[gentoo-user] Re: HP Library

[James <wireless@tampabay.rr.com>]

Stefan G. Weichinger <lists <at> xunil.at> writes:

 
> Has anyone ever managed to upgrade a HP Surestore Library C7201NB with
> Gentoo on the host?

Nope.

> The hp_ltt-tool is only available in binary form and for old OSs, but
> nothing recent and for sure not for Gentoo.

don't forget about possible running the old software on a gentoo box with
wine/vmware or such emulators....(see /usr/portage/app-emulation/*)

> The alternative, the Firmware-Upload via the Remote Management Card of
> the library doesn't work because of some missing Java class which Google
> and not even Sun knows about.

> Any ideas?

Well, if nobody gives you an explicit answers, here is an idea that
may or maynot work.

1. What type of interface are we talking about (rs232 serial, ethernet parallel)?

2. Sniff the connection to see what's on the receiving end

serial port ( app-misc/linuxspa it's masked but just download the sources and
compile as it *works great*)

ethernet (ethereal)

parallel (??? never had to do this, but I'm sure I can hack an
old parallel cable to talk to me)

etc etc

3. Analyze the device and see what it's asking for

4. Find what it is looking for or just 'dope it' (er trial and error).


Lots of work, but a lot of fun. The older the device the less
protection and obscurity the firmware folks put into the 
product.

5. If you cannot find detailed information specific to this machine,
just look for info on a similarly aged competitor (you'd be surprise
how many machines of a similar venue have almost identical firmware).

6. If none of these work, open up the case and find a serial port, JTAG
or such where you just might get lucky and get raw access to the embedded
host processor, using step 2 or other similar techniques).

good hunting,


James




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