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Newbie Help needed, first time user (S3 iS)

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Offline d4005

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Newbie Help needed, first time user (S3 iS)
« on: 02 / May / 2012, 19:43:10 »
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Hi,

I've spent a good long while trying and searching and reading the wiki but I'm not getting anywhere  :(

First I read the CHDK for newbies, but that is totally dependent on using Camera Tricks, which is limited to 4GB cards (and mine's 8GB that I'll be using, for time lapse, so there's no point running a small card). So the dummies page is a dead end.

Then I tried the Prepare your SD card wiki page and followed the instructions to scroll down to the bootable section for cameras pre-2011 (which my 2005 S3 iS definitely is). I managed to make a 15MB FAT12 primary partition and a 7.8GB FAT32 secondary partition using EaseUs Partition Manager (couldn't have been easier). Then I used the SDM program to make that FAT12 partition bootable (clicked the button, it then went grey so it looked like it worked). Now I was ready to take the next step in the prepare your SD card (bootable/pre-2011) section which was step number 2 which said:

"Modify the boot block of the first partition on the card by inserting the text string "BOOTDISK" at the appropriate place."

I've underlined and italicized the problem part for me. There's no information about how to insert a text string on an SD card, and if I did know how to insert a string on a card, what the appropriate place is. So I'm stuck there. I've got my card bootable, I've downloaded my CHDK firmware for the S3 iS (luckily there's only one version so I can't have got that wrong). Now I just need to copy some files to the boot partition, and some files to the FAT32 partition, set the lock switch and I should be good to go. I reckon that's 5 minutes once I know what to do.

I'm disappointed in myself that these road blocks are preventing me from moving on. I'm a frequent hacker of my devices (TiVo, Android phones, STB media players etc). This is the first one that's not went well.

Where did I go wrong? I think I'm just missing one small kick in the right direction.

Edit: Daaaaamn, these verification captchas are sucky. I've had to request 5 images to get one I can read (20/20 vision and viewing on a 27" monitor).
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In regular use: Canon S100, Canon SX40HS (*CHDK*), Ricoh R8
Still around but unused: Canon S3 iS (*CHDK*), Canon G11 (loaned out), Casio EX-FS10
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Offline waterwingz

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Re: Newbie Help needed, first time user (S3 iS)
« Reply #1 on: 02 / May / 2012, 22:03:06 »
Quote from: d4005 on 02 / May / 2012, 19:43:10
Then I tried the Prepare your SD card wiki page and followed the instructions to scroll down to the bootable section for cameras pre-2011 (which my 2005 S3 iS definitely is). I managed to make a 15MB FAT12 primary partition and a 7.8GB FAT32 secondary partition using EaseUs Partition Manager (couldn't have been easier). Then I used the SDM program to make that FAT12 partition bootable (clicked the button, it then went grey so it looked like it worked). Now I was ready to take the next step in the prepare your SD card (bootable/pre-2011) section which was step number 2 which said:

"Modify the boot block of the first partition on the card by inserting the text string "BOOTDISK" at the appropriate place."
Somehow,  your read the Bootable_SD_card wiki such that you got the order of things mixed up.  The section from which you reference step number 2 is intended to be read as steps 1,2 &3 describing the high level overview of the required steps.

The section after that high level description describes tools that will do all three of those steps for you.  That's why it starts with these words "To simplify the preparation of a CHDK SD card, several utilities are available. These utilities can partition and format bootable SD cards and download & install CHDK to those cards".

So basically,  you should have been able to complete all the required steps just using SDMinst.exe.   The good new is,  it looks like you probably did so.    There is no seperate "step 2" to worry about.

Now slide the SD card lock into the LOCKED position,  insert the card into your camera and enjoy using CHDK.

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Ported :   A1200    SD940   G10    Powershot N    G16
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Offline d4005

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Re: Newbie Help needed, first time user (S3 iS)
« Reply #2 on: 03 / May / 2012, 03:15:30 »
Quote from: waterwingz on 02 / May / 2012, 22:03:06
Somehow,  your read the Bootable_SD_card wiki such that you got the order of things mixed up.  So basically,  you should have been able to complete all the required steps just using SDMinst.exe. The good new is, it looks like you probably did so.    There is no seperate "step 2" to worry about.

