is there a way to initalize the drive in a desktop machine and then just plug it in. The less plugging in I do with the mk2 the less Im likely to shock it.

Yes, if you:

a) Have an adapter cable that adapts a desktop IDE cable to a laptop connector.

b) Know Linux.

c) Have a version of Linux on your desktop machine that you can use to perform the partitioning.

d) Know the exact partitioning scheme that Empeg uses in their initialization kernel and are able to reproduce it precisely.

Be warned: Others who have attempted to use imaging utilities such as Partition Magic or Ghost to set up their Empeg drives have had problems. These utilities do not reproduce the correct partition boundaries. As a result, the image seems to work OK until such time as you install an ".upgrade" file. The Upgrade file rewrites the software partition with the assumption that the partition table was created correctly in the first place. If it wasn't, it might overwrite some of your music partition.

For this reason, I recommend following the procedure in my Hard Disk FAQ instead of trying to make it more complicated. My FAQ uses Empeg's own on-the-player utility instead of the PC. If you use Empeg's on-the-player utility to get the job done, then you'll know it's been done right and you have nothing to worry about.

And as long as you're careful with your drive, handling it shouldn't be much of a problem. It gets jarred a lot worse just riding in most cars.

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Tony Fabris

yes, I have read your post. I understand the need to make the partitions the same. Is there a program to do this in linux or a disk I can use?

I understand the need to make the partitions the same. Is there a program to do this in linux or a disk I can use?

The partitioning utilities come with the operating system, in much the same way that FDISK comes with DOS.

Incidentally, I've heard that you can get a little "Linux-on-a-floppy" distribution so that you can boot to linux with a diskette (again, much like DOS), and perhaps it would include the necessary utility. (Anyone have that link?)

But let me re-iterate that the partitioning is not something you ought to be doing yourself- it's more risky than just using Empeg's own utility on the player itself.

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Tony Fabris

ok maybe what Im getting out isnt the linux on empeg debian or something.. cant I just run this on a disk and tell it to use the empeg utility?

cant I just run this on a disk and tell it to use the empeg utility

No. Although the Empeg is, technically, just a computer that runs Linux, it is a highly specialized computer using a non-PC processor chip that has a very nonstandard architecture. Empeg's disk-formatting utility can only run on the player itself, it won't run on a PC.

What I don't understand is why it's so vital to get the disk empeg-formatted outside the player? Why not just plug it into the player and use their utility?

If you're worried about damage to the hard disk, then I think you should probably be getting the upgrade directly from Empeg, and letting them purchase, install and warranty the new drive.

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Tony Fabris

nah Im not worried about doing it. just wanted to simplify the process!

nah Im not worried about doing it. just wanted to simplify the process!

You've chosen about the most complex way of doing it! The disk builder utility is fully automated - just load it as an upgrade file.

Rob

Yeah, what Rob said.

By trying to format the drive outside of the Empeg, you're needlessly complicating the process.

I know my drive installer FAQ is a little intimidating to look at. But if you print it out and go through it one step at a time, you'll see that the actual process of doing the work is fairly simple when you're really doing it.

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Tony Fabris

Ok I will print it out. And since Rob gave some input it looks like it cant be too bad :)