Potentially blown Intel MMX chip on PS2 TOOL PCI card - queries

Brilliant :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

We are on the homeward stretch!

 

Unclejun - the holidays have arrived and therefore I am unable to get to the unit for another fortnight or so. I shall email / PM you when I can get everything setup and ready to use the image. I think I understand the basics of your instructions, but I need some clarification on some aspects of it, which I will ask you about when I return to the PC.

Have a good easter!

 

Allright!

 

Second hdd dumped!
Using the gzip -9 option on a Pentium 200 is so slow, dump started before 7AM and completed between 3PM and 6PM...
Dump available at the same location as the first one, for those who want it.

 

roger

 

If you want lots of mirroring space, just drop me a line, I have some space on my server waiting to be used

 

Thanks for the offer, I don't really need a lot of mirroring space anyway, first file is 270MB and the second is 234MB, PM sent!

I forgot to change the root password on the second hdd before the dump,
you can easily do it by typing "tool single" or "linux single" at the lilo prompt and "passwd root" once you get the bash.

The image is working fine with qemu, so you shouldn't have any problems with it.

 

Right just bagged one of these babys, should be here by end of the week.

 

Holidays almost over. Kids back to school this coming monday. I've used the spare time on my hands to do a pile of DIY. The old boiler is gone, replaced with a new one in a far better location. Why the previous owner decided to fit a boiler slap bang in the middle of a bedroom I have NO idea! Suffice to day it's under the stairs and tucked away safely from view (almost as if it were meant to have been there all along).

I'm just fixing up the floor (had to move a few pipes), putting down some new laminate in the kids room and painting.

So, the PS2 Tool... which is what I am meant to be discussing!

Whilst all the above has been going on, the Tool has been lying up in the attic under a dust sheet to avoid damage.

For weeks I have been looking at Unclejun's material, PM's and emails and frankly I am going to put my hands up and admit it's beyond me!

My understanding of the PS2 Tool is limited purely to what I have read in these threads, online (not much) and the conversations I have had with Unclejun and others. I did gain a lot of insight when I ripped the unit to pieces and put it back together again, however my issue always comes down to a serious lack of knowledge regarding the software side of things.

So, the state of the machine =

1) PS2 Tool appears on the face of it to be breathing, but not functioning. It's stuck without any OS.

2) I have Win 95 on CDr and the version of Linux that Unclejun was so kind enough to point my in the direction of.

I also have SN Systems ProDG PS2 software, but I have never even attempted to load it into any of my PC's. I was told a long time ago (before I even thought I would own a PS2 Tool) that this software was specific to each individual PS2 Tool system and that I would require to reset it (?) This didn't really make complete sense to me and I may have misunderstood. So, it's sat in it's box unused.

I've read and re-read over Unclejun's excellent instructions, but I am not following them. It's not his fault, I am really a Noob with this and I am not going to pretend that I do know because that defeats the purpose of having asked for assistance in the first place. The request for help was a shot in the dark as I know that several people on this forum DO have the knowledge!

Genuinely, I hope they don't feel I am wasting their time!

So, my query is what EXACT and PRECISE steps am I required to follow to get this bad baby back up on her feet?

Shall I install Win95 or not? Is that my starting point?

If not, I assume then I should be getting Linux into the unit instead? I have some confusion here as to whether I am supposed to be partitioning the HDD and getting both OS into the unit? Is it either one or the other, or both?

Once that has been done, what software is best to use on the PC (external) to connect to the Tool? Am I better off sticking with ProDG or is there a more basic solution as I am actually not going to be getting too in depth with this. Just to see the damned thing running would be a joy!

How precisely do I get the dumped image kindly provided by Unclejun (with many, many thanks!) on an HDD and into the Tool?

I feel like a Noob, I am a Noob............... I bow down to the superior knowledge of those who go before me! ray:

If someone out there would be kind enough to guide me A-Z dotting all the i's and crossing all the t's - I would be forever grateful. It is so close, yet so far with this damned PS2 Tool. Months of work to get it to this stage.

Many thanks in advance and Unclejun, don't feel that it was in any way your English or your instructions that were at fault - it's me <sob!> I am baffled by what you explain clearly as a straight forward solution. ;-)

I look at the instructions and just think h: :crying: OH:

P.S. I am even prepared to send my PS2 Tool HDD to anyone who feels confident enough to perform the operation, not to get out of doing any hard work, but because I am shit scared I am going to damage this damned thing through ignorance! I'm the type of person who likes a challenge, but this is a freaking step too far for me!

