UPDATED: SOLUTION: HOW TO setup 4GB (Muvo) Microdrive

[Omicron]

I need some help getiing my 4GB drive recognized by BOTH Windows XP and Linux.

I would prefer 1 partition, but two would be be fine if required.

Could someone tell me step-by-step how to partition and format my 4GB Microdrive  card to handle the above conditions.  I am a newbie so please be as specific as possible.  I can get into the terminal program, but from there I would need the exact commands to get the drive partitioned and formated.

Thanks, in Advance.


BTW, I am using a C860 with Cacko Qtopia

[size=]UPDATED  - Here's the answer[/size]
(I copied my solution to this original post, so you need not read further than this post, but an alternate Win 98 solution is provided in subsequent posts below.)

After some research, I got it all working in 17 simple steps.  (MODERATOR: This is a good candidate for FAQ inclusion).  

Here is it, step by step FROM TELNET KONSOLE

NOTE: If you mess up any of these commands, you may find that backspace and arrows keys do not work and just insert escape sequences... don't panic, just hit CTRL-C to abort the command, which will bring you back to the command prompt. then just pick up where you left off.

STEPS:

0) su - root <enter> then enter password or enter if none.

1) #fdisk /dev/hda

2) Press m <ENTER> help

3) Press d <enter> deletes a partition

4) Select 1 <enter> Repeat delete of all partitions

5) Press w <enter> write (which also exits)

6) #fdisk  /dev/hda  (again ;-) )

7) Press n<enter> New Partition (Not listed in "m" help, but it will work).

8 ) Press p <enter> Primary Partition

8a) Press 1 <enter> for partition 1.

9) Press 2 <enter> ALWAYS start at  cylinder 2 (don't ask, just do it).

10) Press <enter> for last cylinder or a number if you plan to create more. I actually typed the number even though I was just doing one (paranoia :-) )

11) Press w <enter> write to disk the partition Info

11a) #fdisk /dev/hda (again)

12) Press p <enter> shows all partion info (again, not shown in "m" help,  but it this there. Verify your partitions are all set correctly.
Verify that partition 1 starts at cylinder 2 (it should if you followed step 9 correctly ;-)) and your blocks should match the size of the drive you want (since clusters
are set to 1024, this value will be something like 3999240 (which when multiplied by 1024 give you approx 4gb).

13) Press t  <enter>

13a) Press 1 <enter> partition number
Press L <Enter> Will list all partion types ( as you will notice "b" is  WIN95 FAT32, not sure what techincal difference this is with "c", but I am going with b...if you want ext2, then looks like "5" should be your choice...note skip quotes, they are just for clarity)

14) Press b ( as you will notice b is WIN95 FAT32)

15) Press w <enter> which writes again and then exits fdisk.
Extract Drive.  (You can try ejecting it, but C860 doesn't seem to recognize it anyway.)

16) Format the drive using any of you favorite windows OS's, I used XP.
NOTE: I Don't know if you can format FAT32 witrh linux, but you can format ext2 with linux...I beleive the command is
$ mkfs.ext2 /dev/hda1 (but I am not a linux expert....just snagged that from some old cacko/crow pages and sustituted device.)

16a) Go back to step 7 if you want more than one partition (but don't forget to do step 0 again first (su- root)

17) Reboot Zaurus (Completely) and insert Microdrive.
(NOTE: If you do not see the drive in Zaurus "Contents" list, it is possible that you did not remember to format it per step 16)

18 )That's it, Now you will have access to the full 4 GB in BOTH Linux and Windows      



Special Thanks to (for extra clarity on Linux fdisk commands/issues):
Red Hat Linux 7.1: The Official Red Hat Linux Alpha Installation Guide
Prev Chapter 4. Installing Red Hat Linux
Their LINK: http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/linux/R...mode-fdisk.html[/b]

Please post if this helps you out or if not, so I know what problems you came across. (Feedback is always nice.  )

[guylhem]

Check http://externe.net/zaurus/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1183 - looks like wiping the partition table is the key

[nathanwms]

Omicron,

I followed the instructions I found on the following website.  My 4gb md automounts and works perfectly.  The instructions are for Windows 98 so you may have to make a few adjustments.  Hope this helps.

http://kogs-www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/...k/msg00204.html

[Omicron]

Moderator, Please add this to the HOW-TO list.

