[support-gang] [Server-devel] 1TB drive of quality open content on XO/XS--won't boot

Holt holt at laptop.org
Mon May 13 10:58:51 EDT 2013


On 5/13/2013 10:45 AM, Gonzalo Odiard wrote:
> Why? Can't be in a script?

We can't run a script if we cannot boot =)

(Due to firmware incompatibility w/ NTFS USB drives, forcing us to the 
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Ok prompt, preventing auto-boot)

> Gonzalo
>
>
> On Mon, May 13, 2013 at 11:43 AM, Holt <holt at laptop.org 
> <mailto:holt at laptop.org>> wrote:
>
>     Indeed...but this is not an option as the XS=XO+TB needs to
>     auto-boot after "daily" power failures in the developing world :)
>
>
>     On 5/13/2013 9:53 AM, Samuel Greenfeld wrote:
>>     NTFS is supported in OLPC builds, just not by the OS Kernel itself.
>>
>>     The ntfs-3g "filesystem in userspace" package can be used to
>>     mount NTFS drives.  So you should be able to use a command like
>>     "mount -t ntfs-3g /dev/ntfs_partition /mnt/mountpoint" if Sugar
>>     or GNOME do not automatically mount the filesystem for you.
>>
>>     In general many Linux distributions seem to currently consider
>>     using ntfs-3g a better approach than using the kernel driver. 
>>     The in-kernel driver still may not have full NTFS write support,
>>     while ntfs-3g does.
>>
>>
>>
>>     On Mon, May 13, 2013 at 9:32 AM, Yioryos Asprobounitis
>>     <mavrothal at yahoo.com <mailto:mavrothal at yahoo.com>> wrote:
>>
>>         OLPC kernels do *not* support NTFS (# CONFIG_NTFS_FS is not set).
>>         It either should be activated in future builds or use another FS.
>>         I believe tha FAT32 (VFAT) can handle big drives and  is
>>         universal.
>>         However it has a number of other problems that may not suit
>>         your needs (reliability, permissions etc)
>>
>>
>>         --- On Mon, 5/13/13, Braddock <braddock at braddock.com
>>         <mailto:braddock at braddock.com>> wrote:
>>
>>         > From: Braddock <braddock at braddock.com
>>         <mailto:braddock at braddock.com>>
>>         > Subject: Re: [support-gang] [Server-devel] 1TB drive of
>>         quality open content on XO/XS--won't boot
>>         > To: "James Cameron" <quozl at laptop.org
>>         <mailto:quozl at laptop.org>>, "Holt" <holt at laptop.org
>>         <mailto:holt at laptop.org>>, "XS Devel"
>>         <server-devel at lists.laptop.org
>>         <mailto:server-devel at lists.laptop.org>>, "Support Gangsters"
>>         <support-gang at laptop.org <mailto:support-gang at laptop.org>>,
>>         "Devel's in the Details" <devel at lists.laptop.org
>>         <mailto:devel at lists.laptop.org>>
>>         > Date: Monday, May 13, 2013, 8:02 AM
>>         > Hi James
>>         > I'm using OpenFirmware Q7B26  EC Firmware 0.4.03
>>         >
>>         > I have tried turning the "boot" flag off on the NTFS
>>         > partition, but it
>>         > still dumps me to the OpenFirmware ok prompt.
>>         >
>>         > I can reproduce the problem by formatting a USB stick to
>>         > NTFS and trying
>>         > to boot with it plugged in.
>>         >
>>         > So it is reacting badly to the mere presence of NTFS on USB
>>         > media.
>>         >
>>         > -braddock
>>         >
>>         > On 05/12/2013 03:40 PM, James Cameron wrote:
>>         > > On Sat, May 11, 2013 at 03:44:18PM -0400, Holt wrote:
>>         > >> Is there a way to boot a large USB hard drive
>>         > attached to an XO?
>>         > >> At our XS Community Sprint this week outside
>>         > Toronto, we've been
>>         > >> unable to boot XOs with the 700+ GB drive(s)
>>         > containing very
>>         > >> polished open content provided by
>>         http://internet-in-a-box.org
>>         > >> The XOs (eg. XO-4 etc) refuse to auto-boot, leaving
>>         > the screen at
>>         > >> the OK prompt.
>>         > >>
>>         > >> FYI our 1TB disk is a nearly complete snapshot of:
>>         > >> * Wikipedia-in-41-languages, thumbnails for most
>>         > all images
>>         > >> * OpenStreetMap for the whole world cached at all
>>         > zoom levels for
>>         > >> fast display
>>         > >> * Gutenberg Prjct's full collection of 40,000+
>>         > books, images
>>         > >> * Khan Academy's ~4000 video classes, etc
>>         > >>
>>         > >> Does firmware currently block the mounting of all
>>         > large USB drives
>>         > >> -- NTFS in this case if not other filesystems?
>>         > > Open Firmware tries the first partition that is marked
>>         > bootable.
>>         > >
>>         > > Exactly what it does next depends on the firmware
>>         > version, but clearly
>>         > > in your case it stops booting.
>>         > >
>>         > >> Might there be a workaround so isolated XO servers
>>         > in Haiti (etc!)
>>         > >> can hopefully auto-boot with this quality free
>>         > content?
>>         > > Turn off the bootable flag using a partitioning
>>         > program, ensure you
>>         > > are using latest firmware Q7B30, and attach a serial
>>         > console for
>>         > > further debugging.
>>         > >
>>         > > If you can tell me how to reproduce the symptom, then
>>         > I'm quite sure I
>>         > > can get it fixed.  I certainly can't afford to
>>         > download 700 GB or 1 TB
>>         > > to do that though.
>>         > >
>>         > > I'm happy to work with whoever has the drive and an
>>         > XO-4.
>>         > >
>>         > > The nature and value of the content has no relationship
>>         > to the
>>         > > diagnosis process, but is interesting regardless.
>>         > >
>>         >
>>         > _______________________________________________
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>>         >
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>>
>
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