

[Spanner]

I have had some progress:
As Flinn from Tron would say.... "THEN ONE DAY... I GOT IN"...

But one problem, its roofs is a squashed image on the nand(like on the Amstrad E3 emailer, only UK users know what that was) so its mounded as read only and can not be changed, but I can see its password the shadow file in etc/, well its hash from it.

root:$1$fe95lm6r$DILUbEqcN6fp4mmq9WgN9/:10933:0:99999:7:::

Can anyone decipher it...?
Its a MD5 HASH, $1$ is Message Digest 5 (MD5)
One thing I noticed, it has a retroarch.cfg in the etc/ folder so it might be using Retroarch of Stella.

Edited December 4, 2023 by Spanner

[Spanner]

This uses a squashed filesystem so it doesn't matter if you get the password, to edit it you need to change the whole partition...

Quote

Squashfs is read only because the entire filesystem is compressed and zipped, before it is written to the storage media. And so making any changes to any files, it will have to be zipped and rewritten to the entire partition again - which is a great waste of effort if done repeatedly. And if the entire filesystem cannot fit into the memory you will need a separate holding storage area to store the intermediate files during compression/decompression - taking up even more unnecessary storage space.

 

[+karri]

You could also have a read/write overlay on top of the squashed filesystem. That technique was used on cd based linux distros with usb storage for changes. But for a gaming console changing the partition makes sense.

[Spanner]

Just founded the name of the MCU USB Controller in Buldroot
Retro Games LTD  USBController... lol
So the MCU is a USB Controller IC is a GH002 IC(Gamepad Hub 002)it as both chips in one so two ports, its like it has two THEGamepad connected too it, cause the first one in THEC64 Joystick and THEGamepad(THEA500 Mini) was a GH001 IC(Gamepad Hub 001), its IC was marked with that name.
 

[    3.768753] hid-generic 0003:1C59:0026.0001: input,hidraw0: USB HID v1.11 Gamepad [ Retro Games LTD  USBController ] on usb-101e0000.usb-1/input0
[    3.775266] hid-generic 0003:1C59:0026.0002: hiddev0,hidraw1: USB HID v1.11 Device [ Retro Games LTD  USBController ] on usb-101e0000.usb-1/input1
[    3.838363] devfreq 10091000.gpu: Couldn't update frequency transition information.

 

[Rodney Hester]

Well at least now we know what the project was that got in line ahead of the A500 Maxi.  😃

[Spanner]

its using RetroArch: Frontend for libretro -- v1.7.4
I guest it would be RA 1.7.0 because that what I got working on THEC64 cause that has 256 ram, it can not run a newer one cause it would run out of ram, RA 1.9.6 did it to me Retroarch's binary is to big in its ram.

Edited December 5, 2023 by Spanner

[Blinky]

On 12/5/2023 at 6:19 PM, Spanner said:

So the MCU is a USB Controller IC is a GH002 IC(Gamepad Hub 002)it as both chips in one

Let's say the MCU identifies itself as  Retro Games LTD  USB Controller(s). It doesn't really tell us anything about the type of MCU used as any USB capable MCU could identify itself as such a controller if it was programmed to do so.

 

Judging from the footprint and some of the connections both the dumper and usb controller MCUs may be of the same type though.

 

[Spanner]

The emulator is in the oem folder or the krflash0p7 partition and its not compressed so PLAION can update the partition thats why it not part of the firmware, the firmware will not be updated because misstakes can be make and stop it working, to change the firmware you have to flash the krflash0p6 so have to flash the whole partition, you can not change any files inside it only if the img you have of it and change the files in it then flash it over krflash0p6 because thats the rootfs.

 

Edited December 8, 2023 by Spanner

[+karri]

It is still going to be a bit complex update as the games database appears to be in the dumper. So you need to update multiple chips.

[Spanner]

PLAION will probably make a Flashing app that will update MCU and everything else that needs updating on the PC.

[+karri]

48 minutes ago, Spanner said:

PLAION will probably make a Flashing app that will update MCU and everything else that needs updating on the PC.

There is also two flashing apps by Rockchip. The Rockchip Batch tool and Factory tool. My understanding is that they can even replace the entire firmware by booting the chip from the mask rom. If the MCU's are connected in a compatible way the tools may be able to flash them as well...

[Spanner]

23 hours ago, karri said:

There is also two flashing apps by Rockchip. The Rockchip Batch tool and Factory tool. My understanding is that they can even replace the entire firmware by booting the chip from the mask rom. If the MCU's are connected in a compatible way the tools may be able to flash them as well...

