iLiad stopped recognizing folders and only shows garbled files in internal memory

[lorisgirl]

Hi guys, hope someone more experienced can help.

I installed the dev package from iRex yesterday and then tried to install dillo directly (I know I should have tried with something more simple first...)
After trying to open Dillo unsuccessfully, the whole internal memory became read only. I could not remove dillo or add new stuff. It kept working as usual, as iLiads go.

I then decided to format it (genius ) using gparted. I created then a new fat32 partition and all was fine in the world again. Only all the folders (docs, news, notes, books) were gone and recreating them did not make them visible to the device. Clicking on the buttons took me to empty pages.

I then navigated to the internal memory through the device settings menu and it showed me that more than half of it was being used and was filled with garbled files (weird symbols and no extensions).

I then tried reflashing it without a CF card (I just ordered one over the web, they're not as cheap in Brazil!), moving the images and config.txt file (from cf-card-contents) to the internal memory. When I restarted it, the iLiad froze in a blank screen with the green light permanently one. I resetted it and everything went back to normal.

And now I am completely at a loss for action. I know that's what I get for not following instructions, so I'll just keep messing with it until it goes back to normal

any help is very much appreciated!

Laura

[Shaggy]

What partition did you format? I think /mnt/free is the internal memory for documents. Anything else is part of the OS and should probably be left alone.

It sounds like you've got a corrupted install. I believe the CF card is required for reflashing. I don't think copying the files to the internal memory is the correct procedure for a reflash.

[lorisgirl]

hum, I used the only partition available: /dev/sdb
I'm gonna wait for my CF to arrive then, and try again. Hopefully it'll be back to normal.

[Adam B.]

Does fsck find anything when you scan it?

Try formatting it again with GParted, maybe try Fat16.

Otherwise, you'll probably have to wait for the CF card and reflash it with the Format option.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by lorisgirl

hum, I used the only partition available: /dev/sdb

The /mnt/free that I mentioned is the name of the mount point, not the partition (sorry for the confusion). I don't know off the top of my head if /dev/sdb is the partition that is mounted on /mnt/free, but I can check when I get home.

[lorisgirl]

So, I finally got the CF card, and I have reflashed according to instructions, and here is the logfile:

Flash kernel:
Integrity check on kernelk.
Flash the kernel:
-- Kernel flashed OK --
Flash initrd:
Integrity check on initrdk.
Flash the initrd:
-- Initrd flashed OK --
Flash application filesystem:
Integrity check on app.image.gz:
ok.
Flash the filesystem:
-- Filesystem flashed OK --

It still isn't reconizing the folder properly, but it stopped turning all files in garbled entries. I'm gonna go for the format now. Crossing fingers!

I'll come back with news soon

[ericshliao]

[QUOTE=lorisgirl;458487]hum, I used the only partition available: /dev/sdb
QUOTE]

"/dev/sdb"? That's weird. "/etc/fstab" will show all available partitions on iLiad by default. I don't see any /dev/sdb on my iLiad.
Normally, /dev/tffsa1 is mounted as "/", /dev/tffsa6 is mounted as "/mnt/free" (main memory on contentlister) , /dev/mmc1 as /mnt/card, /dev/hda1 as /mnt/cf, /dev/sda1 as /mnt/usb. I don't see any /dev/sdb.
The only possibility I can think of is that /dev/sdb is the hidden partition to store boot image.

[lorisgirl]

So, it worked somewhat fine after I used the format. It's showing perfectly all the content, but whenever I click in one of the files, it just returns back to where it was (recent docs, the books folder, etc).
I can't seem to open any files. I'm still trying stuff, but any help is, again, very much appreciated

[lorisgirl]

hum, apparently this is only happening to mobi books.

[ericshliao]

Originally Posted by lorisgirl

I then decided to format it (genius ) using gparted.

One question:
You said that you used "gparted", right? IIRC, there is no gparted for iLiad on the shelf. Did you build a iLiad port? I ask this question just out of curiosity.

[Shaggy]

[QUOTE=ericshliao;463961]

Originally Posted by lorisgirl

hum, I used the only partition available: /dev/sdb
QUOTE]

"/dev/sdb"? That's weird. "/etc/fstab" will show all available partitions on iLiad by default. I don't see any /dev/sdb on my iLiad.
Normally, /dev/tffsa1 is mounted as "/", /dev/tffsa6 is mounted as "/mnt/free" (main memory on contentlister) , /dev/mmc1 as /mnt/card, /dev/hda1 as /mnt/cf, /dev/sda1 as /mnt/usb. I don't see any /dev/sdb.
The only possibility I can think of is that /dev/sdb is the hidden partition to store boot image.

Same here. I didn't see any /dev/sdb on mine either. The internal memory for documents is /dev/tffsa6. Formatting anything else is probably not a good idea. Not to mention that /dev/sdb (whatever it is for) sounds like an entire device, not a partition. It's possible to format a device without a partition on it, but that's probably not what you want to do.

[lorisgirl]

Originally Posted by ericshliao

One question:
You said that you used "gparted", right? IIRC, there is no gparted for iLiad on the shelf. Did you build a iLiad port? I ask this question just out of curiosity.

you know, I didn't. There were only two options in gparted: sda and sdb. sda was obviously my HDD, so I supposed the other was iLiad.

I don't know what I did, I just am glad it's working again.

Shaggy, I know, now I realize, after reading what you guys wrote on the thread. I tend to like to fuss with stuff more than my knowledge would normally allow me to, so this stuff ends up happening. I didn't think of using fstab to see the partitions. I though looking at whatever gparted showed was good enough!

Thanks again for all the tips on how to fix it. I'm still trying to understand the whole mobi issue, so I wanna try installing fbreader. I'm sure I'll break something else then.

[ericshliao]

Originally Posted by lorisgirl

you know, I didn't. There were only two options in gparted: sda and sdb. sda was obviously my HDD, so I supposed the other was iLiad.

Well, then you used gparted of desktop Linux to alter partition on iLiad (you mentioned "internal memory" in the original post). Is it possible? I guess not, at least for now. You must had altered some other partition on your desktop, not any partition on your iLiad, but you thought you did.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by lorisgirl

you know, I didn't. There were only two options in gparted: sda and sdb. sda was obviously my HDD, so I supposed the other was iLiad.

OK, now it makes more sense. You ran gparted on your PC. Are you sure that /dev/sdb is not another HDD in your PC? Or did the PC mount the iLiad via a USB connection as your /dev/sdb device. I wouldn't think an external USB device would show up as /dev/sdb on your PC, but I guess it's possible.

[ericshliao]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

I guess it's possible.

Based on my understanding, it's only possible when iLiad supports USB-on-the-go. I don't know if iLiad does, but I guess not.

Added:
If iLiad does, then we don't have to use iRex's companion software to copy files from PC to iLiad.