Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

Console-tools has been out for a little while and I fixed the major bugs, but it still seems people are having problems and I am not able to get anyone to give me repeatable problem to troubleshoot.

Anyway, the things that end up in the tread are problems, very few people actually report hey its working great, often they only post when a problem using the tool arises.

This is fine, but it ends up making me think its not working well for anyone. So I thought I would post a poll and ask some questions.

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

With the old install tools, I just ran it and it partitioned the card and installed bootmenu correctly. Very simple. console-tools is a lot more complicated, and it took a lot of guess and check to make it work. I had to use pb to clone the partition non-destructively, and then pbeasy to make the boot-menu. I don't know, but install-tools was just a LOT simpler, though less useful.

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

Missing option: "IT SUCKS (but I never tried it out!)"

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

Good morning mr. benson, I see youre doing well,
If I had me a shotgun Id blow you straight to hell.

Grateful Dead: Candyman

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

Why could you not use pb to install bootmenu?

To All:

I am looking for input on console tools, whats not working what needs to be fixed, don't like it all, what do you want in its place. The problem with install-tools is that you may or may bot need to reboot, but you really always should. If the partitions are staying the exact same size, it usually works, if the partitions are changing you need a reboot. In pbeasy I force a reboot after partitioning every time. I thought pbeasy was very simple and clear, the pb script is much more involved and complicated, and does many more things. I have not heard anyone say if they are using the backup/restore features, or the pb script at all.

Anyway, I NEED YOUR INPUT! VALID SOLID REAL INFORMATION ON HOW TO MAKE IT BETTER....

:confused:

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

Two things: bootmenu.d support (See b-mans Mer installer)
And make it a control panel applet maybe

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

I tried the tool before you added pbeasy and I couldn't get it to work, but that was due mostly to my shortcomings and inability to really understand all the options that were given.

Pbeasy however worked great.

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

My only issue seemed to be operator error (didn't select ANY drive to partion). I haven't confirmed the sucess or the swap partion yet. I've been making sure my settings/dependancies were all loaded propery before trying again (it worked the first time, I just changed my mind on partion sizes). I'll make sure to keep notes, and run the checks you listed on the main release page.

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

I use pb and haven't look back. My system is working perfectly. The only issue I have which was mentioned in the other thread is the swap that has to be reset each boot. That is not a big issue though, since I hardly reboot. Otherwise great program, much appreciated, many thanks.

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

Worked ok with me, took me sometime to figure it out (pbeasy, yes I am a bit slow) but I got Maemo booting from SD.
Sometimes the boot does weird stuff when the battery runs out and I plug it to the charger, but nothing to be worried about, yet.
I kinda missed install tools at first, but once I understood how to use console, I don't mind.
Thanks for all the work put in this useful tools

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

@PB

It works great! Any problems I have had seem to be in the form of operator error :o


Note: I was really frustrated for a while as the OSKbd exits PBEasy. Once I used my BTKbd it worked great. (N800)

Minor quibble: When choosing the partition size it would be nice to have more explicit comments as to which partition you are working on.

Or maybe...radio buttons with standard setups for various card sizes (similar to the ones in IIRC your first post on Install tools)

:eek: ?Additions? ;) Add rotate / high speed kernel installation ;)

Your extremely useful tools have made re-flashing & cloning a relatively easy and painless operation.

Thank you

Matt

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

With Easy Ubuntu/Mer on the horizon, it was time for me to try out console tools.

Using pbeasy worked great -- eventually. :-)

What I hated were the lack of instructions for use with the N800 OSK (ex. hours wasted not knowing that I had to select/deselect using the spacebar). Actually one of the pb menus does mention using tte space bar, but I only read that after losing all hope. :-(

Lesson learned.

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

should be able to use stylus?

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

I installed it, but couldn't figure out how to backup to an image without cloning over the entire card. (so back to partimage for me).

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

i doubt the stylus would have helped. More important was the that i didn't know i was looking at a radial button

ex: i kept selecting "OK" without selecting a radial button first.

pbeasy was very easy to use once it became clear that an additional selection was required from me (the end user).