Yes it like FEL Mode on THEC64 or on Alwinner SoC Sunix boards, the button on the board is basically the FEL button and works the same way as the Reset switch, and if you hold down the Reset switch and turn it on, it goes in to a FEL like mode too so you can run Linux from a PC and get it to boot from it so you can backup the nand using dd command or made a back up of the whole nand or over write the nand.
This a better way of doing it cause you can update the whole system, updating it using a USB Stick like on THEC64/THEA500 it would only update the carousel/emulator only because you need the Linux system to be running to update it so can not update the Linux system and the system needs to be working so you can update it because the update is on the USB Stick so if THEC64/THEA500 stops working you will not be able to update it, because it runs from its Carousel.

RGL could do it this way too and scrap the USB updates if they wanted too, it would probably fix all the machines that do not work, well some of them, the machines with a power problem it wouldn't.

And this is not full prove so flashing the machine can go wrong because your flashing software on to hardware.

Edited December 9, 2023 by Spanner

[Spanner]

I now have got passed the password and changed it to chuckpeddle...  the shadow file used is from THEC64 Mini, its the easiest password to remember, I have typed it millions of times....
I post soon how I did it, Hint - I used U-Boot to get in.

Edited December 10, 2023 by Spanner

[+karri]

Nice! And thanks! I should take a look at the cart loading process...

[Spanner]

On 12/8/2023 at 12:47 PM, karri said:

There is also two flashing apps by Rockchip. The Rockchip Batch tool and Factory tool. My understanding is that they can even replace the entire firmware by booting the chip from the mask rom. If the MCU's are connected in a compatible way the tools may be able to flash them as well...

The factory Tool is for mobile phones with a Rockchip in it so I would use the batch tool because it uses .img files, or they could make there own flashing tool that only works on the Atari2600+ and then .img file could them be embedded into the tool and that way users do not make a mistake when they run it, people can make mistake especially if they are not technically minded.

[Spanner]

 

Adding new Password
====================

 

You will need the rootfs-new-pw=chuckpeddle.img file that attached here(all it has in it is Linux and Linux is free), and it being copied to a place on your PC somewhere or a USB Stick, there are two ways of doing it, Easy Way or Hard Way.

 

You will need a USBserial for this too, I use a CP2102 USB Module.

 

1. By connecting a USB Micro USB cable to your PC(Easy Way).
================================================================

You only need a Micro USB Cable for this.

You can share the nand from u-boot to your PC.

Connect using a USB micro USB cable, the micro USB end in the CPU boards micro USB port and the USB A end plugged in to one of the PC's USB Ports in your PC.

You have to disconnect the CPU Board from the Cart/DB9 Board, it interferes with its USBs(I have not figured out why its doing this).Connect to it using Putty and the Atari2600+ UART(Serial Debug Port)(I use a CP2102 USB Module Serial USB and connect its RX to TX and TX to RX and GND to GND(Ground) on its CPU board and then connect it to the CPU board's micro USB port a OTG USB Cable(above) and connect it to the PC, Once you do that it will turn itself on so make sure you have clicked on the Putty screen and held down the CTRL and C keys to interrupt u-boot and you see:

=> <INTERRUPT>(might a few of them).
=>
=> <INTERRUPT>
=> 

then type:

usb start (or usb stop to turn USB off, if it does not work the first time)

You will see:

starting USB...
Bus usb@10180000: Bus usb@101c0000: USB EHCI 1.00
Bus usb@101e0000: USB OHCI 1.0
scanning bus usb@10180000 for devices... 1 USB Device(s) found
scanning bus usb@101c0000 for devices... 1 USB Device(s) found
scanning bus usb@101e0000 for devices... 2 USB Device(s) found
       scanning usb for storage devices... 0 Storage Device(s) found

You can share just a specific rknand partition then you add the partition number, so for the rootfs/Buildroot Linux is partition 6:

then type: 

ums 0 rknand 0:6

and you see something like:

UMS: LUN 0, dev 0, hwpart 0, sector 0x0, count 0x6d400

Now you should have a new drive on your PC, it's the rootfs partition,
and the cursor will be animating(moving), you can stop it with CTRL-C but if you do that it will remove the petition from the PC.

To write or copy the .img files on the PC you can use the Win32 Disk Imager, or maybe Echer, but I never tried Echer.
its the same as if you were copying a img file to a sd card for the Raspberry PI.
Look for the rootfs-new-pw=chuckpeddle.img file on your PC, wherever you put it and add it to Win32 Disk imager and then select the drive the rootfs is under from the CPU board and then click on write to copy it to the nand.
Once you write to the nand then turn it off and put the CPU Board back in the DB9/Cart Board and your done.

