Jailbreaking ZIM after Zeepro stopped it´s services?

#13

Here is how to root your zim:

  1. Connect a serial cable to your Zim Cubie board. Video

  2. Connect to the serial port with the zeepro unpowered.

    In my case I use: sudo cu -l /dev/cu.usbserial -s 115200

  3. Power up then hit the enter key when you see “Hit any key to stop autoboot: 0 1 …”

  4. Type setenv init /bin/bash and press enter.

  5. Type boot and press enter.

    The cubieboard will boot up and log you in as root. Once you see the root@(none):/#, you are logged in but the root drive is read only.

  6. Type mount -o remount,rw / and hit enter to make the root file system writable.

  7. Now you want to set the root password. Just type passwd root and you will be prompted to enter a new password. Enter the same password twice to set it.

  8. Now just remount the root file system in read only mode for good measure with mount -o remount,ro /

  9. Now you just need to power cycle your zeepro so it will boot up fully.

That is all there is to it. After you have the root password set, you can do anything you want to the embedded linux system including installing octoprint. Once you figure out you network ip address for your zim, you can ssh into it with ssh root@your_ip_address.

The Zim cubieboard is running “Debian GNU/Linux 7.1”.

3 Likes
Zimboard for octprint
OctoPi Tutorial for Zim
#14

It would be easier if we had the original root password. Here is the default root hash if anyone has a GPU cluster they want to run against it:

SHA-512

root:$6$qzQb957m$JJnNQcYBa0JazuRTE4eVY8mOE5ZulcWf3aJSdVH16WnOvlLb5Jk6jq4j8mmATmRyKfBGjGyxS6g.n4WH5MYHH.:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash
#15

Interesting thing about the SDRAM on the cubieboard. The memory controller on the a10 only supports 1GB but the board actually has 8GB onboard (2x SK hynix H5TQ4G63AFR). They must have been cheap at the time of manufacture. Also interesting is that the processor is reportedly capable of booting from USB0 If you hold down the power button while booting.

#16

On the PCB you can see A10 but in fact the CPU is a A20 ^^

#17

I also found a other amazing hack.
If you want to download the Zeepro Slic3r presets. you save them under a other name and you will find them stored on the SD card.
the SDcard is EXT format. you go to /conf/presetlist/
you find folders. inside each folder you have a slic3r preset. The preset.json files has the name of the preset and the config.ini is the slic3r file

If you have rooted the cubieboard the original files are located
/var/www/data/presetlist

#18

@Nightmare cool! Are those different than the ones @mtbf0 posted here? Upload G-code (work around) If so can you upload them somewhere or send them to me and I’ll host them?

#19

If you don’t have a serial cable I posted a rooted version of 1.8.4 over on the backup firmware thread. The image is actually here.

Zimboard for octprint
#20

@Nightmare I can confirm the cpu is indeed an a20 and both cores are online.

root@zim:~$ cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu*/online
1
1
#21

So now that the Zim is rooted we can explore the firmware.

I found a interesting path /var/www/application/controllers
it seems to be all the menu that have been developped for the webinterface

some interesting functions that helps :

zim.local/test_presets when you type this you D/L the originals presets od the Zim ^^

zim.local/test_video Direct access to the video broadcast

zim.local/Test_production Let you access the machine without registering. On next power on the machine will be factory setup

zim.local/Cartridge You can reprogram the Cartridge RFID

zim.local/Zeepronterface Pronterface like Interface. there is a part where you can send GCODES and even upload a GCODE file to the Zim

Enjoy :grin:

Located on the root I found a Firmware folder with the Marlin release. I suppose that if we put a new release there it uptade the Zim Marlin. Would it be so simple ?
TO BE TESTED :stuck_out_tongue:

#22

Super cool. If anyone else is interested in browsing the source code for the web app, it is here:

#23

I tried this the other day with my original cubieboard and it was ghost printing on the wrong extruder even though I specifically generated gcode for the correct tool (and it works when octoprint sends it to the zimboard). From this menu it thought I only had one extruder for some reason. Also there was no terminal to view the commands being processed so it was a bit hard to interpret what was going on. I have to say OctoPrint really has spoiled me now with it’s very detailed and customizable interface, and wide array of plugins.

I’m definitely interested to see what you guys dig up with the original firmware though… I can see this being a really big help for all of those users out there that don’t want to invest in a RasPi and learning new ways with their Zim. How cool would that be if we could resurrect some kind of cloud slicing for all Zims? It doesn’t seem possible for free, but maybe there are some users out there with just the right hardware or connections. Anyhoo, keep on hacking!

#24

Hi, What software/editor did you use to read the SDCARD?

Thanks in advance.

GE

#25

When I slice normally I get a print on my right printhead. I never experienced a gohst print on the wrong extruder :smile:

Honestly the only thing I would like would be to get back the cloud slicer to work again :wink: it was so convenient. I don’t know if it is difficult to setup. But this would be great. The internal slicing do not work with large files.

#26

Sounds about right if it only thinks a 2 extruder Zim has 1 extruder. The right extruder is T0 which is also the default extruder if T0 or T1 is not specified. In my case I specifically called out T1 which is why it was ghost printing I guess… not sure. I don’t understand why the Zimboard would ignore T1, or maybe the Cubieboard was converting T1 to T0 or just T. I could just switch filament but ultimately not knowing what’s happening as I throw GCODE at some defunct cubieboard URL (/zeepronterface) was enough to keep me away from it :smile:

#27

Oups. are you using the cartrigges or the ZIM loading system ?
maybe the filament detect switch was not detecting the filament?

The Zim software could switch if the filament detect is not ‘hit’.
disconnect the switch and test again.

Connecting Used ZeePro
#28

Hello Nightmare, I have been absolutely, positively beaten trying to use OSX Fuse to read and edit the Ext-2 or Ext-4 files on my Zim’s micro SD card. So, I’d like to ask if you’d be willing to “jailbreak” a
micro SD card for my Zim? It would be a HUGE relief for me to get this 3D printer running! I’d simply mail both the original and a new larger micro-sd card to use, if that’s possible. If the copying files to the new card is problematic in any way, just use my original. I’d gladly pay for your time and shipping both ways of course! It would be so great to have the Zim back again!
Thanks!
- Jeremy Goodman
SomeHumanBeing@Aol.com
(562) 618-8116

#29

@SomeHumanBeing: You can also mount the SD card from a linux VM. (Virtualbox or whatever). See the firmware thread for a rooted MicroSD version of the firmware. Booting up this SD image will update your NAND so you only have to boot it once then your zim will be updated and rooted.

Trying to setup the camera while running Octoprint on the zim board
#30

We now know all you have to do is go to: http://zim.local/test_production to get passed the “cannot register” problem. It should redirect you and set the printer to be in production mode.

#31

Well, I’ve been twarted yet again! Damn.

#32

I am in France and you could easily bypass the SD card by the registration with http://zim.local/test_production on each poweron :wink:

Else I am sure that people in US could do this for you.

if not I’ll do it for you