Hello all, I have successfully created mcnlive.loop on a ext3 partition on a Compact Flash inserted in my laptop via an PCMCIA adapter.
No way to load it during the MCNlive toronto boot from CD, using the option persist.
Probably because it is not mounted by default, but only after I click on this partition icon of Devices?

I guess its because a module is missing to detect the pcmcia adapter at the very early bootstage.
(the module needs to be in the initial ramdisk)

Can you tell me which modules need to be loaded for this adapter?

su
lsmod

and:

lspcidrake -v

(both with inserted flash card)

Thank you for this quick reply.
Here the root output:

[root@localhost guest]# lsmod
Module Size Used by
michael_mic 3072 1
ieee80211_crypt_tkip 10144 1
aes 28544 1
ieee80211_crypt_ccmp 7232 1
arc4 2528 1
ieee80211_crypt_wep 4800 0
snd_seq_dummy 3492 0
snd_seq_oss 31168 0
snd_seq_midi_event 6944 1 snd_seq_oss
snd_seq 49232 5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_seq_device 7052 3 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq
snd_pcm_oss 40192 0
snd_mixer_oss 15904 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_intel8x0 29212 0
snd_ac97_codec 96708 1 snd_intel8x0
af_packet 17768 4
snd_ac97_bus 2720 1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_pcm 69892 3 snd_pcm_oss,snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec
snd_timer 19396 2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd_page_alloc 8552 2 snd_intel8x0,snd_pcm
snd 46276 9 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_intel8x0,snd_ac
7_codec,snd_pcm,snd_timer
soundcore 7936 1 snd
usbhid 50272 0
ide_cs 8896 1
pcmcia 31756 1 ide_cs
yenta_socket 24076 4
rsrc_nonstatic 11616 1 yenta_socket
pcmcia_core 34388 4 ide_cs,pcmcia,yenta_socket,rsrc_nonstatic
ide_generic 1824 0 [permanent]
ipw2100 67280 0
ieee80211 30216 1 ipw2100
ieee80211_crypt 5344 4 ieee80211_crypt_tkip,ieee80211_crypt_ccmp,ieee80211_crypt_wep,ieee80211
e1000 119008 0
cpufreq_ondemand 6956 0
cpufreq_conservative 6920 0
cpufreq_powersave 2272 0
speedstep_centrino 7984 1
freq_table 4704 1 speedstep_centrino
processor 21256 1 speedstep_centrino
radeon 113472 2
drm 62420 3 radeon
ipv6 237088 8
intel_agp 22684 1
agpgart 27048 2 drm,intel_agp
rfcomm 33236 0
l2cap 21088 5 rfcomm
bluetooth 43108 4 rfcomm,l2cap
vboxdrv 28164 0
binfmt_misc 9704 1
dm_mirror 18960 0
dm_mod 49560 1 dm_mirror
evdev 8672 2
joydev 8800 0
tsdev 6880 0
floppy 55108 0
unionfs 300776 1
squashfs 43044 1
3w_xxxx 24960 0
sx8 16172 0
tmscsim 21120 0
sata_vsc 6468 0
sata_via 6500 0
sata_uli 5348 0
sata_sx4 11972 0
sata_svw 6180 0
sata_sis 7204 0
sata_sil 7624 0
sata_qstor 7908 0
sata_promise 9604 0
sata_nv 7812 0
BusLogic 69716 0
aic7xxx 176276 0
ahci 16100 0
usb_storage 88612 0
ehci_hcd 28904 0
ohci_hcd 18820 0
uhci_hcd 20912 0
usbcore 112960 6 usbhid,usb_storage,ehci_hcd,ohci_hcd,uhci_hcd
mptbase 47168 0
scsi_transport_spi 22368 1 aic7xxx
sd_mod 18432 0
sg 30584 0
ata_piix 10884 0
libata 60748 12 sata_vsc,sata_via,sata_uli,sata_sx4,sata_svw,sata_sis,sata_sil,sata_qstor,sata_p
omise,sata_nv,ahci,ata_piix
sr_mod 15332 0
scsi_mod 118824 11 3w_xxxx,tmscsim,BusLogic,aic7xxx,ahci,usb_storage,scsi_transport_spi,sd_mod,sg,l
bata,sr_mod
loop 15208 2
ide_cd 35616 1
isofs 32284 1
nls_utf8 2496 0
ntfs 267228 0
vfat 10944 0
msdos 8480 0
fat 47356 2 vfat,msdos
reiserfs 255492 0
ext3 125928 1
jbd 51220 1 ext3
nls_cp437 6304 0
nls_iso8859_2 5216 0
nls_iso8859_1 4672 1

