Getting To Know Neo FreeRunner

Installing the Micro SD card, SIM card, the Battery

1. Remove the rear cover of the Neo Freerunner by holding the Neo Freerunner by the side, and use your fingernail to prise off the rear cover at the slot on top
2. Identify the combined SIM and SD card holder at the bottom of the battery compartment
3. Unlock the SIM card holder by sliding the metal holder downwards (towards the USB socket) with your fingernail. Use caution as these parts are delicate and could be damaged by forcing in the wrong direction. Neo 1973 owners should pay particular attention, as the direction for unlocking is the opposite of that in the Neo 1973.
4. Lift up the SIM card holder
5. The Micro-SD card holder is held in place by a latching finger on either side. It is easiest to open the Micro-SD card holder by releasing these fingers one at a time rather than by lifting from the middle, as lifting from the middle tends to increase the latching pressure. A small screwdriver or knife can be used for this:
6. Insert the Micro SD card into the Micro SD card holder. Note that the contacts should face down, and are towards the edge of the Neo Freerunner:
7. Close the Micro SD card holder, making sure that both fingers are securely latched:
8. Insert the SIM card into the SIM card holder, taking care to slide inside the two metal tabs in the cover. Note that the contacts should face down, and that the chamfer (the cut corner) will be closest to the external GPS Antenna Socket:
9. Close the SIM card holder and lock it by sliding the metal towards the external GPS Antenna Socket:
10. Insert the battery into the battery compartment, aligning the contacts on the battery with the contacts in the battery compartment. insert the side with the contacts first.
11. Replace the cover

Turning on the Neo Freerunner

Charging the Neo Freerunner

When using the Neo Freerunner for the first time, you should charge the battery fully. The battery can be charge from the provided charger, or from a computer USB port capable of supplying 500mA.

Charging at 100mA takes 6-12 hours and at 500mA takes 1-2 hours. (from openmoko.togaware.com)

You can boot your Neo FreeRunner in following ways:

You can power up into an Openmoko image directly.

Boot into U-Boot via NAND Flash.

Boot into U-Boot via NOR Flash.

These ways allows you to update the kernel and root filesystem.

Start the Openmoko Image

Log into U-Boot in NAND Flash

Log into U-Boot in NOR Flash

NOTE: There are six options you can choose when you log into NOR Flash. 1. Boot 2. Boot from MicroSD 3. Set console to USB 4. Set console to Serial 5. Reset 6. Power off

Flashing Neo FreeRunner

As Openmoko development continues, Openmoko regularly releases updated versions of the Openmoko root filesystem, the kernel, and the U-Boot. These may be programmed into the Flash memory of Neo FreeRunner. You can use the USB cable and Openmoko provided tool to flash Neo FreeRunner.

NOTE: The Openmoko software team builds images daily. If you want to use the latest images, you can download the image from the daily build, but we recommend you download the most stable image from http://downloads.openmoko.org/releases/Freerunner/. Images here have been tested by the test team.

Step1. Download DFU-util

You can download the flashing tool from: http://downloads.openmoko.org/releases/Freerunner/dfu-util

On the GNU/Linux host, you you can use following command to download dfu-util:

wget http://downloads.openmoko.org/releases/Freerunner/dfu-util

Afterwards you have to change the rights:

chmod a+x dfu-util

Step 2. Flashing Kernel

You can download the kernel from http://downloads.openmoko.org/releases/Freerunner/

Type in the following command in the terminal of a GNU/Linux host. On some systems you need to be root.

./dfu-util -a (partion name) -R -D (download image file name)

ex:

./dfu-util -a kernel -R -D uImage-2.6.24+svnr4082-r4055-r3-neo1973.bin

Log into U-Boot in NOR Flash, connect your Neo with Linux Host via USB cable Before you execute the command , please log into U-Boot in NOR Flash. Neo FreeRunner needs to boot into U-Boot when flashing. Then connect your Neo with Linux Host via USB cable. Press Enter to execute the command. When flashing succeeds status(0) = No error condition is present Done!

NOTE: The meaning of parameter you spcified: -a --alt alt Specify the altsetting of the DFU interface by name or by number -R --reset Issue USB Reset signalling once we're finished -D --download file Write firmware from<file> into device

Step 3. Flashing Root Filesystem

You can download the root filesystem from : http://downloads.openmoko.org/releases/Freerunner/

Type in the following command in the terminal of a GNU/Linux host. On some systems you need to be root.

./dfu-util -a rootfs -R -D openmoko-devel-image-fic-gta02.jffs2

When flashing succeeds

status(0) = No error condition is present
Done!

Connect To Neo FreeRunner By USB Networking

Connect Neo FreeRunner to Linux host with USB cable. For OS X please refer to MacOS_X. After booting into Openmoko image, there will be a new interface, usb0, in your Linux host.

Manual Method

Type in the following command in the terminal of a GNU/Linux host.

ifconfig usb0 192.168.0.200 netmask 255.255.255.0
ssh root@192.168.0.202

Press Enter to pass the password.

Automatic Method

• Debian and derivatives (Ubuntu, Sidux etc.)

Edit /etc/network/interfaces

auto usb0
iface usb0 inet static
address 192.168.0.200
netmask 255.255.255.0

• Gentoo

Edit /etc/conf.d/net

config_usb0="192.168.0.200/24"

Restart the networking service (/etc/init.d/networking restart for Debian-based) and type in the following command in the terminal of GNU/Linux host.

ssh root@192.168.0.202

Press Enter to pass the password.

Making things even more automatic

If you don't want to remember the IP number of your phone you can create an alias by adding the following line to your /etc/hosts:

192.168.0.202   openmoko

Now it should immediately be possible to connect your phone using the following command line:

ssh root@openmoko

Appendix

If you want to know more about FreeRunner, you can get more information in following topics:

• GTA02 Openness
• Neo FreeRunner
• Neo FreeRunner GTA02 Hardware
• FreeRunner/Buttons and LEDs