Please also ignore any typos - it's 3:30am here and I am knackered.

 

Keep prodg for later, you'll use it, atleast the target manager.
Sorry for the w95 tip, it was merely a bad joke
Although you can install it on the Tool, it will be of no use at all, being a ms product.

The easiest way is to put the dumped images back to the hdds.
I have a few questions:
-wich way do you want to go, network transfer or directly with your spare hdds connected to your PC?
-by the way, what are the specs of your PC(OS, partition table and fs of your hdd)
-what kind of hdds(specs/size) will you use in your Tool?
The original ibm dpta-353000 have a size of 30,003,240,960 bytes (also the size of the uncompressed image), you must check the full size of your spare hdds, if their size is less than this it could cause some corruption due to the partition table not being correct.

I will now answer your questions, in the good order hopefully!

win95>no, no way, never again!
linux>use my dumps, it'll save you a lot of trouble, by the way both hdd have linux installed on, I still can't figure out why as only one of them boots the Tool...
For administrative tasks(installing package, setting time/network, shutting down or resetting) any web browser will do.
For running .elf, or launching cd/dvd, the snssys target manager (part of prodg) is a good choice, the other one being codewarrior cwcomutil.
For the i crossing and the t dotting, check my first question it's entirely up to you:
via network:
PC>run dhcp server and configure it
Tool>boot the g4u disc or floppy
PC>run the ftp server, create an account "install" with any password, set its reading right to the path where the dumps are located
Tool>type the correct command "slurpdisk yourftpIP imagename wd0 (or wd1)" for the first or second hdd

Directly on your PC:
-place the hdd's dump somewhere easy to find like a directory on the first partition of the first hdd(not on the desktop if you're using windows)
-boot any live linux distrib like tomsrtbt or knoppix
-you must now where your spare hdd is connected (primary or sec IDE, master or slave)
once on the bash(on knoppix you have to run an admin shell/terminal),
type more or less the following(depending you're config, I'll assume the images are on the first hdd, first partition in the directory named toolhdd and your spare Tool hdd is the primary slave)
#mount /dev/hda1 /mnt
#ls /mnt/toolhdd (just to be sure the files are here)
#gzip -dc /mnt/toolhdd/toolhdd1.gz | dd of=/dev/hdb
Once you regain access to the bash, it's done!
don't forget to shut off your PC properly with
#halt
or
#shutdown -h now
or even
#init 0

If the second hdd is connected as well, as secondary master for example, use the file toolhdd2.gz and the device /dev/hdc and wait again!

If you want you can try this version of dd wich should work fine under windows http://users.erols.com/gmgarner/forensics/
I haven't tested it, so you're on your own with it!

 

Unclejun :

A complete and thorough, straight forward explination like no other I have found! You have done yourself proud.

>Win 95 .... wait, it took me ages to find it! I really thought it was going to be needed lol ;-) I really want to obtain a PS1 dev kit which runs under Win95, so I shall keep it for later.

> I have this morning created a BOOT disc of the linux software - magic! So I presume I don't need to partition the Tool HDD? How odd that both HDD are the same material with no real visible reason.

As for the PC I have available to me. Currently only my laptop as my 2 PC units are in the attic until all the house work is complete. The laptop can be bagged up safely and protected from the dust.

The easiest route is to connect the Tool to the laptop, but as you said it takes roughly 11hrs! Not easy during the holidays as my eldest daughter is preminantly in contact with friends throughout the day. It seems the most viable option.

 

Further to private and high-profile discussions with fellow member Parris, I dare to post in this thread, as a soon-to-be owner of a TOOL.

for the following, I m just assuming things and drawing from my experience at designing some setups (as a hobby)

What most would find excessive in the TOOL's approach in having various HDDs for different tasks, I find very logical.

It's the Flood-gates concept which dictates keeping important and different types of data seperated as well as inter-backuped.

The reason behind having an identical image of the 1st HDD on the second one (although its DVD emu) is, in my view, for restoring purposes (maybe there's a setting in the BIOS to temporarily boot from the second HDD in order to restore the image to the first etc)

The last thing Sony would want is having to send and receive TOOLs for fixing all the time, and the last thing most professionals would want is to lose time with installing CDs and setting parameteres - when all you need really is just a 1:1 image - why not have it locally?

 

I don't know enough about it to hold any clues, but one thing I know about Sony is that they are not shy of call out charges & high repair costs. They excel in spares / repair!