Thanks

[offroadgeek]

Moderator, Please add this to the HOW-TO list.

Thanks

or, you can simply do this yourself    everyone has access to the how-to docs... it's a simple wiki... just find the appropriate page, and add it

[Omicron]

Moderator, Please add this to the HOW-TO list.

Thanks

or, you can simply do this yourself    everyone has access to the how-to docs... it's a simple wiki... just find the appropriate page, and add it

Woo hoo (or WIKI !!  )

Done, but nothing you haven't already read in this thread  

http://www.zaurususergroup.com/modules.php...0Simultaneously

[Xumbi]

Does anyone know how to tell which of the muvo2 models have drives that are compatible with the zaurus?  I read that the newer models don't have a CF interface.

[mikeyp]

The best way to check the drive compatability seem to be checking the last digits of the barcode on the drive.  

Theres a thread in the general forum that has a list of good/bad barcodes:

4 gig cf cards- mount problems

[Inuyasha]

Nice, I don't have one of the Muvo drives, but I did notice a minor issue... The command for formatting the partition as ext2 is almost correct, but not quite... It should be:

# mkfs.ext2 /dev/hda1

NOT

$ mkfs.ext2 /dev/hda

Note that you should do it as root, and specify the partition number. It may work not as root, depending on your setup (who has permissions to access /dev/hda*). Also note that if you are doing this on a Linux box (not the Zaurus) with a card reader, the device WILL be different. If you run this command on a normal Linux box (again, not the Z), it will probably format one of your data partitions (depending on setup).

[arthuregg]

16) Format the drive using any of you favorite windows OS's, I used XP.
NOTE: I Don't know if you can format FAT32 witrh linux, but you can format ext2 with linux...I beleive the command is
$ mkfs.ext2 /dev/hda (but I am not a linux expert....just snagged that from some old cacko/crow pages and sustituted device.)

Note that you can do this on your zaurus as root:

#mkfs.msdos /dev/hda1


If you want to make a drive that you can mount easily under osX, fire up your terminal on your mac and do the following:

quicky:~ arthur$ ls /dev/rdisk?
/dev/rdisk0     /dev/rdisk1     /dev/rdisk2    

INSERT CF DRIVE INTO MAC

quicky:~ arthur$ ls /dev/rdisk?
/dev/rdisk0     /dev/rdisk1     /dev/rdisk2     /dev/rdisk3

DISCOVER PARTITION

quicky:~ arthur$ ls /dev/rdisk3*
/dev/rdisk3     /dev/rdisk3s1

quicky:~ arthur$ newfs_msdos -v 4gig -F 32 /dev/rdisk3s1

/dev/rdisk3s1: 7982856 sectors in 997857 FAT32 clusters (4096 bytes/cluster)
bps=512 spc=8 res=32 nft=2 mid=0xf0 spt=32 hds=255 hid=0 bsec=7998480 bspf=7796 rdcl=2 infs=1 bkbs=6
quicky:~ arthur$


and now you have a drive that you can mount on your zaurus and your mac!

[Omicron]

Nice, I don't have one of the Muvo drives, but I did notice a minor issue... The command for formatting the partition as ext2 is almost correct, but not quite... It should be:

# mkfs.ext2 /dev/hda1

NOT

$ mkfs.ext2 /dev/hda

Note that you should do it as root, and specify the partition number. It may work not as root, depending on your setup (who has permissions to access /dev/hda*). Also note that if you are doing this on a Linux box (not the Zaurus) with a card reader, the device WILL be different. If you run this command on a normal Linux box (again, not the Z), it will probably format one of your data partitions (depending on setup).

Original Post Updated with this correction.


Many thanks.

[Omicron]

Just wanted to mention that I updated these instructions (in original post above ) with a few comments and corrections, since I just had to do this for another drive I had lying around.