I am SUCH a newbie

Well, it's been a while since I was a newbie for something, but it's nice to revisit.... my apologies to everyone

I just got an Empeg from the TTony group buy and am getting ready to start some hardcore uploading. What should I be installing software wise first? I see an Emplode 1.03 on the offiicial site, but there is no version number ANYWHERE on the CD label that came with it, or on the CD itself. Then there's talk on a version 2 but it's beta.... is it advisable to install? There's also JEmplode to confuse things more Recommendations?

Likewise, what firmware upgrades should I be doing and where can I get them? The official site doesn't have any mention of firmware, only Emplode stuff. Do I want the consumer image, or is that for linux only?

I'm just trying to save time here.... if things can be installed in a less than optimum order without having to redo anything or it stuffing things up then I guess I can fumble my way through.

Anyway, thanks for persevering with what is no doubt asked all the time, it's much appreciated

Ben

1. This http://www.empeg.com/downloads/empegcar-v2.00-beta13.i386-linux.tar.gz

2. This http://www.empeg.com/downloads/car2-consumer-v2.00-beta13.upgrade

or

3. This http://www.empeg.com/downloads/car2-developer-v2.00-beta13.upgrade

4. This http://www.riocar.org/download.php?op=getit&lid=10 for downloading numer 5 onto your player.

5. Then this http://empeg-hijack.sourceforge.net/v294.hijack.v200b13.mk2.zImage

This is the 'minium' you should have on it. Then you can go on to some of the games, GPS or some of the other tools for the Empeg. Read more on www.riocar.org for more on these tools.

Good luck

TommyE

welcome and TommyE is right!

I just got an Empeg from the TTony group buy and am getting ready to start some hardcore uploading. What should I be installing software wise first? I see an Emplode 1.03 on the offiicial site, but there is no version number ANYWHERE on the CD label that came with it, or on the CD itself. Then there's talk on a version 2 but it's beta.... is it advisable to install?

It is best to install the beta. The quality of the empeg beta is far above just about any other beta I have seen. You will be missing lots of great features if you don't install it.

Likewise, what firmware upgrades should I be doing and where can I get them? The official site doesn't have any mention of firmware, only Emplode stuff. Do I want the consumer image, or is that for linux only?

You need to visit http://www.empeg.com/cgi-bin/display.cgi?section=downloads&id=4

Download Emplode and install it.

Now download the Rio Car image, you probably want the consumer image for now.

Now use the upgrade tool that Emplode installed to upgrade the unit with the new image (you need to connect to the player with the serial cable to do this).

thanks TommyE.... so 1 and 2 is for linux, or 3, 4 and 5 are for Windows? (which is what I'm using).

Not having much luck.... when I plug in the serial cable I can't get the Upgrade app to work.... it always says it can't find the player. Tried all COM ports. Tried with the player switched on and off (when on it seems to get into some useless loop, which I assume is normal, hence the recommendation to have it turned off when serial cable is in).

Any ideas?

Ben

If you are running windows on your computer, you'll need:
http://www.empeg.com/downloads/car-emplode-v2.00-beta13.zip
instead of #1. Uninstall any existing version of emplode and install this BEFORE attemping to upgrade the player. The difference between the consumer (#2) and the developer (#3) image is that the developer image gives you more freedom to "customize" or develop software for your player later. The logo editor (#4) contains a kernel flash utility that will allow you to load the Hijack Kernel (#5 look here for what it is and a list of features)

Before you start, you should check out the FAQ at riocar.org. This is one of the clearest and best-maintained FAQ's that I've ever seen (thanks to Tony.) Specifically, this entry and these entries.

You need to make sure your serial ports are installed and working properly. Check to make sure they are enabled in the bios. Check another device such as a serial mouse. I don't think there are any special port settings, but perhaps someone else here can tell you for sure.

Also, be shure to start with that you have the latest emplode on your pc to do the upgrade to beta 13. But you shold load all of your music with the non beta software first as described in the faq.

Thanks for referring me to the FAQ, PalmSync was the bastard responsible.... should've thought of that

ver 2b is rather nice.... big improvement, though I'm not sure I like what that dancing figure is doing to the pole

Ben

Let me be the next to welcome you. All I can add is be prepard to have more help thrown at you than most any other online community, by far. Its a very very helpful bunch here, with a wide range of knowledge and experience. And thats only if the FAQs dont already answer everything that you need to know.

If I were you I'd install 1.03 first, and you'll be amazed by it. Then install 2.13 and you'll be amazed again. Then install Hijack and be amazed a 3rd time. If you do it all in one sitting then you'll only get one amazement. That ruins most of the fun.

Sorry about that, my mistake. I pointed you to the Linux download and this was not the intention. Seems like you managed to get around anyway.

TommyE

Blipman,

Hey, good to know I'm not the only newbie here. I also got my empeg from TTony recently. Great transaction.

Though I'm going to hold off on the upgrades until I get the unit installed, stocked with music, and put some miles on it, I'll be looking back at this thread when the time comes... Thanks all.

Thanks for the welcome guys..... mrfixit, are you saying I should remove ver 2b, reinstall 1.03 to upload all my music, or just not install Hijack before uploading. What goes wrong?

Ben

My personal recommendation, if you are using ethernet, is to install v2beta13 before uploading all your tunes -- the process will go MUCH faster than with the older software.

And Hijack can be installed anytime after v2beta13, with no effect on the tune uploading.

Cheers

Back in the beta 11 days, I would have recommended staying at 1.03 while loading your tunes. But beta 13 has a bunch of bugs fixed, and its features combined with the hijack features make it very much worth the upgrade, even right from the start.

I still recommend doing your uploads in smaller batches instead of one huge operation. Just in case something goes wrong during the transfer, you will have less backtracking to do.