Hello, is it still impossibile with LVM systems (eCS) to read USB flash memory that isn't partitioned on LVM fdisk/dfsee ?
Hi cyber.
The answer is Yes/No/Maybe.
What size flash drive are you talking about?
It seems smaller sizes - maybe 4Gb and less - do not need to be lvm volumes and those are treated as a Big Floppy.
Regards
Pete
For example Transcend 2Gb, it see flash, give drive letter but not show content of drive. Also some incorect free/used size report. It is formated as FAT32, system is equiped with latest FAT32 drivers, Danis drivers isn't latest because latest doesn't work on this mobo/controler.
How to try to make it work without deleting all data on it ? Some switches in config ?
Hi cyber
Quote from: cyber on 2009.04.07, 09:10:51
For example Transcend 2Gb, it see flash, give drive letter but not show content of drive. Also some incorect free/used size report. It is formated as FAT32, system is equiped with latest FAT32 drivers, Danis drivers isn't latest because latest doesn't work on this mobo/controler.
How to try to make it work without deleting all data on it ? Some switches in config ?
I've not used any Transcend flash drives myself but, based on the fact that it attaches and reports incorrect data regarding Free/Used space I suspect it may be a "U3" type of drive. These are manufactured specifically for Windows systems and have a hidden partition. To use with other systems requires copying any data off the drive then you need to repartition the drive and reformat with your choice of operating system.
I could be wrong...
You could try fiddling with configuration switches; maybe USBcfg will be of help there http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/pub/os2/system/usbcfgb701.zip
With regard to the Dani drivers not working with your system: It is *very important*
to send Dani a detailed error report. There is a lot of information about how to do this in the danis506.doc and the PROBLEM.TXT files that are included in the danis506 package.
Hope the above is of some help
Pete
There isn't more than one partition, I use this flash drive without problems on same hardware while was installed Warp4, and also checked on other computer with Linux; there is only one partition.
Anyone tried to strip LVM from eCS ? Because it is important to me to can read any stick I plug in to without problems, like on old non-LVM Warp4 ? Hell... even my stupid Home DVD player can read that stick. :)
othervise... I've seen using usbcfg that there are some boxes that I can check (and then reboot ?), I'll try at home later.
For Daniela's driver... i do not think that she is need to be extra busy chasing bugs to make newest driver work on ancient hardware too. Version of Dani's drivers shipped with eCS1.2 work perfect.
U3 drives are only used by Sandisk. It is their technology/system. Other drives that have encryption usually have a small first partition that holds the encryption program with the remainder being Data but these are both simple partitions, not partitions designed to be mounted as CDFS like U3 drives.
CHS and other LVM data are probably wrong. Use DFSEE to make sure everything is right and then try to re-mount the drive.
I too suffer the same problem but the answer is probably not what you want to hear.
By default, Memory sticks are not partitioned media but rather a large floppy format device.
I can only use memory sticks up to 2 gig formated with FAT16 if I want both OS/2 and windows to share them.
Fat32 IFS support only works on partitioned media. With that said, If fat 32 is a requirement, Then you will need to create a partition on the stick and define a fixed drive letter. You may likely need Dfsee to perform this as the memory stick will have to be blanked out to remove any boot sector/MBR code placed there by the manufacture. This is a requirement for larger size sticks or they will not be usable at all. Once a partition is created, They can be formatted as fat32 by windows or JFS/HPFS under OS/2.
I have several working 16gig SD cards using this technique. Including a bootable eCS installation. Do not forget to use eject when removing partitioned removable media or damage will likely occur. If a JFS formatted stick is mounted during OS/2 shutdown, It will come up as a dirty drive on the next reboot/insertion.
if it works on Warp 4 then it's easy to get it to work on eCS. Pity about our limitation about filesystems used on floppy disks. How hard would that be to fix? Just rewrite the floppy driver? Since eCS comes with source code for the floppy driver, isn't that possible for someone with more patience than me?
