mounting a .upgrade file

Is it possible to mount the e2fs file system that is contained in an .upgrade file using the loop device?

If so, what is the offset?

Pim

Hi.

The .upgrade file actually contains of many (and varying) chunks of data, kernel binary, flash root (about the function of initrd), root partition,...
Check the developer info on riocar.org and/or on my homepage at http://www.incase.de. Among the downloads on my homepage, you will find an upgrade splitter and upgrade builder which is hopefully up to date (i.e. supports the newer HW-REV chunks that define the hardware revision(s) an upgrade file can be applied to), if not: email me.
So basically: There is no constant offset for the partition images in an upgrade file, but the format of the upgrade file is documented, a builder/splitter for it exists, and the partition images that the splitter/builder outputs can simply be mounted using the loop mount option (offset=0 AFAIK, but the offset is not needed with those).

cu,
sven

PS: Still missing <table> from UBBCode

If it is possible to build your own upgrade images, can we install userland apps at the same time?

Hi.

Well, I am working on a way to do that, but even though it involves a custom .upgrade file, the actual installation of individual applications can't be done using upgrade files. The problem with that is that a .upgrade either leaves a specific partition untouched, or overwrites it completely. So this whole issues has to occur in two steps:

1. create a .upgrade file with a customized kernel (to boot of hda2 instead of hda4) and an image of hda which involves a custom /sbin/init and other things.
2. install specific applications to the music partition, probably using ftp or http that is in the kernel (HiJack comes to mind)
   

If I wouldn't be extra tight on time (I sleep in my copious free time, you see), at least part one would be finished by Oct. 2001(sic!).

cu,
sven