trouble creating a dual partition boot card

Mlapse

133
A480 A490 S95 M10

trouble creating a dual partition boot card

« on: 07 / February / 2019, 06:02:12 »

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I have tried to create a dual partition card via the method described under
Method 3 - Using CHDK itself to make the SD card bootable with two partitions (cards larger than 4G)
However, after creating 2 partitions in the camera and formatting the first partition (2mb) on my computer I am unable to unpack the full version (1.4.1) and thus unpacked the small version.

after putting the card on lock and back in the cam it won't boot automatically.
Does the small version not support autoboot or am i missing something?
When i then boot the small version via FU it states modules are missing.

So i low level formatted the card and put the small build on the 1 partition and then it does not state that modules are missing when using the FU method.

It makes me feel a noob that i haven't got this working.

« Last Edit: 07 / February / 2019, 06:31:46 by Mlapse »

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frustration is a key ingredient in progress

waterwingz

11754

Re: trouble creating a dual partition boot card

« Reply #1 on: 07 / February / 2019, 07:16:32 »

Quote from: Mlapse on 07 / February / 2019, 06:02:12

I have tried to create a dual partition card via the method described under
Method 3 - Using CHDK itself to make the SD card bootable with two partitions (cards larger than 4G)

Well, before we start here, I should point out that either STICK and CHIMP will do all of that for you with a lot less bother.

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However, after creating 2 partitions in the camera and formatting the first partition (2mb) on my computer

This might be your problem. I'm not sure why step 5 says "If necessary, format the newly created 2MB partition to FAT16." as it should not be necessary and will likely wipe out the ability to SD card lock autoboot from that partition. Unless @reyalp says otherwise, I'll remove that step from the description of the process.

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I am unable to unpack the full version (1.4.1) and thus unpacked the small version.

Wow - the full CHDK install used to easily fit in 500K. I took a quick look and the SCRIPT and MODULES folders have grown quite a bit. The small version is not recommended for new (or clean) installs - it was more for updating from one release to the next. I think the idea was to limit bandwidth and download time - not a big deal in 2019 for most people anymore.

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Does the small version not support autoboot or am i missing something?

It should.

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When i then boot the small version via FU it states modules are missing.

See my comments above about the small version. I'm not sure why it's even available anymore - probably because it will take a bit of work to remove it from the autobuild and wiki page.

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So i low level formatted the card and put the small build on the 1 partition and then it does not state that modules are missing when using the FU method.

Strange. I have nothing to add here.

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16

Mlapse

133
A480 A490 S95 M10

Re: trouble creating a dual partition boot card

« Reply #2 on: 07 / February / 2019, 08:50:38 »

Quote

Well, before we start here, I should point out that either STICK and CHIMP will do all of that for you with a lot less bother.

thanks, had everything moved to a different system and now i could get stick to work...I have no idea why my regular system will not get stick working.

and yes, i have to format it every time i tried the chdk method.

« Last Edit: 07 / February / 2019, 10:15:57 by Mlapse »

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frustration is a key ingredient in progress

waterwingz

11754

Re: trouble creating a dual partition boot card

« Reply #3 on: 07 / February / 2019, 11:26:48 »

Quote from: Mlapse on 07 / February / 2019, 08:50:38

if I use stick, it will state that 100K firmware is not available from autobuild.

You've edited your sig file so that your camera list is gone. IIRC there were a couple of early A series cameras, an S95, and an m30 I think? Which one had 100k firmware? The m30 would not need a dual partition card but the other three would.

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renaming the folder to test100K and then loading a picture makes the window resize with no picture shown, states the 100k firmware. if i hit scan for cards the window just closes.

You need to rename the CHDK zip file - not the folder. (i.e. test100k.zip). Also, you also need to run stickx.cmd rather than stick.bat on some systems.

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chimp only shows a monkey with a camera and then 'a problem caused the program to stop working correctly. please close the program'

CHIMP doesn't support "unofficial builds". I tried to convince the author that it would be a good feature but he was certain there would be no more unofficial builds so it wasn't needed. Reminds me of the guy (Charles H. Duell) who wanted to close the Patent Office in the 1899 because everything useful had already been invented.

Quote from: Mlapse on 07 / February / 2019, 08:50:38

thanks, had everything moved to a different system and now i could get stick to work...I have no idea why my regular system will not get stick working.

STICK needs Java to work. And as I said, you need to run stickx.cmd rather than stick.bat on some systems.

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and yes, i have to format it every time i tried the chdk method.

Did you do that because Windows complained when you inserted the SD card into your system? Just ignore that warning - it will work fine and you won't wipe out the SD card boot block mods needed for SD card lock booting.

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16

Mlapse

133
A480 A490 S95 M10

Re: trouble creating a dual partition boot card

« Reply #4 on: 07 / February / 2019, 11:49:58 »

Quote

You've edited your sig file so that your camera list is gone. IIRC there were a couple of early A series cameras, an S95, and an m30 I think? Which one had 100k firmware? The m30 would not need a dual partition card but the other three would.

S95-100K last model that still needs dual boot

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You need to rename the CHDK zip file - not the folder. (i.e. test100k.zip). Also, you also need to run stickx.cmd rather than stick.bat on some systems.

sorry, that is what i meant, renamed the zip file..and i do run stickx.cmd
before you ask, i also installed latest jre runtime, both systems run the same windows version. but my working system is more packed with hard and software.
the usb-cardreader i use is the same one for both systems.
stickx now seems to work on 1 win machine, but can't find the sd card on my workhorse, it only finds a very small drive A, that i'm sure i do not have anymore since i moved beyond my 8086.

