"MP TEST FIRMWARE!" on S17 / T17 series control board?

[tim-bc]

Hello all,

I booted up an S17 / T17 control board that I bought through bitmain from https://shop.bitmain.com/product/parts

On the main page when I log in with root/root I see "MP TEST FIRMWARE!" in big red letters. Take a look:

https://i.stack.imgur.com/hIw3Z.png (p.s. the "Locate" subtab from newer firmwares is missing here)
https://i.stack.imgur.com/V3R9A.png
https://i.stack.imgur.com/9Eix9.png

Then when I click on the "Network" tab, an additional "Quality" tab appears (of course, the board is not attached to any fans or hashboards):

https://i.stack.imgur.com/jcTzl.png

Here is pastebin with kernel log:

https://pastebin.com/18mLGNJA

It doesn't really matter to me since I had to overwrite by upgrading to the latest T17 firmware anyway, but I was curious about what this MP TEST FIRMWARE might be or if anyone has seen it before. Looks like the compile time is in HKT timezone rather than CST; I haven't seen that before. Thoughts?

[1713986560]

1713986560

[1713986560]

1713986560

[Artemis3]

When something like this happens, you should just hold to it and do nothing, preferably turn off the thing and wait for instructions. This could have been a giant discovery, but you already ruined it.

My thoughts? Don't post to the forum after the fact.

Of course Bitmain made a mistake shipping you that, that's what makes it valuable...

[BitMaxz]

They might be accidentally sent you a control board that is used for testing firmware?

I tried to find it on the Bitmain site but it seems that this is a unique firmware. Never mention even in google.

How about trying to test it with hashboard and connect it to the internet let us see if there is a difference between default and mp test firmware.

Also, check the ssh if you can access it.

[thierry4wd]

Shit .....

1970-01-01 00:00:44 driver-btm-soc.c:3178:init_freq_mode: This is fix-freq version

[mikeywith]

When something like this happens, you should just hold to it and do nothing, preferably turn off the thing and wait for instructions. This could have been a giant discovery, but you already ruined it.

I think you are being a bit too harsh on tim-bc , I also think you are kind of exaggerating the matter, I do not see any "giant discovery" in a test firmware, unless you believe in conspiracy theory then that's a whole different story.

I am also leaning towards the fact that all control boards that come directly form Bitmain as a spare part ( not a whole miner ) will probably have the same "MP TEST FIRMWARE", anyhow if that was a mistake by bitmain, sooner or later this firmware will be revealed by someone else, it's highly unlikely that out of thousands of boards they send only tim-bc got a "lucky" control board.

[philipma1957]

Well I rather not have seen the thread.  I find it annoying  when someone posts a thread like tim-bc did.
Why bother it only makes us feel a loss.

Now I may never know what MP TEST FIRMWARE can do.

But @ Tim-bc   over the years I have done some dumber things then this.
So if it is any comfort to you maybe one day we will get to know what it was for.
Or as mikeywith said maybe it had very little value any way.

[mikeywith]

Agreed, i might have underestimated what the test firmware might have and can do, i think i said what i said mostly to make tim feel a little less bad since Artemis3's post was a bit too harsh IMO.

With that being said, let us try to find that firmware, i will try to order a control board ( the same one tim bought) and see if we get lucky, will also try to contact my chinese suppliers to see if anyone has a clue.

[tim-bc]

Hey guys, I appreciate your interest. I should have mentioned that I ordered several with the same "MP test" firmware so that shouldn't be an issue, it's not like I only had one which is now gone. It was just when I was pre-flashing T17 firmware for a customer that I noticed and made the post.

With that being said, let us try to find that firmware, i will try to order a control board ( the same one tim bought) and see if we get lucky, will also try to contact my chinese suppliers to see if anyone has a clue.

So with the above in mind, all is not lost, I don't actually have any S17 / T17 hashboards physically with me so I can't test that, but I can do some tests on it or sell one to you guys if you really want.

But also, SSH is enabled on it, I downloaded most of the filesystem if you guys want to take a look: https://gofile.io/?c=owO8lA

Also here is the HTML source of quality.html : https://pastebin.com/b7FVuHqx and here is cgi-bin/miner_stats.cgi : https://pastebin.com/gJrxVEMF

[thierry4wd]

If SSH is actived... is error from bitmain !

Thanks for yours files !!! good job, i d'ont have S17/T17 for test 

[mikeywith]

That is great news, half the problem is already solved.

did you manage to back up the whole firmware in a flush-able format where others can flash it on their T17/S17 boards to test it? if not then could you please seek some help from  thierry4wd , taserz or any other firmware savvy?

if you are not willing to do that, I might just buy the control board from you and have it sent to however is willing to extract and test the firmware.

