Easy Devuan J720 install from disk image!!

Mark

Tar-nation Alive! 5 hours certainly seems excessive! Takes 15 minutes ( actually burning image now...looks like 25 minutes afterall) on my Win10 Intel I7! You might want to try Win32_Imager. Etcher doubles the time because it does a verification scan too! Did you unzip the zip file and rename it with the Devj720xx.img suffix?? Must be an older slower computer or a very slow SD card or defective usb to SD adapter or slot??? oh well, hope it works, but that burning time has me doubtful... let me know. Jeez, I'll mail you one if necessary... only cost $6 for a cheapy 32 Gb microSD Card... really. My treat... if needed. I better shut up or that middle finger might start rising!

Joval

Edited by joval 2021-07-21 6:46 AM

Joval,

Please don't have a conniption fit.....not worth it, mon petit chou....

As noted, I'm trying my 32GB CF card....probably why it's so slow going....

Just arose (5:30 am) and checked my trusty ol' mid-2012 MacBook Pro that I use at home and it is still doing verification scan....only 126 minutes to go....

Will be brave and stop the process and try Win32_Imager on my trusty new Thinkpad T490 that I left at work.....

Hopefully, will go much faster



Mark

Mark,

If verification is ok then sounds like you'll be good to go! Etcher is doing its job afterall. Pardonne moi. 2012 Mac explains...does "get 'er done," nevertheless!

Finally learning how Fluxbox windows work. Alt + Tap and move raises window, then tap bottom corner to resize, then alt + tap to position... most of my DevuanJ720.img reverse Stefan's screen/mouse taps...latest may not (just alter the .fluxbox/keys file to your preference).

Lynx text browser is workable with the Ambicom/connman fix...too slow for X-forwarding from RasPi... presently.

Joval

Edited by joval 2021-07-21 4:20 PM






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FluxboxLynx.jpg (654KB - 1 downloads)

Cool looking, Joval !

Gives me hope and inspiration to get things working.....

However, my 32GB CF card appears to be a no go.....

I had to get going to work this morning, so, cancelled the Etcher verification process, it was at 65% with estimated completion in about 2 hours....

So, at work, installed Win32_Disk Imager.

After re-formatting CF card, I successfully completed making CF card after only about 10 minutes! Using my T490 laptop.....

However, bad news.....got kernel panic when booting J720......message:

 
not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block (0,0) 

Guess I need to get the new SD to CF adapter......sigh....

Mark

Just splurged on a SD to CF card adapter.....should arrive tomorrow, if all goes smooth....

Joval,

As noted in post prior to yours, I cancelled the verification process in Etcher as it would need another 2 hours to complete and I had to head off to work.....

Guess between my ol' MBP and slow CF cards, it might explain why it takes so long?

Overall, my ol' MBP does a pretty good job still.....but toying with idea of replacing it sometime within the next 6 months....

Best,

Mark

ArchiMark,

Sounds like you've got a "bad Apple" CF card (not the MBP), from my experience when it's 5 hours in the making that thing is doing you wrong! Never had a problem "burning" images to the SD or microSD (although cheap cards sometimes won't partition properly at times... burning image is a different process and always worked). As said, I recommend a brand name ultra speed microSD card with adapter... much cheaper too.

FYI, CF cards are 16 bit , although can be equally fast but really pricey to achieve it. SD and microSD cards are 32 bit (as are the J720 bus and its storage with FAT32). Although there're more gymnastics in moving the data around, ie convert 32bit to 16 bit for CF slot, then CF slot back to 32 bit onto the SDCard... the bandwith probably allows better innate error checking, or so I reckon! Heck, I have the 4.8.7 kernel stable and working on an SD Card (only apt not working... but Qemu emulator is a workaround) which is not the case with CF cards. Well, enough of my braggadacio!!

have a great day,

Joval



Edited by joval 2021-07-21 9:48 PM

Joval,

Thanks for your insights on the storage card world....

It's a Transcend CF card, which I think is reputable company.
But maybe something is not quite right about it....

Meanwhile, adapter will hopefully arrive tomorrow....and then can try a SD......



Best,

Mark

Mark,

yes, the Trandsend CF cards are in Stefan's list I believe. But CF cards have their issues ( odd that CF Type I cards aren't listed in the HCL here... we'll have to contribute what we know ). Might also be a problem with the usb to CF adapter... I have seen that with one of mine (of 2). Suggest you also try booting it from the PCMCIA slot, that worked for me originally with microSD card... in my original thread https://www.hpcfactor.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=18983&posts=49&start=1.

Lastly, my vacation ends today so I may not be so visible on the HPCFactor. Had a good time off though!

Joval

Edited by joval 2021-07-21 11:35 PM

Joval, good point about the adapter....didn't think about it.....

My condolences about the end of your vacation!

Hope you will adjust to re-entry to the work world OK....

Best,

Mark

Mark,
I responded to your PM but many never seem to leave the outbox... don't trust it to be sent... let me know.

I'm going to make an image with Ext4 linux partition and see if makes difference for recalcitrant my CF Card. Also will try Stefans /ntware's Wpa_supplicant fix on Ma401 wifi card... should be much faster I Hope... allow ssh to Raspi. Then we'll really be "cooking with gas."

Oh, yes SD to CF adapter has 3 metal tabs... they hold circuit board in place (I dissected one similar to straighten bent contacts on apposite end).

IMO, if the conniption fits, wear it... just for a little while!

Joval

Edited by joval 2021-07-23 4:05 AM

.

Edited by joval 2021-07-23 3:57 AM

Just responded to your PM, thanks...got home late from work and had other things to attend to until now.

Will be interesting to hear how your test goes....

Thanks for letting me know about the tabs....thought it might be that a thin cover layer was missing on card.....

Good way to look at it, Joval....whatever floats your boat.....

Mark

Mark,
I have to chuckle to myself... what is going on with you and J720 Devuan is so similar to what I experienced several months ago... going around in endless circle, learning linux commands that I only now understand, numerous typos cazught too late, angst on angst. But I figured if my sons could spend months learning to overcome some villain in a mythical world grabbing weapons, jumping, mapping, etc... well I could persist and do the same! Eventually... you are destined to win. Some day this will all be behind you and you too may laugh at all the twists and turns...

joval

Edited by joval 2021-07-23 6:06 PM

You can laugh at it now, Joval....but I'm in the thick of it now....

Well, another weird one.....

So, still couldn't connect to guest network.....thought it was odd....so, rebooted into Manjaro and voila! it connected to the login page OK....so, now rebooted again into Win10 and downloaded/installed Win32_DI...and now download your 32GB file to my Panasonic laptop and will try imaging and then testing again......

Onwards and upwards.....hopefully....

Mark