On Sunday 14 December 2003 8:01 pm, Dan Ingalls wrote:
> > > 1) It's Linux. So how much Linux will I need to know just to run
> > > Squeak?
> >>
> >> I'm mainly concerned about using USB memory sticks, peripherals,
> >> powering
> >>
> > > off the system, etc. What can I say...I'm a Mac user.
>
> So am I.  Everything I know I got off a plastic command summary I found in
> the bookstore in Truckee.
>
> >Don't worry; most of what you'd need to know would look the same as it
> > would in a Mac terminal session. I believe that the file system isn't
> > compressed, so if you edit a file on the CF it'll just stay there.
>
> This is true.  The sources are compressed, but you don't need to know about
> that either.
>
> >As far as using USB memory sticks, you should be able to set the system up
> > for auto-mounting; if you're just using Squeak, you could use OSProcess
> > to do mounting and unmounting (or you could set it up so that hotplug
> > would auto-mount).
> >
> >The way I use the USB memory sticks in Linux is mostly this: I add a line
> > to my /etc/fstab
> >
> ># pen drive
> >/dev/scsi/host1/bus0/target0/lun0/part1         /pen    vfat   
> > user,noauto     0       0
> >
> >and then just say
> >	mount /pen
> >and
> >	umount /pen
>
> Well, this may be better than what we do.  Michael set it up for automount.
>  The only thing is that, although it will automount, you have to use 'ls'
> to force it to do so.  If you just go to the fileList and look at
> /mnt/auto/usb1, it will hang.  You have to first (via OSProcess Linux shell
> window, or via a specific OSProcess waitForCommand: (or variant)) do ls 
> /mnt/auto/usb1
> Once this responds with a reasonable listing of the volume contents, *then*
> you can use the fileList on the USB volume just fine.
>
> > > 2) Will there be a way to restore (from some kind of backup) the
> > > initial
> >>
> >> flash configuration so that the system can be restored to its pristine
> >> condition?
> >
> >Sure, why not?
> >Plug the flash into your Mac (using a PCMCIA/CF adapter if necessary),
> >and use dd to copy the contents of the block device to a file. Reverse to
> > get the flash back.
> >
> >	<eject the disk from the Finder>
> >
> >	su
> >	dd if=/dev/disk1 of=TheFlashStuff
>
> Ned:  If this is true, it's wonderful.  If you're in Mac mode, you cannot
> read (ie automount) these flashes because they have ext2 partitions on
> them.  There is a freeware extension that can be downloaded, that lets you
> do so, but I consider it test pilot material.
>
> I know of no way to clone these flashes on a Mac, but this sounds like one.
>  If it works, you get a free bottle of (very good) champagne.

Here's what I just did (which worked, with one minor glitch):

* plug a CF into my USB mouse (which has a CF slot)
* plug into my Linux box
* use cfdisk to re-partition into a 10Mb FAT12 and a 53Mb ext2 partition
* mkfs to format both of those
* mount partitions
* copy some files onto each partition
* unmount partitions

* take mouse/CF down to iBook
* plug in
* open terminal
* su
* umount /dev/disk1s1 (which the automounter had mounted)
* dd if=/dev/disk1 of=savedStuff bs=1024k
* open Disk Utility
* re-partition disk
* verify that there are no contents in new partition
* back to terminal
* umount /dev/disk1
* dd if=savedStuff of=/dev/disk1 bs=1024k

At this point, the automounter kicked in again, and mounted the /dev/disk1s1 
partition.

* umount /dev/disk1s1

go to finder and unmount vestigial mounts from the automounter

* take back to Linux box
* plug in
* fsck.msdos /dev/sda1
reports that FATs are different; chose 2nd FAT.
Checked OK.
* fsck.ext2 /dev/sda2
Checks OK
* mount both partitions
* verify that contents are fine

> Also in my experience, using the extension I have, Flash gets corrupted if
> you try to mount it using a USB reader.  It has only worked successfully
> for me using a PCMCIA card adaptor.