Some useful tricks to fully take advantage of Open Multiboot

AlexWilMac

Moderator
As of the title, I didn't wrote this article as a sort of guide to OpenMultiboot (OMB, since now onwards) but to share my experience and give some hints to simplify some operations.

So, this isn't a magic guide with unknown tricks: is just made of simple, useful things.

In my view, what I find really comfortable about OMB isn't just and only the chance to install several images and have them all available at the same time (without having to flash and then flashing back to the previous image: this is great, of course), but the fact you can operate directly within the OMB images while running your image installed in flash.

This way, you can prepare or set a lot of aspects while the OMB images are not even running!

To do that, first of all you need a FTP client. I'll refer some concepts to Filezilla just because it's free, it's for every OSs (OsX, Linux and Windows) and it's probably the most spread and well known, but the same features are found in other FTP clients. For instance, in this article I'll refer to the bookmarks feature. Obviously, other clients have this feature as well, only they work differently.


I'll also assume that OMB is installed in the HDD (which was my choice), but nothing changes (apart from the device, of course) if you have it installed in USB: you'll read "USB" every time I'll write "HDD".


1) OMB STRUCTURE

Once you set OMB for the first time, you'll have two new folders in your chosen device. So, in the HDD case, you'll see:

/media/hdd/open-multiboot

/media/hdd/open-multiboot-upload


I added both of them to my FZ bookmarks, 'cause they are used quite often. This is my first advice in this guide.


2) ZIP NAMES

In the folder named open-multiboot-upload put the images zipped. These might be either the official images (already zipped) or your FULL backups zipped by yourselves.

In both cases, is very recommended to use short names, not only for the OMB install process to succeed but also for your own usefulness because the OMB process creates a subfolder in the main OMB folder, that is indeed /media/hdd/open-multiboot, with the same name you give to the zip file.

So, if the zip file is named BH304.zip, you'll get /media/hdd/open-multiboot/BH304

So, the shorter the name, the shorter the path and the easier to have it completely shown in FZ right window.


Note about full backups zipped under OsX: I create this zip files by the utility KEKA because it gets an option to exclude the .dot, hidden files automatically created by native OsX compress command and which caused some problems in the past to the process.


3) ONE, TWO, MANY OMB ROOTS

Once you install at least one image (or full backup), you have one (or many) OMB "roots" for these images. For instance, in the /media/hdd/open-multiboot/ folder, you might have:

/BH304

/Vti

/OpenPli

and so on, corresponding to the images you've installed. Note that the folder names comes from the zip file, as said above. Within the OMB menu, you'll read the name of the image.

Entering each one of these folder, you have exactly the same structure of a root.


4) FAST SWITCHING FROM FLASH PATHS TO OMB PATHS

Now it's time to create, if not already done, the bookmarks corresponding to the important paths in flash.

The goal is to work on OMB images directly by FZ. This is useful for many reasons: you can transfer settings (meant as channels but also as other personalized "settings", like timers or else).

This way, most of the boring part installing a new image not only can be done without any hurry to get to a perfectly set image as we like it to be (and this is the main advantage of using OMB, in my opinion, not just the sheer chance of having many images in your pocket at the same time), but also it's possible to set a lot of parts without having to immediately reboot into the "secondary" image and work inside it. You'll be working, comfortably seat on your sofa, while using your current image already 100% set.


Some example to clarify what I mean.

Let's say you have your OMB image set and working but you are now running the image in flash.

Just to define a scenario, let's assume the image in flash is OBH and one of the OMB ones is BH. You are using OBH where you have a long list of timers and you want BH have the same list without having to re-programme anything.

Copying the timers from current image to your PC is easy. Less easy would be to upload it into a running image because the timers.xml file cannot be transferred while the image is running: instead, you have to reboot it and then send it before the GUI is loaded. This can be made simply repeating the upload again and again, quickly, during the booting, but it is surely quite annoying. Instead, the trick is:


a) bookmark the timers path: /etc/enigma2

b) bookmark the OMB root (in my example: /media/hdd/open-multiboot/BH-3.0.4/

c) copy the file timers.xml from flash (/etc/enigma2) to your PC

d) copy the string "/etc/enigma2", select in FZ the OMB root bookmark (/media/hdd/open-multiboot/BH-3.0.4) and paste the timers path, "/etc/enigma2" after the OMB root bookmark. Now you'll be within /media/hdd/open-multiboot/BH-3.0.4/etc/enigma2

e) upload the timers.xml file to the current selected remote folder, the one in d). This way, you'll be able to overwrite the timers without having to reboot anything. When you'll reboot into BH in OMB, you'll get your timers ready even there.


