(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

I have created a partition on a sda keydrive - how can I format it to copy files on and off it (preferably in DOS format)

You make a filesystem I guess. Works for me at least
Maybe you need to put in some options, I don't know... Since puppy lacks the man pages do a google for "man mkdosfs"

Thanks Gnomen - will try that tomorrow - Klhrevolutionist also helped and we got some results but this may be even better (it may be that the device is not working it is a joint USB keydrive and MP3 player . . .)

thanks again

Lobster, be careful! Some mp3 players / combined usb memory have the operating system built into the drive. The software for playing mp3's is in a hidden partition. A complete format can wipe that so you end up with a memory stick but no mp3 software.

I know they are not all the same, but I thought I'd mention it just in case.

Could have been done already . . .
We are just trying to get it working even as a memory stick . . .
- thanks for the warning . . .

Mazzo wrote:in a hidden partition

can this be the case with regular CF-cards as well? I mean, hidden stuff... I just spent my tax-return on a Sandisk eXtremIII 1GB CF-card and after two hrs of tinkering it is broken. Well, as close as I can tell it is anyway...

The install didn't work out, it stops at not finding the usr_cram.fs. No big deal. So I was doing this and doing that, suddenly the boot-progess asks me for a password and suddenly there is no write access to the card at all. I can't even format it any longer, not with linux (fdisk actually tells me there are 4 partitions on the card now, none of them following the norm..), not with windows, not with the Sandisk rescue (raw format) utillity and not with any other 3rd party utillity I have access to

I had a disgo which had software with a hidden partition giving password control (about 10 meg) I wiped it. I was able to access the full amount* - never have anything on it that I care about protecting by password . . .

Luckily the disgo website is very good and you can download the software and read FAQS etc . . . See if your diskdrive manufacturer has a website.

* Was not able to plug in my keydrive and setup Puppy on it - have done this previously. Forget the reason why - some error message ("You do not have a brain" - I think it was)

I have previously played with an other type of "on key linux"....I think it was called Flash linux?
If I remember correctly they split the key into a couple of ext2 partitions for their install.
They used a thing called "sfdisk". It could see a lot more than the normal fdisk, and I can recall using it rectify the hidden structure of one of my Lexars that nothing else would look at.
Hope this helps....

My broken CF card was infact a refurbish of an earlier returned card. Pretty amazing really since I paid big bucks for it. I scanned it with a rescue program and found it was full of old deleted files, photos, of a most peculiar nature I told Sandisk the story and got a new one by courier today. Puppy is up and running again