software and control panel updates

Release date: March 4, 2010

chumby security patch

This software update fixes a security vulnerability for all released chumby products:

  • chumby one
  • chumby classic

improvements and fixes

  • Addresses security vulnerability CVE-2010-0418. Credit goes to our friend, Mark J Cox for discovering the problem, communicating it to us, and helping us resolve the issue.
  • For the chumby one, thanks to Ian Rickard for a patch for the rotary coder that doubles its resolution.

noted bugs fixed for the chumby one (other chumby products only receive the security fix)

clocks and alarms

  • Bug 4254 – the clock drifts forward on the chumby one

audio playback

  • Bug 3444 - iPods will now properly mount and unmount for music playing

general

  • Bug 4239 – updated libcurl certificate for https transactions

How to update your chumby

The chumby will automatically notify you when an update is available. The normal update installation process occurs "over-the-air" via your wi-fi (or usb ethernet connection if that's how your chumby is connected to the internet) during which your chumby will automatically reboot twice. The update process will take anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes, depending on your wi-fi signal strength and bandwidth. We recommend that you not perform bandwidth-intensive activities (like downloading large files) during the update.

If there's a problem with the over-the-air update, you can update your chumby using a USB flash drive.

updating chumby over-the-air

  1. When you see the Update Available screen, tap Now:
  2. Your chumby should reboot and automatically download the update.
    Note: If you see the Special Options screen, tap Install updates and then tap Install from network (if this option is grayed out, it means you aren't connected to the network. Reboot your chumby and try again).
  3. The chumby will install an update, reboot, and then install a second update. It's important that you let the chumby install both updates! When it's done, you'll briefly see the message "Update successfully completed" and then your widgets should start playing again — this means you've successfully updated your chumby.

updating chumby with a USB flash drive

You can install the updates from a USB flash drive if the normal over-the-air process did not work.

  1. Download the appropriate file for your chumby:
    • chumby one owners
      Copy http://files.chumby.com/resources/chumbyone/1-0-4/update.tgz onto the top level of a USB flash drive (i.e., do not put it into a folder). DO NOT extract the file.
      Internet Explorer users: Right click on the link and select "Save Target As...". A dialog box will open and the file name "update.gz" will appear — change the file name to "update.tgz" (insert the "t") and click on Save.
      Mac Safari users: Ctrl-click on the link and select "Download Linked File" to prevent the files from being automatically extracted.
    • chumby classic owners
      Download http://files.chumby.com/resources/chumby_fw_1-7-2.zip and then extract the file onto the top level of a USB flash drive (i.e., do not put it into a folder).
    • chumby classic Japan owners
      Download http://files.chumby.com/resources/chumby_fw_1-7-1-jp.zip and then extract the file onto the top level of a USB flash drive (i.e., do not put it into a folder).

    The USB flash drive you're using must be formatted FAT16 or FAT32 — as long as you haven't formatted the drive as HFS on a Macintosh it should work.

  2. Turn off your chumby.
  3. Plug the USB drive into the USB port on the back of your chumby.
  4. While touching the screen, turn your chumby back on. You'll see this screen:
  5. Keep your finger on the touchscreen until you see the screen with "loading special options" on it. Once you see this screen you can take your finger off the screen:
  6. The Special Options screen will appear. Tap Install Updates.
  7. Tap Install from USB flash drive.
  8. The chumby will install an update, reboot, and then install a second update. It's important that you let the chumby install both updates! When it's done, you'll briefly see the message "Update successfully completed" and then your widgets should start playing again — this means you've successfully updated your chumby!
  9. Finish by following all the onscreen set-up instructions.

Note: There may be a few USB flash drives that won't work correctly on the chumby. If your chumby is having problems seeing the USB flash drive you're using, try a different one.

Need help?

If you're having issues with the update process, see additional information on updating or contact customer support.

Known Issues

    • Changing between wi-fi networks with different password encryption types will connect properly but the network information on the Chumby Info panel may contain the information for the older wi-fi connection. This will not interfere with the wi-fi connection of the chumby.
    • The Wireless Network Connection screen displays a blank SSID and fails to connect to a wireless access point using extended ASCII chars (e.g.: Æ Ç Ø ï ). The chumby does not properly support the extended 8-bit ASCII character set, which does not have an industry standard for wireless network interoperability. The chumby does properly support the common special characters (e.g.: !, *, \, |) that fall in the range of the 7-bit ASCII Unicode character set (chars 32 to 127).
    • The chumby is not currently compatible with the Apple iPhone® or iPod Touch® as an audio playback source through the chumby control panel.
    • Audio playback on the chumby may abruptly stop. Since Flash Player initiates the audio and video capabilities of the chumby, if the Flash Player stops functioning the audio will stop as well. Flash Player will be automatically restarted by the chumby if it detects the Flash Player has stopped. Afterwards you can restart your audio playback by going to the Music screen in the control panel.
    • Certain streaming videos may not play well or the audio may not keep in sync with the video. Not all videos use the same encoding or bit rate/resolution settings. Some of these videos may result in poor playback, with symptoms including dropped frames and hesitation. The current chumby optimal video playback profile for Flash 8 video is 320 by 240 pixels, 12 frames per second, with a maximum video bitrate of 220 kbps and a maximum audio bitrate of 32 kbps. We have selected some YouTube videos that do play well — they are located in the Entertainment category of the widget section of our website at http://www.chumby.com/guide.
    • The chumby iPod player will not load any DRM files purchased from iTunes as we are not licensed by Apple to play this music (we may license with Apple in the future). You can play any music imported from CDs or any non-DRM music files.
    • After several hours the chumby may not recognize the iPod. The iPod screen will show the green battery charger full. Disconnect your iPod, wait a few seconds, reconnect your iPod, and then use the chumby control panel to reload your iPod playlists.

    General Troubleshooting

    Please first refer to the FAQs for information on possible workarounds for any of the issues mentioned. If the problem still persists, contact customer support or post to the forum for additional help.

    • The chumby feels hot after running for a long time: This is normal. The chumby may feel warmer than other devices with an LCD screen but it is operating within its normal temperature range.
    • The chumby touchscreen seems to be unresponsive at times: The chumby touchscreen doesn't detect screen presses well when using too large of an area of the finger. Press the touchscreen using just the tip of your finger or your fingernail.
    • If your widgets play slowly or do not show content (i.e., weather widget is blank): The chumby may be out of the wi-fi signal range or disconnected from the network. Try moving your chumby closer to your wi-fi access point.
    • The chumby only shows a clock and is not showing any of your widgets: The chumby is not connected to the network.
    • When starting the chumby the downloading progress bar does not move, does not switch to the next screen, or after downloading shows a black screen: The most common problem is a weak wi-fi signal. Try moving your chumby closer to your wi-fi access point.
    • Certain streaming videos may not play well: This is a known issue — see the detailed description in the Known Issues section.
    • The chumby stops playing a video or a channel does not complete after viewing a streaming video: This is a known issue — see the detailed description in the Known Issues section.
    • Your chumby sits on the "Downloading the control panel" screen and the progress bar has not moved in a long time: The chumby may have a very weak wi-fi signal or may be disconnected from the network. Try moving your chumby closer to your wi-fi access point.

    Previous Software Updates

    A list of all the previous software updates is available at software updates archive.

    Additional Information Sources

    chumby forum
    chumby wiki