Main > Main Forum

I would like to use a compact flash as a hard drive in a bartop cabinet, but...

<< < (7/7)

jukingeo:

--- Quote from: MonMotha on June 22, 2011, 12:41:50 am ---
I wasn't aware that Microsoft had this reduced to "a few mouseclicks" on normal XP Pro installs.  All the instructions I can find either require you to extract some files from the "feature pack" or "borrow" some files from an XPe system then do some registry modifications (which can be done using a provided .reg file in many cases).  "Real" XPe systems do have a wizard of sorts to enable it, but that isn't present on XP Pro.
--- End quote ---

LOL, yeah, I know mostly with Windows installs it is endless loading and rebooting.  It is one of the reasons why I would like to eventually go totally with Linux.  The installs ARE much easier.  However, in regards to EWF, I was amazed that all you needed to extract 3 or 4 files from the Windows XPe service pack 2.  The instructional website told me everything what to do.   Then there was a link to a registry update file.  After loading the files as instructed you DO have to go into the registry to temporarily change the permissions of ONE entry.  Then you do the registry update, change the permissions back and reboot.  EWF is then loaded on to the system.   Now you only can use EWF in CMD mode, but the nice thing is that if you are using a removable media, it already has the correct mode set for you.   There are a few commands you need to know to turn EWF on/off and to commit your changes to the "hard drive" when you need to make adjustments.

Considering how obtuse and lengthy some procedures are in Windows (especially when it comes to the registry), I found adding EWF quite simple.

However, in comparison to how you were explaining what to do in Linux, clearly the Linux procedure seems harder.


--- Quote ---The procedure described in the linked can be done entirely from the Ubuntu GUI, though it may not be immediately obvious due the way it's presented.  Download the file provided, drag/drop to the location indicated, check "properties" to verify it's executable, edit the text file indicated, run the command given (from the "Run..." type dialog), bang the reboot button.  Editing of the GRUB config could actually be made unnecessary by altering the script provided, but the way it's done allows you to back the union with something other than a ramdisk e.g. another hard disk partition, which might be handy.

--- End quote ---

Yeah...I happen to be a stickler for step by step procedures.   The EWF document was really well laid out.  The document you linked to for Linux just ended up confusing me.  I just said to myself that their has to be a better way.  As it stands, I think I would rather go the .iso method instead.   I doubt I would go with a large OS installation anyway.  Thusfar it would seem that I would like to try Puppy Linux as I have used this OS in the past.  It is small enough to run entirely from RAM.

I think this will be the next thing I would like to try since I was successful with Windows XP and EWF.

In addition I think I am actually going to try to use Hyperspin with MAME on my test bed computer.  I am going to get more ram for it though.   I think I can go as high as 2 gig on that machine, so I may as well take it to the max.

Hold on...Yeah, I just looked it up, I can take that machine to 2 gig of ram.   This is a good thing because even on my test bed machine, if I am going to go with MAME I could pretty much load up the entire OS, MAME, Roms, and the front end in one shot.   Naturally you can't get much faster than that.


--- Quote from: leapinlew on June 22, 2011, 01:38:40 am ---http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817986003&cm_re=2.5%22_HD_Bay-_-17-986-003-_-Product

There are all kinds of elegant solutions you can use. The device I linked installs in a computer and allows you to easily pop in a 2.5" HD.
--- End quote ---

Oooo, that IS nawice!  Yeah that would be the way to go, MUCH better than the octopus sitting on your desk.   The darn shame is that all my 5.25" bays are occupied.  I only have a mini-tower on my main machine.  However, I do have TWO 3.5" floppy bays available since this is the first machine I bought that doesn't have a floppy drive.  I certainly could utilize one of those.


--- Quote from: jukingeo on June 21, 2011, 10:02:02 pm ---Now I have a question.  With the setup I now I have on my Compaq test bed...wouldn't I be able to simply 'copy' the entire contents of the Compact Flash to another one without any fancy programs?

