Deneb: how to format USB flash drive?

[tnt23]

I have finally fit my 3000 with Deneb . (Hopefully will get rid of Buddha and connected IDE stuff). So far Deneb sees FAT USB flash drives nicely, automounting drives' icons on desktop and all.

However I cannot figure how to format an empty USB flash drive into FFS/SFS to boot from it. I've got an empty 256M JetFlash thingie, which has no partitions and no filesystems on it. I get cute little popup window upon attaching or removing it, so I know it is seen by Poseidon, but that's all. It won't place no icon on desktop, and HDToolBox won't see anything besides my legacy (non-USB) drives.

I am probably missing some very basic point here

[Mozzerfan]

Just use HDToolBox or HDInsTools and partition it like a normal harddisk and then quickformat it.

The device for usb masstorage devices is named usbscsi.device.

If HDToolbox gives you problems, try HDInsTools instead. Personally I prefer HDInsTools, as HDToolBox sometimes gives me troubles with usb masstorage devices.

[tnt23]

Originally Posted by Mozzerfan

The device for usb masstorage devices is named usbscsi.device.

Thanks Mozzerfan, that did the trick!
I was able to see the flashdrive in HDToolBox. Unfortunately, it is damaged (even Windows cannot format it properly), but that really does not matter - now I have knowledge

[tnt23]

Ahem, that's me again.

OK, now I can partition and format each of the two USB flash drives I have, one is 512M and another is 256M.

Both work as removable media just fine, unless I try to boot from bigger one (has bootable WB partition on it), or leave smaller one plugged in (formatted as an empty FFS partition). If only I have either one plugged in, the Workbench won't boot. I get black screen and that's it.

I can understand there may be issues when booting from USB flash, but what can be wrong if I just have an empty non-bootable FFS drive plugged on startup?

[rkauer]

Are you sure the partitions are marked as "non-bootable"?

[tnt23]

Originally Posted by rkauer

Are you sure the partitions are marked as "non-bootable"?

Absolutely. At least the second, empty one (hence its name "Empty" ).

Here's another fact: in Early Boot Menu, I can see only DF0: and a couple of my Buddha-connected drives (HD0: and HD1, along with trackdisk.device and 2nd.scsi.device, accordingly). I believe my USB drives should also be seen there, as THUMB0: or THUMB1: devices on usbscsi.device, but they are not there.

I have tried removing PsdStackLoader from user startup, then the whole system loads OK - but of course without USB support.

[Mozzerfan]

Originally Posted by tnt23

I have tried removing PsdStackLoader from user startup, then the whole system loads OK - but of course without USB support.

Have you put poseidon in the flashrom of the deneb ? There is a menu option in the luciferin software, to put all poseidon files in the flashrom.
If you have done that, and you remove psdstackloader from user-startup, there still should be usb-support when you boot into workbench, because the files are loaded from the flashrom.

If the thumb drives still act up, try to play with the startup-delay setting in trident prefs. I've set the startup-delay of my usb-stick to 500, because I had similiar problems.
If you change the setting, don't forget to reflash the deneb flashrom, or else there will be an old version of psdstackloader in the flashrom.

[tnt23]

Originally Posted by Mozzerfan

Have you put poseidon in the flashrom of the deneb ? There is a menu option in the luciferin software, to put all poseidon files in the flashrom.
If you have done that, and you remove psdstackloader from user-startup, there still should be usb-support when you boot into workbench, because the files are loaded from the flashrom.

Yes, I've used that option in Luciferin menu to put Poseidon in the flash. (I also remember wondering why usbscsi.device is not shown in the list, but as soon as everything worked I thought that was not important).

The only difference is that if I comment out PsdStackLoader in user-startup, I get no USB at all. This makes me think I did something wrong when putting Poseidon into flashrom.

Perhaps I should run PsdRomTag before or after?

If the thumb drives still act up, try to play with the startup-delay setting in trident prefs. I've set the startup-delay of my usb-stick to 500, because I had similiar problems.
If you change the setting, don't forget to reflash the deneb flashrom, or else there will be an old version of psdstackloader in the flashrom.

Thanks Mozzerfan, will give these points a try.

[Mozzerfan]

Originally Posted by tnt23

Yes, I've used that option in Luciferin menu to put Poseidon in the flash. (I also remember wondering why usbscsi.device is not shown in the list, but as soon as everything worked I thought that was not important).

The only difference is that if I comment out PsdStackLoader in user-startup, I get no USB at all. This makes me think I did something wrong when putting Poseidon into flashrom.

Perhaps I should run PsdRomTag before or after?

I don't run psdromtag at all. I've got poseidon in the flashrom and commented out psdstackloader in user-startup.
Makes me wonder if you have an old version of psdstackloader in your flashrom.

BTW usbscsi.device is not shown in the list. Massstorage class takes care of that, so it's masstorage.class that should be in the list.

[tnt23]

Originally Posted by Mozzerfan

I don't run psdromtag at all. I've got poseidon in the flashrom and commented out psdstackloader in user-startup.
Makes me wonder if you have an old version of psdstackloader in your flashrom.

BTW usbscsi.device is not shown in the list. Massstorage class takes care of that, so it's masstorage.class that should be in the list.

I have checked versions, Poseidon is 4.0 and Luciferin is 3.0. I guess I will update these to Poseidon 4.2 and Luciferin 4.1 first

[tnt23]

So I have set boot delay for all Mass Storage devices to 2000ms, and it seemed to help!
I can now boot from USB thumb drive just fine, thanks Mozzerefan.