I probably should not have used the word "device" All these sticks and memory cards via a usb reader are typical USB mass storage devices. The issue is fat32 in itself. M$ was only using it for HD support. Then, Drive sizes went over 80gig. USB memory sticks were exceeding the 2gig FAT limit. Over time, M$ added more to FAT32. Large Floppy Format being one of them.
It's a function of the IFS as best as I can tell. Even with the updates to FAT32.IFS last year, It still fails to recognize fat32 unless it resides in a physical partition. I would like to see it fixed as many of the low cost portable media players use fat32 for their storage fs but if you partition or format it as FAT16. It's game over.
When this tread started, There was talk of this memory stick/card worked in Warp4. Maybe DANI's driver (PreLVM) supported Large floppy format.??
OK, I've tryed all options single and in combination under mass storage with USBcfg and rebooted dozen of times, none was help.
Next: to try updated USB drivers, it may be better. Where is possible to find newest USB drivers ?
Hi all,
I cannot give the solution to this, however... did anyone of you bring this problems/questions to the DFSee forum? Even if it might not exactly relate to DFSee, the guys over there are pretty experienced and perhaps can give at least some insight into what driver/IFS works on top of another to understand how a USB MSD is "treated" by OS/2. Perhaps also Daniela has information on this from the Dani's readmes?
Cheers,
Thomas
Preface - I use a 4GB SanDisk with FAT32 on eCS2.0rcxx and Win without Problems. There is a win utility to delete the CD-ROM emulation partiton on this stick but seem to remember it worked before on eCS too. The 1GB SanDisk I use is FAT formated and works well too.
The Large Floppy stuff is described in the readme of the latest lvm update AFAIK (lmv14105?). You can download it from ecomstation.com. There is even a newer lvm... from the xr_c006 fixpack which was not public released but you can find it on some servers and extract the lvm, os2dasd... stuff. There was a discussion on http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.os2.setup.storage/browse_thread/thread/d143326397e14457# about a week ago if you want this newer one.
AFAIR Large Floppy (non partitioned) is only possible till 2GB (FAT restriction). But I suggest you to read the included information in the lvm package for details.
Hello,
The annoying part is that you mave to "mark" the drive as a volume (haven't got a better word for it) before LVM and fat32.ifs will show you the folders/files on it.
A word of precaution, ensure that you're not trying it on a stick full of important files.
Once I understood what and how to do it, it worked quite well on my 4Gb SanDisk and no files or folders where lost, but it would be nice if LVM could handle it transparently without that procedure in the first place.
//Jan-Erik
I hear you Jep. I used to have tons of trouble with some of my flash-based Mp3 players until I realized I had to manually mark them as a volume with an assigned letter. After that, I no longer got the drive size of 31/32mb that it showed for me for improperly mounted media.
Quote from: MrJinx on 2009.04.08, 06:39:18
It's a function of the IFS as best as I can tell. Even with the updates to FAT32.IFS last year, It still fails to recognize fat32 unless it resides in a physical partition. I would like to see it fixed as many of the low cost portable media players use fat32 for their storage fs but if you partition or format it as FAT16. It's game over.
I don't see the problem. I have a 2Gb Creative Zen player which I could not see from eCS (it was large-floppy format). I repartitioned it with LVM, formatted it FAT32 under Windows, and now I can see it from both eCS and Windows, and it works perfectly as a portable media player.
Are you saying that your portable media players don't work anymore if you partition them?
Bye
Cris
I have a RCA MP3 player that is formatted as Large Floppy Fat32. Unfortunately, it also uses a non-standard 2048 bps instead of the standard 512. Danin512.flt allows it to be read seen but if I then partition it under eCS then Windows can no longer handle it due to the bps conversion. Fat16 large floppy can be handled via mo640 and then eCS and Windows can both read it and the MP3 player starts (which it didn't when Windows couldn't read it) but then it didn't see any of the files I put on it. On this device the partitioned media I don't think is an issue as it can handle a 2Gb microSD card that I have partitioned with FAT32 and eCS and Windows and the MP3 player are all happy with it.