--- End quote ---
No, you'll need to do a bit level copy and pull the data over in it's entirety including the boot sector of the CF card. Whether you are using a CF card or a HD, you'll need to copy over single bit of data. You'll want to use a program which does this for you. What you should do is copy the data in a stored image file and burn that image to whatever.
[/quote]

Ok, you piqued my interest.  So a regular copy program is 'no go' and I would have to use this Clonezilla then?  That wouldn't be a problem since I am already on Linux on my main machine.

You mentioned I could store the data into an image file and by that I assume you mean an .iso right?  I do have a program called image burn in which you can make an .iso from just about anything.  So if I pop my CF card in the reader I would then use the .iso creation program to make an image file right?  Now from there I could put the file anywhere

Now taking this to the next level with Linux...could I make an .iso with all of the main programs I would like to use...lets say Mame and DWjukebox and then put this .iso on the Compact Flash.  Now on system boot up it would load the iso into memory.  Could that be done?  Essentially that would be a nice way to get a read only set up.  I know I probably could do this with a DVD-Rom and I DO have a DVD-Rom on my test bed computer...the thing is it is very slow.  I am certain the compact flash would be much faster.   Also the DVD-Rom does negate my project attempts considering that I want to go solid state.


--- Quote from: MonMotha on June 22, 2011, 01:43:37 am ---(Note: not trying to be snide with my comments - though upon re-reading it, I see it may have come off that way.  I was not aware that the process for activating EWF on non-embedded versions of XP was appreciably easier than the procedure posted above on Ubuntu)

--- End quote ---

No, I didn't take any offense to the remark as under normal circumstances you would be right.  Usually things are a pain when you get deep into Windows, especially when it comes to registry editing.  However this was one of the things that just seemed simpler than some of the tasks that I have under taken in Linux (namely trying to get an unsupported sound card to work in Linux).

Thanx again for the help and advice guys, this has been an interesting trip and I am learning quite a bit.

Geo

MonMotha:

--- Quote from: jukingeo on June 22, 2011, 10:00:27 pm ---
--- Quote from: MonMotha on June 22, 2011, 12:41:50 am ---
I wasn't aware that Microsoft had this reduced to "a few mouseclicks" on normal XP Pro installs.  All the instructions I can find either require you to extract some files from the "feature pack" or "borrow" some files from an XPe system then do some registry modifications (which can be done using a provided .reg file in many cases).  "Real" XPe systems do have a wizard of sorts to enable it, but that isn't present on XP Pro.
--- End quote ---

LOL, yeah, I know mostly with Windows installs it is endless loading and rebooting.  It is one of the reasons why I would like to eventually go totally with Linux.  The installs ARE much easier.  However, in regards to EWF, I was amazed that all you needed to extract 3 or 4 files from the Windows XPe service pack 2.  The instructional website told me everything what to do.   Then there was a link to a registry update file.  After loading the files as instructed you DO have to go into the registry to temporarily change the permissions of ONE entry.  Then you do the registry update, change the permissions back and reboot.  EWF is then loaded on to the system.   Now you only can use EWF in CMD mode, but the nice thing is that if you are using a removable media, it already has the correct mode set for you.   There are a few commands you need to know to turn EWF on/off and to commit your changes to the "hard drive" when you need to make adjustments.

Considering how obtuse and lengthy some procedures are in Windows (especially when it comes to the registry), I found adding EWF quite simple.

However, in comparison to how you were explaining what to do in Linux, clearly the Linux procedure seems harder.

--- End quote ---
I was essentially describing everything that happens as a result of the actions you perform in the instructions on that page.  You don't really need to know any of it if you just want to "follow these directions and it works".


--- Quote ---Yeah...I happen to be a stickler for step by step procedures.   The EWF document was really well laid out.  The document you linked to for Linux just ended up confusing me.  I just said to myself that their has to be a better way.  As it stands, I think I would rather go the .iso method instead.   I doubt I would go with a large OS installation anyway.  Thusfar it would seem that I would like to try Puppy Linux as I have used this OS in the past.  It is small enough to run entirely from RAM.

--- End quote ---

It looks pretty step-by-step to me.  At least as much so as any of the non-XPe EWF instructions I could find, certainly.  I suspect you're just more familiar/comfortable with Windows.  Download file, copy file, check permissions, run a command, edit a file as indicated, reboot.  Done.  In fact, it sounds very much like the Windows procedure just with "the registry" replaced with "some file" (which would be typical of Windows vs. Linux).  The steps are even numbered (I'm referring to the second article).

