what could help DryOS & DSLR development ? please tell what is missing

lorenzo353

38

what could help DryOS & DSLR development ? please tell what is missing

« on: 04 / April / 2010, 03:53:07 »

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hi,

this message is for skilled CHDK developpers.

the question is here to understand why DSLR development (except Magic Lantern) seems difficult.
what is really missing to help better and easier DSLR / DryOS development ? what is first or second blocking thing to you in the following list ?

1. more DryOS documentation. maybe a dedicated Wiki page for DryOS on DSLR ?
2. more Digic IV documentation and registers/hardware usage doc
3. more dumps: only 5dm2 is available. decrypting updates payload would by great
4. more tool chain documentation. IDA and so one.
5. I do not have enough ARM competencies
6. I do not have enough time
7. DSLR platform is too complex compared to P&S cameras.
8. DSLR are expensive : I do not own one, I do not want to break mine
9. other: please tell

Magic Lantern seems the only working project but "hudson" might need help and this message is here to understand how to help people "almost" ready to do so.
Please explain why these points are blocking you.

For me, answer would be: more dumps, DryOs and hardware information.

Lorenzo

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reyalp

14110

Re: what could help DryOS & DSLR development ? please tell what is missing

« Reply #1 on: 04 / April / 2010, 04:38:27 »

IMO, the most important factor is developer time. CHDK is where it is because a lot of people have spent a lot of time on it. Given a similar amount of developer hours, there's no reason to think a DSLR hack wouldn't be at a similar point.

I do agree #8 is a factor in the overall progress of DSLR work. A lot more people have a $100+ P&S than have $1000+ DSLRs, and of those that have them, and people will be willing to risk bricking the cheaper cam. Certainly applies to me, I don't have a DSLR, so I don't work on them

I don't think dryos specifically matters. The initial work for dryos on P&S cams took time, but they are now no harder to work with than the vxworks ones. The work on vxworks DSLRs isn't significantly advanced over the dryos ones.

In any reverse engineering, things accelerate as you learn more about whatever it is you are working on. CHDK is relatively easy to work with because of the knowledge that has been accumulated over several years. We have 100+ ports of experience, and every time we figure out another subsystem, it gets a little easier. The DSLRs are different enough that the process has to start all over. This is the same reason there's nothing like CHDK on other brands of P&S: The problem isn't that they are harder to hack, it's just that starting from zero is a much bigger job. The initial work also requires a much higher skill level: Someone getting into CHDK can see a lot of examples of how things are done, and just copy that rather than figuring it out from scratch.

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Don't forget what the H stands for.

lorenzo353

38

Re: what could help DryOS & DSLR development ? please tell what is missing

« Reply #2 on: 07 / April / 2010, 12:29:43 »

thanks reyalp for your answer!

lorenzo

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lorenzo353

38

Re: what could help DryOS & DSLR development ? please tell what is missing

« Reply #3 on: 19 / April / 2010, 18:56:57 »

things are getting better recently:
- a 500D/T1i has been released, as well as a (sound like beta) stub file: http://magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/500D
- and more important, Trammell Hudson has released symbols of the 5dm2 2.0.4: http://groups.google.com/group/ml-devel/browse_thread/thread/5972db41f16b8a62

but IDA seems almost mandatory for reversing, unless someone will create a tool to translate IDC symbols to GDB...

Lorenzo

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