Now slide the SD card lock into the LOCKED position,  insert the card into your camera and enjoy using CHDK.
I don't think I did do everything I need. In the PDF that came with SDMInst it shows screenshots that show the buttons "New Install" (in the Auto section) and "Copy SDM to SD Card" (in the "Drive" section). Mine doesn't have those. First time I started it I saw "Card is probably not bootable" and I saw a "Make bootable Disk" button, so I clicked that and the text changed to "bootable card!". It's the step after this that I can't do because I have no "New Install" button available in Auto and no "Copy SDM to SD Card" in Drive. I believe one or both of these steps is essential.

Is it not possible to do it manually? All I really want to do now is ensure I have the BOOTDISK in the correct place, and the required CHDK files on the FAT12 boot partition and the FAT32 running partition. SDM doesn't seem to want to help me get those files on there. Plus it wants to copy a whole bunch of extra files specific to it's 3D/stereo imaging deal.

Right now I've got the following ready and raring to go:

8GB SD card:
1st (primary) partition of 15MB which is FAT12 and bootable (thanks to SDM) but shows no files when viewed in windows explorer (even though I have it set to show all hidden/system files).
2nd (logical) partition of nearly 8GB which is FAT32 and empty.

In my EaseUs partition manager, I have the option of swapping which is primary/logical on the drive. It knows how to deal with multiple partition SD cards. If that helps.
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In regular use: Canon S100, Canon SX40HS (*CHDK*), Ricoh R8
Still around but unused: Canon S3 iS (*CHDK*), Canon G11 (loaned out), Casio EX-FS10
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Offline zeno

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Re: Newbie Help needed, first time user (S3 iS)
« Reply #3 on: 03 / May / 2012, 04:18:17 »
If your card has 'BOOTDISK' written at location x'40' in the 15MB partition and has the file DISKBOOT.BIN copied to the root directory (easily done with drag and drop), then if you lock the card, put it in the camera and switch on, you should see the CHDK splash screen appear. No other files are needed for this to happen.

If you don't see the splash screen then either there's no 'BOOTDISK' string in the right place or you haven't copied DISKBOOT.BIN correctly.

WinHex is a free utility that will let you look at and edit the book sector - take care when editing though. See http://www.x-ways.net/winhex/
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Offline waterwingz

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Re: Newbie Help needed, first time user (S3 iS)
« Reply #4 on: 03 / May / 2012, 07:48:44 »
Quote from: d4005 on 03 / May / 2012, 03:15:30
I don't think I did do everything I need. In the PDF that came with SDMInst it shows screenshots that show the buttons "New Install" (in the Auto section) and "Copy SDM to SD Card" (in the "Drive" section). Mine doesn't have those. First time I started it I saw "Card is probably not bootable" and I saw a "Make bootable Disk" button, so I clicked that and the text changed to "bootable card!". It's the step after this that I can't do because I have no "New Install" button available in Auto and no "Copy SDM to SD Card" in Drive. I believe one or both of these steps is essential.

Is it not possible to do it manually?
Yes it is.  Once SDMinst.exe has setup the partitions and made the card bootable,  you are finished with that program.   All you need to do then is manually unzip the CHDK distribution file from your PC to the SD card.  The file bootdisk.bin goes into the root directory of the small paritiion and everything else goes into the larger partition.  Or you could just unzip the file completely into both partitions.  Either way,  be sure to use the unzip option that recreates the original folder structure.