[root@localhost guest]# lspcidrake -v
intel-agp : Intel Corporation|82855PM Processor to I/O Controller [BRIDGE_HOST] (vendor:8086 device:3340 subv:1014 subd:0529)
unknown : Intel Corporation|82855PM Processor to AGP Controller [BRIDGE_PCI] (vendor:8086 device:3341)
uhci-hcd : Intel Corporation|82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #1 [SERIAL_USB] (vendor:8086 device:24c2 subv:1014 subd:052d)
uhci-hcd : Intel Corporation|82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #2 [SERIAL_USB] (vendor:8086 device:24c4 subv:1014 subd:052d)
uhci-hcd : Intel Corporation|82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #3 [SERIAL_USB] (vendor:8086 device:24c7 subv:1014 subd:052d)
ehci-hcd : Intel Corporation|82801DB/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-M) USB2 EHCI Controller [SERIAL_USB] (vendor:8086 device:24cd subv:1014 subd:052e)
hw_random : Intel Corporation|82801 Mobile PCI Bridge [BRIDGE_PCI] (vendor:8086 device:2448)
i8xx_tco : Intel Corporation|82801DBM (ICH4-M) LPC Interface Bridge [BRIDGE_ISA] (vendor:8086 device:24cc)
piix : Intel Corporation|82801DBM (ICH4-M) IDE Controller [STORAGE_IDE] (vendor:8086 device:24ca subv:1014 subd:052d)
i2c-i801 : Intel Corporation|82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) SMBus Controller [SERIAL_SMBUS] (vendor:8086 device:24c3 subv:1014 subd:052d)
snd-intel8x0 : Intel Corporation|82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) AC'97 Audio Controller [MULTIMEDIA_AUDIO] (vendor:8086 device:24c5 subv:1014 subd:0537)
snd-intel8x0m : Intel Corporation|82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) AC'97 Modem Controller [COMMUNICATION_MODEM] (vendor:8086 device:24c6 subv:1014 subd:0524)
Card:ATI Radeon 9250 and earlier: ATI Technologies Inc|Radeon Mobility M7 LW [Radeon Mobility 7500] [DISPLAY_VGA] (vendor:1002 device:4c57 subv:1014 subd:0530)
yenta_socket : Texas Instruments|PCI1520 PC card Cardbus Controller [BRIDGE_CARDBUS] (vendor:104c device:ac55 subv:4000 subd:0000)
yenta_socket : Texas Instruments|PCI1520 PC card Cardbus Controller [BRIDGE_CARDBUS] (vendor:104c device:ac55 subv:4800 subd:0000)
e1000 : Intel Corporation|82540EP Gigabit Ethernet Controller (Mobile) [NETWORK_ETHERNET] (vendor:8086 device:101e subv:1014 subd:0549)
ipw2100 : Intel Corporation|PRO/Wireless LAN 2100 3B Mini PCI Adapter [NETWORK_OTHER] (vendor:8086 device:1043 subv:8086 subd:2551)
hub : Linux 2.6.17-13mdv ehci_hcd|EHCI Host Controller [Hub|Unused] (vendor:0000 device:0000)
hub : Linux 2.6.17-13mdv uhci_hcd|UHCI Host Controller [Hub|Unused] (vendor:0000 device:0000)
hub : Linux 2.6.17-13mdv uhci_hcd|UHCI Host Controller [Hub|Unused] (vendor:0000 device:0000)
hub : Linux 2.6.17-13mdv uhci_hcd|UHCI Host Controller [Hub|Unused] (vendor:0000 device:0000)

Looks like we need to preload the following modules in the initrd:

pcmcia_core
pcmcia
rsrc_nonstatic
yenta_socket
ide_cs

pilotaviola, have you ever tried to make a remaster-on-the-fly? You would need an ext3 or NTFS partition on the computer where you boot MCNLive.
It is pretty easy.

Do you boot from USB or from CD?

Let me know if you would like to make a test, I'll tell you how to change two scripts.

Of course I am ready to test!
I never tried remaster on fly because my Thinkpad has just 216mb of ram, I have to use a swap partiton?
I am booting from cd, but I am wondering if after your fixes I could boot from the cf inside the pcmcia...
I'd like better to create by MCC another partition, either ntfs or ext3, on the 4gb compact flash, but I could also use an external usb hard disk with ntfs partitions.
Let me know wich is the best option....

