I bought a used ATV1 but it didn't come with a remote.

I want to install XBMC on it but I can't figure a way to check the firmware version before attempting it. There's a warning on the wiki.

Warning: Before installing a Linux-based OS, you will want to make sure that your ATV1 has been updated to the original ATV OS 3.0.2 at least once in order to flash the HDMI controller firmware. You also want to change the original ATV OS settings to "RGB High" in the AV settings.

What is the worse that can happen if I install Linux without updated firmware or properly setting the OS to RGB high? Is it reversible if something goes wrong? Can I check my ATV1's firmware version without buying a remote? I don't plan on using an Apple remote once I have XBMC installed.

Thanks for any help!

you can use ATV2 remote instead of ATV1 remote. then you can check the firmware version.

You best option really is to find someone who has a remote and borrow it long enough to do this. Not only with the ATV2 remotes work, so will any Mac remote. For several years, Apple used to provide remotes all of their Macs (though not anymore) and so if you know someone who has Macs, chances are they have a remote laying around.

It is possible to hack it to install ssh (the kind of hack for installing plugins into the existing OS), then run the software update from the command line, but I don't recall the command that does it nor could I find it in the wiki in a quick search.