Hello
I was wondering if the platform builderr IDE from windows is free?
i tried to search for it on their website but could not find it, just found the updates
It is not free, but there is an evaluation version for 180 days (if I am not mistaking). Sorry, don't remember the link, but it's there somewhere.
P.S. Any images built with it will only work for a year I think.
Yeah, it's hardly worth downloading, but the trial version suffices for most of our needs. Buy from MS's website.
V
thanks for the reply
is there anything comparable which is available for free
No...
Exactly what do you want to do?
Build a ROM for a new device from scratch? If so then you have no choice, you must by the PB.
But if you only need some of its functionality like creating MUI for localization, perhaps we can recommend an alternative. Just tell us what you need it for.
FYI, the platform builder trial can't be used to build a rom for our devices, from scratch. You require the system drivers etc that only the OEM (ie HTC) would have available. Or some very very very well connected friends.
V
Platform Builder available from MS site can be used to build only WinCE 5.0 ROMs. Windows Mobile ROMs are build with Platform Builder 5.0 for Windows Mobile (or something like that). MS regularly releases updates for it in the form of AKUs.
Unfortunately PB for WM or AKUs are nowhere available for free, and their price is too huge.
And even if you'l get them, you'll also need a BSP for your device. It is extremely difficult to create it from scratch without having any hardware information, but Linux source code for your device can be useful.
1. This is my first custom ROM ever.
2. Adapted for the 91x from same for 61x by keyx (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=496283)
3. Major props to fellow Canadian keyx for major instruction and ongoing guidance. Indirect props to all his sources at pdaclan.com and xda-devs.
Done:
1. Dumped IMGFS from HP 910c Factory ROM update (using keyx kitchen).
2. Dumped XIP directly from device.
3. Ported keyx 21198 XIP to 91x using XIPKitchen (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=443383)
4. Used OEM from 910c factory ROM (with Google Search, Google Maps and VoiceCommander removed)
5. Used SYS from keyx 21198 (except phone.dll and ril.dll from HP 910c factory and 61x-specific modules taken out)
6. Manual XIP ported by keyx
7. Functional ROM kitchen tools in place - tested by successfully building customized WM6.1 ROM
Current status:
- device makes it to OS boot screen (not the first "HP" boot screen but the next one), beeps once and just hangs... never goes any further
- WiFi and phone lights operational, suggesting successful XIP porting?
- can't isolate source problem between OEM, SYS or XIP
This will be based off of keyx's 03-27-09 beta 2.2 build. Once a reliable method is in place, we 910/912/914 owners should be able to benefit from his updates to the 610/612/614.
Please be patient; will post here as soon as its done.
I have cooked many rom the htx advantage ... but I could never switch from one machine to another ...
If you can be your tester!
THANKSSSSSS!!!!!!
This is a great news!! I've been waiting on a cust ROM for iPAQ91X : desperately waiting for this!!
Thanks very much!!!!! ))
I was waiting for this one since ages!
I'll be glad to be one of your testers if you need me to :-D
Gunsfan
sorry
Have been building and flashing many test ROMs for days now... none are making it past the first screen.
We may be better off porting from an entirely new source; I suspect whatever causes the 61x keyx first-boot problem (where users wait for second beep and then must reset frozen device) has just turned into a full-blown show stopper.
in the meanwhile may be you can port 6.1 21042 (if the original rom has a older verson) and may be fitting manila 2d in it.
keyx said:
in the meanwhile may be you can port 6.1 21042 (if the original rom has a older verson) and may be fitting manila 2d in it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I'll give that a shot.
1. Any idea what is causing the first boot issue in your 61x ROM?
2. How exactly did you get your flash.dio file below 80 MB? Mine is 80 MB, and the 20142 for ipaq612 custom ROM I just downloaded is also 80 MB.
1. I have no idea...i will try to do a port from 6.1 to 6.5 when i done exam to see what process involvoed for cross version port
2. I am using pdalcan's rom as template.rom and it is smaller,i think it has to relate to some hex edit to change the mbr
keyx said:
in the meanwhile may be you can port 6.1 21042 (if the original rom has a older verson) and may be fitting manila 2d in it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I just successfully ported a WM6.1 21042 ROM for the ipaq 910c. XIPKitchen worked fine; all that is missing is WiFi (and I'll probably just have to stick the appropriate wrlsmgr.exe back in for that to work). IE6 is kind of a nice improvement, as is the removal of VoiceCommander, GSearch and GMaps.