In theorie, with the added kernel modules, you would be able to use a mcnlive.loop on the pcmcia card and you would even be able to boot from the card. Or use a combination: boot from CD the first stage, then continue with the card, like we do with USB.
But unfortunately you don't have enough RAM to make a remaster on the Thinkpad. You could create a swap partition on the card, enable the swap manually (swapon -a), but I am not sure if this is enough for the build process.

Give me some time, maybe a week, I'll make you an iso, and give you the download location.

But first, can you tell me how the card is seen, I need the device node.

Insert the card, and do a:

what bootcode in that case? Livecd frompcmcia?


So kind of you!


Disk /dev/hde: 4159 MB, 4159733760 bytes
16 heads, 63 sectors/track, 8060 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 1008 * 512 = 516096 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hde1 1 1509 760504+ 83 Linux
/dev/hde2 * 1 1 0 0 Empty
Partition 2 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/hde3 * 1 1 0 0 Empty
Partition 3 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/hde4 * 1 1 0 0 Empty
Partition 4 does not end on cylinder boundary.

There is something not ok with the partitions on your card.

Well, it is seen as a normal hard disk. No problem for using a mcnlive.loop persist file.

But a problem to implement to _boot_ from it. I'd need to rework the mklivecd scripts to make a cheatcode to boot from a normal HD.
I would like to make a bootcode: pilota


Give me some time. I will get back to you.

What a honor!



Thank you so much!
I'll check this post every day.

The code is ready and works, the pcmcia modules are loading ok. But I can't test it. No CF card here. In particular I don't know if detecting the device needs some sleep in the code.

Pilota: before I am going to build a final iso for you, could you tell me if you have some special wishes? Things you want me to include, GUI settings changed, uninstalling programs you never use - most likely we will need more than one test, and the smaller the iso is, the easier for me. It takes ages to upload it and wait until the public mirrors are syncing it.

The base is: Toronto. Please tell, what you don't need.

PS: you help a lot to improve MCNLive, because people will also be able to boot from an internal IDE hard disk, in live mode.

Customisation? That´s wonderful!

I just would like to include Skype and I would like better, if possible, Mozilla firefox than Opera.
Finally, could you put on the background desktop a San Francisco image like this one?

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=359648668&size=l


I would avoid the games and the whole office package: I want to load Openoffice in the persitent loop, that´s no limit to the amount of programs loaded there, right?


Thank you, I think for the laptop users to have linux in the flash card, that you can keep inside, unless the usb key, would be alread awesome....

I couldn't include Skype, the license does not allow it.

Ok, here we go, here is your pilota.iso
It's only a test version. If we succeed I'll make you an iso with OpenOffice included, because OO is just too much for a persistent image, for my taste :-)

I would like to ask you to do the following steps. They are necessary to create a good testcase.

1. Please fix your CF card. The partition table is screwed.
In MCC, the menu for mounting and formatting. Please try to erase all partitions! Not only reformat it, erase it.
Then click on: toggle to expert mode. Create a new primary partition, filesystem FAT32. Make it ~ 600 MB or more.
In the input field 'where to mount' delete the entries, it should be empty.
The base system will go onto it. It has to be FAT. You can make it bigger if you want. Format the partition - it is a second step, a button on the left.
Click on the remaining grey area, and create a second partition that fills up the remaining space. Filesystem ext3. Note: check the box that makes it also a primary partition, otherwise MDV will make an extended and inside it a logical, diskdrake is a little bit odd. Mount point: empty the field. Format the partition.
Confirm everything. Close diskdrake.

2. Control now the partitions:



And please post the result here. I'd like to see how the CF card looks now. If it is still odd, we need to wipe the partition table clean on command line.

3. Download the iso and burn it on a CD ...
The new CD has 2 new menu entreis on the first screen: Boot from PCMCIA and Boot from PCMCIA with persist.
If your CF card is ok, please boot from the CD, but don't use these new menu entries. Just boot the default!! But have the CF card inserted before you boot.
After you booted sucessfully, run: mount
Are the partitions mounted?
If yes, run the wizard: Create persistent loop, choose ON EXT3, and make a loop file. A small one will do for a test.

Here a screenshot of the new boot menu:



And your SF wallpaper, hope you like it, there are more included - and with the persist working you can make all changes you want:

I made two 2 GB partitions



Disk /dev/hde: 4159 MB, 4159733760 bytes
16 heads, 63 sectors/track, 8060 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 1008 * 512 = 516096 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hde1 * 1 4059 2045704+ b W95 FAT32
/dev/hde2 4060 8060 2016504 83 Linux

I downloaded the iso, burned the CD, booted from it, perfect.
Thank you very much for this customised version! The SF image is wonderful.