Andy
Great informations here ! Where to find USBEHCD.SYS v10.162 ?
Hi
Quote from: cyber on 2009.04.10, 10:38:30
Great informations here ! Where to find USBEHCD.SYS v10.162 ?
Login at ecomstation.com and download the updates. The catch is you need a Login which you can only get by Registering your copy of eComStation.
Regards
Pete
I will try with other places. :)
OK, another 'this thread' related question... how to upgrade LVM ??? Just unpacking and replacing existing one isn't the way. ???
I have problems with my new USB flash stick. I have studied this old topic to see if I could find a solution - I can't. But may be anyone of you can.
I have bought a SanDisk Cruzer Slice 8GB memory stick. I also have 512 MB SanDisk Cruzer Micro. The last one works perfect both in Windows and eCS. The 8 GB works perfect in Windows.
Neither Advanced LVM or Installation LVM really sees any of the sticks. They can see the size of the micro, but not that it is FAT-formated. They also report them having corrupt partition tables. I can't format them in eCS.
Both USB Dock and USB Resource Manager sees the sticks and for the mini with a nice picture in USB Dock.
Trying DFSee doesn't help. DFSee use LVM to identify the disks and when LVM can't DFSee can't. I tried to use DFSee in Wind., but coudln't install it.
I managed to format it under GPARTED (Unix) with a singel partition less then 2 GB and LVM could see it, but that is no solution for me.
The stick is identified as disk 2. If I reboot the system and the 8 GB stick is connected, the reboot process halts with a message: Disk 2 not ready. Press a key.
So. What can I do? Just use the 2 GB or by me a new (not SanDisk)?
You may have use of this page:
http://en.ecomstation.ru/commentnews.php?id=1519
My troubles with SanDisks have been the program they add to it - I think it's called U3. I can't exactly remember how I delt with it, but I think the U3 program has an "uninstall" feature which is reachable from windows. When uninstalled I think I couldf ormat the USB as I wished and use it as a normal one.
Hi eilygre
Not really surprised that you get problems at boot if the 8Gb drive is attached - it does not have a drive letter because it is not a Volume.
Maybe a read through "USB Removables Care and Feeding FAQs" available in the USBcfg help - http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/h-search.php?key=usbcfg&pushbutton=Search - or http://www.os2voice.org/VNL/past_issues/VNL0606H/feature_2.html will be of help.
To use the 8Gb drive with eCS it needs to be made into a Volume using LVM (you could use DFSee) while drives of 2Gb or less that are formatted FAT should simply work; they get the next available drive letter on attaching.
As LVM reports both drives as having corrupt partition tables I would guess that is where the problem lies.
You could use DFSee to delete existing partition tables and then recreate partitions - and create a Volume for the 8Gb drive. You can also use DFSee to FAT32 format the 8Gb drive if you need to use the drive on Windows as well as eCS.
Regards
Pete
Thank you.
I will read through this stuff. But just some comment now The message "Disk 2 not ready" is displayed BEFORE I have decided what OS to start. And DFSee do not "see" the memory stick and therefore don't let me do anything with it.
QuoteThe message "Disk 2 not ready" is displayed BEFORE I have decided what OS to start.
This is a BIOS problem. I see it on one of my systems (Asus M3A78-EM, with quad core AMD Phenom processor). It seems to be caused by the BIOS attempting to see if there is boot code on the disk, and not finding something that it understands.
There are two ways to avoid that:
1) Make sure the device is powered off, or not attached when booting.
2) Disable legacy USB support in the BIOS.
NOTE: If you disable the legacy USB support, you will not be able to boot a USB device that does have proper boot code on it (until you enable legacy support again). You will also not be able to use a USB keyboard until the USB drivers get loaded. That means that you will be unable to select which system to boot when Boot Manager offers the choices. A PS/2 keyboard is not affected, and it will be used for Boot Manager. USB works fine, after the drivers load.