Geeky success...

[bovil]

OK, I just did something.

Something that's a relatively big deal (symbolically) for me as a new-ish BlackBerry admin.

I just upgraded my BlackBerry 8830 (which had been woefully stuck at OS 4.2 because of lack of support from the phone providers) to BlackBerry OS version 4.5. This is a bit tricker than it sounds, upgrading to an unsupported (by the provider, at least, it is RIM-supported) OS version.

It's not as simple as running the OS installer and letting the BlackBerry Desktop do the upgrade for you. It turns out that you have to:

1. Uninstall the earlier BlackBerry Handheld OS from your computer
2. Delete the vendor.xml and devices.xml file from the App Loader directory
3. Install the new (and correct for your handheld model) BlackBerry OS
4. Start the App Loader
5. remove the battery from your BlackBerry
6. Plug in the BlackBerry using USB
7. Click "next" in the App Loader as soon as you see "USB:Unknown" appear in the connection list
8. Plug in the battery
9. Pick the software to install
10. Install (allowing the phone to restart itself several times including waiting for the 507 error to clear)
11. Wait 10 minutes or so for the phone to reboot once it's installed

This is a risky process; if the install doesn't go well you'll have a brick at the end. It's possible to un-brick a phone by the same process (removing the new OS and installing back to an old OS provided by your cellular provider), but it can take a few tries.

The 4.5 OS is much improved over 4.2, though. If you're willing to take a big risk with your phone (and it's stuck at OS 4.2; it's not nearly as valuable upgrading from 4.3 as 4.5 from what I hear), hit google to get more details on the process.

I also twiddled my procmail recipes on my personal account. A few of them now drop copies of messages into /var/mail/attrembl so the BIS imap client service (crappiest imap client service ever, can't even select folders to watch) can get mail to my phone for me.

Comments

Cool

[npage1.livejournal.com]

I actually got my new BOLD two days ago and started testing it, the very first thing I did was upgrade the firmware to the latest version out in the wild.

http://blackberryforums.com

Already I see a few issues with it though, the first and most obvious was that it only hold a charge for about a day.

Next week I am also getting a the new STORM to begin. testing. It runs the new 4.7, and from what my RIM guy told me alot better than the BOLD

Also any Blackberry hacker needs to get the JL_CMDR

This app will allow you to actually brick a BB, and the reason you might want to do that is it will then allow you to install older firmware version, remember newer does not mean better!

Re: Cool

[bovil.livejournal.com]

I've got JL_CMDR, but haven't had to use it. I have been able to downgrade a BB using the procedure I described when my first attempt to install 4.5 failed hard.

It's useful hearing that the battery life on the Bold is a problem. I don't think we've got anybody asking to order one.

We've got a few people ordering the Storm. I've warned them that we don't know jack about it yet.

Re: Cool

[npage1.livejournal.com]

I am as we speak getting ready to install the elusive .190 on my Bold, it totally in beta version and I will most likly kill my BB, but hey its Friday!

Re: Cool

[bovil.livejournal.com]

Keep me up to date on the Bold testing. I've let my management know about the battery issue, and that's a strike against it.

Re: Cool

[npage1.livejournal.com]

I will, just finished the upgrade, went VERY smooth and seems to be running fine