Problems installing V6.3 on Compact Flash

QNX Newsgroups (Archives) comp.os.qnx
1

I am trying to install QNX from the install CDROM to a 256MB SanDisk on a
Kontron PC/104. We have a batch of 256MB SanDisk compact flashes; some of
which will install and some of which will not. In all cases, the disks come
preformatted with DOS and are seen by the BIOS just fine. The problem is,
after I have entered the serial number from the installation CD, it prompts
me for the installation drive. Unfortunatly, in many cases, no drive is
listed.

After some investigation, I noticed that there is a difference between the
compact flashes. The “Auto” mode in the BIOS setup returns the following
information for the working drives: 695cyl,15hds,48sect (256MB, 50400
sectors). It returns the following information for the non-working drives:
980cyl,16hds,32sects(257MB,501760 sectors). I checked the partition
information in both cases and they both show 256MB DOS partitions with the
BOOT sector enabled (in both working and non-working cases). I even
attempted to format a partion with a bootable QNX partition (77) via fdisk,
but to no avail.

Do I need an updated driver to support the different flash configuration?
Is the BIOS not reading back drive info correctly using the AUTO selection?
Any information here would be helpful.

Regards,
Don Fox
Litrex Corp.
dfox@litrex.com

2

Don Fox wrote:

I am trying to install QNX from the install CDROM to a 256MB SanDisk on a
Kontron PC/104. We have a batch of 256MB SanDisk compact flashes; some of
which will install and some of which will not. In all cases, the disks come
preformatted with DOS and are seen by the BIOS just fine. The problem is,
after I have entered the serial number from the installation CD, it prompts
me for the installation drive. Unfortunatly, in many cases, no drive is
listed.

Cool, someone that has the tools to verify things at hand. :slight_smile: Alas, my laptop doesn’t boot from it’s PCMCIA slot. :frowning:

There has been a number of people asking online that struck this problem when attempting to make a bootable CF setup. The fix has always been to go and buy another card, usually a different brand. But, as you’ve noticed, it’s not the label on the top of the card that’s important.


After some investigation, I noticed that there is a difference between the
compact flashes. The “Auto” mode in the BIOS setup returns the following
information for the working drives: 695cyl,15hds,48sect (256MB, 50400
sectors). It returns the following information for the non-working drives:
980cyl,16hds,32sects(257MB,501760 sectors). I checked the partition

Good to see a concrete reason for why devb-eide is getting confused.

What options do you have in the BIOS for choosing other CHS configs? Settings the CHS totals by hand maybe?

When running from CD, what is the total number of blocks(sectors) reported by “fdisk /dev/hd0 info”? I’ve noticed the total doesn’t mean anything for booting HDDs but might help you choose the correct CHS totals in the BIOS for the CF card.


Do I need an updated driver to support the different flash configuration?
Is the BIOS not reading back drive info correctly using the AUTO selection?
Any information here would be helpful.

Maybe. QSS has been quite and no one else has a solution so far.


Evan

3

~stuff deleted~

After some investigation, I noticed that there is a difference between
the
compact flashes. The “Auto” mode in the BIOS setup returns the following
information for the working drives: 695cyl,15hds,48sect (256MB, 50400
sectors). It returns the following information for the non-working
drives:
980cyl,16hds,32sects(257MB,501760 sectors). I checked the partition

Good to see a concrete reason for why devb-eide is getting confused.

What options do you have in the BIOS for choosing other CHS configs?
Settings the CHS totals by hand maybe?

Although I didn’t mention it in the original posting, I did try to configure
the compact flash drive manually. I tried to set “User Settings” for the
compact flash. I tried the following:

Left alone: 980cyl,16hds,32sects
Disabled LBA (with above settings)
Changed to working setup 695cyl,15hds,48sect
Again disabled LBA (with above settings)

I am not sure what is happening with the device driver startup on the
installation CD, but I was able to run fdisk on /dev/hd0 and it showed me a
drive with 980 cyls. It also showed the drive as bootable. I also removed
the DOS partition and manually created the QNX partition. This didn’t work
either.


~stuff deleted~

-Don

4

After some investigation, I noticed that there is a difference between
the
compact flashes. The “Auto” mode in the BIOS setup returns the following
information for the working drives: 695cyl,15hds,48sect (256MB, 50400
sectors). It returns the following information for the non-working
drives:
980cyl,16hds,32sects(257MB,501760 sectors). I checked the partition

Good to see a concrete reason for why devb-eide is getting confused.

What options do you have in the BIOS for choosing other CHS configs?
Settings the CHS totals by hand maybe?


Although I didn’t mention it in the original posting, I did try to configure
the compact flash drive manually. I tried to set “User Settings” for the
compact flash. I tried the following:

Left alone: 980cyl,16hds,32sects
Disabled LBA (with above settings)
Changed to working setup 695cyl,15hds,48sect
Again disabled LBA (with above settings)

I am not sure what is happening with the device driver startup on the
installation CD, but I was able to run fdisk on /dev/hd0 and it showed me a
drive with 980 cyls. It also showed the drive as bootable. I also removed
the DOS partition and manually created the QNX partition. This didn’t work
either.

