In the past, many NAND related Ndless tools were released for the TI-Nspire ...

• to reprogram the boot2:
  
  • Flash boot2 Prototype (for Ndless 1.1 and 1.2 prototypes)
  • FlashBoot2 (for Ndless 1.7 and 2.0)
  • FlashBoot2CX (for Ndless 3.1 on Nspire CX)
• to reprogram the Diagnostics software:
  
  • FlashDiags (for Ndless 1.7 and 2.0)
  • FlashDiagsCX (for Ndless 3.1 on Nspire CX)
• to remove the minimum installable OS version downgrade protection:
  
  • Nleash (for OS 1.7 and 2.1)
  • DowngradeFix (for Boot2 1.4)
  • DowngradeCX 3.1 (for Ndless 3.1 on Nspire CX)
• to launch Boot2 images without installing them:
  
  • Boot2Launcher (for Ndless 1.7 and 2.0)
• to launch Diagnostics software images without installing them:
  
  • DiagsLauncher (for Ndless 1.7 and 2.0)
• to dump the boot2 and Diagnostics software:
  
  • Diagnostics software dumper (for Ndless 1.1)
  • Polydumper Prototypes (for prototypes Ndless 1.1 and 1.2)
  • Polydumper (for Ndless 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.7, 2.0 and 3.1)
• to change the TI-Nspire type(CAS / non-CAS):
  
  • hwMod (for Ndess 3.1)

And this list is a problem in itself, because this wide range of NAND tools is very difficult to keep up to date.
Some tools have been updated to Ndless 3.1 for TI-Nspire CX, but not for TI-Nspire ClickPad / TouchPad for exemple. (FlashBoot2CX, FlashDiagsCX, DowngradeCX)
Other tools have never been updated to Ndless 3.1! (Boot2Launcher, DiagsLauncher)



I had already started to sort things by releasing my universal dumping tool, Polydumper, compatible with all TI-Nspire models and compiled for every released Ndless version from 1.1 to 3.1!



Today I'm at it again with nsNandMgr!

nsNandMgr is destined to become the Swiss Army knife of the NAND memory on the TI-Nspire. It includes all the functionalities of the tools mentioned above and even more!

It allows you to:

• change the type of your TI-Nspire (CAS or non-CAS) in the case where the used ASIC chip is generic (ClickPad prototypes from 2007)
• dump the Boot2
• flash a Boot2 image
• launch a Boot2 image without installation
• dump the Diagnostics software
• flash a Diagnostics software image
• launch a Diagnostics software image without installation
• remove the minimum installable OS version downgrade protection
• change the Boot2/Diags boot order
• delete the Boot Data area
• delete the Diags Data area

Published under a free license of course, the critic code is centralized with only a total of two NAND writing instructions in the whole program for all mentionned functionnalities!
It should be easy to maintain for future versions.

nsNandMgr has also been designed to check the Boot2 and Diags images before flashing or running them, in order to prevent some unintended accidents.



Let's try to understand the possibilities with examples. Here's a TI-Nspire CX CAS:

• As the ASIC is not generic (Nspire CAS), it is not possible to change the Nspire type.
• It comes with a compressed CX Boot2 3.1.0.16, and the file '/ndless/boot2.img' contains a compressed CX Boot2 3.0.1.131. It is therefore possible to run this image, or even flash it performing a Boot2 downgrade.
• It comes with an uncompressed CX Diags 3.1.0.20, but here the '/ndless/diags.img file contains an uncompressed CM Diags 3.1.0.21. As the Boot1 will refuse this TI-Nspire CM Diags, nsNandMgr won't let you flash it. But as hardware is similar, it will let you run it.
• The minimum installable OS version is 3.0.2.1785 and the boor order is Boot2 then Diags upon failure.

So just a few keystrokes and you perform a Boot2 downgrade from 3.1 to 3.0.1, the removal of the OS antidowngrade protection, and the launching of the TI-Nspire CM diagnostic software!



Now let's take a non-CAS TI-Nspire ClickPad:

• As the ASIC is not generic (Nspire non-CAS), it is not possible to change the Nspire type.
• It comes with a compressed Boot2 3.0.1.131, and the file '/ndless/boot2.img' contains a compressed Boot2 1.4.1571. It is therefore possible to run this image, or even flash it performing a Boot2 downgrade.
• It comes with an uncompressed Diags 1.1.9266, and the file '/ndless/diags.img contains an uncompressed development Diags 1.1.7383. Although the current nsNandMgr will let you flash this prototype Diags, Boot1 will refuse it. But you can still run it from nsNandMgr.
• The minimum installable OS version is 3.0.2.1785 and the boor order is Boot2 then Diags upon failure.

So just a few keystrokes and you perform a Boot2 downgrade from 3.1 to 1.4, the removal of the OS antidowngrade protection, and the launching of the TI-Nspire prototype diagnostic software!



Finally, let's take a non-CAS TI-Nspire ClickPad prototype:

• As the ASIC is generic, it is possible to change the Nspire type to CAS.
• It comes with a compressed Boot2 1.4.1571, and the file '/ndless/boot2.img' contains a compressed CX Boot2 3.0.1.131. As hardware is uncompatible,  nsNandMgr won't let you flash or run it.
• It comes with an uncompressed Diags 1.3.2406, and the file '/ndless/diags.img contains an uncompressed Lab Cradle Diags 3.0.1658. As the Boot1 will refuse this TI-Nspire Lab Cradle Diags, nsNandMgr won't let you flash it. But as hardware is similar, it will let you run it.
• The minimum installable OS version is 3.0.2.1785 and the boor order is Boot2 then Diags upon failure.

So just a few keystrokes and you perform a TI-Nspire to TI-Nspire CAS transformation and the removal of the OS antidowngrade protection.






Source & download:
http://tiplanet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=133849&lang=en

I often noticed, however, that every week or so, we would see a news on Omni or TI-Planet saying that the boot1, boot2 or OS of one Nspire model/prototype in particular was flashed/dumped/etc for the first time ever, and I kinda got confused over time so I hoped one day there would be a topic compiling every single news link in one page

I'm glad to see you're interested
Someday...

Nice work as usual.

What does each option mean?

Thanks, exactly what I needed!

EDIT: Is boot2 hot-launching not reliable? I tried it with boot2 1.4 and it doesn't get past the thatched clock screen.

I tried to use nandmgr. After I input boot2.img.tns into my "ndless" folder, the prog didn`t work.
It rebootd.
How can I fix it?

I use Nspire cas with TP and the os version is 3.1

I tried it with boot2 1.4 and it doesn't get past the thatched clock screen.

I am experiencing the same issues, too. I did it multiple times, and I have always gotten the same results. Does anybody else have better luck? If yes, how did you do it?

Also, if I power reset the device when it is stuck at that point, does it mean that boot2 1.4 is no longer running?

Again, if you just hot-run the Boot2 (option 3), it is going to freeze on the watch-screen because OS 3.1 and later have have features which defeat hot-runs (and by the same time OSlauncher).

If you hot-run a Diags (it's the same code in the program) you'll see that everything works correctly.


If you really want to use Boot2 1.4, you have to flash it (option 2).

Ok. So what exactly do I need to do to follow the instructions in the README file
of nLaunch, with regards to nsNandMgr.