Hijack Failure - Empeg DEAD?

So I finaly decided I wanted the screen blanking of Hijack because I didn't like my empeg trying to burn in its screen. I followed the instructions and it appears I may have toasted my empeg! Help!

./download v417.hijack.mk2.zImage 10000
Turn on empeg unit now
found empeg unit: entering program mode
manufacturer=0089, product=88c1
waiting for prompt
starting erase [erasepage(10000) got code ff

Now it doesn't seem to put out any data over the serial port and just starts up witha blinking sleep light. Please Help!

But Wait... so I left it upluged for a bit and tried it again... I am getting this
empeg-car bootstrap v1.02 20001106 (hugo@empeg.com)
If there is anyone present who wants to upgrade the flash, let them speak now,
or forever hold their peace...it seems not. Let fly the Penguins of Linux!

e000 v1.04
Copying kernel...
Calling linux kernel...
(undefined instruction vector)

Which looks like I can recover... my question is... whats the best way to recover?

Just reinstall the player software as normal. Make sure you follow the instructions about when to apply power. It's much more critical with your empeg in this state.

ok... so once in a blue moon when I plug it in I get this prompt, most of the time I get garbage over the serial port, or nothing at all :-( have been trying to get the old image back on it with no luck yet.

ok, there are a few different sets of instructions out there... can you point me to the right ones to use. Hijack has some (using 'download') and there is upgclient from empeg... whats the best way?

The safest way is to use the normal player installation software in Windows. If you don't have Windows available...

Well, you can't use hijack; it's not being loaded. You'll have to do something directly with the serial port. Probably ./download again. Or is there a linux-based software install program?

Just get the emplode 2.0/2.10 packages from www.empeg.com. Grab V2.0 final consumer at the same time. Install 2,0 emplode *after* removing any prior versions. Using the upgrader, and the player unpowered, re-install the 2.0 player software image. This should sort out the problem.

You cannot "toast" a player, as there is a stage 1 boot loader in protected flash on the motherboard. This will always ensure that you can at least load a secondary package with it's own boot loader, whether it be hijack or other kernels/player applications, from unprotected flash.

To really "toast" it, you have to remove the motherboard, install a jumper header, jumper the flash Write line ON, and then try to screw with it. Yes, you can "toast" it, I suppose

I figured there was a protected bootloader and I was really pretty scared when this happened... I think this is more indicitive of the linux tools sucking than anything else. I figured (correctly) that the windows tools might be a little more robust. and the instructions we very clear on how to use them to recover from this situation. My player is recovering as we speak. It worked first time out. While I love Linux, the empeg tools for linux are pretty week compared to their windows counter parts. Thanks,
Keith

P.S. Might add to the FAQ that the windows tools are the best way to recover. Oh, and just now the reapplication of the update finished, player is back in working order. Whew