Making an indirect connection for Firmware Upgrades

It is sometimes awkward to connect a Platinum systemA "platinum system" is any system running the Platinum operating system. This includes stand-alone acquisition systems such as EAMs and NAMs, DAS units such as the Affinity and DM24SxEAM and digital instruments with built-in acquisition systems such as the 3TDE, 40TDE or 5TDE., such as an EAM or 40TDE instrument, to the Internet for firmware upgrades. For example: in some cases, the only available Internet access is via WiFi so, if the Platinum system does not have a WiFi interface, direct connection becomes impossible. In these cases, a PC or laptop can be used as a gateway, allowing the Platinum system to contact the Güralp firmware server indirectly, via the PC.

For a full overview of the theory behind this technique, please see the Indirect Platinum Upgrades page. If you are using a Linux PC as a gateway, that page includes a link back here for detailed instructions. If your gateway PC runs Windows, please see the Indirect Platinum Upgrades - Windows instructions page for detailed instructions.

Configuring indirect platinum upgrades for Linux users

PuTTYPuTTY is a free (both as in “free speech” and also as in “free beer”) and highly-recommended SSH client, telnet client and serial terminal emulator that runs under Windows and Linux. It should be downloaded from Simon Tatham's web-site.
(Beware of fake alternative download sites.) is available for Linux so you can, if you choose, follow the windows instructions exactly. Linux systems are, however, almost always shipped with a command-line ssh program and, if you are comfortable working on the command line, you may find the approach below to be simpler.

To configure a Linux PC to act as an intermediary for a firmware upgrade connection:

1. Key ctrl + alt + t to open a terminal window.

2. In the terminal window, type

   ssh -R*:8730:46.43.14.141:873 root@ip.address.of.Platinum-system

   replacing ip.address.of.Platinum-system with the actual I.P. address of the Platinum system.

   we have used an IP address - 46.43.14.141:873 - rather than a DNS name here in order to to remove a potential source of problems. If you are confident that your PC has a functioning name-resolution system, you can use rsync.guralp.com:873 in place of 46.43.14.141:873. This provides a degree of future-proofing, guarding against a change in the address of the Güralp firmware server.

3. If you have not used SSH to connect to this Platinum system before, you will see a message like:

   The authenticity of host 'suprt-eam (10.10.0.2)' can't be established.
   ECDSA key fingerprint is SHA256:lhh5mklJV+ZjIwpqdhtPqSU/Gf9V8D3upfNdT8z2FtU.
   Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?

   Type the word yes and key enter to continue.

4. You are now prompted for the root password of the Platinum system. Log in as normal.

5. Once logged in, issue the command

   echo -e "RSYNC_HOST=localhost\nRSYNC_PORT=8730" >> /etc/conf.d/upgrade.local

   This tells the upgrade system to use a different server and port number for the upgrade files, so that it can access the tunnel that you have created.

6. Leaving the terminal window open, switch to your browser and visit the web interface of your Platinum system.

7. Log in as root, using your normal password:

   

8. Select Tools → Firmware from the main menu:

   

9. Click or , as required, to initiate an appropriate upgrade, using the Linux PC as a port-forwarding gateway. The progress of the upgrade will be printed to the screen.

10. Once the upgrade is finished, return the upgrade subsystem to its default settings by switching to the terminal window and entering the command:

    sed -i -e "/RSYNC_[PH]/d" /etc/conf.d/upgrade.local

11. The SSH connection can now be closed by keying Ctrl + D. Keying Ctrl + D again will close the terminal window.

This completes the procedure. In case of problems, please contact for assistance.