Unfortunately, having the CF inserted before the boot, I cannot see the partitions, even in devices....

If I extract and insert again the CF in the PCMCIA slot, now I can see the 2 partitions in devices, but still I see there that these are unmounted, and I cannot see them by typing mount.
If I click on the partitions icons within devices, finally are mounted, and typing mount I get:

/dev/hde2 on /media/disk type ext3 (rw,nosuid,nodev,sync,uhelper=hal,data=ordered)
/dev/hde1 on /media/disk-1 type vfat (rw,nosuid,nodev,noatime,uhelper=hal,flush,uid=500,utf8,shortname=lower)

Looks like it´s harder then I thought, sorry

The CF card looks perfectly now!

OK you were faster -- .

Next step:
3. Download the iso and burn it on a CD ...
The new CD has 2 new menu entries on the first screen: Boot from PCMCIA and Boot from PCMCIA with persist.
If your CF card is ok, please boot from the CD, but don't use these new menu entries. Just boot the default!! But have the CF card inserted before you boot.
After you booted sucessfully, run: mount
Are the partitions mounted?
If yes, run the wizard: Create persistent loop, choose ON EXT3, and make a loop file. A small one will do for a test.

---> Then reboot with the CF card inserted. This time choose in the menu: Boot with persistent changes. The entry 6.
(not yet: boot from pcmcia with persist)
Try to boot, make some changes. Do a clean shutdown/halt. And restart the computer, with inserted card. Choose again menu entry 6.
Does it keep the changes, do you get any errors?

Next test is: you would copy the big livecd.sqfs fle from the CD to the first FAT partition on your CF card. How? Control where this first partition is mounted, by typing: mount
What is the mount point of the FAT partition, something like /media/blah, or /mnt/blah
Look at the directory /initrd/cdrom --> here is the livecd.sqfs
Copy it over to the mount point, /media/blah or /mnt/blah

Restart the computer with the CD, with plugged in card, choose in the menu: boot from pcmcia

It is ok that they are not mounted.

Just try the step 3, I explained above. Before you run the wizard, mount the ext3 partition by opening it via the devices icon.

No, neither I can see the partitions icons in devices.
I think this is the main problem, because before, booting MCNlive toronto from CD, I could see the partitions icons in devices.




I had to extract and insert again the CF in the PCMCIA slot, now I can see the partitions icons in devices, after click on these are mounted. I made a 50mb persistent loop.


During the boot, after loaded the PCMCIA, appears: can´t open etc/ftstab, then: mcnlive.loop not found.


I copied the livecd.sqfs to the the FAT partition, but when I boot from pcmcia, after `searching for the loop image´ I read:
exiting LINUXRC,
then after some rows:
can´t access tly
job control turned off

Too bad :-(

The error messages indicate that the device is still not initialized. Result is that the partitions can't be found at all, at this early stage.
Unfortunately I don't know where to look, because I don't have the hardware. There is a certain (udev ?) process involved, I believe.

Thanks for testing, pilota.
Looks like you need to buy a cheap USB stick, make an ext3 partitions, to save your settings. I guess it is still the Thinkpad with the broken hard disk, yes?

And ... the next days I have some time to build a new iso. A thanks to you for testing :-)
Just tell me what I should add. Open Office -- I know, something else?

The weird is that with MCNlive toronto I could see the partition icons in devices, not with this pilota.iso I cannot.
Don´t you think this is the problem?


Yes, it is. Having my data storage on an external USB hard drive, I don´t need an internal hd.
Actually, I can use a 1gb SD card of my camera into an USB adapter, but the CF into the PCMCIA was convenient beacause I don´t need to remove it when I move the laptop.


Thank you so much. Do you know an open source software to use the skype account?

Just don't insert the CF card before booting, but afterwards.
I thought that you had to re-insert it anyways, in both versions?
When you boot (without these new bootcodes), just with the default, you should have the same behaviour, or?

There is free software to make calls, but not with the Skype network.
Sorry, I don't know, never used it.

Do you mean,
* when you booted the pilotoa.iso, with the default boot entry, and with inserted card, you could not see icons in the "Devices", only after you took the card out, and in again, then these icons appeared?

* with Toronto, with inserted card before booting, and the default boot, you could see the Card in "Devices", without re-inserting?

