[SOLVED] How to prepare a microdrive

sxn · 01-07-2017, 09:45 AM

Hi All,

I purchased on eBay a 4GB microdrive, with the intention to use it as an external drive for a write-intensive application that I think will kill rapidly a flash-based storage solution.

I am using one of those universal adapters for cards, interfacing with the computer on USB.

However, I have no luck in getting it to work. I tried with several Linuces with similar failures. Right now, I'm on a Porteus 3.13.6, so I'll provide the output here:

Code:

dmesg | tail
[ 1442.812860] sd 5:0:0:1: [sdg] Invalid command failure
[ 1442.812869] sd 5:0:0:1: [sdg]  
[ 1442.812873] Result: hostbyte=0x00 driverbyte=0x08
[ 1442.812878] sd 5:0:0:1: [sdg]  
[ 1442.812881] Sense Key : 0x5 [current] 
[ 1442.812887] Info fld=0x0
[ 1442.812892] sd 5:0:0:1: [sdg]  
[ 1442.812895] ASC=0x20 ASCQ=0x0
[ 1442.812901] sd 5:0:0:1: [sdg] CDB: 
[ 1442.812904] cdb[0]=0x88: 88 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 08 00 00

With that, fdisk cannot access sdg. I am also trying to use the sg_ toolkit (of which I'm not an expert), but still got nowhere.

In the good old days of DOS there used to be an utility that will prepare the harddrive before partitioning, called PREFOR. Is there anything similar available in Linux? Or, can you advise me how else should I approach this?

Thanks,
SxN

rokytnji · 01-07-2017, 10:14 AM

I played with micro drives years ago. Most likely your problem is the hardware interface you are using.

I played with pmcia to cf adapters till I realized I needed a ide interface connection card for the bios to too even see the drive on my Ibm 390E laptop running AntiX at the time.

So if I was you. I'd start at bios 1st to make sure it recognises the micro drive before you check if your linux install does. I do know. Some apple micro drives <ipod> come with firmware installed in them that make them impossible to use outside of a Ipod as a storage drive or read and write drive.

Edit: when I say ide interface card. The firmware in some micro drives need to plug into the hard drive connection harness. USB or PCMCIA interface will not interface with the drive because it is how the hardware was built.

Because it sounds like your micro drive is not being seen yet. Once it is seen. Everything else will start falling into place. Software sometimes cannot over come hardware limitations. I spent about a month finding this out.

beachboy2 · 01-07-2017, 10:49 AM

sxn,

IF you are able to overcome the problem that rokytnji has mentioned AND if a 4GB microdrive then behaves like a USB flash drive with regard to being formatted in Linux, I would proceed as follows.

Open Terminal.

Format to FAT32

Run the following commands to format the usb to fat32 file system:

Code:

sudo su
fdisk -l

This helps to discover your USB drive, which may be /dev/sdg.

Then unmount the device:

Code:

umount /dev/sdg

Next, format device to FAT32:

Code:

mkdosfs -F 32 -I /dev/sdg

OR

FORMAT to ext4

Code:

sudo su
fdisk -l 
umount /dev/sdg

Format to ext4:

Code:

mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdg

rokytnji · 01-07-2017, 10:56 AM

After what beachboy mentioned. If you can get your hands on a pmcia to cf adapter card. And if this thread is laptop, not desktop related.

You might get fdisk -l to see it. I remember I could get pcmcia to see the drive. I just could not boot off of it.

sxn · 01-08-2017, 12:03 PM

Thanks for your replies.

The harddrive is a 4GB Hitachi, HMS360604D5CF00. I was under the assumption that the firmware is "generic", meaning it can accommodate any file system. Specifically, I would have expected to be capable of FAT and be usable with cameras (not sure if they are FAT16 or FAT32).

My system is a desktop, so I don't have a native PCMCIA interface. It tries to treat the harddrive as a generic SCSI unit.

The body sports a bitten apple logo - does it mean that it is iPod dedicated? If that's the case, is there any kit available to rewrite the firmware?

Thanks,
SxN

rokytnji · 01-08-2017, 12:54 PM

Quote:

The body sports a bitten apple logo - does it mean that it is iPod dedicated? If that's the case, is there any kit available to rewrite the firmware?

Not that I am aware of is there a kit to change the firmware. Yes. You have a Ipod micro drive. Which is usless outside of a apple mp3 player product. I ran antix off and later used for storage via pcmcia to cf adapter a Link

Back when I played with these on a IBM 390E lap top. You bought the wrong one. Which is understandable since micro hard drives are in a world of their own with funny standards.

Edit: Old 2004 warning you probably missed.

Quote:

Hitachi warns end users removing Microdrive from iPod mini
By Dennis Lloyd ● Monday, March 8, 2004

“Nguyen [Hitachi’s global storage technologies media relations head] stressed that her company’s $499 pricing for the hard drive at retail as a standalone item is ‘a suggested selling price only.’ She also said: ‘Standalone Microdrive products provide additional value over embedded products used in consumer electronic devices in their ability to be removed and used in a variety of different devices. Embedded Microdrive media is only designed to work in the device for which it was originally intended.’

The drives that ship embedded within devices are custom-built for Hitachi’s OEMs, and the features available inside the drives may not be as complete as those available at retail.

‘Some of the drives we ship today are used by consumers in products like digital cameras as removable storage: in other cases, the drives are designed inside devices such as MP3 players where the drive is not meant to be removed by end users.’”

You want a micro drive that is comaptible inside of a old cf card type of camera. Sux I know. I have made bad purchases on hardware myself with experiments.

Case in point.

Analog to Digital without a conversion box. Just the cable. Was 15 bucks down the drain for me.

I kinda hate the fact that ebay sellers get away with leaving out info on what their item is capable of or just out right misrepresenting what their item is capable of.

Leaving it up to the buyer to do all the research on whether it is compatible with the buyers needs. No discalimers or warnings <works only in Ipod>. Just that it is operational or not. Especially with electronic items.

This one should fit your job requirements.

Quote:

Compatible with the most popular advanced compact and SLR digital cameras.

sxn · 01-09-2017, 10:06 PM

Well... I should have done my homework better... thanks for bringing clarity, at least I know not to waste anybody's time anymore.

Regards,
SxN