PRS-500 Sony Reader GPL sources download link

Alexander Turcic · 09-26-2006, 08:45 PM

If you aren't already sick and tired of hearing about the Sony Reader today, I have one more for you. Although the Reader hasn't even shipped yet, you can already download the sources which are under GPL. Use the following link:

http://www.sony.net/Products/Linux/D.../PRS-500U.html

You will need to hit the link twice and confirm the cookies before. It's only a guess, but the EBOOK_1_2_0_P4.2_20051008_Linux_src.tgz (~25MB) file could be interesting.

TadW · 09-26-2006, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

You will need to hit the link twice and confirm the cookies before. It's only a guess, but the EBOOK_1_2_0_P4.2_20051008_Linux_src.tgz (~25MB) file could be interesting.

Indeed it is. Too bad the changelog is in Japanese. Latest changes were 2003/09/05 (???).

#
# NSC Linux 1.2.0 RC0 for EBOOK $B%+!<%M%kJQ99MzNr(B
#
# $BJQ99$7$?>l9gJQ99FbMF$r?7$7$$$b$N$,>e$K$J$k$h$&$ KDI2C$7$F2<$5$$!#(B
#

Guess it has a lot of code from the Sony Librie (which sources you can find here btw).

doctorow · 09-26-2006, 09:09 PM

But is that enough to (at least partically) rebuild the OS? I know there is still no alternative or modified OS for the Librie, so I assume it's not. I think the unsolved problem is getting that stuff back ONTO the device.

NatCh · 09-26-2006, 09:24 PM

I think the firmware can be flashed/updated via the Connect Software (I don't know this, I think it). If that's the case, it might be possible to re-flash it that way, if you brick the rascal.

Just a thought, I would rather know more before I tried anything that might brick it.

arivero · 09-26-2006, 09:35 PM

the script to reflash was not released for the librie -it was reversenginered-. Nor the methods to compile from sources. These "minor" gpl violations were unprotested in japan!

Still, the source code of usb and display proved to be essential.

doctorow · 09-26-2006, 09:38 PM

arivero, do you think we can invite the guys who reverse-engineered the Librie components over to us? Or are they already among us (*clueless*)?

Or perhaps we wait until we've decided on the new forum subsections ("hacking/development"...)?

Alexander Turcic · 09-26-2006, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doctorow

But is that enough to (at least partically) rebuild the OS? I know there is still no alternative or modified OS for the Librie, so I assume it's not. I think the unsolved problem is getting that stuff back ONTO the device.

There is.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4061

igorsk · 09-27-2006, 06:38 AM

It seems the kernel has changed very little from Librie. Config "ebook4" adds the following compared to the Librie's "ebook2":
1) Support for Dragonball MX1 Lite (energy-saving version of MX1?).
2) Support for "EBX5009", which seems to be a Flash memory controller (bigger chip size?) the internal name of PRS-500. NOR bus changed from 32 bit to 16 bit, some NAND logic was amended. Support for 128MB (bit/byte?) added.
3) There is a new kernel config called "ebook4nfs". It enables Ethernet (SMC91111 controller), PPP, NFS, SMB and some other protocols. I wonder if it's used only on dev models or they're actually planning to release a networked version?

CommanderROR · 09-27-2006, 07:30 AM

so...can we port the Sony software for the Iliad?

just kidding...^^

Alexander Turcic · 09-27-2006, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CommanderROR

so...can we port the Sony software for the Iliad?

just kidding...^^

Now that would be fun, wouldn't it?

scotty1024 · 09-27-2006, 01:07 PM

Sony released a re-flash tool to update the device along with their first (of two) firmware update. This was later exploited to produce an english-ified version of the device (using the second and so far: final update.)

They never had to release full sources for the device, unlike iRex they wrote quite a bit of software rather than build upon OSS tools such as xpdf/minimo.

I never really felt the need to reprogram the Librie the way I constantly feel the need to do with the iLiad.

doctorow · 09-27-2006, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scotty1024

I never really felt the need to reprogram the Librie the way I constantly feel the need to do with the iLiad.

... which probably goes back to the Librie/Reader being dedicated e-book devices with less potential hardware capabilities than the iLiad.

NatCh · 09-27-2006, 01:18 PM

Or perhaps it's an effect of the iLiad's software still being "beta"

arivero · 09-27-2006, 01:55 PM

the adventure of reverse engineering the librie can be followed in a yahoo mailing list. First surprising thing: no japanese involved!!! It seems japanese hackers were not interested on the posibilities of the machine.

First step become when people dissected the file format of the upgrades. The upgrade is via the USB connection, not need to be online, using a PC application provided by sony. A person -who has not got a librie!!- did a small program able to repackage a linux filesystem and to recalculate checksums. Then some others started the "librie translation project", using this tool to create a japanese librie.

At some time in the project, they decided to introduce a trick to execute scripts: a new entry in the rc.d inits looking for a file named "hook.sh" in the memory stick, and executing it if available.

Now the source code enters play. One of the tarballs genuine from sony was a driver module for communication via the USB. And they did use of it to login. Genuine modification of a module in the source code!

(will follow later)

scotty1024 · 09-27-2006, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doctorow

... which probably goes back to the Librie/Reader being dedicated e-book devices with less potential hardware capabilities than the iLiad.

I suspect my irritation with the iLiad goes to one basic issue: I really don't believe the iRex developers actually use them to read in their personal lives.

I believe the Sony developers, both Librie and Reader, actually use the devices in their personal lives.