Quote from: zeno on 03 / May / 2012, 04:18:17
If you don't see the splash screen then either there's no 'BOOTDISK' string in the right place or you haven't copied DISKBOOT.BIN correctly.
Fyi .. if the only file on the SD card is bootdisk.bin,  or the file folder structure is not correct, then you will only see the text box part of the splash screen.  You will not see the round CHDK logo.
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Offline d4005

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Re: Newbie Help needed, first time user (S3 iS)
« Reply #5 on: 03 / May / 2012, 10:49:23 »
Quote from: zeno on 03 / May / 2012, 04:18:17
If your card has 'BOOTDISK' written at location x'40' in the 15MB partition and has the file DISKBOOT.BIN copied to the root directory (easily done with drag and drop), then if you lock the card, put it in the camera and switch on, you should see the CHDK splash screen appear. No other files are needed for this to happen.
I assume my card has BOOTDISK because SDM claims it made it bootable. So I'll leave that assumed to be done for now.

Quote from: zeno on 03 / May / 2012, 04:18:17
If you don't see the splash screen then either there's no 'BOOTDISK' string in the right place or you haven't copied DISKBOOT.BIN correctly.
Well I definitely haven't copied DISKBOOT.BIN correctly, because I've never copied it. I don't have that file.

Quote from: waterwingz on 03 / May / 2012, 07:48:44
Once SDMinst.exe has setup the partitions and made the card bootable,  you are finished with that program.
Good, so my card is bootable. It's just got no BIN file to boot.

Quote from: waterwingz on 03 / May / 2012, 07:48:44
Quote from: zeno on 03 / May / 2012, 04:18:17
If you don't see the splash screen then either there's no 'BOOTDISK' string in the right place or you haven't copied DISKBOOT.BIN correctly.
Fyi .. if the only file on the SD card is bootdisk.bin,  or the file folder structure is not correct, then you will only see the text box part of the splash screen.  You will not see the round CHDK logo.
Is there a wiki/pdf/page that says what I need to do to not have that problem? I want to see my reassuring CHDK logo.

Quote from: waterwingz on 03 / May / 2012, 07:48:44
All you need to do then is manually unzip the CHDK distribution file from your PC to the SD card.  The file bootdisk.bin goes into the root directory of the small paritiion and everything else goes into the larger partition.  Or you could just unzip the file completely into both partitions.  Either way,  be sure to use the unzip option that recreates the original folder structure.
This is where I'm having a problem. I searched and found a distro for the S3 iS camera (there was only one version). Here is a screenshot of the directory structure it made. Notice how under S3 iS there's only one folder (the innermost one) with anything in it. There's a 3MB BIN file (although all I read said that the FAT12 partition only needs to be 500KB) but I don't know if that's what I want. I see a CHDK folder under common_files, which was created by unzipping SDM, but that includes all the now-outdated SDM stuff, so I'm pretty sure i don't want any of that. Besides, there's no DISKBOOT.BIN in there either.

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In regular use: Canon S100, Canon SX40HS (*CHDK*), Ricoh R8
Still around but unused: Canon S3 iS (*CHDK*), Canon G11 (loaned out), Casio EX-FS10
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Offline waterwingz

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Re: Newbie Help needed, first time user (S3 iS)
« Reply #6 on: 03 / May / 2012, 11:22:54 »
Quote from: d4005 on 03 / May / 2012, 10:49:23
I assume my card has BOOTDISK because SDM claims it made it bootable.
Correct.

Quote
Well I definitely haven't copied DISKBOOT.BIN correctly, because I've never copied it. I don't have that file.
It in the CHDK installation file.


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Is there a wiki/pdf/page that says what I need to do to not have that problem? I want to see my reassuring CHDK logo.
Just make sure you install all of the files from the CHDK installation file.

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This is where I'm having a problem. I searched and found a distro for the S3 iS camera (there was only one version).
That's not a not an installation file - its the dump if the ROM in your camera used for CHDK porting.

You will find CHDK installation files here :  http://mighty-hoernsche.de/   including one for the s3is.

