From: nospam@needed.invalid   
      
   On Tue, 4/8/2025 6:16 AM, Java Jive wrote:   
   > On 2025-04-08 07:09, J.O. Aho wrote:   
   >>   
   >> On 08/04/2025 02.34, Carlos E.R. wrote:   
   >>>   
   >>> All the issues I have with this box appear to be caused by the firmware of   
   the box. None seem to be caused on the Linux side of things.   
   >>   
   >> The workaround seems to be to degrade to the old USB behavior on the Linux   
   side or flash a new firmware and hope it works.   
   >   
   > ... which IIRC Paul thinks should be reversible if it doesn't, or return the   
   unit as unfit for purpose and try a different make and model in the hope it   
   has better firmware, &/or contact the manufacturer of either the box or the   
   chip to explain the    
   firmware problems and suggest that it would be in their interest to fix them,   
   and suggest further that he, Carlos, would be willing to beta-test any fixed   
   firmware they are willing to provide.   
   >   
      
   As I understand it, the flasher has a "record old BIOS function",   
   an "erase SPI chip", then power cycle the unit (a HDD must   
   be connected), and the "flash SPI chip" function can then   
   be used to flash the SPI.   
      
   If you did not like the result, you could flash in the backup   
   copy and return the unit to original condition.   
      
   The SPI chip is good for a large number of write attempts.   
   It's better quality than TLC for example. It should be NOR   
   flash, and not NAND flash. A handful of flash cycles won't   
   harm it. And while it has the "settings" storage for the   
   device (the NVRAM function), that's not going to receive   
   any changes (unless there existed a utility to do that).   
   The preferences are flashed in at the same time as the   
   flash main block. For example, one of your preferences   
   could be to turn off UAS, and to turn off aggressive   
   power saving (it will shut down the drive after ten seconds   
   of inactivity). There may be other ways in the passthru command   
   set, to spin down a drive.   
      
   But when your unit doesn't have a user manual, this must   
   all be my imagination :-)   
      
      Paul   
      
   --- SoupGate-DOS v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)