Problems with GRUB & nftl_format

Problems with GRUB & nftl_format

[Joseph Teichman]

I have a Virgin Webplayer with a doc2000. I had completely hosed the doc
after trying to write somebody's image to the doc. So, I did an erase
all and used nftl_format to set up the doc again. I used fdisk to
partition it and set up an ext2 file system. Then, I used doc_loadbios
tool to install GRUB. GRUB Installed successfully, and it works, but at
the same time, it seems to have hosed up the doc again. The only thing
that I can do is to reformat the doc, which of course overwrites GRUB,
leaving back to square one. I am using a 2.4.19 kernel, with the latest
cvs grab of mtd-linux. Can anyone tell me what is happening and how I
can work around it?
Thanks,
Joe

Re: Problems with GRUB & nftl_format

[Henrik Nordström]

You need to reserve sufficient amount of binary flash for the GRUB image
before the NFTL partition. This is set by the "<start offset>" argument to
nftl_format IIRC.

Alternatively, use the msys 5.X dformat tool to install GRUB. I think
current versions of the DOC GRUB should be compatible with msys dformat
5.x. (unfortunately I have not yet had time to verify)

Regards
Henrik Nordström
MARA Systems AB, Sweden


On Sun, 3 Nov 2002, Joseph Teichman wrote:

> partition it and set up an ext2 file system. Then, I used doc_loadbios
> tool to install GRUB. GRUB Installed successfully, and it works, but at
> the same time, it seems to have hosed up the doc again. The only thing
> that I can do is to reformat the doc, which of course overwrites GRUB,
> leaving back to square one. I am using a 2.4.19 kernel, with the latest
> cvs grab of mtd-linux. Can anyone tell me what is happening and how I
> can work around it?

Re: Problems with GRUB & nftl_format

[Mark Meade]

Is the nftl driver part of your kernel, or compiled as a module?  Bad things 
can happen if the nftl driver is loaded when nftl_format is run:

http://lists.infradead.org/pipermail/linux-mtd/2002-June/005123.html
http://lists.infradead.org/pipermail/linux-mtd/2002-August/005831.html

As Henrik mentioned, you could try the 5.x dformat utility (under DOS) to 
install Grub and format the DoC.  After that, the normal Linux tools (fdisk, 
mke2fs, etc) can be used to partition and create the filesystem.

The other alternative is to compile the MTD code as modules, and make sure 
nftl is not loaded when running nftl_format.

See http://lists.infradead.org/pipermail/linux-mtd/2002-October/006166.html 
for details on both methods.

Regards,

Mark

Joseph Teichman wrote:
> I have a Virgin Webplayer with a doc2000. I had completely hosed the doc
> after trying to write somebody's image to the doc. So, I did an erase
> all and used nftl_format to set up the doc again. I used fdisk to
> partition it and set up an ext2 file system. Then, I used doc_loadbios
> tool to install GRUB. GRUB Installed successfully, and it works, but at
> the same time, it seems to have hosed up the doc again. The only thing
> that I can do is to reformat the doc, which of course overwrites GRUB,
> leaving back to square one. I am using a 2.4.19 kernel, with the latest
> cvs grab of mtd-linux. Can anyone tell me what is happening and how I
> can work around it?