[thierry4wd]

I have test on my S9K ... is not true test but make idea



And i confirm, on boot (bitmainer_setup.sh) SSH IS ACTIVED !

Code:

###########################
# dropbear
NO_START=0

if [ ! -f /config/dropbear ] ; then
    echo NO_START=0 > /config/dropbear
fi

cp /config/dropbear /etc/default/dropbear

###########################

[tim-bc]

That is great news, half the problem is already solved.

did you manage to back up the whole firmware in a flush-able format where others can flash it on their T17/S17 boards to test it? if not then could you please seek some help from  thierry4wd , taserz or any other firmware savvy?

Compiling bmminer is not the hard part making a flashable firmware version that doesn't shit the bed is more a bitch than anything else.

I have done compiling custom bmminer binary, that's about it. So if anyone wants to give me tips on making a flashable version of firmware that would be great. But I don't see how it would help if all stock S17/T17 miners only accept signed firmware files anyway.

if you are not willing to do that, I might just buy the control board from you and have it sent to however is willing to extract and test the firmware.

I already am selling the control boards on ebay (factory new condition) and pre-flashing the firmware for my buyers, if you're serious about buying one, it would be no extra cost and I'll just leave the MP test firmware on there.

[mikeywith]

I have test on my S9K ... is not true test but make idea

Were you able to make a flashable firmware version out of the files that tim shared??

I have asked taserz to check this thread as well, if taserz or thierry4wd were able to make a flasheble version from the files you shared then there is no need for me to buy the control board as i mentioned early I have no actual use for it, if thierry4wd or taserz need that control board to extract a " flashable firmware version that doesn't shit the bed" I will buy one for one of them,or whoever is willing to do that anyway.

again I am doing this for the community in the first place, so i hope that one of the fine gentlemen here is willing to spend some time to do this for free for the community as well.

[taserz]

It's not a test firmware or anything guys lmao. You all getting all willy nilly thinking you can reverse it. It's the same copy of cgminer that is on the official firmware too...

You are on their beta firmware. It's pretty much the same as the May firmware for S17... It's nothing special. If you want I can give you the SD card image of that firmware from bitmain factory to SD card flash to that.

I am more concerned about why they sent you that firmware. You sure it wasn't a used or repaired unit or control board. That is odd. I have never seen one shipped with that as all production models come with finished firmware not the test firmware.


edit: Pretty sure you got a refurb control board as they flash to that firmware then current to wipe it's memory if it has issues. But yeah that firmware can be downloaded from my website on asic.to the exact one you have loaded. Under SSH Unlock tool. We use it to downgrade latest firmware miners so we can unlock them and load our firmware on them

[thierry4wd]

So ... ok ...

But in kernel log show this : "1970-01-01 00:00:44 driver-btm-soc.c:3178:init_freq_mode: This is fix-freq version" !!!

what explication ?

[mikeywith]

@taserz  ya, laugh all you want boi    honestly I laughed at myself too, for a moment i felt like i was a stupid newbie who had no clue, this is only because I had no time to play with these new gears, if it was anything S9 related I would have known slightly better  .

But hey, you could have pretended that you had no clue, you would have gotten yourself a free control board  

Thanks tim for bringing this topic up, thanks to tim-bc and of course taserz for solving the puzzle.

[taserz]

So ... ok ...

But in kernel log show this : "1970-01-01 00:00:44 driver-btm-soc.c:3178:init_freq_mode: This is fix-freq version" !!!

what explication ?

Asian to lazy to code in the date.

JK

Nah that is the date epoch date. Google Epoch Date

@taserz  ya, laugh all you want boi    honestly I laughed at myself too, for a moment i felt like i was a stupid newbie who had no clue, this is only because I had no time to play with these new gears, if it was anything S9 related I would have known slightly better  .

But hey, you could have pretended that you had no clue, you would have gotten yourself a free control board 

Thanks tim for bringing this topic up, thanks to tim-bc and of course taserz for solving the puzzle.

I want a E or + control board.... I want to break into one.

[thierry4wd]

Asian to lazy to code in the date.

JK

Nah that is the date epoch date. Google Epoch Date

Of corse :p but i tell you :

1970-01-01 00:00:44 driver-btm-soc.c:3178:init_freq_mode: This is fix-freq version

[taserz]

They are all fixed freq. In that all hashboards are the same frequency on that firmware.

[thierry4wd]

Thanks for this detail, all is clear for me 

This version is compatible with S17 only ? or with S17 and T17 ?