>I managed to install debian lenny on my appletv device. > >My plan was to use a CompactFlash <-> 2.5 parallel ata adapter, >and install and boot linux on the compact flash. I plan to use >the appletv as a small server, and I'd prefer avoiding running >a 2.5in hard disk continuously (in the past I used old laptops >as servers, and the hard drives would fail fairly quickly, even >when I tried to limit the amount of writes by disabling logging >etc...). > >I tried with 2 Sandisk compact flash, 4 and 8 gb, but in both >cases I was unable to boot from the CompactFlash, the appleTV >would just display an icon with a disk and a question mark, as >if it could not find the device. > >Booting from USB I can access the compact flash fine, so eventually >I got a USB stick that starts debian (installed on the compact flash) >using the boot_linux.sh mechanism, but I'd like to hear if anyone >managed to boot from a Compact Flash. > >I'm thinking it might be related to the capacity, though before I buy >a bigger compact flash card I'd like to know if that's really the >issue. >Just in case I'm appending to this post the CompactFlash settings, >as seen by Linux (I wanted to be sure that ultradma was enabled). > >One question though, I got the yellow led blinking all the time, is >there any way to disable it ? Is this due to the fact that the >appleTV >was started in recovery mode through an USB device ?
CompactFlash in place of the 2.5" disk works, I've done it before. You must use GPT disk format and follow the same "recovery" partition tricks that the USB flash drive uses. Search this list for "atvtool", it's a command-line app that can control the LED. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ To post to this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/atv-bootloader?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
