# Browse file system?



## davezatz (Apr 18, 2002)

Let's say I want to browse my Roamio file system, after the recent 20.5.2a update, to look for image files depicting the upcoming Bolt. Is that is simple as hanging the TiVo drive off a computer and going crazy? Or is it locked down, obfuscated in some way? Also, I wonder if certain assets are not actually downloaded until needed. Thanks ahead of time for any insight!


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

On a classic TiVo, there's a small standard Linux filesystem (ext2/ext3) containing the software*, and then most of the disk is given over to "MFS", which is only accessed through tivoapp, and not mounted (and AFAIK, not mountable). But there are special tools available to read data from the MFS partitions. In addition to the recordings, some data is stored in MFS. The images you're looking for _might_ be in the normal partition. However...

On a Roamio, as I understand it, the software partitions are apparently kept in flash, while the hard drive is all MFS. This is why you can swap out the drive and have the TiVo format the new one, since it doesn't lose its software. But, I've seen very little info on hacking Roamios, so don't quote me on this.

* In fact, IIRC, there are two read-only software partitions -- one active, and one (containing the last software version) in reserve -- one read/write /var partition, and a swap partition. But these are all just a small portion of the drive, compared to the several MFS partitions.


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## davezatz (Apr 18, 2002)

Thanks for the intel! Given no documented path or certainty, think I'll leave my drive in place even tho I can envision a scenario where OS lives on flash but certain resources like app icons, discovery bar graphics, etc live on a spinning platter partition separate from recordings and such.


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## jmbach (Jan 1, 2009)

I think what you envision is more correct on the Roamio. To really find out for sure I would ask. ggieseke. He has dove deep down that rabbit hole to develop his MFSR utility and probably can help answer your question.


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## ggieseke (May 30, 2008)

I haven't really delved into 20.5.x yet, but the general trend over the last few years has been to put most (if not all) of the UI files on the MFS partitions.

I don't really know what's buried in the flash on a Roamio, but I don't think it's very much of the UI. All of the software lives there for sure, and it will take a blank MFS filesystem the rest of the way during Guided Setup WITH an internet connection. I can only assume that it downloads the rest because it's the typical "no way out of GS" scenario unless it can call home.

I have some old subroutines that I wrote for DvrBARS that extracted the entire MFS filesystem, but they haven't been updated for Roamios and I'm not going to bother for a possible Bolt icon that might be 60x30 pixels. The only place that I have ever seen any pictures is in subtle differences between the icon for a Premiere or a Roamio at the bottom of the NPL.

We'll know when we know and I don't expect any shocking revelations from the 20.5.2a UI files (icons don't say much). I haven't chimed into the 'what would it take' thread, but for me a Bolt would have to take out the trash, cook dinner, & rub my feet to make me dump my current Pro/basic setup. 6 cable tuners with the factory 3TB Pro drive for Comcast and 4 OTA tuners with a 4TB Red upgrade is my sweet spot.


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## jmbach (Jan 1, 2009)

I would imagine that the bolt icon would be on the Premiere as well. However with since the OS seems to be slowly evolving, your subroutines may not work on the newer OS. Reasoning behind this is that DvrBARS does not make a nice small truncated backup from a normal image anymore.


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## ggieseke (May 30, 2008)

jmbach said:


> I would imagine that the bolt icon would be on the Premiere as well. However with since the OS seems to be slowly evolving, your subroutines may not work on the newer OS. Reasoning behind this is that DvrBARS does not make a nice small truncated backup from a normal image anymore.


Yeah, the oversize truncated image problem is something I should fix one of these days but it's like designing a better carburetor for a '72 Gremlin. It still saves several Premiere owners a week, and that's all I was hoping for at the time. If anything the number of Premiere image requests has increased lately as the hardware starts starts to age out.

Those subroutines definitely don't work on Roamios. I could re-write them, but the book probably isn't worth the candle.


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## davidblackledge (Sep 9, 2008)

davezatz said:


> Thanks for the intel! Given no documented path or certainty, think I'll leave my drive in place even tho I can envision a scenario where OS lives on flash but certain resources like app icons, discovery bar graphics, etc live on a spinning platter partition separate from recordings and such.


Just to support that idea, I have found that images stop loading very quickly in Enter Webz if your drive is at 100%. So at the very least, the HME image download cache shares space with recordings.
... Come to think of it, though, I think those results happened on a Premiere, and I just assumed it applied to the Roamio.

However, EWz and HME in general does work on the drive-less Mini.


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## Flythroughs12 (Sep 24, 2015)

Thats Great


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