V8 Super Network Update From FTP Server on Your LAN
I have finally figured out how to update a V8 Super from an FTP or HTTP server on your LAN. :hurray: This is not the same as the network upgrade on the S9 where you had a special program and pushed the update to the S9.
In the "Tools" menu you have "Network Upgrade".
You can select "FTP" or HTTP", simple enough.
"Auto Detect" can be set to "On" which causes the Super to check for an update at startup. "Off" is off.
"Server Type" allows you to input the server address as either a numerical IP address or a text "String".
Then you have "User" name, "Password", and "Start".
To update from your LAN you need an FTP or HTTP server program. There are many available for Windows which most people use. If you run Linux like I do, you already have a few. The XML file below needs to go in the root folder of the server and it must be named "v8_super_upg.xml" in all lower case. I'll get back to case in a minute.
Copy this and make a text file then name it "v8_super_upg.xml".
Code:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<entry>
<customer attribute="kokanee">
<item>
<mode>0</mode>
<version>1</version>
<url>ftp://192.168.1.140/v8_super_v347.bin</url>
<name>V8_Super_V347</name>
</item>
<item>
<mode>1</mode>
<version>2</version>
<url>ftp://192.168.1.140/v8_super_db09072016.bin</url>
<name>v8_super_db09072016.bin</name>
</item>
</customer>
</entry>
<mode>0</mode> designates a firmware file. The <url> file name can be anything as long as they are all lower case. They must contain the entire path to the file as posted above and they must match the actual .bin file name. The .bin file can be in any folder the server has access to as long as you specify the full path in the XML file.
<mode>1</mode> designates a user database file and the same rules apply to the URL and file naming as Mode 0.
Names in the <name> tag are just text strings to explain what the file is and can be anything. I tried different names for <customer attribute="kokanee"> but anything besides "kokanee" gives an error that the file is not for this STB.
You can have several Mode 0 and several Mode 1 sections so that you can load and try different firmware files or lists. Just use an <item>, <mode>, <version>, <url>, and <name> line and then an ending </item> tag. Keep your mode 0 and mode 1 sections together and put all of them between the <customer> tags.
This works on v347 firmware. Mine said there was not a newer file until I changed the <version> to number 2 for Mode 1 (userdb). I think the version checking on mode 0 (firmware) will let you load anything. I didn't flash a bunch of FW files to test it.
Now, more about lower case. A guy named Aaron gave me a PDF with instructions for network upgrading the A5S and V8 Combo (The PDF is Attached). The PDF showed upper case too but it doesn't work, I wasted 20 minutes on that one. I fired up my Apache server and checked the log and the V8 Super was looking for a file named "v8_super_upg.xml", all lower case. As soon as I changed everything to lower case it worked. I also checked my servers and they are not running case modification scripts etc, so the Super is looking for an all lower case file name. If you don't know, some servers can be configured to convert everything to lower case, mine are not converting anything.
I tested FTP mode with ProFTPD and HTTP mode with Apache, both worked equally well and it's lightening fast on your LAN! This will probably work on other V8 STB's such as the Golden but you need to figure out the name of the file it is looking for. A server access log should tell you that information (what the V8 tried to GET). I used Apache to monitor the get command from the V8 Super. This will be very handy when you're editing your list on the computer and want to load it into your V8 Super, or to multiple Supers! How many times have you missed something and it's another 15 minutes of the USB stick swapping game? This will eliminate that.
:amen:
Just save the file as my_v8super_db.bin in the server root folder and you won't even have to edit the XML file. Then do a network upgrade and there you go, your new list. How about those manually entered PID channels that don't work? It'll be a breeze to make a change and load it up and try it again! Have fun!
A WORD OF WARNING: Your userdb file contains your router username and password and the username and password to any router you've connected to with your Super! Be careful who you give complete copies to unless you use throwaway passwords or guest accounts on your router.
Edit: You can go into Networking and delete the stored usernames and passwords too.
P.S. This will work if you make your server accessible from the internet and your friends can upgrade to your list too! You can also password protect it so that you can leave it up all the time if you're working together on a list or something.
Working Together!
:slap:
