I had some similar problems but using a Lexar 16Mb Compact flash, the errors
occurred when plugged into an Advantec SBC which has an onboard CF port.
I never found a solution, but I had 100% success when I installed DOS with a
FAT filesystem.
JohnG
----- Original Message -----
From: "Malcolm Dodds" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Ralph Stickley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2000 11:51 AM
Subject: Re: Booting from compact flash?
> I'm using SanDisk compact flash too, although I'm just using Red Hat's
mke2fs.
>
> However, I have been experiencing problems with my filesystems which I
suspect are
> down to the compact flash. Amongst these are UncorrectableError and
> AddrMarkNotFound. These only appear on a very small number of cards after
they have
> been used for a few weeks.
>
> I always get a drive status error on the first access, but I assume this
is some
> part of the IDE protocol which the flash cards do not support.
>
> Has anyone else using compact flash cards also experienced problems?
>
> Cheers,
> Malcolm.
>
> Ralph Stickley wrote:
>
> > Just a quick note - not all compact flash cards are created equally.
> > I've found that several "off-brand" compact flash cards may work in
their
> > intended target (digital cameras), but will NOT work as a "hard disk
like
> > storage device".
> >
> > If the card contains a sandisk controller or says Sandisk on it, I've
never
> > hand a problem. Some other cards work but give various errors. Still
other
> > cards, once formatted are rendered useless forever more - you want some
?:-)
> >
> > I use mkfs.ext2 and Lilo to make our CF cards boot...this is from the
PeeWee
> > linux distribution which has scripts to do all the necessary commands
required
> > to embed the system...
> >
> > Hope this helps
> > Ralph Stickley
> >
> > --- Malcolm Dodds <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > > I'll try to help...
> > >
> > > > > I'm wondering if it is possible to boot into Linux from compact
flash.
> > >
> > > It's not hard at all. It only took me a morning to get it going. It
all
> > > depends whether you know a couple of tricks ( I think!).
> > >
> > > > > * A direct copy using 'dd' from a boot floppy to the CF.
> > >
> > > The boot sector of the floppy, and all the other filesystem info is
set up
> > > for
> > > the floppy drive. LILO uses sectors, cylinders, etc. and BIOS calls so
must
> > > be
> > > run on the compact flash
> > >
> > > I'll try to explain what I do to produce a CF image:
> > > 1/ Put CF as /dev/hdb for example
> > > 2/ Create boot partition on CF, make filesystem and copy my kernel,
etc. onto
> > > this
> > > 3/ Make my main partition and filesystem, copy my various
distribution
> > > contents to this (Chroot to this partition to make sure it is
hunkdory)
> > > 4/ Have a lilo2.conf with something like:
> > >
> > > boot=/dev/hdb
> > > disk=/dev/hdb
> > > bios=0x80
> > > map=/mnt/map
> > > linear
> > >
> > > default=linux
> > >
> > > image=/mnt/bzImage
> > > label=linux
> > > read-only
> > >
> > > 5/ Mount boot partition under /mnt/
> > > 6/ lilo -C lilo2.conf
> > > 7/ Remove CF, move to another machine as primary master and boot up
> > >
> > > linear addressing is required for CFs
> > > bios=0x80 tells lilo to write boot sector as if the disk was primary
master
> > > so
> > > that the boot sector will work with the CF as primary master
> > >
> > > A good tip though is to try this with a normal IDE drive. This ensures
you
> > > are
> > > confident you distribution works before blaming the Compact Flash.
> > >
> > > Hope this helps,
> > > Malcolm.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
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> >
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>
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