B2B and new SD card

[Jon Shute]

Hi I am new to the forum and also not very technically minded.
I have taken an interest in the news of the new Spotify feature but I am unable to update to it as my unit does not have B2B.
I am slightly nervous of opening B2 to get at micro SD card but if i manage to pick up enough courage to do so will I have to do anything to set up the new SD card or do you simply put it in and connect to the internet.
I take it you don't have to re import your music .
I would leave it but the huge content on Spotify opens up the B2 to so much more music

[Daniel Taylor]

For those who are technically experienced, building the software on a new SD card is not a big deal.  But I can understand how the process would be quite alien to those who are not so experienced.  If you'd feel more comfortable, you can order a new microSD card from Brennan on their website.

Switching the new card with the old one is not terribly difficult.  Remove two screws in the back, slide the innards out the back by about 3 or 4 cm - I forget exactly how far, but just do it enough to be able to access the card.  Do not pull it out too far, or one or more internal connectors might get loose. The card is mounted in a push/push socket.  That is, you push to pop it out and then push again to seat it in.  This is all explained pretty well on the Brennan website, too.

[Jon Shute]

So when you put in new SD card . You just start up and connect to internet . You don't need to do any other setting up of the B2 it will just run as it used to before.

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Jon,

I had just posted the notes below on another thread for someone who wasn't familiar with the SD card build process.  

Hi JFBUK,

I've just run through the process with a new SD card, as its been a while since I last did one.

Downloaded B2BNOV2019.zip

Plugged new SD card into PC

Fired up 'balenaEtcher' application on PC

Pointed 'balenaEtcher' to the B2BNOV2019.zip file  (DON'T unzip the file)

Clicked on balenaEtcher  'Start' button

Took 'balenaEtcher a few minutes to flash and verify the SD card.

On my B2 (it's an older model with the SD card sticking out of the side; very handy), I swapped the new SD card into it.

Powered up the B2

Checked on software version which showed as 'B2B Nov 06 2019'

Ran a 'Web Upgrade' to the latest software on the Brennan website

B2 rebooted

Ran a software version check - now showing 'B2B May 23 2020'

Ran 'Setting' --> 'Maintenance' --> 'Advanced' --> ''Get Librespot' 

B2 rebooted

Ran a software version check - still showing 'B2B May 23 2020'

So from a bare SD card to full upgrade including Librespot took less than 30 minutes to complete.

Regards,

Peter.

[Phil Lord]

I had missed the B2B update so decided to dive in.

Successfully updated it with a new SD card, but when I chose to revert back to previous B2 OS, the unit would not reboot, so this seems to be a one-way trip.

In itself not a problem as far as I can see, but I had uploaded loads of photos and B2B doesn't support the JBV photo display function. I know that the support for photo display had been dropped, but reversion to previous B2 OS perhaps needs to be declared, if in fact that is the case?

[PMB]

Hi Phil,

It looks like photo support was not included in the B2B version of the software. I'll see if I have a pre-B2B version saved anywhere.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Guys,

I have a B2 (not B2B) image from 25th September 2019 (b2image25thSep2019.img) if that is of any use to you.

I think that you could do the SD card rebuild using that and then from there do 'Web Upgrade to the latest B2 software.

Regards,

Peter. 

[Phil Lord]

Thanks for the offer Peter, but I have the May 25 B2 SD card and when installed, won't support a reboot.

Reads OK in my PC, so I don't think it is corrupted.

If I can't access the photos on the B2, then I'll sort something else out, they're not the only copies I have.

Regards

Phil

[Peter Lowham]

Hi  Phil,

There are a couple of ways of accessing the 'Photos' folder.  One would be to download a freeware product such as 'WinSCP' which will enable you to connect to the B2 from your PC and see all of the B2's file content, and to copy any of the B2 folder contents to your PC.

If you want to try that, then let me know and I can help you to set it up.

Regards,

Peter.

[Phil Lord]

Hi Peter,

I'm using WinSCP to access the B2, but as I said previously the photos are already backed up so only the B2 copies are inaccessible.

Paul from Brennan support has confirmed that B2B does not support photo display, so I'll abandon it and move on.

Thanks for your interest.

Regards

Phil 

[Phil Lord]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the confirmation, however no need to go back to B2 OS as I'll leave them on the B2 HDD as an archive.

As regards a pre-B2B version, I have saved my original and it's that, that won't boot the B2, so if you could confirm that B2 to B2B is one way, then I'll continue using B2B as I want the Spotify support.

[John Lang Wilson]

For info: I created a new B2B SD when the Spotify mod appeared and kept the old B2 one which had the latest software. 

Both SDs boot my B2 successfully. I went back to the B2 for some troubleshooting I was doing and it booted up no problem.