From: Mark G. Lewis (Lewis@erg.sri.com)
Date: Wed Nov 28 2001 - 18:43:42 EST
The parrot loader had compact flash support allowing one to upload the
flash image to an unformatted CF card, or download this image from the
CF card onto the flash (of the same or a different ipaq).
Someone figured out the required header of the compact flash image. Then
it was possible to use DD to concatenate the various partitions and
cramfs's together on a laptop, DD it to the CF, and then use the WinCE
parrot loader to reflash handheld 0.19 onto the ipaq 'the first time' in
under 4 minutes.
At that time, with several Linux ipaqs to load and often reload, it was
actually faster for me to reload the parrot loader in the Linux ipaq,
then use it to download from CF a Linux image. I could do it in about 10
minutes instead of 2 hours for the conventional method. I only 'bricked'
2 of them.
Is there any possibility that someone could add a CF upload/download
capability to the bootldr?
It could skip reading/writing the bootldr itself, for safety.
It would make reloading either Linux or WinCE, really fast.
Handheld.org or Familiar could provide a suitable image and instructions
for the CF.
It would make loading Linux on multiple ipaqs fast, eliminating a lot of
ipkg installs.
It would require a CF card and sleeve, but not a network card.
Mark
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