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USB DVD/CD-ROM Drive and eCS?

Started by BigWarpGuy, 2007.11.27, 15:43:29

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george

Quote from: edurrant on 2007.12.25, 11:07:33
...
With difference that you don't boot from the new partition but rather from the eComStation diskette. This could be the key !

I was also able to partially boot directly from the  eComStation CD. So you might not have to actually create diskettes (and boot from diskettes). Booting from diskette images on the cdrom is much faster and more reliable than using real diskettes.

Quote from: edurrant on 2007.12.25, 11:07:33
  The only problem for me with the approach you suggest is that it requires the destruction of the current system so that a new partition to be created on the SSD. I'd prefer to keep the existing configuration which would mean shrinking the partition in some way.

I also initially wanted to keep the pre-installed partitions. The eCS install did it's LVM-ification thing (assign drive letters) and rebooted a couple times. It even said it found and fixed partition errors. However when actually trying to do  delete/create of partitions using LVM it complained that the partition table was corrupt. Only solution I found was to delete all partitions while booted under Linux so eCS install started with an empty disk.

Quote from: edurrant on 2007.12.25, 11:07:33
By the way - I presume you meant to write 1GB not 1MB memory key ??

Yes, you are correct.
It should have been:

1. create Linux USB bootable USB key
    need one 2GB key OR two 1GB keys OR one 512MB key and USB cdrom
2. zip copy of eComStation cdrom to USB key (2GB key or 2nd 1GB key)
        (also put eCS install key on USB)
     ** step 2 can be skipped if you have USB cdrom   **

---------------------------------

there is another thread on os2world about installing on Eee PC - "Asus EEE PC 701 and eCS". I will probably post any further info there.


edurrant

Just to let everyone know - the problem hasn't gone away in eCS 2.0 Release Candidate 4, which was released a couple of hours ago. Still the same insert install CD problem.

I have also tried booting from an SD card (with a different volume name but otherwise the same eCS install image) with an USB CD-Rom drive also attached - it with the correct volume name and flag file, in the hope that the problem may be related to locateCD changing drives but ir does appear that at this stage in the install, USB support simply stops working.

Cheers/2

Ed. :(

Radek

#17
Here is how I am getting eCS on my notebook. I need:
(1) DFsee bootable CD ROM - it knows OS/2 but it does not know USB so that you cannot use it for getting data from an USB device
(2) PING (Partimage Isn't Ghost) bootable CD ROM - it's a very good ISO Linux partition archiver. It knows HPFS. What is essential, PING knows heaps of USB devices and it is able to archive on them. It even can burn CD's. Caution! It locks its bootable CD in the drive so that you cannot start PING and burn a CD in the same CD drive.
(3) a 512 MB USB flash memory.
(4) an auxiliary machine, where you can install eCS. It does not matter whether it is a diluvial relic, it matters whether it has an USB slot. Can you install? Has it USB? Okay, the machine will suffice.

(1) Install bare bones eCS (only VGA support, no ACPI, no PCMCIA, no APM, no web support, but install uniaudio) on the auxiliary machine. Install on a 2 GB HPFS partition.
(2) Reboot, switch to PING, and create a partition image on the flash memory. PING copies only used sectors and bzip's them so that the image should be about 270 MB.
(3) Start your notebook from DFSee CD and create a 2 GB partition on it.
(4) Reboot, switch to PING and copy the partition from the flash memory.
(5) Reboot, switch to DFSee and accomodate the partition on your notebook (geometry, partition table, etc.)
(6) Reboot, eCS should start!!
(7) Check the eCS, solve the rest of problems (drivers, USB setting, LVM, etc.) from the eCS.
( 8) Reboot, switch to PING and create a partition image on your flash memory. It's your "installation CD" now. Burn the image somewhere.
(9) Reboot, finish the installation of eCS.

E-h-h, two more details:
(10) The flash memory must be FAT formatted.
(11) Do not forget to upgrade HD drivers to the last version of Daniela Engbert's HD drivers after installing on the auxiliary machine and before creating the partition image.

edurrant

Thanks for this detailed description, I can see how this works and in some ways is similar to what Eugene suggests, however I am worried that someone new to eCS and OS/2 would not be so happy to do all this (risky in some parts) work to try out a new Operating system.

