The Problem: I can't flash my Edison SOC !
The standard method of flashing Intel Edison SOC modules involved downloading zipped image files that contain dfu-util drivers and scripts; Usually flashall.bat and flashall.sh for Windows and Linux.
The normal procdure is to bring up flashall.bat in a windows command window or flashall.sh in a Linux terminal session, reboot the Edison SOC module, then quickly run the flashall.bat or flashall.sh scripts and allow the flashall scripts to grab control of the Edison SOC as it boots when it pauses during the load process.
If things work properly, you will see bars go across the command window/terminal screen showing the flash process.
If you want, you can also establish a Putty serial link to the Edison SOC as well and watch the boot process. If you establish the link and then press the button on the board to shutdown the SOC, then press it again, you will not lose the Putty connection so you can see the SOC boot.
The normal hardware setup is to use two quality usb cables from the SOC carrier board to the computer so you have a connection to both the UART port and the OTG port.
If for some reason this process does not work, the flashall script will tell you that you have the option of running flashall --recovery, but you need additional software to do that which is called xfstk-downloader. If you search you will find out that this is a software package that Intel has deemed open source now and loaded it into a public repository. If you want to use it, there are no commonly available versions compiled for Windows or Linux. Compiling the software can be done, but it requires other software packages as well. I first found it on sourceforge in a repository that Intel setup.
The truth is that when Intel dropped their endeavor into IOT, they tossed the baby out the window with the bath water. The Edison SOC is a really good device but it was not cheap. When cheaper chips came out, the Edison fell out of favor for the most common applications, which is unfortunate as it is x86 compatible and easily runs a full installation of Linux, but it wasn't cheap. However if you want a robust device to run critical applications like OpenAPS, the Edison SOC simply rocks! They have been known to run for years with never a hiccup.
You need a Linux Computer!
I can't find any compiled xtf_stk__ software that works on windows. So you are stuck with doing this on Linux which isn't bad if you have any Linux experience. This was done on a 64 bit Intel CPU running Linux Ubuntu 19.04.
Install these programs in this order:
apt-get install libboost-program-options1.62.02
apt-get install xfstk-downloader
After you install this the flashall.sh --recovery will work and you will see something entirely different happen.
The xfstk-downloader program will find your Edison and reflash the boot loader which is what flashall.sh uses to load the image files onto the Edison.
Now, as time goes by 19.04 will become older and less supported. You can go to links like this to get help:
https://github.com/Dave9111/meta-intel-edison
https://github.com/AurelienBallier/xfstk
https://github.com/saaguirre/xfstk-code