OpenWrt Forum Archive

Topic: OpenWRT now also on HooToo HT-TM03 (RT5350)

The content of this topic has been archived on 20 Apr 2018. There are no obvious gaps in this topic, but there may still be some posts missing at the end.

This device is equivalent to a TM02 plus a 3000 mAh battery, a MicroSDHC slot, a power button, and a battery status LED, minus the mode selector switch.

The hardware is otherwise the same of TM02, but TM02 OpenWRT image cannot work on it unchanged because the presence of the microSDHC slot alters the numbering of the USB device mountpoints, which are referenced in the initial lines of the TM02 firmware file. Therefore, firmware update fails (the device is NOT bricked - the operation is just silently ignored, and after a reboot everything is back to normal)

What is needed is a slightly modified TM02 image with the appropriate device numbering and, due to this modification, an updated checksum value.

1) Start from Wingspinner's image for TM02. Recommended is the latest one with Luci preinstalled: https://github.com/wingspinner/HooToo-T … 945-ws.bin

2) use a hex editor to change "UsbDisk1" as "UsbDisk2" (there are 2 occurrences). BE CAREFUL NOT TO ADD/REMOVE ANY LINE. The number of lines must remain equal. Also, do not use a text editor which might alter the binary data contained at the end of the file. Save the file, then exit.

3) calculate a new checksum value for the modified file, using the command:
sed '1,3d' FILENAME |cksum|sed -e 's/ /Z/' -e 's/   /Z/'|cut -dZ -f1
where FILENAME is the file name of the modified TM02 firmware file.

4) Re-open the hex editor and patch the checksum value. If you did everything right, the number of digits of the new checksum should be identical to the number of digits of the current value. Save the file, then exit.

5) Flash the TM03 with the modified firmware file. Note that in order to do this, you will need (exactly like for TM02) an empty, properly formatted USB pen drive plugged in.

6) Enjoy!

Note: on a factory new TM03 device, telnet server is operational out of the box with root password enabled and with the same root password as TM02.

I hope this helps.

(Last edited by curious on 22 Jun 2015, 21:43)

wow thanks! trying this tonight!!

(Last edited by keymowsobby on 9 Sep 2015, 17:21)

IIRC I was able to flash OpenWrt Chaos Calmer RC3 without modifying the image by inserting a microSD card instead of a USB device.

thats genius (and so obvious now that you mentioned it)
did you build the rc3 image yourself? or did you download it somewhere? (I can't find it)

yxalag wrote:

IIRC I was able to flash OpenWrt Chaos Calmer RC3 without modifying the image by inserting a microSD card instead of a USB device.

(Last edited by keymowsobby on 10 Sep 2015, 09:45)

Hi RangerZ,

I am trying to flash that image (openwrt-15.05-rc3-ramips-rt305x-ht-tm02-initramfs-uImage.bin) but I am getting an error "wrong file format". I am on firmware 2.0.0.16.

Also, have you ever tried configuring the TM03 to use 3G modem? That's my purpose from using OpenWRT.

Appreciate your help

You can not flash the HooToo to OpenWrt direct.  You need to use the bin from step 1 (but you proably want to read the original TM-02 post page 1 first).  the link I gave was to get the sysupgrade to 15.05 RC3 AFTER the initial flash.

Just wanted to confirm, that everything works like a charm on the HT-TM03.

thanks RangerZ and Curious!!!

I am really confused.  Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I have the TM04 and when I use ramips factory image I get Wrong File Format.  I have tried all images, the same thing.  What am I doing wrong during this process?

Thanks!

mattopsahl wrote:

I am really confused.  Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I have the TM04 and when I use ramips factory image I get Wrong File Format.  I have tried all images, the same thing.  What am I doing wrong during this process?

Thanks!

Connect a vfat formatted flash disk to the top USB port of the TM04. Download and install wingspinner's factory image here. Then you can update to the latest released OpenWrt image using the sysupgrade mechanism.

(Last edited by vernonjvs on 13 May 2016, 01:02)

curious wrote:

This device is equivalent to a TM02 plus a 3000 mAh battery, a MicroSDHC slot, a power button, and a battery status LED, minus the mode selector switch.

The hardware is otherwise the same of TM02, but TM02 OpenWRT image cannot work on it unchanged because the presence of the microSDHC slot

Not true. If you put a vfat formatted microSD card in the TM03, you don't need to modify the firmware.

curious wrote:

alters the numbering of the USB device mountpoints, which are referenced in the initial lines of the TM02 firmware file. Therefore, firmware update fails (the device is NOT bricked - the operation is just silently ignored, and after a reboot everything is back to normal)

What is needed is a slightly modified TM02 image with the appropriate device numbering and, due to this modification, an updated checksum value.

1) Start from Wingspinner's image for TM02. Recommended is the latest one with Luci preinstalled: https://github.com/wingspinner/HooToo-T … 945-ws.bin

2) use a hex editor to change "UsbDisk1" as "UsbDisk2" (there are 2 occurrences). BE CAREFUL NOT TO ADD/REMOVE ANY LINE. The number of lines must remain equal. Also, do not use a text editor which might alter the binary data contained at the end of the file. Save the file, then exit.

3) calculate a new checksum value for the modified file, using the command:
sed '1,3d' FILENAME |cksum|sed -e 's/ /Z/' -e 's/   /Z/'|cut -dZ -f1
where FILENAME is the file name of the modified TM02 firmware file.

4) Re-open the hex editor and patch the checksum value. If you did everything right, the number of digits of the new checksum should be identical to the number of digits of the current value. Save the file, then exit.

5) Flash the TM03 with the modified firmware file. Note that in order to do this, you will need (exactly like for TM02) an empty, properly formatted USB pen drive plugged in.

6) Enjoy!

Note: on a factory new TM03 device, telnet server is operational out of the box with root password enabled and with the same root password as TM02.

I hope this helps.

UsbDisk1 is the TM03 microSD slot. If you put a vfat formatted microSD card in the TM03, you don't need to modify wingspinner's firmware.

vernonjvs wrote:
mattopsahl wrote:

I am really confused.  Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I have the TM04 and when I use ramips factory image I get Wrong File Format.  I have tried all images, the same thing.  What am I doing wrong during this process?

Thanks!

Connect a vfat formatted flash disk to the top USB port of the TM04. Download and install wingspinner's factory image here. Then you can update to the latest released OpenWrt image using the sysupgrade mechanism.

It worked, I owe you a beer!!  Thanks!

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