[Acer Iconia A500] nola mike:
Thought that I had figured this out, but not quite I guess. I'm trying to flash a custom ROM. Running stock a500 with the ICS OTA update. Running Ubuntu 12.10 on my laptop. Didn't realize how difficult this would be. Despite a bunch of reading, I'm still confused as to what I should be doing. I think that my mixing and matching files is hurting me here...

It appears that the only way to do this is manually with NVFlash. I had a difficult time finding the appropriate file. For those wondering, it's an official nvidia file, and there is a linux specific version. Here's the link I used.

I followed a couple of different guides, none of which worked.

Started here. Couldn't get past the first nvflash command after realizing that I didn't have any of the bin files. OK, found this guide, which appears to have the most up to date bootloader, and I think all the other files I need--none of the other guides included bct.bct, and flash.cfg, which I think are necessary (someone please correct meif I'm wrong). The "V8-UNL-ICS-HC-bootloader-MULTI-cwm" package on the first page is what I used.

So this thread is windows-centric, but looking at the v8.bat file I think pointed me in the rightish direction.

I first ran this command:

sudo ./nvflash --bct bct.bct --setbct --bl bootloader_v8.bin --configfile flash.cfg --odmdata 0x300d8011 --sbk 0x59DBC201 0xDB60F601 0xDB0F1203 0xAE0A2103 --sync

and got this error:

Nvflash started
rcm version 0X20001
System Information:
chip name: t20
chip id: 0x20 major: 1 minor: 3
chip sku: 0x8
chip uid: 0x0428000741ff3357
macrovision: disabled
hdcp: enabled
sbk burned: true
dk burned: true
boot device: emmc
operating mode: 4
device config strap: 0
device config fuse: 0
sdram config strap: 0

sending file: bct.bct
- 4080/4080 bytes sent
bct.bct sent successfully
odm data: 0x300d8011
downloading bootloader -- load address: 0x108000 entry point: 0x108000
sending file: bootloader_v8.bin
| 1191932/1191932 bytes sent
bootloader_1_v8.bin sent successfully
waiting for bootloader to initialize
bootloader status: success (code: 0) message: flags: 1073848316
bootloader failed NvError 0x0
command failure: bootloader download failed

Ok, an aside: what exactly am I doing in this step? I initially thought that I was flashing the bootloader, but that doesn't appear to be the case (looks like that's later). Tried finding out what the arguments meant for the nvflash command, but couldn't figure it out. Anyway, noticed another bootloader.bin file in the directory. Tried the above command using "bootloader_apx.bin" (Edit: Rereading the .bat file, looks like I was supposed to use the apx file initially anyway) Success, I think.

sudo ./nvflash --bct bct.bct --setbct --bl bootloader_apx.bin --configfile flash.cfg --odmdata 0x300d8011 --sbk 0x59DBC201 0xDB60F601 0xDB0F1203 0xAE0A2103 --sync
Nvflash started
rcm version 0X20001
System Information:
chip name: t20
chip id: 0x20 major: 1 minor: 3
chip sku: 0x8
chip uid: 0x0428000741ff3357
macrovision: disabled
hdcp: enabled
sbk burned: true
dk burned: true
boot device: emmc
operating mode: 4
device config strap: 0
device config fuse: 0
sdram config strap: 0

sending file: bct.bct
- 4080/4080 bytes sent
bct.bct sent successfully
odm data: 0x300d8011
downloading bootloader -- load address: 0x108000 entry point: 0x108000
sending file: bootloader_apx.bin
| 714981/714981 bytes sent
bootloader_apx.bin sent successfully
waiting for bootloader to initialize
bootloader downloaded successfully

Next step:

sudo ./nvflash -r --format_partition 4
Nvflash started
[resume mode]
Formatting partition 4 please wait.. done!

So formatting partition 4, which is where the bootloader lives I guess.

sudo ./nvflash -r --download 4 ./bootloader_v8.bin
Nvflash started
[resume mode]
sending file: ./bootloader_v8.bin
| 1191932/1191932 bytes sent
./bootloader_v8.bin sent successfully

OK.

[CODE]sudo ./nvflash -r --format_partition 6
Nvflash started
[resume mode]
Formatting partition 6 please wait.. done!

OK again.

sudo ./nvflash -r --download 6 recovery_thor17_403.img

Nvflash started

[resume mode]

sending file: recovery_thor17_403.img

\ 5074944/5074944 bytes sent

recovery_thor17_403.img sent successfully[/CODE]

And,

sudo ./nvflash -r --go
Nvflash started
[resume mode]

At this point, I rebooted...and ended up stuck in apx mode.

So I d/l'd the package from Moscow Desire in this thread, repeated the steps, and my tab came back.

I don't remember if I tried getting directly into the bootloader, but I had the "rom manager" program on my desktop. I was able to boot into recovery and backup my ROM.

Next time I tried using vol down + power to get into bootloader (or using rom manager to get back into recovery) I ended up with a dead android image.

So while typing up this post, I redid the steps using v8. Everything appears to have went well. I get a "Skrilaz bootloader v8/booting primary kernel image" message, and it boots normally. I can enter recovery using vol + + power. Bootloader still gives me a dead android though.

I didn't do:

Erase boot.p file. Wasn't sure if this was necessary or not. Since I see the v8 bootloader message, I'm guessing not.

If nothing jumps out at anyone, could this be a hardware problem? Of note, before I started messing with this, I tried getting into the bootloader via vol -/pwr, and got the dead android there too.

EDIT: Oops, looks like I'm entering the bootloader menu after all by using vol +/pwr. So recovery is my problem now. Getting closer...