Xiaomi Mi R3G from Padavan, how?

Installing and Using OpenWrt
#1

Hi,
I'm trying to flash OpenWRT onto a MIR3G which is currently running Padavan (3.4.3.9). The Web UI doesn't like the header of the OpenWRT sysupgrade file and mtd seems to not work either (see below). Any hints how to proceed? I have searched through the forum, and I saw a bunch of people flashed this device from Padavan to OpenWRT, but no details.

Thanks a a lot.

/tmp # mtd_write write openwrt-19.07.8-ramips-mt7621-xiaomi_mir3g-squashfs-kernel1.bin kernel1
Could not open MTD device: kernel1
#2

I found the above @LESHIY_ODESSA , but I get an error that I have no permission, if attempting to do the mtd write:

Could not open MTD device: Firmware_stub

/tmp # cat /proc/mtd 
dev:    size   erasesize  name
mtd0: 00080000 00020000 "Bootloader"
mtd1: 00080000 00020000 "BootEnv"
mtd2: 00040000 00020000 "Factory"
mtd3: 00040000 00020000 "crash"
mtd4: 00040000 00020000 "crash_syslog"
mtd5: 00040000 00020000 "reserved0"
mtd6: 00400000 00020000 "kernel0"
mtd7: 00140000 00020000 "Kernel"
mtd8: 012c0000 00020000 "RootFS"
mtd9: 00100000 00020000 "Config"
mtd10: 00400000 00020000 "Storage"
mtd11: 06080000 00020000 "RWFS"
mtd12: 01400000 00020000 "Firmware_Stub"

How can I gain access here?

#3

since you're using Padavan, you should really ask them...

if the problem is the mtd's RO, the solution would have been this, in openwrt.

#4

I needed to go back to Xiaomi OEM firmware from Padavan, before I could install OpenWRT.

1 Like
#5

Please ask Padavan related questions in the respective Padavan support channels.

Thanks!

#6

MOD: I asked no question. My answer gives solution to OP, install OpenWRT

#7

Yeah, I understand now that this is a Padavan-related question. Anyway as my target system is OpenWRT I thought it's clever to ask here. Padavan people ain't like to help me getting away from it.

Thanks @randyg for answering, this is the path I'm following up now as well, I found several hints that this may be the only way.

I haven't finished yet, but I will report here (if I may? :wink: )

#8

certainly, never hurts to report the outcome, and how it was done, at least on a higher level.

1 Like
#9

So, apparently I needed to go via Stock.... I still have breed bootloader on it.

But if I follow "regular" procedure to flash OpenWRT, I still boot into Stock. I understand the box has two banks for firmware, but I couldn't really find how to boot into the alternate firmware bank ?

I tampered with flag_last_success, flag_try_sys1_failed & flag_try_sys2_failed, but no success so far. Could it be that my openwrt image doesn't work (rather new maybe no one tested) ?

Will try an older one.

#10

Update: older build wouldn't help, but there were some builds out there which are "prepared for breed". I didn't yet find out what that means, possibly something's stripped pre- or appended.
I found a "Gargoyle" file, which flashed flawlessly from breed and from it's LuCI I then could flash into OpenWRT 19.

For reference (it's a Telegram channel, as I couldn't read Russian Numbers from 4pda):