Will tweak a bit and then post.
benjaminries said:
Well, I just successfully ported a WM6.1 21042 ROM for the ipaq 910c. XIPKitchen worked fine; all that is missing is WiFi (and I'll probably just have to stick the appropriate wrlsmgr.exe back in for that to work). IE6 is kind of a nice improvement, as is the removal of VoiceCommander, GSearch and GMaps.
Will tweak a bit and then post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great!! If you need testers, count me in!
benjaminries
you need beta testers for 9xx ipaq? for 6.5 firmware???
roman_n1 said:
benjaminries
you need beta testers for 9xx ipaq? for 6.5 firmware???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We still need to wait for 6.5, he's working on it, but having an issue loading the ported ROM, gets stuck in first screen...Hopefully he releases the 6.1 cust ROM soon!
tcortinag said:
We still need to wait for 6.5, he's working on it, but having an issue loading the ported ROM, gets stuck in first screen...Hopefully he releases the 6.1 cust ROM soon!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't need beta testers, thanks - anything that seems to work on my end will be released.
As it stands, the WM6.5 ROM is stalled; I'll keep fidling with it, but we may have to just wait for a new build to be released before it is worth much more time investment.
The WM6.1 build 21042 is a nice update because it contains IE6 Mobile. I've got a test ROM cooked but it at least major two bugs, detailed in next post.
Of course it is rather easy to customize the factory build (number 19xxx) without any XIP porting - I can post a release that has Google Maps, Google Search and VoiceCommander removed, and a few odds and ends added. But other than that there are very few benefits.
If people want to help out, there are two things they can do:
- hunt down (on xda-devs and PPCgeeks discussion threads) new sources of WM6.5 ROMS for me to use for porting
- try to find a device ROM from which we can extract a compatible, yet better, rilgsm.dll ...the Ipaq 61x and 91x has a well-known problem where the GSM radio doesn't expose the Cell Tower ID to the OS (limiting the "My Location" feature in Google Maps to use the standard GPS only without cell tower triangulation and preventing the useful operation of other apps like Navizon). I am convinced that this problem stems to the rilgsm.dll file in which HP has not implemented this feature (but HTC certainly has).
pdadb.net says that the 91x and the 61x are both manufactured by Inventec and use a Qualcomm MSM6280 (2x QDSP4000) phone controller. If somebody can find a device ROM or just the rilgsm.dll from another phone that uses the same cell radio hardware, we should try cooking that file into our ROMs and see if it enables the desired functionality.
Getting the CNAP feature (a.k.a. Rogers Name Display) would be a bonus as well, but it looks like the Rogers HTC phones do not use the same radio (i.e. Touch Diamond and TyTN use "Qualcomm MSM7201A (QDSP4000, QDSP5000)").
benjaminries said:
The WM6.1 build 21042 is a nice update because it contains IE6 Mobile. I've got a test ROM cooked but it at least major two bugs, detailed in next post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here are the bugs in my 21042 ROM so far:
BUG 1: WiFi disappears
This is weird - the blue WiFi light begins blinking during first boot and continues through the Welcome tutorial. Then once I reach the first screen, it goes out and the device behaves as though it doesn't have built-in WiFi. The Wireless Manager only shows "Bluetooth" and "Phone" options. Strange, because the SDIO wifi driver is definitely in the OS (it comes up as a network device under "Connections") but there's no interface to enable it.
BUG 2: Storage Card isn't recognized
Simply, whenever I put in a microSD card, the device does nothing. File Explorer shows no Storage Card. Memory CPL shows no Storage Card. Just good old useless iPaq File Store and Bluetooth Neighbourhood
I suspect either I've ported the XIP wrong or I've got some lack of reg entries coming from the new base SYS. But these are show-stoppers for me so I'm inclined not to post until I can at least fix one of them. Will learn to manually port the XIP and see if that helps.
benjaminries said:
Of course it is rather easy to customize the factory build (number 19xxx) without any XIP porting - I can post a release that has Google Maps, Google Search and VoiceCommander removed, and a few odds and ends added. But other than that there are very few benefits.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried using this rom with the mods you mentioned but trying to add manila 2d?? That would be a really nice add-on.
Success!
Got the WiFi and Storage Card stuff working in build 21042 by manually porting the XIP (something I've wimped out on until now). Here's the release.
Moving on to another stab at porting keyx's WM6.5!
More success!
I just got a working WM6.5 21198 build for the 91x from keyx - just as I was figuring out the details of my own port of the same (keeping Windows Live modules out of SYS keeps the total modules low enough for G'Reloc to run without integer overflow; on the other hand that might not have been my problem).
I'm merging a dump of keyx's working ROM with my own stuff (some OEM customizations and a few extra SYS packages) to see how that works. But we've at least got something bootable; expect a release today or tomorrow.