If the second internal HDD is a secondary (back-up) then the 3rd slot in the HDD cage is the emulation one, but why on earth is the 2nd one not just connected on the same IDE line as the first? It is connected to the motherboard and from my limited experience of the unit it seems that it only comes into it's own when the 14k card is inserted, thus becoming the emulation HDD.......... OH SONY WHY HAVE YOU CONFUSED US THUS?!

Have you obtained your 14k set up Unclejun?

No doubt Barc0de will be getting pretty in-depth when Royal Mail FINALLY get their act together. Patience! Imagine what it has been like for me, I've been waiting to have something more than BIOS for weeks lol

 

I don't see a reason for the DVDemu drive not having a seperate partition or folder containing an image of the first. - or even a 'transparent' backup (ie not seen by the DVDemu drive's file system, but bootable under special circumstances)

 

The compression has taken this time, I think that the decompression will be faster than that.

Wich linux software?
I do hope you burned g4u as it's the only one you need if take the network way

The two Tools are both in Paris but I'm not until next saturday, so they'll wait for me at the post office, one of them has been taxed by the french customs

I have the confirmation from DevL that the emu hdd is the third one.

The bios is only for the pci pentium board, the 2nd hdd is not connected to it, the bios can't detect it.

 

I will confirm everything later - still got to dig it out of the attic in the coming days.

The Linux was the one you point me in the direction of. It's the only Linux material I currently have.

As for the 2 Paris Tools with the 14k. Are you considering selling on any of your PS2 Tools? If my unit turns out to be faulty beyond repair, would you be willing to sell / trade? I realise this is NOT a sales thread, just making a general enquiry. If you have any thoughts on this Unclejun PM me. Thanks!

A plus tard

 

So you wasted a blank CD-R due to my poor explanation of the process...I apologize sincerely.
Now go burn the g4u.iso or write the 2 floppy images to blank good floppy disks, you'll find the floppy images on the official g4u website, the link is on this thread somewhere...
If your Tool boots to the bios screen, there is no reason it doesn't work unless some major hardware fault on the ps2 side...

 

Tonight I shall attempt the feat. To answer UJ questions prior to that though, in case it makes a difference along the line.

I'm going to stick the HDD into my PC. The HDD for the PS2 Tool that I am going to use as the main HDD is a Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 8. It's 30Gb ATA and was the best equivalent to the original I could get my hands on. In retrospect I am not sure about the dB ratio on these older drives and I hope that it isn't like a tractor running in low gears! Spec here: http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/storage/display/maxtor-dmplus8.html

My PC has 2 HDD. I will remove the secondary drive and install the Maxtor as a slave HDD.

Windows '95 ditched. I now have the correct version of Linux (redhat 5.2 Apollo). UJ, you mentioned it was a bootable version. I put it onto a CDr and made the CDr bootable, well I can always start that process again.

If I drop the HDD into my PC and then try to get Linux onto the Maxtor, do I need to partition this HDD or what? This is the bit I am a little hazy on. I grasp the bit that comes next, but the intial aspect of whether I need to actually put Linux onto the HDD right from the off is something I am not sure about as you then mention that Linux comes as part of the dump you have made of the original drives.

My understanding is that I need to start by getting Linux redhat 5.2 into the HDD and THEN do the dump, but not sure whether I have misread.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained...

 

I wonder, am I that poor at explaining things?
I thought you were going to do the network method with your laptop...
Obviously you wont, so can you re-read(I assume you already read it once ) the post #70 on this very same page, it will save me a copy&paste, thanks.
Any questions before you wipe all your precious data by mistake, fire them now!

 

:redface: sometimes being the NOOB sucks!

You are explaining things ok, I am just A: distracted by pets, family, phone and time. No excuses, I rarely get 10mins thinking time at the moment.

B: By the end of the day my anti-depressants have worn out and to be honest I am left a little frazzled and hate doing anything I am not familiar with. One of the throw backs to my depression I guess.

C: I know NOTHING and I mean NOTHING of the processes involved in doing a DD or Linux.

I was going to do the laptop via network but the PC > HDD did seem simpler. So, over the weekend I have dragged the PC out of the attic, brought a desk upstairs and got the PS2 Tool out. I think I must have mentioned this in another thread. It's getting a bit spread out with several PS2 Tool threads on the go.

Your English is excellent, but sometimes the odd sentence throws me. That said, I think they'd throw me in French too ;-)