Optimum Config For 3100

[davidspitzer]

I searched around quite a bit but could not find what I was looking for, so if has already been posted I apologize and ask your forgiveness (and perhaps a link to the info) If it hasnot been posted - here is my questions:

I have a new 3100 and I have installed PDAXROM on my 860 numerous times, but I was wondering what the optimum setup for performance was and how to install for the 3100

Do I need to fix the nand on the 3100?
Do I partition it to 64 or bigger (flash)?
Do I create a swap partition on the Microdrive (how to and how Big)

basically i am looking for the best performance setup possible and am not too concerned with getting the max storage( so if i have to give up 256 or 512 for a swap partition thats ok

thanks


David

[rsay]

David,

I am also interested in this topic. I have been struggling with gqview crashing when I try to load large pictures from my wife's digital camera and I wonder if it is because I didn't partition things correctly. Maybe I need a swap partition too.

I think it would be great if the installer gave some info about the choices.

eg. 120 = fastest performance (Best for intensive multimedia)
      85 = recommended for C3100 (Mixed use environments)
       50 = Small footprint when tight on space (Best for PIM)
*** Please note that this is entirely made up ***  

Alternatively the installer could just automatically choose a setting that will be right for most users and let advanced users set the level in an "advanced" tab.

[Sna]

You need to fix the nand only if you make in flash a partition of more than 64mb

The partitionning of the flash is very personnal, but if you don't want to care about space and partitions, just make a partition of 121mb, you'll have no limitation to install programs

for the hard drive, just wait to see how you use this, the swap is not needed basically, so you need swap only for big jobs
If you need a swap, you can make a little swap partition (128-256mb) on your hard drive and mount it at need
For general partitionning, do not forget to keep at least one partition in fat/fat32 in case you use mass storage with windows, for the rest, it's up to you

[davidspitzer]

On the 3100 if you install the operating system to the flash can you install any additional programs to the microdrive

[Sna]

normally the operating system is in flash, or you need a multi boot
but you have more place in the flash that just for the operating system, every partitionning let you installing applications
to install an application on the microdrive, you need an ext2 partition, and you need also some tweaks in the ipkg script, but it is possible

[rsay]

How do I go about making a swap partition on the drive? Is there a reason not to run it by default.

When my wife and I travel, we usually take a bunch of pictures with CF cards and I would like to be able to pop the card in my zaurus and look through them, maybe delete some that we don't like and then pull the pictures onto the microdrive and erase the cf so we can take more pictures. I have gqview and gpe image gallery installed and they both choke when I try to load photos. I have been under the impression that this is a memory issue from lack of swap but don't know how to prove it.

My initial plan is to go through the following steps:

1. backup ide3

2. umount /dev/hdc

3. fdisk /dev/hdc

4. delete the largest partition and then add it back the same type but smaller leaving 256mb for swap (hdc3)

5. add new partition as type 82 swap in the remaining 256mb (hdc4)

6. write the partition table

7. mke2fs /dev/hdc3

8. mkswap /dev/hdc4

9. swapon /dev/hdc4

10. edit the /etc/fstab and add the following line:
/dev/hdc4   none      swap    sw                0 0

11. reboot

Do you think I'll hose my system like this? Do you think I will be able to load images any better? Is there an easier way to achieve the same goal?

[Sna]

it must be working, at least on pdaxrom
the only thing...
if you plan to access your internal drive with mass storage on windows, format the partition in fat/fat32 instead of ext2 (point 7)

for the rest it is ok