.. _prepare_bootimage:

Update with Boot Image
----------------------

In some cases, updating the DevKit firmware using standard methods may not be possible or sufficient. This includes scenarios such as:

- The DevKit's internal storage is corrupted or fails to boot.
- You need to prepare multiple bootable SD cards or removable drives for deployment.

In these situations, you can use the ``sima-cli bootimg`` command to download and write a complete bootable image to a removable device (e.g., SD card or NVMe drive). Alternatively, you may use third-party tools like `BalenaEtcher <https://etcher.balena.io/>`_.

.. include:: ../blocks/headless_only.rst

.. tabs::

   .. tab:: Using `sima-cli`

      .. code-block:: console

         sima-cli bootimg -v 1.7.0 --boardtype [modalix|mlsoc]

      This command performs the following steps:

      1. Downloads the bootable image for the specified board type (``modalix`` or ``mlsoc``) and SDK version.
      2. Scans your host system for removable storage devices.
      3. Prompts you to confirm which device to write to.
      4. Writes the boot image directly to the selected device.

      After the process completes, you can safely eject the SD card and insert it into the DevKit. On next boot, the DevKit will start from the new image.

      **Important Notes:**

      - This command must be run on a Linux or macOS host.
      - An internet connection is required to download the image.

   .. tab:: Using Third-Party Tools

      You can also use a third-party image writing tool such as BalenaEtcher.

      1. First, download the image using ``sima-cli``:
      
            .. include:: ../blocks/download_mlsoc_firmware_using_simacli.rst

      2. Extract the contents depends one which file was downloaded:

         .. code-block:: console

            tar -xvf simaai-devkit-fw-davinci-yocto-1.7.0.tar.gz
            tar -xvf simaai-devkit-fw-modalix-yocto-1.7.0.tar.gz

      3. Use BalenaEtcher to select the resulting ``.wic.gz`` file and flash it to your SD card or USB drive.

      Once written, insert the device into the DevKit and power it on to boot from the image.