You should be able to boot normally now and log in now with user: root and pass: chuckpeddle.

 

2. By using a USB Stick(Hard Way).
====================================

 

You will need a USB Stick, A USB A to A Cable and a 4 Port USB Hub.

 

If you want use a USB Stick, you have to disconnect the CPU Board from the Cart/DB9 Board, it interferes with its USBs(I have not figured out why its doing this) then plug in a OTG Cable in with a USB Port on the end of it, not all OTG USB cables with a power cable on them work so easiset way round this is use a OTG USB Cable with only a USB Female Port on it then plug in a 4 Port USB Hub into it and then use a USB A to A cable, then plug on end in to the PC and the other end in to one of the ports on the 4 Port USB Hub to power it, then plug in the USB Stick in one of the 4 Port USB Hub USB Ports and if it has switches on it make sure it has 2 USB Ports on, the others can be off and it will see the USB Stick.

Connect to it using Putty and the Atari2600+ UART(Serial Debug Port)(I use a CP2102 USB Module Serial USB and connect its RX to TX and TX to RX and GND to GND(Ground) on it main CPU board and then connect it to the main CPU board's micro USB port a OTG USB Cable(above) and connect it to the PC, Once you do that it will turn itself on so make sure you have clicked on the Putty screen and held down the CTRL and C keys to interrupt u-boot and you see:
=> <INTERRUPT>(might a few of them).
=>
To check the usb drive and start it in U-Boot:

Type:

usb start (or usb stop to turn USB off, if it does not work the first time)

You will see:

starting USB...
Bus usb@10180000: Bus usb@101c0000: USB EHCI 1.00
Bus usb@101e0000: USB OHCI 1.0
scanning bus usb@10180000 for devices... 1 USB Device(s) found
scanning bus usb@101c0000 for devices... 2 USB Device(s) found
scanning bus usb@101e0000 for devices... 2 USB Device(s) found
       scanning usb for storage devices... 1 Storage Device(s) found

and then 
usb storage(to check it sees the USB Stick as a USB storage device)

then:
fatls usb 0(to check the USB Sticks file system and it reads it correctly)

and:
usb info(this is for checking all USB Devices in U-Boot and if its sees the USB Stick OK)

and finally...
Make sure it see the USB Stick properly first(thats why we do the checks above) before typing the command below:

fdt set /chosen bootargs "loglevel=9 init=/bin/sh earlycon=uart8250,mmio32,0x20064000 console=ttyFIQ0 rw root=PARTUUID=614e0000-0000 rootwait"

Then type:

boot

and wait for it to finish booting into Buildroot(Linux).
Now press enter then this will come up after 6 seconds:

/ #
[   43.272614] random: nonblocking pool is initialized

Now press enter again and you get:

/ #

then type:

ls

and you will see:

bin             etc    linuxrc  oem            root    sys        userdata
busybox.config  init   media    opt            run     timestamp  usr
data            lib    misc     proc           sbin    tmp        var
dev             lib32  mnt      rockchip_test  sdcard  udisk

We have booted into Buildroot Linux OK.
 

To copy the roofs to a .img file(Backup).

=========================
Backup it first.

Type:

/etc/init.d/S21mountall.sh

 

echo host > /sys/devices/platform/20008000.syscon/20008000.syscon:usb2-phy@17c/otg_mode

 

mount /dev/sda1 /mnt

 

cd /mnt

 

ls

you should now see the USB Sticks content.


Now Type this to copy the rootfs to the USB Stick
Type:

dd if=/dev/rkflash0p6 of=/mnt/rootfs-new.img bs=512

Now wait for it to finish does not take long.
You should see some numbers saying in and out so its copied it OK...Done...

 

To copy the .img file to the roofs.

======================

(If you done this bit above no need to do this bit again)

To copy over rootfs with .img file, type:

/etc/init.d/S21mountall.sh

 

echo host > /sys/devices/platform/20008000.syscon/20008000.syscon:usb2-phy@17c/otg_mode

 

mount /dev/sda1 /mnt

 

cd /mnt

 

ls

you should now see the USB Sticks content.

Now Type to copy the .img file from the USB Stick to the rootfs:

dd if=rootfs-new-pw=chuckpeddle.img of=/dev/rkflash0p6 bs=512

 

sync

You should see some numbers saying in and out so its copied it OK...Done...

Once you write or copied to from the nand then turn it off and put the CPU Board back in the DB9/Cart Board and your done.

You should be able to boot normally now and log in now with user: root and pass: chuckpeddle.

======================================================================================================================

rootfs-new-pw=chuckpeddle.img

Edited December 10, 2023 by Spanner