Don, is it possible to boot target system from CF into DOS in any described
configuration?

Igor.

5

Don Fox wrote:

I am not sure what is happening with the device driver startup on the
installation CD, but I was able to run fdisk on /dev/hd0 and it showed me a
drive with 980 cyls. It also showed the drive as bootable. I also removed
the DOS partition and manually created the QNX partition. This didn’t work
either.

If there is an existing partition table then devb-eide will use the CHS totals from it instead of from BIOS, I believe.

One way to get devb-eide to use the BIOS settings would be to erase the partition table, “dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hd0 count=1”, then reboot with BIOS set to 695:15:48. After this fdisk should report the correct geometry.

Of course, there is no guarantee that 695:15:48 is correct for those cards. What is the total number of sectors/blocks of both card variants reported by “fdisk /dev/hd0 info”?


Evan

6

PS: I’m not going to be around for a few weeks.

7

Don,

We have had similar issues with Scandisk and kingston compact flashes.

The solution we found was to boot with auto mode in the bios and then run:
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hd0 count=1
as Evan suggests.

After this reboot the PC to allow devb-eide to auto find the compact flash.

From there setup the drive as you would normally. fdisk, dinit, dloader.

Regards,
Ben

“Don Fox” <dfox@litrex.com> wrote in message
news:cpv9pl$o1g$1@nntp.qnx.com…

I am trying to install QNX from the install CDROM to a 256MB SanDisk on a
Kontron PC/104. We have a batch of 256MB SanDisk compact flashes; some of
which will install and some of which will not. In all cases, the disks
come
preformatted with DOS and are seen by the BIOS just fine. The problem
is,
after I have entered the serial number from the installation CD, it
prompts
me for the installation drive. Unfortunatly, in many cases, no drive is
listed.

After some investigation, I noticed that there is a difference between the
compact flashes. The “Auto” mode in the BIOS setup returns the following
information for the working drives: 695cyl,15hds,48sect (256MB, 50400
sectors). It returns the following information for the non-working
drives:
980cyl,16hds,32sects(257MB,501760 sectors). I checked the partition
information in both cases and they both show 256MB DOS partitions with the
BOOT sector enabled (in both working and non-working cases). I even
attempted to format a partion with a bootable QNX partition (77) via
fdisk,
but to no avail.

Do I need an updated driver to support the different flash configuration?
Is the BIOS not reading back drive info correctly using the AUTO
selection?
Any information here would be helpful.

Regards,
Don Fox
Litrex Corp.
dfox@litrex.com

8

We have had similar issues with Scandisk and kingston compact flashes.

The solution we found was to boot with auto mode in the bios and then run:
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hd0 count=1
as Evan suggests.

After this reboot the PC to allow devb-eide to auto find the compact flash.

From there setup the drive as you would normally. fdisk, dinit, dloader.

Thanks, I checked and it works for me too :slight_smile: I used another method previously:

  • Clear partition table on CompactFlash;
  • Setup Autoconfig, LBA for CompactFlash in the target system’s BIOS Setup;
  • Boot a target system into DOS and create a small DOS partition on CF (imho,
    that fdisk uses BIOS geometry for the media), format it, sys <media_dos_drive>:,
    fdisk /mbr…;
  • Check for booting into DOS from CF;
  • Boot a target system into QNX from alternative media (hdd, floppy, network).
    Run EIDE device driver and edit partition table using QNX fdisk (a BIOS geometry
    already is actual). Create and initialize QNX partition, put a primary loader
    and make QNX partition as “active”;
  • Reboot system and check for QNX booting from CF.

It works for QNX 4 and QNX 6.

Regards,
Igor.

9

I appologize for not following up with my progress. After some frustration
with the SanDisk, I tried other flash vendors and have been successful.
Thanks to all who responded.


“Don Fox” <dfox@litrex.com> wrote in message
news:cpv9pl$o1g$1@nntp.qnx.com…

I am trying to install QNX from the install CDROM to a 256MB SanDisk on a
Kontron PC/104. We have a batch of 256MB SanDisk compact flashes; some of
which will install and some of which will not. In all cases, the disks
come
preformatted with DOS and are seen by the BIOS just fine. The problem
is,
after I have entered the serial number from the installation CD, it
prompts
me for the installation drive. Unfortunatly, in many cases, no drive is
listed.

After some investigation, I noticed that there is a difference between the
compact flashes. The “Auto” mode in the BIOS setup returns the following
information for the working drives: 695cyl,15hds,48sect (256MB, 50400
sectors). It returns the following information for the non-working
drives:
980cyl,16hds,32sects(257MB,501760 sectors). I checked the partition
information in both cases and they both show 256MB DOS partitions with the
BOOT sector enabled (in both working and non-working cases). I even
attempted to format a partion with a bootable QNX partition (77) via
fdisk,
but to no avail.

Do I need an updated driver to support the different flash configuration?
Is the BIOS not reading back drive info correctly using the AUTO
selection?
Any information here would be helpful.

Regards,
Don Fox
Litrex Corp.
dfox@litrex.com