RE: [iPAQ] v0.15 : Flash & ppp

Hello Jan;

>
> I just installed v0.15, upgrading from v0.14 (initial install)...

Well Done.

>
> I find 18834 1k-blocks of "disk" space with 13 blocks allocated on my
> /dev/flash6 when mounted. I thought all Ipaqs have 16 MB Flash memory,
> but I hear there are some 32MB models out there. My question
> is if there
> is any way to determine how much flash memory a particular Ipaq has,

In theory it should have auto detected correctly with the v0.15 release, but
if you would like to double check, then read the messages when your machine
boots. If you are not certain as to what the message should be, then I
suggest you read the e-mail archives.

> since I´m afraid of corrupting my bootloader when writing to flash.

Do not fear. The 2.9.5 boot loader locks the flash partition, that contains
the boot loader. So even if there is a misbehaving kernel driver, it is
physically not possible to over write the boot loader with out unlocking
flash.

> Regarding ppp: while all other modules needed to run the xdemo and
> sound, etc. are loaded correctly (not like my 0.14 install, I had to
> load them manually) the ppp-modules still need to be inserted
> by hand to
> get a ppp-connection up.
>
> Is there a way of modifying the cramfs images?

The the V0.15 distribution are tar.gz files with 'src' in the file name
these are the cramfs src files.

If you are running a Desktop computer with 2.4.x you could:

   mkdir mntpoint
   mkdir temp
   mount -t cramfs init-2-40.cramfs mntpoint -o loop
   cp -a mntpoint temp
   cd temp
     (do what you need to do)
   cd ..
   mkcramfs temp init-jan-1.cramfs
   Get into the boot loader and load the file where it belongs.

Under Linux 2.2.x
    expand the 'src' tar ball.
    cd to the dirctory created
      (do what you need to do)

    cd ..
    mkcramfs temp init-jan-1.cramfs
    Get into the boot loader and load the file where it belongs.

If all else fails, read the mini howto:
   http://www.handhelds.org/minihowto/filesystems.html

Have fun,

--George

George France, france@crl.dec.com
Cambridge Research Laboratory, Compaq Computer Corporation
One Cambridgecenter MS: CRL
Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
Phone: (617) 551-7665
FAX: (617) 551-7650
Received on Thu Sep 14 09:30:33 2000