Firmware Update 2018-10-09

[jakfish]

>> SwiftKey integrates with the Gemini physical keyboard very well without the need for the on screen keyboard but you can opt for a bottom bar on the screen for predictive text etc <<

That is so intriguing. Can you actually remap pkb keys via SwiftKey? Wow.

Jake

[graynada]

>> SwiftKey integrates with the Gemini physical keyboard very well without the need for the on screen keyboard but you can opt for a bottom bar on the screen for predictive text etc <<

That is so intriguing. Can you actually remap pkb keys via SwiftKey? Wow.

Jake

No remapping required, they work out of the box.  The only one (I have found) that doesn't is the emoji short cut (function .) but there is an option to select an emoji menu from the SwiftKey bottom bar so no biggy for me.

[Mr Rimmer]

I've spent some time dabbling with the OTA update.  It does appear to be impossible to have a rooted/TWRP-enabled version that is up to date, so the choice is between the June 2018 version with root or latest version without.  That much we know.   However it is possible to slip the .img files from the OTA into an existing rooted setup, so at least the DSP and other device drivers have been updated even if the OS is old.

[jakfish]

It's less a rooted issue and more of a  scatter file--I went back to stock Android only and still can't use the OTA.

But that's interesting, that you can dump and overwrite with updated files from newer image. I wonder if you've updated your security as well.

Jake

[a1astair]

Tried configuring Gemini Keyboard one more time and it worked. Really frustrating, but at least I can type properly now!

[Mr Rimmer]

It's less a rooted issue and more of a  scatter file--I went back to stock Android only and still can't use the OTA.

But that's interesting, that you can dump and overwrite with updated files from newer image. I wonder if you've updated your security as well.

Jake

If you look at the OTA.zip file, it consists of various .dat files (which are the block patches) and a few .img files.  Only the img files can be used as-is.  So no, it's only the device drivers that I have been able to update.
I don't know enough about altering scatter files to make it fit or why substituting the rooted boot image breaks an OTA-updated installation.

[CharlieX]

If you look at the OTA.zip file, it consists of various .dat files (which are the block patches) and a few .img files.  Only the img files can be used as-is.  So no, it's only the device drivers that I have been able to update.
I don't know enough about altering scatter files to make it fit or why substituting the rooted boot image breaks an OTA-updated installation.

How are you getting the OTA.zip file? It stubbornly fails to copy to SD for me and I can't access /cache. If I could get the file I could do a manual flash. Update Planet have provided me with links to the OTAs but asked not to make them public. Unfortunately, the instructions on the wiki don't work as advertised because there is a problem with the scatter file so you have to wipe the user partition.

[Rosie]

If you look at the OTA.zip file, it consists of various .dat files (which are the block patches) and a few .img files.  Only the img files can be used as-is.  So no, it's only the device drivers that I have been able to update.
I don't know enough about altering scatter files to make it fit or why substituting the rooted boot image breaks an OTA-updated installation.

How are you getting the OTA.zip file? It stubbornly fails to copy to SD for me and I can't access /cache. If I could get the file I could do a manual flash. Update Planet have provided me with links to the OTAs but asked not to make them public. Unfortunately, the instructions on the wiki don't work as advertised because there is a problem with the scatter file so you have to wipe the user partition.

I used Planet's tool to set up multi-boot, which gave me a scatter file.  Has anyone else tried using one of these in combination with the OTA.zip (which, TBH, I'd love to get my paws on) to manually apply the upgrade?  If so - does it work?

Rosie

[CharlieX]

I used Planet's tool to set up multi-boot, which gave me a scatter file.  Has anyone else tried using one of these in combination with the OTA.zip (which, TBH, I'd love to get my paws on) to manually apply the upgrade?  If so - does it work?

Rosie

Yes, I tried it and it doesn't work. Turns out the OTA comes with its own scatter file. I couldn't get it to download so had to do a firmware update but that worked fine. You can deduce the URL for the OTA from the release date and using FOTA4. I'm going to start documenting my experiences using DVCS because I think Planet's wiki approach, while well intended, is fatally flawed.

[salvomic]

The new firmware should be ready also for rooted Android and dual/triple boot: see the Support page and [http://support.planetcom.co.uk/partitionTool.html].
I'm going to trying it...
Thanks Planet Computers!

[jakfish]

Nice find, salvomic!

Jake

[salvomic]

Nice find, salvomic!

Jake

Well Jake,
 Installed just now (Download only, deselecting user data). Android 7.1.1, patch level September 5 2018, build Gemini-7.1-Planet-08102018-V2), Rooted (that says Root Checker Pro).
There was the "bug" with SIM2 for call, I changed it in Settings -> SIM.
I've again issues with spell checkers (here I've Italian, Ensligh, French, Russian installed) that works in Word but not in Notes. Why? First of the upgrade it was the same or so...

Salvo

PS:
To upgrade in rooted Android triple boot with 10 GB Linux/Sailfish OS:
***
Go to http://support.planetcom.co.uk/partitionTool.html, set your layout (for me rooted A + Debian + SFO, 10 GB for Linux), download all: scatter file, normal and extra files, put in a directory, use Gemini Flash Tool (Windows) with your Gemini connected via USB (left side), choose "donload only" and select all but not "user data" (to not lose your apps and data), restart Gemini (already connected, ESC and "restart"), wait for the process starts and ends, disconnect cable. Then press ESC to restart and wait for the system starts, it asks for language and keyboard... then if all went ok, the new firmware is on.
***

[salvomic]

For multi-boot and rooted Android follow the new Android Manual Update page

[gidds]

As salvomic said, the new firmware (Gemini-7.1-Planet-08102018-V2) is now available from Planet's support site, and can be used to reflash any Gemini!

I've just upgraded mine (rooted Android only), and it went very smoothly.  (It's a tedious process, but I noted down everything last time, and this time worked just the same.  Planet's new manual update page looks pretty good, too.)

It took a couple of minutes to boot up.  Everything still works: all my apps, files, data, &c are intact, and Android is still rooted.

I can confirm that:

• Earphone/headset buttons now work while the Gemini is closed, so you can pause/play music and answer/reject/end calls without opening it.  (This is the fix I've been most waiting for.)
• The built-in speakers now play in stereo, and I think the phase has been corrected too.  (It seems louder and clearer, anyway.)
• Includes the latest Android security patches (as at 2018-09-05).
• There's a new selector for locale and keyboard type; you have to reselect these on first boot.  (Both of mine are vanilla UK; no issues there.)

I had already installed the new Planet Data app, so I can't confirm that's included.  I don't have an eSIM, so I can't test that out.  (People reported issues with it being spuriously selected, but I didn't have that.)  LEDison doesn't seem to have the enhancement to work with other apps, but I haven't upgraded it.

I can't tell whether keyboard ghosting has improved.  (3-key combinations don't cause problems, but 4-key ones can still cause spurious keypresses.  I didn't test this before, so I can't tell if that's an improvement.)

The Google Voice Assistant still crashes and then fails to start — but I don't care coz I never used it anyway!

So: for me, a straightforward upgrade, giving a few small improvements, and no problems at all so far.

—————
[…later…]

Actually, there's one problem: my (portable, unadopted) SD card is now writable only by root.  It was always owned by root, but my normal user could read and write.  Now it can only read, and I can't seem to change the permissions on it…

Any ideas?

[salvomic]

thanks Andy.
I confirm that Ledison 0.72 hasn't the "App enhancement". Maybe other people could have a different version... Here Ledison was installed first of upgrade (like Data), so I couldn't say if the app included are the same or different.
Anyone else?

Salvo