The eCS install (and Live CD) needs to work from a USB attched CD-Rom (or flash drive or ...).

Cheers/2

Ed.

Saijin_Naib

#19
^Word. And I dont think that the Ubuntu way of having the LiveCD and installCD being the same thing is a bad idea. Infact, I think its a wonderful idea.

Edit:
Just realized that they are that way because its free software so its fine if the Install CD and the LiveCd are the same exact thing. Im sure this can be worked around so that we can have one disc for both install/live. Or if not, please just keep the LiveCD constantly (when I say constantly, I mean CONSTANTLY) updated with the newest Dani, ACPI, Panorama, Genmac so that it is actually useful as a means of testing whether or not a certain computer supports eCS.

Shai

Quote from: george on 2007.12.25, 10:27:37
eComStation diskettes work fine with 1.44MB USB diskette drive.

there are problems accessing USB cdrom during boot. Because of BIOS suport, eCS can use USB cdrom to do initial boot but once eCS drivers load eCS can not see the cdrom. So you can use USB cdrom instead of diskette images but not to do complete cdrom install.

I have done it this way.
[...]
I'm going to try it that way if I can finally buy an Eee PC (though I have second thoughts - it might be cleverer to wait for a similar notebook with a larger HD).
So if you got eCS to work, how much actually does work?
Is the graphics adapter and the resolution supported by SNAP or Panorama? I'd guess it runs at least with the latter, but a resolution of 800x480 is quite unusual. If it is not supported I think you'd have to scroll around to see the entire desktop.
Did you try to use its WiFi capabilities using genmac?
Is the sound ok with Uniaud?
Does ACPI work properly (btw. which version of eCS did you use)?
I wonder if the webcam works with any of the available eCS software (WarpVision etc.)...

Happy new year,
Robin

BigWarpGuy

There is the Fujitsu Lifebook U810 but it costs about three times as much as the Asus EEE PC.
http://store.shopfujitsu.com/fpc/Ecommerce/buildseriesbean.do?series=U810 $999 (USD) and $1099 (USD). There is also the Flybook. http://www.flybook.biz/en/  There is also the OQO http://www.oqo.com and the Tiqit http://www.tiqit.com . They usually cost alot more than the EEE PC.  8)

edurrant

I have managed to install eCS 2.0RC4 to an SD card and boot the EeePC from it - I have not been able to solve the eCS Install process issues with a USB attached CD-ROM drive, rather I had to install to a desktop and then copy the image across.

I have just uploaded the full details (in English & German) to another thread on this forum - checkout:

http://www.os2world.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,63/topic,548.msg3533/topicseen,1/

I have not tried ACPI yet - I deliberately disabled it, however as the ASUS EeePC uses the Intel chipset, it may well work.

Video will need to be GENGRADD with a custom pif (?) configuration file.

Audio - does not work with the Uniaud that is in RC4 as this has (I think) the HD Audio chipset, but the latest Uniaud I believe has some support for this added, so maybe ...

For Networking, neither the cabled or WiFi cards have drivers for OS/2 however there are Genmac drivers for very similar sounding cards which "may" be able to be modified.

Still some work to do in this area.

Cheers/2

Ed.

BigWarpGuy

I have a usb cd drive and I have SD cards. The problem is the EEE PC malfunctioning. Once I figure out what is wrong with it, I will try eCS on it.

Thank you for the information on using the sd card to boot from. Once the EEE PC starts working again, I will try it.

edurrant

Hi, Yes I saw your description of problems on another thread here I think.
The obvious question, have you upgraded anything in the EeePC ? If you have for example replaced the 512MB DIMM with a larger one, this could be the cause of the problem, faulty or incompatible memory can cause some very weird problems in a system !

Basically if you have upgraded anything, I would recommend going back to all original parts and OS configuration and if the problems still occur, it's time to send the unit back for repair or replacment under warranty.

Cheers/2

Ed. 

BigWarpGuy

I did not upgrade or change anything on the EEE PC. I had uploaded some photo files and music files but did not add any software. I was able to get some help from the Asus technicians. I was able to boot it up. If it continues to have problems, I will call them again. If it needs to be sent back, I will get the necessary number to return it.

I will try to the USB cd drive with it again. It worked with it but not too well. I will try it again to see if it can do better after I had reloaded the default programs/os.

Thank you for the information. It is appreciated.  8)