Hi, 2 weeks ago i purchased a new EX4100 and searched also for a guide to upgrade the installed twonky 7.2.9-13 to twonky 8.3. But there was no post to find in the web. So i tried it myself and succeed.
The upgrade process is not difficult, but a little bit tricky.
Some Linux experience would be an advantage.
The operating system of the new MyCloud devices is very closed. All critical files are stored in hidden storage areas and are not directly accessible. But the good news are: WD provides the entire firmware package as open source. So you can update existing modules or even add new modules.
You must create your own custom Firmware with the new twonky Version inside!
But note: You have to purchase a twonky license key before you go on to work on this. Otherwise you are not able to activate twonky after Installation of your custom Firmware.
Before you begin:
ATTENTION by all steps. Only one mistake can destroy your NAS!
Please note that no guarantee is given on my part. All subsequent steps are at your own risk. Even a small bug can make your NAS useless.
You need a installed Ubuntu 16.04 on a virtual machine like virtualBox (this is freeware from Oracle), configured with min. 14GB virtual harddisk. If you use Ubuntu 64bit you have to install some missing 32bit librarys (so i recommend the usage of Ubuntu 32bit).
You have to download the original Firmware source for your WD EX4100 from the WD download page (for example http://downloads.wdc.com/gpl/WDMyCloud_EX4100_GPL_v2.30.165_20170321.tar.gz)
For the EX device you have to download the twonky update build for Marvell Armada Processors (http://www.twonkyforum.com/downloads/8.3/twonky-armada-8.3.zip).
Copy the EX4100 source Archive and the twonky 8.3 Archive to the Ubuntu machine’s Download folder. You can use the Public share of the EX4100 for this Transfer steps.
Note: Copy the twonky Archive at first in a new Folder called twonky!
Expand the archives.
Now you have to replace the original twonky Version with the new one.
Go to the Firmware Folder inside of the EX4100 files. Go two Directorys deeper to the module Folder and search for the twonky Folder.
Rename the twonky Folder to twonky_x (we need some files from the Folder in later steps!)
Now copy the expanded twonky Folder with the new twonky Version into this Directory. Go inside the new Directory and delete the cgi-bin Folder and the files twonky.sh and twonkyserver-default.ini. Now go to the old twonky_x Folder, copy the cgi-bin Folder, the twonky.sh and twonkyserver-default.ini and all other additional files, which are NOT part of the new twonky Folder and paste them into your new twonky folder.
When this is done, you can delete the old twonky_x Folder -
but ATTENTION: do NOT delete or move any other file or Folder inside of the Firmware package - otherwise you can destroy your NAS!
Now it is time to build the custom Firmware.
Inside the expanded EX4100 source Folder you can find a description called My_Cloud_EX4100_Release_Notes_GPL…, to guid you through the build-process of the Firmware package.
Perform step by step of the guide-content, but ignore and skip step 3 (you don’t need step 3)
If you get some Errors because of missing Linux program parts, you must install them with the “sudo apt-get install” Linux command.
If you can process all guided steps without Errors, you get your own custom Firmware inside of the merge Folder (named WD-NAS-Firmware) with the new twonky Version inside.
Copy the file WD-NAS-Firmware to your local Windows machine into a local folder by using the way over the Public share of your EX4100.
Now you can install the Firmware by using the EX4100 WEB-Frontend. Deactivate auto-Firmware update to avoid overwriting your custom Firmware in the future.
After the finished Firmware update activate Media streaming on the EX4100 WEB-Frontend Settings page.
Now open a new browser tab and go to twonkys web address (for example http://MyCloudIP:9000). Type in your purchased twonky license key and klick save (or enter). Refresh the web page and make your twonky Settings.
This is it.
I wish you good luck!
This guide can also be used for the DL4100 - but you must download the right Firmware and twonky sources because the DL devices are based on a different processor brand!
The devices EX2100 and DL2100 and all MyCloud devices using FW 2.xx.xx can be updated the same way if a GPL source code package for the current firmware is available.
Edit on 2017-05-20:
Before you use your custom edited Firmware, look at this:
