balong-usbdload

Please read "getting help" section carefully before asking any questions!

Russian section

Утилита для аварийной USB-загрузки модемов на чипсете Balong V2R7, V7R11 и V7R22. Позволяет загрузить внешний загрузчик-прошивальщик (usbloader) через аварийный USB-serial порт загрузки, создаваемый модемом при повреждении прошивки или замыкании на землю контакта аварийной загрузки на плате модема.

Многие загрузчики могут быть автоматически пропатчены данной утилитой в процессе загрузки. Патч необходим потому, что оригинальный usbloader стирает всю флеш-память в процессе загрузки, включая уникальные данные, хранящиеся в NVRAM.

Эта утилита может вывести ваше устройство из строя!
Используйте ее, только если осознаете все риски и последствия. В случае каких-либо возникших проблем, не ждите помощи, рассчитывайте только на свои собственные силы.

Пожалуйста, воздержитесь от любых вопросов, не касающихся программы напрямую, в том числе и о вопросах о файлах-загрузчиках. У нас их нет. Нет, мы не знаем, где их взять.

English section

About

Balong-usbdload is an emergency USB boot loader utility for Huawei LTE modems and routers with Balong V2R7, V7R11 and V7R22 chipsets.
It loads external boot loader/firmware update tool file (usbloader.bin) via emergency serial port available if the firmware is corrupted or boot pin (test point) is shorted to the ground.

This utility can make your device unbootable!
Use it only if you fully understand all risks and consequences. In case of any issues, you're on your own. Do not expect any help.

Where to get USB loader files (usbloader.bin)?

USB loader files are often found in a Huawei technologic firmware releases with 99 in version number (i.e. 21.170.99.03.00).

Some USB loaders are available in this repository, along with patched versions (usblsafe.bin).

What is usblsafe.bin?

Original Huawei USB loaders erase NAND flash when loaded. usblsafe.bin "safe" loaders are patched to disable flash erasure procedure. You should never need to erase flash in normal circumstances as it would remove all custom factory data (IMEI, S/N, radio calibration).

This repository contains "loader-patch" automatic patcher to convert usbloader.bin to usblsafe.bin. Moreover, balong-usbdload would patch "unsafe" usb loaders automatically, and if it failed to do so, won't allow you to load unpatched loaders without -c flag to prevent flash erasure.

English user interface

The language of these utilities is Russian. I am not going to translate it into English. Use machine translation if needed.

Getting help

This repository is for balong-usbdload utility development only. Only questions about the utility itself are appropriate.

• Please DO NOT ASK for usb loader files in this repository!

This repository contains all loaders we have. We can't "make" them if loader for your model is missing. The only way to find loader is to find technologic firmware. No, we don't have it either.
You will be banned for asking questions about loaders in commit comments or pull requests. This is not a forum. Thanks for understanding.

• Please DO NOT ASK boot pin questions.

We have no idea where boot pin is on your model. Look here or go search the internet.

• Please DO NOT ASK Windows-relared questions or ask for Windows builds.

Main development is focused on Linux version only.
Windows part is maintained by @rust3028 and is out of scope of this repository.

To sum it up: feel free to ask questions about the program itself; Report bugs if it could be reproduced in Linux. No questions about loader files allowed. Pull requests with functionality changes or bug fixes are welcome.