Great!
i just tried this. it works great!! thank you. but can you make the X close button even bigger. the problem with the 910c is that the screen is not flused against the corner so it's difficult to hit that buttom sometimes. just nit picking
Thanks for this ROM
benjaminries,
Many thanks for the WM6.5 ROM you worked on. My 910c has been sitting on my desk for several months due to the lack of interest or any ROM updates from HP. (Great little phone with problems HP still has not fixed (datacard issues and POOR battery life). Your update has given me new reasons to begin using the device again. No crashes and no big problems discovered. Again, good work. Only noticed a couple of cosmetic things which are very minior and a lot of "task manager" icons in different folders. The one thing is did do was map "task manager" to the "voice commander" button on the side of the phone. Since this beast is known to suck up juice it's just a way to stay on top of things. Right now just using it on GSM network setting and getting decent battery life. Will start to see what happens when I set it to high-speed network. But again, no problems what-so-ever with your ROM. (Using 910c as limited use phone and heavy Exchange 2007)
Hi from EugeniaDevelopment chef,
This project is intended for porting the Windows Embedded CE 6.0 Kernel to Windows Mobile devices, based on Qualcomm MSM chipsets.
As you know, the MSM7 series chipsets are based on ARM11 CPUs.
Or more detailed... they're based on ARM1136EJ-S CPU!
Then... WHY this post?!?
I'd like to share with all the community my hard work for compiling the CE6 kernel for ARM11 devices, supporting ARMv6 instruction set.
The CE6 kernel is based on another kernel architecture, making the devices running it SO FAST...
I would like to say that this kernel IS compatible with current Windows Mobile builds, at least 6.5/6.5.x builds, as 6.5.x builds are alphas of Windows Mobile 7, based on CE6 kernel.
Infact, WM7 will be based on CE6 instead of current WM6.1/6.5/6.5.x that are all based on CE5.2 kernel codebase.
Now, I need some help to cook it in our ROMs because the MSXIPKernel i've generated remoduling all dlls is larger than old 5.2 XIP.
There are even some differencies from 5.2 XIP!
NK.exe is differently used: the base modules of MSXIPKernel are different and device.exe and filesys.exe now are both .dll due to the different architecture of the kernel that now integrates all in an unique process, both files in kernel mode and not in userspace anymore!
So, I've tried myself to port it to my ROMs before posting it there but with no luck.
I'm using the last ErviusVisualKitchen that includes bepe's platformrebuilder.exe... that CRASHES everytime I try to build the ROM with ALL dlls and modules of CE6 kernel.
If I integrate only coredll.dll module the kitchen goes on and builds the XIP and the ROM, but it won't boot because the new coredll looks for device and filesys dlls that in 5.2 are executables.
If I try to integrate new dll modules (device and filesys), the platformrebuilder will crash.
So, I'm asking for your help to making this fabulous project to continue and to make it working for having the FASTEST devices ever!
Here are the dlls, not remoduled with ErviusKitchen.
I decided to give you the original binaries because maybe ErviusKitchen won't remodule them correctly, making platformrebuilder to crash.
Ouh, and.. this kernel will work on all devices that has got Qualcomm MSM7xxx series chipsets..
For example: HTC Touch Diamond, TouchHD, TouchPro, Kaiser, Diamond2, TouchPro2... and more, more devices....
I hope I can get all of your help.
Anyway, you can download it here:
CE 6.0R2 Kernel
...If you want, I can post the entire ROM built with Platform Builder (not working on our HTC devices, as it's build for generic ARM1136EJ-S CPU).
NOTE: As for the device-specific drivers, we have OEMXIPKernel
Thank you all
How to use ?
Try sending a private msg to bepe, see if he can adjust his PRB to account for your kernel.
Okay, thank you
...if anyone has other ideas, write
this is probably the most impotant project on this forum.
Mods please make a sticky.
Converting to module didn't help.
Imageinfo.bin manipulation didn't work also.
Did you try porting it the old way? (XIPPORT)
If THAT doesn't work, try PMing bepe.
Tried to integrate this kernel into my ROM...
I copyed all the .dll's into MSXIPKERNEL
ROM - created without any ERRORS
Now i gonna try it...
Whoops... My mistake - i builded 21054 kernel without errors... 23049 - Platformbuilder error...
OMG stick this NOW, this is ground breaking stuff, da_g,nue2chem,bepe you should all take a look at this thread OMG!!!!
I think you may be a little confused?
It appears you have posted the MSXIPKernel package compiled from Embedded CE 6.0, compiled for ARM.
