HELP Prepare Image for Amlogic USB Burning tool

Mattia · January 26, 2024, 10:46am

I would like to make a backup of my current image on eMMC (VIM1 PRO) and be able to flash it on other devices I have using the Amlogic USB Burning Tool.

Can extract the current image and convert it to a compatible format for the Amlogic USB Burning Tool. For me this would be the fastest and easiest route.

Any suggestions are very welcome. I know that the khadas team regularly publishes working images of the Amlopgic USB Burning tool and I would like some information on this.

I hope I posted in the right section of the forum

numbqq · January 26, 2024, 11:00am

Hello @Mattia

You can use OOWOW to backup/restore your system.

Mattia · January 26, 2024, 11:18am

Thank you very much, I was left behind in the Krescue days…

So is it possible to use oowow also to flash the emmc as I do with amlogic usb burning tool? with a WIN PC and press the buttons on booting?

Is the image that is created compatible with oowow and also with Amlogic USB burning tool?

Can you tell me where I can find beginner’s guides for using oowow?

numbqq · January 27, 2024, 6:23am

Hello @Mattia

@Electr1 can you help to publish a how-to docs to our docs?

Electr1 · January 27, 2024, 6:42am

Hi @Mattia

Yes, you need to use the images with the [sd] or [emmc.raw] tag in the name, just transfer to the disk and

Images that are in Amlogic USB form, can be converted to oowow form, but not vice versa.

I will share the documents and procedures for this with you soon.

you can check out the docs
https://docs.khadas.com/software/oowow/start

Cheers.

Mattia · January 30, 2024, 3:33pm

Thank you very much, I’m looking forward to some beginner’s guides.

Out of my curiosity, how do you create an image in the correct format to be used with the classic amlogic usb burning tool?

Amlogic usb burning tool ONLY allows the flashing of an image and NOT the backup of the image present in the emmc, I was curious to know how the khadas team prepares a file compatible with amlogic usb burning tool, thanks

Electr1 · January 31, 2024, 1:52am

@Mattia the AML burn tool is originally intended to burn android images, so to use it for Linux images, it expects the image to contain certain partition files, like the uboot.img, logo.img, rootfs.img packaged into a single image.

The scripts to do so are well integrated into fenix itself, you can check the source code

github.com

khadas/fenix/blob/master/config/boards/VIM.inc#L261


      
          	if [ "$1" == "uboot-image" ]; then
          		PACK_UBOOT_IMAGE="yes"
          	else
          		PACK_UBOOT_IMAGE="no"
          	fi
          
          	cd ${ROOT}
          
          	info_msg "Image install type: $INSTALL_TYPE"
          
          	if [ "$INSTALL_TYPE" == "EMMC" ]; then
          		## Fixup upgrade dtb link
          
          		#cd $UPGRADE_DIR/Amlogic
          		#rm -rf kvim.dtb
          
          		# resolve and check dir
          		for UPGRADE_DIR_ in $UPGRADE_DIR; do
          		    [ -d "$UPGRADE_DIR_" ] || {
          			error_msg "UPGRADE_DIR not exist: $UPGRADE_DIR"
          			return 1

Mattia · February 5, 2024, 9:21am

Thank you very much, everything is clear now. at this point I will dedicate my efforts to oowow because I think it is the most convenient tool for creating personalized images which is what I was trying to do.

I have read the oowow documentation and I hope to soon find some tutorials with practical examples such as a quick guide for making a backup of your image on emmc and restoring it.

thank you, you are all always very helpful and I remain more and more convinced of my purchase (vim1 pro) compared to other boards

Electr1 · February 6, 2024, 3:04am

@Mattia to convert any of your raw disk image (intended for SD but need to write to emmc) refer to xze

github.com

khadas/fenix/blob/master/scripts/xze

#!/bin/sh

## hyphop ##

#= xze - advanced xz + suitable for mt decompression & padding & meta

USAGE() { echo '
    xze - advanced xz packer (suitable for mt decompression + padding + meta)

USAGE

    xze [ARGS] FILE

    -3                   # fast compression
    -9                   # max slow compression

    -T#thread            #
    -B#blocksize in M    #
    -f                   # rewrite output file
    -c | -C              # check is krescue ready

This file has been truncated. show original

y0ush4 · February 6, 2024, 12:11pm

i have a similar question i have made a Backup in the same way

and i too want to convert it to the Aml_usb_burning image single file but i came to know that it need a Config file and i dont know where and how to get it i have s812 device

this seems to be a perfect example but where to get the .config file ??

https://docs.jethome.ru/en/controllers/linux/howto/amlogic/repack_armbian.html

y0ush4 · February 7, 2024, 10:54am

anyone please help …is there anyway i can extract that config file from the device itself?