The Sony units are polished devices with the little features that keep the device from being as irritating as the iLiad is as a book reader. My irritation with the unit was low until recently since I spent most of my time swapping units with iRex to get a working unit. Now that I've been using it actively: constant irritation.

The UI is not polished, obvious and useful features are missing, it has at most one useful configuration option of sound on/off (it is horribly inflexible to your needs) and I'm always worried about the battery going flat.

The word that summarizes the unit to me: arrogance.

Why can't I adjust the page bar to flip the other way? Every time I flip a page with it I wish I could configure it to flip the other way to go forwards. Constant cognitive dissonance at a very basic level. A very easily solved issue, configuration feature: page bar advance page flip [] left [x] right

How many meetings are folks at iRex taking notes on a device where you can't even calibrate the stylus to line up with where you are marking on the screen? I figure that answer is fairly obvious: zero.

I am upset with Sony on one issue though. If you've got a customer willing to spend $112 for expedited shipping and another one not willing to, you ship one of the limited availability units to the customer willing to spend $112 USD.

09-26-2006, 08:45 PM	#1
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,171 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	Sony Reader GPL sources download link If you aren't already sick and tired of hearing about the Sony Reader today, I have one more for you. Although the Reader hasn't even shipped yet, you can already download the sources which are under GPL. Use the following link: http://www.sony.net/Products/Linux/D.../PRS-500U.html You will need to hit the link twice and confirm the cookies before. It's only a guess, but the EBOOK_1_2_0_P4.2_20051008_Linux_src.tgz (~25MB) file could be interesting.

09-27-2006, 06:38 AM	#8
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	It seems the kernel has changed very little from Librie. Config "ebook4" adds the following compared to the Librie's "ebook2": 1) Support for Dragonball MX1 Lite (energy-saving version of MX1?). 2) Support for "EBX5009", which seems to be a Flash memory controller (bigger chip size?) the internal name of PRS-500. NOR bus changed from 32 bit to 16 bit, some NAND logic was amended. Support for 128MB (bit/byte?) added. 3) There is a new kernel config called "ebook4nfs". It enables Ethernet (SMC91111 controller), PPP, NFS, SMB and some other protocols. I wonder if it's used only on dev models or they're actually planning to release a networked version? Last edited by igorsk; 09-27-2006 at 07:00 AM.

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09-26-2006, 09:09 PM	#3
doctorow Guru Posts: 914 Karma: 3410461 Join Date: May 2004 Device: Kindle Touch	But is that enough to (at least partically) rebuild the OS? I know there is still no alternative or modified OS for the Librie, so I assume it's not. I think the unsolved problem is getting that stuff back ONTO the device.

09-26-2006, 09:24 PM	#4
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	I think the firmware can be flashed/updated via the Connect Software (I don't know this, I think it). If that's the case, it might be possible to re-flash it that way, if you brick the rascal. Just a thought, I would rather know more before I tried anything that might brick it.

09-26-2006, 09:35 PM	#5
arivero Guru Posts: 607 Karma: 2157 Join Date: Oct 2005 Device: NCR3125, Nokia 770,...	the script to reflash was not released for the librie -it was reversenginered-. Nor the methods to compile from sources. These "minor" gpl violations were unprotested in japan! Still, the source code of usb and display proved to be essential.

09-26-2006, 09:38 PM	#6
doctorow Guru Posts: 914 Karma: 3410461 Join Date: May 2004 Device: Kindle Touch	arivero, do you think we can invite the guys who reverse-engineered the Librie components over to us? Or are they already among us (clueless)? Or perhaps we wait until we've decided on the new forum subsections ("hacking/development"...)?

09-27-2006, 07:30 AM	#9
CommanderROR eink fanatic Posts: 2,022 Karma: 4924 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Germany Device: STAReBOOK, iRex Iliad, Sony 505, Kindle 2	so...can we port the Sony software for the Iliad? just kidding...^^

09-27-2006, 01:07 PM	#11
scotty1024 Banned Posts: 1,300 Karma: 1479 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Peoples Republic of Washington Device: Reader / iPhone / Librie / Kindle	Sony released a re-flash tool to update the device along with their first (of two) firmware update. This was later exploited to produce an english-ified version of the device (using the second and so far: final update.) They never had to release full sources for the device, unlike iRex they wrote quite a bit of software rather than build upon OSS tools such as xpdf/minimo. I never really felt the need to reprogram the Librie the way I constantly feel the need to do with the iLiad.

09-27-2006, 01:18 PM	#13
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Or perhaps it's an effect of the iLiad's software still being "beta"

09-27-2006, 01:55 PM	#14
arivero Guru Posts: 607 Karma: 2157 Join Date: Oct 2005 Device: NCR3125, Nokia 770,...	the adventure of reverse engineering the librie can be followed in a yahoo mailing list. First surprising thing: no japanese involved!!! It seems japanese hackers were not interested on the posibilities of the machine. First step become when people dissected the file format of the upgrades. The upgrade is via the USB connection, not need to be online, using a PC application provided by sony. A person -who has not got a librie!!- did a small program able to repackage a linux filesystem and to recalculate checksums. Then some others started the "librie translation project", using this tool to create a japanese librie. At some time in the project, they decided to introduce a trick to execute scripts: a new entry in the rc.d inits looking for a file named "hook.sh" in the memory stick, and executing it if available. Now the source code enters play. One of the tarballs genuine from sony was a driver module for communication via the USB. And they did use of it to login. Genuine modification of a module in the source code! (will follow later)

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