One might say: why don't you bookmark both paths directly, instead of the OMB root only and then paste the subpath? For instance, it'd be easier to bookmark:

/etc/enigma2

and also

/media/hdd/open-multiboot/BH-3.0.4/etc/enigma2


Yes, it might be easier, unless you have, like me, many flash bookmarks and several images installed in OMB. I have, for instance, about 18 "main" bookmarks and 3 images. If I stored complete paths, I'd have 18x3=54 bookmarks. Instead, I only have 18+1 (the /media/hdd/open-multiboot folder) or, if you prefer, 18+3 OMB roots.


As I said, this one I gave is only an example about how comfortable is to work directly in OMB. The more you know your image folders and settings, the more you can do directly this way.
 

Gold_66

Vu+ User
Thank you for these useful tricks. I'd like to try OMB but I have some questions in mind for which I couldn't find the answers anywhere, maybe you can help.
First is the update issue of the images in OMB - how does it work? What happens when they detect and get updated, does this affect the drivers etc. of the image installed in flash?
Then there are also individual plugin or skin updates that might cause some complications since they're all running in OMB, can any of these pose a risk for the image in flash?
I'm also curious about the functioning speed of images in OMB as they're running from usb or hdd. I assume hdd would be much faster compared to usb, or perhaps isn't there any noticeable difference at all from the one in flash?
Will there be any extra delay in boot time apart from the image selection screen?
And finally, I'd like to try it with a backup (openATV) that I made last week, but I'm not quite sure on which level to zip it: the folder 'vuplus' or the 'solo4k' inside?
That's a lot of questions, but I know by now that you like helping people if it's something that you know, so thanks in advance for all precious info. ;)
 

AlexWilMac

Moderator
Thank you for these useful tricks. I'd like to try OMB but I have some questions in mind for which I couldn't find the answers anywhere, maybe you can help.
First is the update issue of the images in OMB - how does it work?

Exactly as for the flash: if they were affected, d'you think OMB would be a possible choice? ;)


What happens when they detect and get updated, does this affect the drivers etc. of the image installed in flash?

Absolutely not.


Then there are also individual plugin or skin updates that might cause some complications since they're all running in OMB, can any of these pose a risk for the image in flash?

Again: I see it's not clear how OMB works. Each image is a totally different world.


I'm also curious about the functioning speed of images in OMB as they're running from usb or hdd. I assume hdd would be much faster compared to usb, or perhaps isn't there any noticeable difference at all from the one in flash?
Will there be any extra delay in boot time apart from the image selection screen?

In my case, I've never seen any. Actually, to compare I should install the same image and its full backup either in flash and in OMB, but I don't think I'll experience any significant difference. And, after the boot, surely none. At least in my case, from HDD. Never tried from USB (I hate USB!)


And finally, I'd like to try it with a backup (openATV) that I made last week, but I'm not quite sure on which level to zip it: the folder 'vuplus' or the 'solo4k' inside?

You have to zip directly the vuplus folder. Then you can rename it, for instance, OpenATV.zip. But, as I wrote, this affects only the real OMB folder's name, not the name shown in the list of images, where you'll read the image and version name.


That's a lot of questions, but I know by now that you like helping people if it's something that you know, so thanks in advance for all precious info. ;)
 

Gold_66

Vu+ User
Ok, thanks again for enlightening me about all these.
I'll try it asap (and probably come up with more questions) :p
 

AlexWilMac

Moderator
One thing more: in my experience the only issues came when the image in flash was not recent enough. So I decided to install in flash a recent and updated image (for instance, I have the OBH 4.1 but it could be the BH304, too) and then I can install everything in OMB, not the other way around.
 

