OESF Portables Forum
Everything Else => Zaurus Distro Support and Discussion => Distros, Development, and Model Specific Forums => Archived Forums => Angstrom & OpenZaurus => Topic started by: conn-fused on March 31, 2005, 01:21:23 pm
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I have a SL5500 (currently running SharpRom 2.38) and a 128MB CF card. I had hoped to try out OZ 3.5.2 so I downloaded zImage_collie-32-32 and opie-image.rootfs.img. I renamed the former to zImage, and the later to initrd.bin. I don't have a card reader, so I FTP'd the files to a cleanly reset (v2.38) Zaurus, stuck in the CF card, and copied the two files to its root directory (/mnt/cf).
Now the flash procedure. I switched the Zaurus to Remove Battery Mode, held "C" & "D" and pushed full reset. The two lights started to flash, and flash, and flash. Never staying steady, they flashed for twenty minutes ... on and off, on and off.
Has anyone seen this before? My only guess is that the CF card was formatted FAT16, and not VFAT. I haven't touched it, but when I "cat /dev/hda1", which is tied to /mnt/cf in my /etc/fstab file, I see FAT16 in amongst the gibberish. How can I reformat the card to VFAT? Or am I following the wrong idea?
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It should be in FAT16 format, don't worry.
Three possibilities:-
1. The downloads were corrupt (check the md5sums)
2. Somewhere along the lines one of the files was misnamed (Windows has a habit of tacking on a .bin without telling you)
3. Your card isn't a good one for flashing - this may be a hardware thing, or you may just need to use fdisk to remove the existing partition, re-create it and re-format it (mkfs.msdos) - fdisk & mkfs for the Sharp ROM are available on killefiz.de.
Si
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Thanks for the swift reply:
1) I did check the md5sums; they're OK
2) The files were renamed under Linux; they're OK
3) I'd like to try reformatting the CF card, as you suggest, but killefiz no longer has an active link to fdisk. Anyone have a link? I'll edit and post one if I find it first (ie tomorrow). As for formatting, here's how I'd reformat an SD card:
umount /dev/mmcda1
mkfs.ext2 /dev/mmcda1
mount /dev/mmcda1 /mnt/card
So I tried this with the CF card:
umount /dev/hda1
mkfs.msdos /dev/hda1
mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/cf
No improvement ... flash, flash, flash. Thanks though.
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Well I'd try removing then re-instating the partition, then format again.
There are also reports of some CF cards which, no matter what people try, just won't flash - perhaps you have one of these.
Si
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If you're on linux, insert the card, umount (if linux mounted) and run
mkfs.vfat /dev/sasasa(where /dev/sasadepen is your CF card)
I have reflashed openzaurus and other roms. If I don't format the CF card, I get errors. You doesn't need format the CF as ext2.
PD: /dev/hda1 usually is the first partition of your hard disk. If you format that partition on your pc you'll crash it.
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Lardman, I have now tried manually adding a FAT16 partition to the CF card using fdisk on the Zaurus. No luck, I'm afraid.
Mimeca, thanks for your post ; I'll try reformatting the card to vfat tonight.
Regarding the warning about /dev/hda1, I also thought it odd that that was the device associated with my cf card (on the zaurus) because it is my root partition on the desktop. However, here is the line from the zaurus fstab that makes me think /dev/hda1 is mounted as /mnt/cf:
/dev/hda1 /mnt/cf auto noauto,owner 0 0
I think the Zaurus RAM is governed by this line:
/dev/mtdblock1 /home ext2 defaults 1 2
That said, thanks again to everyone for the suggestions.
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However, here is the line from the zaurus fstab that makes me think /dev/hda1 is mounted as /mnt/cf:
It is, don't worry, themount points are different between the Z and a desktop PC.
/dev/mtdblock1 /home ext2 defaults 1 2
This is more normally the ROM mount point (iirc).
Good luck with the flashing,
Si
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OK conn-fused.
If /dev/hda1 is the mounting point of your zaurus there is not problem. Only on pc side would be dangerous.
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No luck I'm afraid.
I formatted the CF card with:
mkfs.vfat /dev/hda1
Then I copied over zImage and initrd.bin, pressed C+D and reset the device. As before, the lights flashed in unison, endlessly.
It is increasingly looking like I have one of the CF cards that won't do, but it is still possible that I have a partition problem as lardman suggested. So, two questions to any veterans of this CF flash process:
1) Could someone with a CF card that worked post their partition settings (eg the output from displaying the partition table using fdisk on the zaurus), and
2) If you have a CF card that has worked for you in the past ... please post it's brand, model and capacity.
Thanks.
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I normally flash with a Jessops (Sandisk 1999) 32Mb CF card.
I've also flashed with a Kingston 512Mb card.
Jessops/Sandisk:
/dev/hda1 * 1 489 31280 4 FAT16 <32M
Hope it helps,
Si
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Great reply, thanks.
Sadly, even having set up my card with a single partition, (as follows) the lights only flashed inanely ...
/dev/hda1p1 * 1 257 32880 4 FAT16 <32M
I also tried a type 6 (FAT16) partition using the whole 128MB on this CF card, and formatting it as vfat (although I found no option to make a vfat partition under fdisk).
I've also noticed that, even when the bootable flag, "more /dev/hda1" returns:
TSB FAT16 This is not a bootable disk. Please insert a bootable floppy and press any key to try again.
It looks like I've simply had the misfortune of finding a useless card. BTW, other Zaurus users, it was a Newrich 128MB.
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I also tried a type 6 (FAT16) partition using the whole 128MB on this CF card, and formatting it as vfat (although I found no option to make a vfat partition under fdisk).
Type 6 is vfat FAT-16. You can use
'mkfs.msdos' or 'mkdosfs -F16'
Before you give up on that CF-card you might try following these instructions in the how-to docs... just a thought.
https://www.oesf.org/index.php?title=Step-b...ing_for_newbies (https://www.oesf.org/index.php?title=Step-by-step_CF/SD_fdisk/formatting_for_newbies)
Greg
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I followed that procedure to the letter, without success.
Then, after watching the happily blinking lights, I restored my system, went to the terminal, and added:
umount /dev/hda1
fdisk /dev/hda
a (to toggle the boot flag)
w (to write the partition)
I rebooted again, and watched the lights flash again. Sigh.
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I followed that procedure to the letter, without success.
Then as lardman has already said some CF-cards simply will not flash a ROM.
If it helps any I use a Lexar (8x) 64MB, Lexar (4x) 128MB and a Kodak 128MB without any problems to flash.
Greg