FR: Problems, problems: please help

[Toni Mueller]

Hi,

about one or two weeks ago, I've purchased a new FR, but haven't gotten
it to work as much as to be usable as a phone yet. The only application
that seems to be reliable so far is "sudoku", which I don't need.


The gory details:


When the phone came, it appeared to be flashed with Om2008.8, from the
looks of the screen (black background).

Today, I tried to re-flash the device with Om2008.12 using dfu-util,
and got messages like

Found Runtime: [0x1d50:0x5119] devnum=3, cfg=0, intf=0, alt=3,
name="kernel"
Claiming USB DFU Interface...
Setting Alternate Setting ...
Determining device status: state = dfuIDLE, status = 0
dfuIDLE, continuing
Transfer Size = 0x1000
bytes_per_hash=35601
Starting download: [##################################################]
finished
!
state(2) = dfuIDLE, status(0) = No error condition is present
Done!

and

Opening USB Device 0x0000:0x0000...
Claiming USB DFU Runtime Interface...
Determining device status: state = appIDLE, status = 0
Device really in Runtime Mode, send DFU detach request...
Resetting USB...
Opening USB Device...
Found Runtime: [0x1d50:0x5119] devnum=5, cfg=0, intf=0, alt=6,
name="rootfs"
Claiming USB DFU Interface...
Setting Alternate Setting ...
Determining device status: state = dfuIDLE, status = 0
dfuIDLE, continuing
Transfer Size = 0x1000
bytes_per_hash=1386741
Starting download: [##################################################]
finished!
state(2) = dfuIDLE, status(0) = No error condition is present
Done!


While flashing, the FR displayed appropriate message like "writing root
file system" (or so).


I didn't flash the u-boot, since it was said that that wasn't needed,
except in very rare cases. The wiki is a bit unclear about that,
however.


After a reboot, nothing seemed to have changed. I still have a black
background (I don't mind that, however).


The next step was to set up the USB networking. After doing so, I
collected some info from the system:

root at om-gta02:/etc/opkg# cat /proc/version 
Linux version 2.6.24 (build at barbie) (gcc version 4.1.2) #1 PREEMPT Wed Dec 17 02:13:29 CST 2008

root at om-gta02:/etc/opkg# cat /etc/version 
200812180014

root at om-gta02:/etc/opkg# cat /etc/om-version
Tag Name:
VERSION: cd512fd1e1aee5f4ba368d8acc1f2fb7a32773d3
Branch: org.openmoko.stable
Build Host: barbie
Time Stamp: Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:15:27 +0800


root at om-gta02:/etc/opkg# cat /proc/cpuinfo 
Processor       : ARM920T rev 0 (v4l)
BogoMIPS        : 199.47
Features        : swp half thumb 
CPU implementer : 0x41
CPU architecture: 4T
CPU variant     : 0x1
CPU part        : 0x920
CPU revision    : 0
Cache type      : write-back
Cache clean     : cp15 c7 ops
Cache lockdown  : format A
Cache format    : Harvard
I size          : 16384
I assoc         : 64
I line length   : 32
I sets          : 8
D size          : 16384
D assoc         : 64
D line length   : 32
D sets          : 8

Hardware        : GTA02
Revision        : 0360
Serial          : 0000000000000000


(The device was "advertised" as being a GTA02v6, whatever that may mean.)


In any case, I thought I'd try with 'opkg', eg. 'opkg update', and
'opkg upgrade'. I found no way to download upgrades for the system,
and no way to upgrade to Om2008.12 this way.


What's (not) working now:

 * I can press buttons. Sometimes, the associated application starts
   ("Settings": rarely, "Locations": 2/3 of the time).

 * Handling is generally clumsy - the phone is _slow_.

 * I can make and receive calls. I sound like I'm in an old oil can,
   however.
   I get no ring tone, and generally have a very low audio volume.
   Using the phone near a server (no problem for my old standard phone,
   a 6230i) can safely be ruled out that way. It also only works when
   I'm standing near a GSM station. At home, where my standard phone
   gives me _all_ bars for GSM field strength, I get "no service"
   instead of the field strength indicator (I'm using T-Mobile/D1,
   in Germany). When I was able to inspect the settings, it said "Ring
   and vibration".

 * GPS does not work. So far, I _never_ got a GPS position, even not
   with an external GPS antenna. The one time I was able to fire up
   "Settings", and on every attempt to use "Locations", I said "yes"
   to enabling GPS, to no avail.

 * Software upgrade(s) may or may not have succeeded - I can't really
   tell at this point because proper documentation does not appear to
   be available. At least, the image shown for 2008.12 is not what I
   see on my phone, and no version number matches exactly what I have.


FWIW, I expect to be able to use the device as a phone, a navigation
system, a music player and voice recorder.


After investing some 20 hours or so, I'm now at a loss and don't know
what else to try.


Kind regards,
--Toni++