The Windows procedure is surprisingly straightforward for what it's doing, though.  Probably because Microsoft didn't go to the trouble of complicating it in an attempt to make it "simple" :)

I'm not sure how you intend to use a stock ISO image for anything other than booting from a CD or maybe a USB flash drive... They will automatically set the EWF-like behavior up for you (since it's essentially required due to the way LiveCDs operate), but you can't really customize it to be anything other than the stock LiveCD without going to a fair bit of trouble.  I'd say installing Ubuntu then using the procedure described in the second link is likely to be easier.

jukingeo:

--- Quote from: MonMotha on June 22, 2011, 11:35:29 pm ---... I suspect you're just more familiar/comfortable with Windows.  Download file, copy file, check permissions, run a command, edit a file as indicated, reboot.  Done.  In fact, it sounds very much like the Windows procedure just with "the registry" replaced with "some file" (which would be typical of Windows vs. Linux).  The steps are even numbered (I'm referring to the second article).
--- End quote ---

Well, yes, I would say that being a Windows user since 3.1 back when I bought my first computer (PC that is) back in 1994.  So growing with the OS over the years I did kind of find my way around it.  But by the time XP came along, Windows was getting pretty darn 'big'.   Still to this day I haven't learned all of XP.   I think the first indication that I was started to get turned off by Microsoft, was the fact that you had to 'activate' the program with WPA.  It does kind of make me feel that even though I dropped a chunk of change on a new OS (Usually I bought the full version rather than upgrade), the program still isn't 'mine'.  I had thought of when the day would come that Microsoft would stop supporting XP and worried that should I put XP on new machines down the road, that they probably would even drop the WPA authentication.  This would essentially force one into buying a new updated OS.

The recession hit shortly after that and around 2006 I was starting to feel the squeeze on the wallet.  I know I couldn't keep dropping big bucks on the latest and greatest from Microsoft.   So I decided to finally take the plunge and see what the 'penguin' was all about.

I did find out quickly on that Linux is a bit harder to configure for certain tasks.   To this day, 5 years later, I really haven't put a major dent into learning the subtle intricacies that make Linux tick.   It really is a whole 'nother ball game.

Adding to this, I have many programs that I have for Windows that I not found suitable equivalents for in Linux.  Hence the reason why I still rely on Windows.


--- Quote ---The Windows procedure is surprisingly straightforward for what it's doing, though.  Probably because Microsoft didn't go to the trouble of complicating it in an attempt to make it "simple" :)
--- End quote ---

I didn't think Microsoft made the write up...at least it didn't seem so considering that you had to extract those files from an .iso of an upgrade for XPe.   If Microsoft really intended regular Windows users (Home & Pro) to have access to EWF, they would have made it available on their site.  For example, if you want .net framework, it is a down-loadable package.


--- Quote ---I'm not sure how you intend to use a stock ISO image for anything other than booting from a CD or maybe a USB flash drive... They will automatically set the EWF-like behavior up for you (since it's essentially required due to the way LiveCDs operate), but you can't really customize it to be anything other than the stock LiveCD without going to a fair bit of trouble.  I'd say installing Ubuntu then using the procedure described in the second link is likely to be easier.

--- End quote ---

I don't think I would use Ubuntu for embedded work simply because the OS is pretty big.  Lubuntu perhaps, but I think if I could do what I need in Puppy Linux, that would be the OS of choice.   I always did wonder that once I did get a set up that I liked if I could 'clone' it as an .iso so I could set it up on another machine.

While it may be difficult to set up an .iso and make changes later on, the truth is that (for the most part) everything I need for MAME and DWJukebox I already had been setting up just about the same way for a few years now.  So this very well could be all that I need.

Granted some of the larger programs I have, such as Vixen, would benefit more from a more flexible system such as what EWF offers.   But the irony of the situation is that Vixen is one of those programs I could never get to run in Linux anyway.

Thanx,

Geo

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[*] Previous page

Go to full version