Installation of Nightly Build - how to make .fir file?

Started by zz bottom, October 22, 2013, 01:36:07 AM

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zz bottom

I know I'm missing something simple, so I'm reaching out to you all for help...

I am trying to install the latest 700d.111 Nightly Build so that I can add some much needed functionality for my T5i.  I have installed official builds of ML on my 60D, but I notice that none of the Nightly Builds include the necessary .fir file.

Do I need a .fir file to run ML on the 700D/T5i?  If so, how do I create one?  I see lots of mention of "making the card bootable" but I'm quite unclear on whether this is necessary and how to perform it from a Mac.

What I've done so far:  I perform a low level format on a 16GB card, then extract the autoexec & ML folder to root of card, then try to initialize a firmware update, the camera says "Memory card containing firmware is required to update".

Obviously I'm missing something because all of my searching results in others that seem to overcome this first time installation problem.  I can't find a clear answer.  Clearly it's a different process than installing a stable build on my 60D.

Please help!!  My video work will greatly improve from having magic zoom.  Thanks!!

marklinn


Stedda

Sounds like your card is not bootable...

Before running a Nightly you need to already have ML running on your camera. Which means getting the last official release which is ML 2.3 for your camera, then copy the nightly files over the existing.

There's plenty of detailed instructions on the forum, Search them out. These types of questions are asked once a day...
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RedHerring

Yes, the question is asked a lot, but always coyly tiptoed around. It's annoying.

The answer to the question is that you must have a 700D Magic Lantern .fir file to enable the camera to boot from the SD card.

In theory, you get the MagicLantern .fir file on your SD card, then "upgrade" the firmware on the camera. This .fir file only sets a flag (on the camera) to allow your camera to boot from the SD card, if the correct ML autoexec.bin is present on the bootable SD card. After that you can discard or keep the .fir (I would keep to be able to turn the boot flag off someday), and just add the ML files to a bootable SD card every time there is a new nightly. No need to re-up your camera once the flag is set to boot except to set it not to boot from SD. There is a significant time penalty on camera startup when the camera looks to boot from SD first, internal firmware second.

Finding that 700D 1.1.1 .fir file is the trick. There ain't one, at least as far as I can find. There WAS one but the file was deleted from the sharing service.

You can build one from the source code from what I understand but I don't feel like experimenting on my new camera, so I would like to have a "known good" version for the bit set .fir. A tiny piece of the overall puzzle. A one off operation.