Beginers Guide to creating custom OSD

[KAD]

nothing special needed to be the ftp method

requirements
ext3 format osd.bin - you already have that
network connection to your plus
ftp client on your computer

only thing special on these newer firmwares, linksheets must be disabled, because it remounts the directory as read only

KAD

[jumbalaya]

if your images won't fit into the osd you are using, you can follow these instructions from mad_ady and just change "count=" in the first line to something larger than what you currently have. then when you pack your osd into the new bin it will fit.
@mad_ady, this helped me a ton when working with psychoTHC, thank you so much

scoobydo: you are trying to write over files on a read only filesystem (cramfs is a read-only, compressed filesystem), and you can't overwrite the files with conventional methods.
You could convert the osd.bin you are trying to use from cramfs to ext3, and then it would be writable (and slightly larger). The way you would do the "conversion" would be to create a new ext3 filesystem and copy the files from the osd.bin to the new filesystem.

I haven't tried this, but try the following (change the path to your USB drive where appropriate):

Code: Select all

#create an empty file big enough to hold the osd.bin (16M)
dd if=/dev/zero of=/tmp/mnt/USB-UID/osd-ext3.bin bs=1M count=16
#create a new ext3 filesytem inside the file
mkfs.ext3 /tmp/mnt/USB-UID/osd-ext3.bin
#mount the new filesystem
mkdir /tmp/newosd
mount -o loop,rw /tmp/mnt/USB-UID/osd-ext3.bin /tmp/newosd
#copy the files over (assuming they are all under /osd - you need to check what files are exposed from your osd.bin)
cp -ar /osd/* /tmp/newosd
#sync
sync
#umount
umount /tmp/newosd


You will need to know the file structure of the original osd.bin and copy the relevant files to the new image. When you are done cloning the original one, rename it as osd.bin and reboot with it attached. Then, you should be able to overwrite the files you want.

Good luck!

[KAD]

the 20MB stock.osd.bin should be large enough for starting out, I didn't need to create my own ext3 image till I had multiple colorschemes in eye candy
and now it's a 60MB monster

KAD

[mad_ady]

@jumbalaya: Glad I could help. I admit, I get excited when working with dd so I tend to answer those questions that involve dd

[ARYEZ]

Hey so Ive been working on my osd mod for the past week or so and the progress has actually gone pretty well, despite the fact that this is all like learning a new language to me. Up until now, I have been using the old fashioned method of mounting and unmounting my osd and then pulling the usb back and forth between the WD and my comp. This has worked well, but is getting kind of tedious especially now that Im into the image/text placement adjustments. So, I finally decided to attempt the FTP method that KAD had suggested earlier in this thread. I logged into telnet through VM ware player and connected to my WD just fine. Changed the password and everything seems right. My only problem is (and yes I know this is yet another noob question lol) how do you actually make the changes happen on the WD? For instance using the old method, I would edit an image or an XML file, then umount my ary.osd.bin file, and then finally plug the USB back into the WD. After a reboot through the WEC all my changes would now be there. What Im asking is how do I accomplish that same outcome through FTP?

As always, I apologize for all the questions and appreciate any help.

[ARYEZ]

UPDATE:

I overcame my noobiness and figured it out...so much easier than constantly swapping the USB between comp/WD.

[KAD]

With the FTP method no need for vm ware anymore
Filezilla
Notepad++
Putty

Is all that's needed

Edit the XML or images in windows then replace the file in your osd.bin via FTP

To see your changes you must leave the page then return to it

To save, reboot

Kad

Ps: you sound like me, when I first wrote this guide all this was new to me
Linux, vm ware, XML, FTP, bin files, ect ... was all a first for me

[ARYEZ]

Haha well thanks, If you started out as lost as I have been at points during this project, then that at least gives me hope that eventually understanding this all is possible. Btw this FTP method is light years ahead of the old fashioned USB swap way. I don't think I would have edited a tenth of the stuff I'm tweaking now, if you guys hadn't talked me through it. So definitely a big thanks for that.

[KAD]

updated first posted since people have been asking about the ftp method and also how to update/checkout current version of the osd

KAD

[ARYEZ]

Hey it's been awhile but the work on my OSD is actually going pretty good, but damn ya never really realize how many menu's and pages a theme actually consists of until ya have to edit the XML's for each one lol anyway on to the questions...

I'm not sure if this has been covered before but for whatever reason the Basic_browse_thumb.xml seems to always revert back to its original settings whenever I reboot my WDTV through the webend. Is this normal, and if so is there a way to make the changes to that Xml permanent (like how seemingly every other Xml is?)

Question number two is, while browsing through the music folder (I always go through the Playlist option, so I don't think I had previously ever seen the normal music browse page) however when I did I saw two Artwork images for each Album. One Large (that looks decent) and one small (that looks horrible) For what it's worth, all my album artwork is atleast 600x600, but even the large image seems to be only 200x200. I then FTP'd into the folder and this is what i saw

http://www.flickr.com/photos/74751797@N02/6729489647/

Is there anyway to delete these AlbumArt_[ ]small.jpgs or replace them with better quality images?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.