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he was certain there would be no more unofficial builds so it wasn't needed. Reminds me of the guy (Charles H. Duell) who wanted to close the Patent Office in the 1899 because everything useful had already been invented.

If it was about efficiency that drives the survival of species, he might have been right

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Did you do that because Windows complained when you inserted the SD card into your system? Just ignore that warning - it will work fine and you won't wipe out the SD card boot block mods needed for SD card lock booting.

Yes it did, and no couldn't open it, in my other win machine it came up as raw. on linux it was also unavailable and i could only format the 2nd partition.

I know what you mean though, because sometimes after a shoot windows does the same and then i can ignore it and just go for the data.

i understand the first partition has to be fat16, but can the second partition be exFAT?

« Last Edit: 07 / February / 2019, 11:56:56 by Mlapse »

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frustration is a key ingredient in progress

waterwingz

11754

Re: trouble creating a dual partition boot card

« Reply #5 on: 07 / February / 2019, 11:57:55 »

Quote from: Mlapse on 07 / February / 2019, 11:49:58

S95-100K last model that still needs dual boot

Strange. STICK should have been able to find a build for that camera & firmware. Are you using an old installation of STICK by any chance?

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Quote
Did you do that because Windows complained when you inserted the SD card into your system? Just ignore that warning - it will work fine and you won't wipe out the SD card boot block mods needed for SD card lock booting.
Yes it did, and no couldn't open it, in my other win machine it came up as raw. on linux it was also unavailable and i could only format the 2nd partition.

Hmmm .. if I get a moment I'll take a look at that.

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I understand the first partition has to be fat16, but can the second partition be exFAT?

I think that should work. @reyalp might know better.

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16

Mlapse

133
A480 A490 S95 M10

Re: trouble creating a dual partition boot card

« Reply #6 on: 07 / February / 2019, 12:14:42 »

no, i have downloaded stick today, but there is probably something wrong with my working machine that i haven't figured out, the other machine did work with stick...although it might have used test100k.zip, i'm not sure.
Tested it on my other machine and the download is found and works, so stick isn't the issue.

But on my main machine it only finds a read only drive A <16mb.
And if i download on this one the stick log states that all is extracted, but there is no \Stable CHDK folder created at that location....so i'm guessing it is a firewall issue.
And yes, it was a firewall containment that prevented stick from finding the correct drive, however it is now stuck in error 2 accessing disk, it does not show the volume.
I have given up solving this, if somebody has a clue, please share.
After testing i found that the build in old (<32Gb) card readers work in both machines with stick, the sdxc card reader wil not work on one machine (stick can't see the volume

?) but performs flawlessly on the other (same driver, same windows, less impressive hardware)

and i'll try making a new bootable card with an exfat partition tomorrow.

« Last Edit: 08 / February / 2019, 06:04:09 by Mlapse »

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srsa_4c

3781

Re: trouble creating a dual partition boot card

« Reply #7 on: 08 / February / 2019, 19:03:04 »

Quote from: waterwingz on 07 / February / 2019, 07:16:32

This might be your problem. I'm not sure why step 5 says "If necessary, format the newly created 2MB partition to FAT16." as it should not be necessary and will likely wipe out the ability to SD card lock autoboot from that partition.

Formatting is certainly necessary, because CHDK only ever changes the card's first sector (MBR) when manipulating partitions. The bootflag is a separate matter as it resides on the partition.
The camera's formatter routine doesn't care about the MBR, it always creates a card with a single big partition.

Oh, in case it hasn't been mentioned, the small partition only needs to contain the CHDK core file(s), the CHDK directory goes to the large partition. Copying PS.FIR or PS.FI2 to the large partition makes it possible to start CHDK in case partitions have been swapped.

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reyalp

11706

Re: trouble creating a dual partition boot card

« Reply #8 on: 08 / February / 2019, 23:24:52 »

Quote from: waterwingz on 07 / February / 2019, 07:16:32

Wow - the full CHDK install used to easily fit in 500K. I took a quick look and the SCRIPT and MODULES folders have grown quite a bit.

It's actually much bigger than you'd expect too, because small files are super inefficient. "Size on disk" of an randomly selected CHDK install is almost 8MB for <2 MB of data.

But as srsa_4c says, only diskboot.bin (and possibly the FI2/FIR file) needs be on the small partition.

srsa_4c is also completely correct that formatting is required, since CHDK does not format. As far as I can remember, I've never used the in camera partitioning option, it always seemed sketchy to me.

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Mlapse

133
A480 A490 S95 M10

Re: trouble creating a dual partition boot card

« Reply #9 on: 09 / February / 2019, 03:41:57 »

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I've never used the in camera partitioning option, it always seemed sketchy to me.

there our vision is different. years back I experienced that tools that swap sd card partitions on windows were unstable, sometimes dragging windows along and changing/loosing hdd designations.
so haven't used those tools for a long time until i tried stick again a few days back.

years back the chdk method was actually the only method i could trust not to muck up my computer.

now i feel that it is becoming the other way 'round.

« Last Edit: 09 / February / 2019, 03:43:52 by Mlapse »

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frustration is a key ingredient in progress