Upsating Firmware not possible: Error mounting USB drive  

RE: Upsating Firmware not possible: Error mounting USB drive

It seems several people have had trouble with the factory USB stick. I would try using a different USB drive, but avoid large capacities, e.g. larger than 32GB.

RE: Updating Firmware not possible: Error mounting USB drive

This did work!

RE: Upsating Firmware not possible: Error mounting USB drive

@wassini

I'm working on the assumption that USB stick first partition must not be larger than 32Mb and Fat32 formatted. Does that agree with your working situation? 

RE: Upsating Firmware not possible: Error mounting USB drive

I don't always get this message, but so far I can just click on "continue" with no issue.  I've only had the printer for a week now. This is with a new USB stick, the one that came with it was causing me to get a lot of the "Watchdog" issues.  Not sure what the difference is between error #3 from the original post and my error #7.

RE: Upsating Firmware not possible: Error mounting USB drive

I can tell the messages come from the bootloader, but I don't know if Prusa have published any source for the bootloader, so I can't get any further clues on that.

Clearly the Prusa firmware is still a bit dodgy with some USB drives.

RE: Upsating Firmware not possible: Error mounting USB drive

Posted by: @towlerg

@wassini

I'm working on the assumption that USB stick first partition must not be larger than 32Mb and Fat32 formatted. Does that agree with your working situation? 

I susspect that you mean 32Gb 😉

It's the 8 Gb USB stick that is delivered together with the printer I was using.

RE: Upsating Firmware not possible: Error mounting USB drive

@wassini

"I suspect that you mean 32Gb" Oopsy, sorry of course I meant that.

The question about a bootloader is very interesting. If prusa don't publish it then they aren't open source and if they do then one could circumvent the need to use signed firmware.

RE: Upsating Firmware not possible: Error mounting USB drive

I assume they have secured the flash so that loading a new bootloader also requires the appendix to be broken, but I have not checked that.

RE: Upsating Firmware not possible: Error mounting USB drive

The USB stick I am using is a 4 GB one I had lying around.

RE: Upsating Firmware not possible: Error mounting USB drive

@bobcousins

"I assume they have secured the flash so that loading a new bootloader also requires the appendix to be broken, but I have not checked that."

My very point, if that is the case then it's not open source.

RE: Upsating Firmware not possible: Error mounting USB drive

Posted by: @towlerg

@bobcousins

"I assume they have secured the flash so that loading a new bootloader also requires the appendix to be broken, but I have not checked that."

My very point, if that is the case then it's not open source.

Sorry, I don't quite see the connection. I think there are two separate issues, technical and license.

Technically, the BOOT0 and SWDIO signals go through the appendix, so it prevents using the ROM bootloader or SWD to load new software or access the flash, unless the appendix is broken.

Strictly speaking, Open Source just means that the software (or other IP) is published with an Open Source license, which conforms to principles defined by https://opensource.org/osd, aka "the four freedoms". (you probably know that already). Unfortunately, the Open Source definition has been widely abused and re-interpreted to the point it's hard to tell what people really mean when they say "open source".

I don't think the OS definition says anything about bypassable technical restrictions applied to the user updating firmware. GPL v3 might, but that is not the only Open Source license, and Open Source publishers are not obliged to use it.

I guess it is a matter of opinion whether Prusa have crossed over the line of being Open Source, but I think they have certainly approached close to it and for many people entered a very grey area. Clearly, if they do not publish source for the bootloader, they are lying when they say "All parts of our printer are open-source. ".

However, is an encryption key part of the design, or part of the mechanism of delivery? My view is it's the latter, a condition of a commercial sale. The encryption key is not required if you build your own printer from scratch, using the supplied sources.

Just an observation, Prusa seems to be going the same route as many other OSH companies, e.g. Makerbot. They start out with a noble aim of "everything is Open Source", but eventually realise the reality of doing business is that it requires exclusive rights to some IP, whether that is a trademark, copyright, patent, trade secret etc. Or at least, it is a heck of a lot harder to compete with other companies legitimately using your IP who undercut your prices.

RE: Upsating Firmware not possible: Error mounting USB drive

Posted by: @towlerg

@bobcousins

"I assume they have secured the flash so that loading a new bootloader also requires the appendix to be broken, but I have not checked that."

My very point, if that is the case then it's not open source.

They still provide the source. You can still use the source to create derivative works. 

Locking the device to allow non-factory firmware only if you agree that using non-factory firmware may void your warranty is not not open source, it's necessary protection for their business and an accountability requirement for makers like us. Too many of us have done risky things and demanded the manufacturer expends resources to compensate for our mistakes. I've worked supporting technology from retail up the chain for 25 years so let me tell you, for every three of us who would "never" ask a company to cover our mistakes, there's that guy over there demanding a full refund and a second device and forty hours of personal support. 

RE: Upsating Firmware not possible: Error mounting USB drive

Hi,

I had same issues. Tried with other usb , reformated and was same errors #4 and #7. After I had inserted the usb just after pressing reset and it worked. Also setting to check firmware "always" didn`t work, it is checking for new firmware at beggining only.

RE: Upsating Firmware not possible: Error mounting USB drive

@roger-t4

"They still provide the source." if I may correct this to "They still provide some the source."

But I take your point.

RE: Upsating Firmware not possible: Error mounting USB drive

Well.... I didn't even get to do one print before i got disappointed by Prusa.

The included USB-drive did not work with the printer.

I tried 4 other usb-sticks I had at home, and all of them worked, but the provided one with the printer just gave the "error mounting USB drive".

What kind of quality / QA is this? Shipping an 379 euro product with a malfunctioning no-name usb stick? 🙁

RE: Upsating Firmware not possible: Error mounting USB drive

do you guys sorted the issue? I am not able to print with any usb drive.

RE: Upsating Firmware not possible: Error mounting USB drive

I had USB errors when trying to flash the latest. I found that I had to use a 4gb USB flash drive formatted with FAT32. 

8gb, 16gb, 32gb all gave me the same boot error

RE: Upsating Firmware not possible: Error mounting USB drive

@bobcousins

I tried the following:

• Stock USB (8GB) - Error #7
  • Reformatted the above - Error #7
• PNY Brand (8GB) - Error #7
  • Reformatted the above - Error #7
• Sandisk (128GB) - FW loaded normally after reset

I only used the larger Sandisk because that's what I had laying around.

Just thought I would add that you should try any of the USB drives that you have.

Hopefully one of them works. This did for me.

RE: Upsating Firmware not possible: Error mounting USB drive

@dylan-m-george

I created an account just to thank you for the SanDisk suggestion.  Out of my 20 someodd USB drives, I found an unused SanDisk and it worked like a charm.  Thank you!