Hi redditors!
I’ve been a 2.15 user with DDVK hack for some time now, and my experience has been great so far. New rm-hacks repo and 3.8 native features are tempting though.
I wanted to test the upgrade while beeing able to revert to 2.15 in case I don’t like the new experience. I know the switch.sh script. My issue is the following : in 2.15, the only version I can update to seems to be 3.04, and not directly 3.8. However, if the update goes in two steps (2.15 -> 3.04, then 3.04 -> 3.8), I believe the 2.15 partition will be wiped by the two steps process, am I correct ? Then, how to upgrade to 3.8 and keeping the ability to revert back ?
Thanks for your help
Edit : Currently, one partition is on 2.15, the other one in 3.3
There’s a new rmHacks that’s working to mirror most of DDVK’s features and adding more that has been working great for me. They’re up to 3.8 right now.
DDVK seems to have abandoned the project.
Yes it was my point. I would like to test 3.8 + rmHacks setup and to not lose the ability to roll back to 2.15 if I don’t like it. What are the steps to update to 3.8 while not loosing the 2.15 partition ?
Ah sorry - I misunderstood you.
Seeing that edit, I could be wrong, but I would update from the 3.3 partition, and in theory you should be able to switch back to your other partition (2.15) using switch.sh.
I also believe downgrading is feasible using the remarkable-update server. Just don’t open any important notebooks in 3.8 until you’re sure you want to stay on that version, there’s a new file format that isn’t backwards compatible, and your notebooks get converted on opening.
Actually this is the issue. New firmware is always written to the inactive partition. Thus, if I update from 3.3, it will overwrite the 2.15 inactive partition with the new 3.8. The solution have been given by rmhack : using RCU, you can upload a firmware to the inactive partition.
You have two real options for doing what you want:
-
If you’re not afraid to use Python or the command line, you could use codexctl to install specific firmware to your tablet. I haven’t ever used it myself, so you’ll have to read the docs. I don’t think it can just flip the boot partition flag so you might still need to rely on switch.sh.
-
Use a nightly build of RCU, which can flip between boot partitions at-will, and also upload firmware files (with the .signed extension) to the inactive partition. You would right-click on the tablet icon, press Upload Firmware, install the 2.15 one, then do it again for the 3.8 one. To flip between, them, right-click the tablet icon and select Flip Boot Partition.
To download the firmware files, you could either download them using codexctl’s CLI, or you could use the URL listed here and combine it with the firmware version numbers and suffixes listed here to get the specific ones you want (pay attention to ‘remarkable1’ vs ‘remarkable2’!).
If you DM me, I’ll give you a gratis copy of RCU because I want more people testing this feature.
Ah interesting I’m a RCU user but for some reason thought it only worked with the older software so I haven’t tried it for a while (since my rm upgraded). Also hadn’t heard about rmHacks. What’s the best way to learn about the 3.x offerings? I’ll try out the dev version of RCU asap
-
You can’t, at least not safely.
- In 2.x, each document had a single
.linesfile containing the pen strokes for every page in the entire document. - In 3.x, the pen strokes for each page within a document are stored in separate
.rmfiles.
The first time 3.0 boots up after being installed, if it finds any
.linesfiles from 2.x, it will convert them to a directory full of 3.x format.rmfiles. Once this happens, if you were to reboot into the 2.x software, it wouldn’t be able to read the pen stroke files. (Full disclosure, I’ve never used 2.x at all. My understanding is based on a description of the file format and the fact that reMarkable wouldn’t let me upgrade from 3.0 directly to 3.5, it made me install 3.2 first.)With that said, given the fact that the 3.5 software can’t work with files from 3.0, I really doubt that 3.8 will be able to work with 2.x files at all.
I am willing to be proven wrong about this, but until/unless that happens, PLEASE BE CAREFUL. You mentioned having RCU, I highly recommend using it to back up of every document in your tablet to an
.rmnfile on your computer, before doing anything else. This way if I’m correct about the mess it’s going to make of things, you’ll at least be able to do a “factory wipe” under 2.x (which clears the user storage area) and then use RCU to restore your notebooks. (And if not, you’ll only be out the time it took to make the backups.)I will test to create a notebook in 2.15 and to open it in 3.8, to see if the conversion is still working. I’ll let you know
Thank you very much for your warning, which should be read carefully to any unadvised user. However, I already had experience with switching back and forth between 2.15 and 3.x. indeed it is really important to back up the files using RCU before trying this.
Actually, this setup is doable safely as long as it is strictly for test purposes, and not a durable solution. Indeed, you’re not right when you say :
“The first time 3.0 boots up after being installed, if it finds any .lines files from 2.x, it will convert them to a directory full of 3.x format .rm files. Once this happens, if you were to reboot into the 2.x software, it wouldn’t be able to read the pen stroke files.”
Because file format conversion is not started when booting the device in 3.x, but when you open for the first time a file or notebook in 3.x, and convert only this file. Thus, for test purposes as I want to, you can create a notebook to use exclusively in 3.x : it will not be compatible in 2.15, but as long as you do not open any other file, you’re ok.
Just to let you know, I was still able as expected to open 2.15 files in 3.8, but sure, once flipping to 2.15 again, the file cannot be open anymore since they are converted when first opened in 3.x
Thanks for letting me know.
So it sounds like the documents are converted the first time they’re opened under the new software, rather than as a batch process when the new OS first boots.
If you had a document that worked in 2.x and didn’t open under 3.x, was it still usable after downgrading back to 2.x? If so that would seem to confirm the theory.
Absolutely. As long as you do not open a document in 3.x, they are still usable in 2.x. I was working on several documents in 2.15, and I was still able to open them after going to 3.8 then going back to 2.15. Actually, there is a message “Unable to display the document please upgrade the software” in every notebook you opened or created in 3.x. So indeed, conversion is on a per document basis and not a batch process at boot.
However, as you stated, it’s still a rather unsafe situation as any miss click in 3.x will definitely make your document unusable in 2.x.
- In 2.x, each document had a single
What feature are you afraid of losing? One thing I can already tell you: the new way of adding pages is…. different. I’m used to it now, but I know a lot of people struggle with that.
With rmHacks, I’m missing no features from DDVK being on 3.8
I think I’m loosing the ability to switch between documents with finger swipe and bookmarks, which I found myself using really often. Last time I checked, I hated infinite scrolling, so not sure about that. And, I’m not sure that I’ll be able to get used to the new page button…
I don’t use infinite scrolling. The only drawback is the “+” button when swiping left to add a new page.
Switching between documents can still be done with a 2-finger swipe from the top to switch between recent documents. I forgot how ddvk handled that, but I find this current way an ok workflow for me :)
Thank you for the insight! It’s really tempting. Do you know how I should proceed to update to 3.8 and to keep the possibility to roll back if I don’t like it ?