More info on this is here : http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/Downloads

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Offline zeno

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Re: Newbie Help needed, first time user (S3 iS)
« Reply #7 on: 03 / May / 2012, 15:24:54 »
Here's the simplest way to solve your problem. Download my ACID program (see http://www.zenoshrdlu.com/acid/acid.html). Take a photo with your camera. Put the camera card in the card reader, run ACID and drop the photo on the ACID window. ACID will show you what builds are available for your camera. Then ask ACID to download CHDK onto your computer. It will do all that's necessary (e.g. unzipping the zip file). Finally, copy the DISKBOOT.BIN file that ACID has put on your computer to the root of the camera card.
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Offline d4005

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Re: Newbie Help needed, first time user (S3 iS)
« Reply #8 on: 03 / May / 2012, 17:20:26 »
Quote from: waterwingz on 03 / May / 2012, 11:22:54
Quote from: d4005 on 03 / May / 2012, 10:49:23
I assume my card has BOOTDISK because SDM claims it made it bootable.
Correct.
Also correct  :D I have booted !!

Quote from: waterwingz on 03 / May / 2012, 11:22:54
You will find CHDK installation files here :  http://mighty-hoernsche.de/   including one for the s3is.
More info on this is here : http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/Downloads
Success! I found the file for the s3is there. What I just got from there, is what I thought I was getting from the other link page (but was actually the original/raw firmware).

Quote from: zeno on 03 / May / 2012, 15:24:54
Here's the simplest way to solve your problem. Download my ACID program (see http://www.zenoshrdlu.com/acid/acid.html). Take a photo with your camera. Put the camera card in the card reader, run ACID and drop the photo on the ACID window. ACID will show you what builds are available for your camera. Then ask ACID to download CHDK onto your computer. It will do all that's necessary (e.g. unzipping the zip file). Finally, copy the DISKBOOT.BIN file that ACID has put on your computer to the root of the camera card.
I had looked at the ACID program/site, but thought it's main goal in life was to help identify (via exif from a jpeg) which version is needed. But as my S3iS only ever had one version, that was never a question. The issue was that I downloaded the wrong thing. I got the original firmware instead of CHDK :( I have the right one now.

Anyway. I copied DISKBOOT.BIN across to the FAT12 partition, locked the card and booted up with it. I got the CHDK red flash on the camera screen and the display is busier now than it was (more info). Even though the card was locked, I could still take and store pictures (so CHDK is overriding the lock as expected). Also, turning off the lock boots without the red flash, very cool.

Now I just need to find out how to actually "use" it  :D That's probably the easy part.

Update: I just discovered that it's storing it's pictures on the small 15MB FAT12 partition, not the 7.8GB FAT32 partition. So after 9 shots the card was full.
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In regular use: Canon S100, Canon SX40HS (*CHDK*), Ricoh R8
Still around but unused: Canon S3 iS (*CHDK*), Canon G11 (loaned out), Casio EX-FS10
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Offline waterwingz

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Re: Newbie Help needed, first time user (S3 iS)
« Reply #9 on: 03 / May / 2012, 17:26:43 »
Quote from: d4005 on 03 / May / 2012, 17:20:26
Now I just need to find out how to actually "use" it  :D That's probably the easy part.
Here's a start :
link> CHDK in Brief
link> CHDK User Quick Start Guide
link> CHDK User Manual
link> CHDK for Dummies
link> CHDK Wiki FAQ
link> CHDK Firmware Usage
link> CHDK Installation Guide
link> One Page Users Guide

link> CHDK Wiki Page about RAW
link> CHDK Forum thread on RAW
link> CHDK Wiki Page about Raw Software
link> CHDK Forum Board for RAW
link> How do you fix lens distortion with CHDK RAW files?
link> Decoding CHDK RAW images from a new cameras

Quote
Update: I just discovered that it's storing it's pictures on the small 15MB FAT12 partition, not the 7.8GB FAT32 partition. So after 9 shots the card was full.
Now that's interesting.  Its supposed switch partitions automatically during startup (code in boot.c).   Possibly the S3is is so old that it did not get that update.  I'll look later (unless someone beats me to it) when I have access to my dev machine.

Update : took a look at the boot.c code for the s3is  in the CHDK svn.  Wow - that's really old! Way before my time.  There is no way that I can see that the partition switching code is in there.   Unless one of the old timers here can help,  you might be limited to 4G FAT16 cards.   Sorry ... best I can do for now.

« Last Edit: 03 / May / 2012, 17:35:27 by waterwingz »
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