Can you answer these questions?

When I boot with the default in MCNlive toronto I don´t need to re-insert the CF, that´s the point!

correct


correct

Ahaaa. Basically this is a good sign

Just to give some explanation.

After the first init process (done by the initrc script inside the initrd) a second mklivecd specific script is executed, hwdetect, it tries to find all ide and usb etc devices, the filesystems, creates mountpoints, writes an fstab file.
After this hwdetect script the normal Mandriva init process starts, then the KDE init.
It is possible that the hwdetect has setup the partitions, but hal/dbus/kde is confused because the (removable) device is already configured.

One more test, or do I ask too much? I am aware that it is not too much fun to do this

* With inserted CF card, start the pilota CD, with the default boot, the first entry in the menu.
* When KDE is up and running, don't do anything with the card.
* Open a terminal, and:



and post the result here.

And:



And:

No problem at all, thank you for your time!

Here the outputs

[root@localhost guest]# cat /etc/fstab

### Entries below this line were automatically added by hwdetect v0.5.11-20060911
# ROOT
/dev/root / rootfs defaults 0 0
# PROC
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
# PTS
none /dev/pts devpts mode=0620 0 0

# cdrom: UJDA745 DVD/CDRW
/dev/hdc /media/cdrom auto users,exec,ro,noauto,iocharset=utf8,umask=0 0 0

[root@localhost guest]# ls -l /mnt
total 0

[root@localhost guest]# ls -l /dev/hd*
brw-rw---- 1 guest cdwriter 22, 0 Aug 26 2007 /dev/hdc

Thanks.

No device nodes are created. Something is missing to get this pcmcia thing initialized. And I have not got the slightest idea what

I will make you a customized version, with Open Office, with the original mklivecd script.

Will post here when the iso is done!

Thank you very much for this customised version, I really appreciate your kind support.
Still I don't understand why with toronto I could see the CF partitions without the need to extract-insert it, and with pilota.iso I cannot.....
Paolo

Hello Chris, I have found this:

https://www.agol.dk/elgaard/pcmciaboot/

It can be useful for our purpose?

Paolo, the link you gave describe the old way of initializing pcmcia.

Newer kenels with udev use this:



This works when our live system is fully up and running.
My problem is, I don't know what to put into the initial ramdisk.
I can't find an udev rule, I don't know if we need additional user space tools, if we need a special directory in /etc ...

We would need a kernel and udev and MDV expert, who is familiar with the exact process.

Ok, I got it.
Still I don't understand why with toronto I can see the CF partitons without reinsert it....

BTW, is too late to ask you to add mozilla thunderbird and synce to the pilota.iso?
Thank you so much!

On the test pilota.iso all pcmcia modules are pre-loaded in the early boot stage, and udev is called as well in this early stage.
So, the basic detection is done, but it fails somehow.
When we are entering the full system, the detection does not start over again.
When you take out the card, the kernel says: ACTION.
You re-insert it and the kernel says: ACTION. And udev and stuff does it right this time.

You can make it visible by opening a terminal and type:
tail -f /var/log/messages
before you do something with the card. On the running MCNLive.
Maybe we even can see what we are missing.

It is not too late for your wishes. Shoot!

pcmciauitils ...rpm package:

"PCMCIAutils contains hotplug scripts and initialization tools
necessary to allow the PCMCIA subsystem to behave (almost) as every
other hotpluggable bus system (e.g. USB, IEEE1394)."

Okay, what are they doing.
I can at least all files that are installed with this package add to the initrd.



It is kind of funny to find something for hardware you never used.

When in early 2005 I started developing the first LiveUSB I had no computer which was able to boot from usb, and I had no usb stick.
At mandrivaclub.nl we developped everything 'online', while I was preparing the code and implement it into mklivecd, two crew members made tests. Bad news: it took forever. Good news: this was soooo much fun. The best things, with Linux, for me personally is: working together with folks on a problem and the solution.

Ok, I will do


Great

Looks like you found the solution...I am crossing the fingers!


The collaboration between motivated and expert people is the key of the opensource software success, and with your MCNlive you made a wonderful job.

I had a look at the pcmciautils.
Seems that there is even more involved in configuring these cards.
I'd need to write some special scripts - but I am unsure. I admit that this is above my head if I need to do this without the hardware at hand.
Sorry, Paolo.

And the OO version will delay a bit ...

BTW, if you have a CF I can send you a PCMCIA adapter.



Obviously, take your time!