These CE 6.0 Binaries are not compatbile with CE 5.2, so attempting to use them in a Windows Mobile 6.x ROM as-is will not work. You state that "NOTE: As for the device-specific drivers, we have OEMXIPKernel" - do you mean the existing OEMXIPKernel, compiled against WM 6/CE5.2, if so this will not work at all with CE 6. I assume when you say "Ouh, and.. this kernel will work on all devices that has got Qualcomm MSM7xxx series chipsets.." you mean because it is compiled against ARMv6?
Also, you have posted several incorrect informations,
WM 7 is not based on CE6, but CE7.
WM 6.5.x is not in any way an alpha build of WM7. They are seperate code bases.
In short, to sum it up I don't think this project will be going very far unless you have access to whitepapers documenting the full hardware and are willing to code the OEM bits yourself using this info. I don't think it's worth doing though as you would be using the CE interface, and it would all need to be done over again when WM7 comes around...
Well, PRB doesn't crash for me in my visual kitchen when you add all other files from any other MSXIPKernel (dsm, rgu's etc).
Da_G said:
I think you may be a little confused?
It appears you have posted the MSXIPKernel package compiled from Embedded CE 6.0, compiled for ARM.
These CE 6.0 Binaries are not compatbile with CE 5.2, so attempting to use them in a Windows Mobile 6.x ROM as-is will not work. You state that "NOTE: As for the device-specific drivers, we have OEMXIPKernel" - do you mean the existing OEMXIPKernel, compiled against WM 6/CE5.2, if so this will not work at all with CE 6. I assume when you say "Ouh, and.. this kernel will work on all devices that has got Qualcomm MSM7xxx series chipsets.." you mean because it is compiled against ARMv6?
Also, you have posted several incorrect informations,
WM 7 is not based on CE6, but CE7.
WM 6.5.x is not in any way an alpha build of WM7. They are seperate code bases.
In short, to sum it up I don't think this project will be going very far unless you have access to whitepapers documenting the full hardware and are willing to code the OEM bits yourself using this info. I don't think it's worth doing though as you would be using the CE interface, and it would all need to be done over again when WM7 comes around...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think they are all compatible with CE6.
CE6 has a different kernel architecture, but for drivers it all remains the same.
You're right, I'm not too updated, WM7 (Photon) is NOW based on CE7 Kernel, but if you search further, it initially was based on CE6 kernel Pre-Alphas of WM7 was CE6 based!
...and WM7 won't be usable with our devices, because it NEEDS a multitouch touchscreen, as you can see from minimum requirements by Microsoft.
Yes, for "it will work on all MSM7xxx" I mean that this is compiled against ARMv6.
All MSM7xxx chipsets has got a CPU that supports ARMv6 instructions set.
For example, MSM7201A (Diamond and other devices) has in its core an ARM1136EJ-S (yeah, the "J" was changed by Qualcomm, but it's an 1136EJ-S)!
And... the 5.2 kernel that we have now on our devices is compiled from Embedded CE 5.0 (updated) so it's compatible.
I didn't try porting with XIPPORT as the addresses with the CE6.0 Kernel are changed: it's larger than 5.2!
Well, it wouldnt hurt to TRY, right? I mean, the devices are pretty damn slow compared to android devices running on the same hardware, so if this COULD improve it, why not try it?
I'm sorry,
NK is very device specific, you cannot just take CE 6 NK and hope it'll magically work. We've been able to build CE6 ARM11 and Cortex for a long time, just press a few buttons in PB. But NK consists of OAL (OEM Adapation Layer) stuff, which is pretty device specific. More specifically, when NK gets to OEMInit, it'll simply fail, because this is where most of the initialization occurs, such as GPIO, MDDI client, NAND flash -etc. Even if you did get CE6 NK working, which would require you recompile CE6 with the OAL, which only HTC has, you would have to rewrite all the drivers since CE6 driver model changed a lot, (i.e., no more SetKMode(BOOL); - which HTC uses a lot).
Anyway, this project has been on the table for a while, and through a new (maybe old, well new for me) technique of disassemble-reassemble, we can maybe build an "Assembly" BSP that would let us run CE6. But its a lot of work, since again, ce6 driver model changed
Again, this topic has been repeated several times, so I will say what others have said in the past. If you have no clue about ARM assembly, please save your time, give up, and move on with other projects. A simple search will tell you about many people who got over-excited when they played with CE6 PB.
Da_ag. Why not give it a shot. This could open up the door to future developments beyond our wildest dreams for Windows Mobile. We, XDA as a community if we pull this off, might be able to create our own fully customized versions of Windows Mobile from the Kernel up. Also it would improve speed and usability of our current devices.