Gold_66

Vu+ User
Yep, same here, OBH 4.1 in flash and OpenATV 6.1 in OMB as first experience, which seems successful so far.
Later, I'll try to add VTi 13 too that has been released today. This seems fun! :)
 

Rıza Seltürk

Vu+ Newbie
Alexwilmac dosta açıklamaları için teşekkürler.Benim UNO cihazımda Openspa-4.0.004 version üzerinde multiboot kurulu.Doğrusunu isterseniz çoklu boot olayında can sıkıcı bir sorun yaşamadım.Bugün UNO cihazımı aldığımdan beri multibootta (Open multiboot değil) kurulu Backup sayısı 450 dolayında.Bu işlemde kullandığım flash bellek sayısı, her biri 16 GB.olmak üzere 8 adettir...Arada bir flashtaki imajeyi yükselttiğim oldu.Ozaman da sorun yaşamaya başladım.Örneğin flashtaki imajeyi 6.0.012 son version yaptığımda multiboota kurulan bacupların "Eklentiler Listesinde" multiboot eklentisinin oluşmadığını gördüm.Böyle bir durumda flashtaki imajeye gitmeden o backupu aktif etmek mümkün olmuyordu..Sonuçta flashtaki imajede yine eskiye döndüm:Version-4.0.004 Şimdi yine sorunsuz kullanıyorum.
En yararlı özelliği:Cihaz işlemcisi MIPS olmak kaydıyla pek çok E2 cihaza ait backup ve ham imajları kurabilmek.Bugün multibootumda 4K cihazlar hariç olmak üzere tüm Vuplus modelleri-GB modelleri-XTrend modelleri-Formuler modelleri-Octagon modelleri-Mutand modelleri-Atemio ve Amiko modelleri-GoldenInterster-Zgemma-Edision OS Mega-MiracleBox-TviarAlpha+ gibi pek çok cihazın bacupu vardır.Bu aynı zamanda görselliği olan bir arşivdir.
Multibootta kurulu bacupların online güncellemesi mümkün...Ancak backupların MB bakımından büyüklüğü kurulumda etken oluyor;200 MB üzeri bacupları kurmada başarılı olamadım..Her backup multiboota kurulmuyor,bootlogo da takılıp kalıyor.Bu da kurulan backupla flashtaki imajenin video modunun aynı olmasını gerekli kılıyor.Örneğin flashtaki image 1080i destekliyorsa,multiboota kurmak istediğiniz backupun videomodu 1080p ise kurulmuyor.Kurmak istediğimiz backupun ön incelemesini dikkatli yaparsak boşuna emek sarfetmemiş oluruz..
Evet gerektiğinde yaşadığım sorunları,uygulamada edindiğim olumlu-olumsuz gözlemlerimi sizlerle paylaşırım.Kalın sağlıcakla!...
 

marian16

Vu+ Newbie
I had the black hole 3.0.8 image and I installed the open black multi hole open black hole but did not work the wireles network ... now I put in the open multiboot for kodi 17.6 but it has other minuses ...
 

AlexWilMac

Moderator
Wifi issues are often solved not using special character either in the password or in the SSID of the router.
In my case I have OBH in flash and BH in omb.
This is ANYWAY the most advisable configuration because OBH is much less demanding in terms of RAM.
And OMB is so comfy (for the many reasons I explained) that, even if I have the 4.2 in flash, I use it from OMB (I mean, I installed it also in omb) just for all these reasons.
 

ema1

Vu+ Newbie
Herkese merhaba ilk flaş flaş görüntü açık USB 3.0 flaş bellek açık karadelik ve karadelik 4k hayal edemiyorum usb 2.0 okey. machine vu duo 4k
 

viper619

Vu+ Newbie
Hi how to sort openmultiboot image

Also I have installed openpil on openmultiboot but on boot menu boot logo not showing for open pil working for other image
 

skyerjoe

Vu+ Newbie
Is it possbile to switch the image from usb drive to flash in multiboot ?

Or do i have to flash the image in the way which the image supports.

best regards
 

AlexWilMac

Moderator
Multiboot is just for this purpose: what is it for, otherwise?
You have one image in flash and as many as you like in omb.
Only limitation might be due to some images whom don't like to be in omb. But this is not so common.
 
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