Please do not discount this project just because it looks hard. Isn't this the reason XDA was formed in the first place?
no2chem said:
I'm sorry,
NK is very device specific, you cannot just take CE 6 NK and hope it'll magically work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CE6 doesn't even have NK(.exe) anymore say hello to kernel.dll and oal.exe! =)
kholk said:
I think they are all compatible with CE6.
CE6 has a different kernel architecture, but for drivers it all remains the same.
You're right, I'm not too updated, WM7 (Photon) is NOW based on CE7 Kernel, but if you search further, it initially was based on CE6 kernel Pre-Alphas of WM7 was CE6 based!
...and WM7 won't be usable with our devices, because it NEEDS a multitouch touchscreen, as you can see from minimum requirements by Microsoft.
Yes, for "it will work on all MSM7xxx" I mean that this is compiled against ARMv6.
All MSM7xxx chipsets has got a CPU that supports ARMv6 instructions set.
For example, MSM7201A (Diamond and other devices) has in its core an ARM1136EJ-S (yeah, the "J" was changed by Qualcomm, but it's an 1136EJ-S)!
And... the 5.2 kernel that we have now on our devices is compiled from Embedded CE 5.0 (updated) so it's compatible.
I didn't try porting with XIPPORT as the addresses with the CE6.0 Kernel are changed: it's larger than 5.2!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
alright believe what you like but the facts will not change. no2chem told about it all already so I won't repeat him
Da_G said:
In short, to sum it up I don't think this project will be going very far unless you have access to whitepapers documenting the full hardware and are willing to code the OEM bits yourself using this info. I don't think it's worth doing though as you would be using the CE interface, and it would all need to be done over again when WM7 comes around...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you don't need access to so many papers. but they do ease the workload for you
again see what no2chem said... we're going to have lots of fun with this i guess.
I don't understand a thing, with this, you should be able to get CE 6 kernel without the BSP ?
cmonex said:
CE6 doesn't even have NK(.exe) anymore say hello to kernel.dll and oal.exe! =)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right cmonex. I wanted to say that but you written before me
But.. now I've got a question.
IF CE6 doesn't have NK.exe anymore (and from what I see it doesn't have any NK.dll) and it's all based on OEM Adaptation Layer (OAL), THEN we won't use nk.exe anymore, right?
So.. CE5 uses PQOAL, monolithic kernel.
CE6 uses OAL, and it's all modular.
From THIS site, that explains the CE6 Kernel Architecture, I read the following:
"The OAL is linked with the generic kernel code to form the full kernel module."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"By splitting up the OAL from the generic parts two interesting things happen. First, the foundation for a well defined interface between the OAL and the kernel module is laid. It is no longer possible to just "extern" some kernel specific function in the OAL, as in the old monolithic architecture where the OEM sometimes use undocumented kernel functions to "backdoor" its way around some OAL "quirks" -something that may affect stability and compatibility of the kernel. In CE 6, the kernel functions are exported to the "oal.exe" as a function table (NKGLOBAL) as part of an initial handshake procedure. In the same way, OAL functions that are needed to support the core kernel are exported to "kern.dll" in a similar function table (OEMGLOBAL). "
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And from MSDN I read the following:
So what did change? In CE6 we split up three components that previously linked together to make the kernel executable, nk.exe. CE5 the kernel, OAL and the Kernel Independent Transport Layer (KITL) all linked into nk.exe. In CE6 these are broken into kernel.dll, oal.exe and kitl.dll.
The primary reason for this change was updateability. In the past, if Microsoft released a kernel update, the OEM would have to take the updated kernel and link it again with their OAL to produce a new nk.exe. Now the OEM only has to distribute Microsoft’s new kernel.dll.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We CAN DO IT if we know how to split NK.exe into OAL and Kernel.
OR.. if we don't want to do never-used work, we need only to extract the OEM Adaptation Layer (OAL) from our current NK.exe.
Then we can link the OAL extracted from 5.2 Kernel to the NEW CE6 kernel.dll
Note that CE5 kernel does support the splitted modules, infact there are some BSPs that are built with OAL.exe/kernel.dll and NOT with NK.exe.
Read that on instructions for how to port a BSP from CE5 to CE6.
If someone can "extract" OAL from a Diamond NK.exe, I'll be happy to try if all works on MY device!
no, you can't just extract OAL from CE5 kernel, its linked at compile time into the fun monolithic kernel we know as NK. The architects of CE6 (in a smart move) seperated the OAL from kernel libs, much like the MDD-PDD model you see in many drivers since CE5.
So in ce6 you can just update the kernel by updating kernel.dll ideally. anyway like cmonex and i have said, just wait, we're working on reversing a bsp for rhod_w soon