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

Poll comment :
>> GREAT THANKS <<

I used pbeasy to partition, but found pb more flexible for cloning.
Having no command line experience to speak of,
I dared not (yet) try to figure out partitioning with pb . . .
And then beeing in pb I used it for handling bootmenu and swap file.
So far I found the menus in pb/pbeasy self explaining.

But I lost the bootmenu all the time till I thought of searching for a reboot command
instead of power down/up . . . (those newbies..)
I have not tried backup/restore yet.

Having overcrowded my uncloned N810 a bit with lots of apps I made a fresh start with empty mmc:s.
So I experimented a lot with pbeasy and pb and these apps helped me understand what was going on behind the scene.

( And then I finally dared a few attempts to install+clone Mer 0.9, well the last posts in that thread explain a bootmenu problem, and I learned a bit . .)

Questions :
How to make more than three partitions on an mmc ?
( I read a comment somewhere in ITT about editing a file pb uses (??), but can not find it.)
Can one have two bootable partitions with e.g. diablo and mer on the SAME mmc ?

( if this is the wrong place for questions just ignore them and I will repost them )

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

This is THE moment for me to thank PenguinBait for his outstanding work!
While I wasn't successful on my first try using PB due to:
- operator error
- "missing manual"
- Had to update the bootmenu stuff to allow timered autoselection of bootpartition
the experience still was immensly joyful (took me perhaps 30 minutes to finally get it right):
a) I felt somehow "in control" on this machine again (aka Master of Disaster).
b) Having cloned to a 1 GB partition of the internal flash gives a LOT of space to install additional apps and makes the N810 so much more useful.

Lessons learned:
- Not any partitioning works (for me to get it working, I had to make partitions on the internal flash mmcblk0, the first one a W95 FAT32 (LBA), the second one a Linux ext3)
- Take care to really select an option... (press SPACE)

The "missing manual" was probably the worst part. In between outdated posts here and old wiki articles, the currently relevant information got lost (at least for me). Having a proper doc on a homepage somewhere would have helped a lot (perhaps it even exists but I didn't stumble over it) - especially as the "concepts" are probably murky for many of us who don't have an extended linux background.

Thanks again, pb!

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

First my overall opinion on pbeasy: Great Work! Thanks!

I used pbeasy for partitioning, formating, creating the bootmenu and cloning to the internal memory and to an external SD (Sandisk 8 Gb Class 6 Micro SDHC). It was easy to use and both clones are working fine so far.

Only the swap-file was not aktive in both cases.
To enable the swap partition (on the created partition on the same memory like the clone) I had to use the "swap"-item of pb according to http://www.internettablettalk.com/fo...&postcount=168
Worked fine.

With pb I also managed to create an uncompressed backup of the internal flash and the internal memory on a separate SD-Card (Sandisk 2 Gb micro SD, formatted with ext3).

In my opinion a stylus option is not necessary.

My experiences were made with a 2 week old N810.

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

Noob here. Got my n810 in February, started researching alternate booting/OS options the following week. Tried PB Easy last week, and had no probs what-so-eva! My setup:

• Started from clean/latest OS 2008 install via 770Flasher
• Installed all apps/tools and config'ed device to my liking
• Installed PB Easy & partitioned 8gb external card with 3 partitions: 64Meg, 7Gb, & 256Meg
• Cloned OS to 8gb card (partition 2)
• Setup SWAP on internal card (partition 3 = 256Meg)
• Updated BOOT MENU via PB Easy, then defaulted it to external card
• Smile, grin, admire noob handi-work, praise PenguinBait

With this setup, I've preserved the OS setup/config on the internal card (in case I ever need to restore it), while I use and experiment with the n810 booted off the external card.

Thank you Penguinbait. PB Easy is definitely easy (once you do your research to understand what actually occurs when you use it).

Best,

digittante

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

I haven't been able to get it to install as of yet, despite numerous attempts...must be a user error on my part, but will comment once i figure out what's going wrong. That said, wish there was a bit more if you see this, then do that...type of documentation for the parts most likely to bring about an error. Thanks for the hard work anyhow...back to trying

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

It's pretty straightforward (and great; I hate the ungrateful title of this thread), but your problem might be that

YOU NEED TO SET XTERM TO A VERY SMALL FONT FOR CONSOLE TOOLS TO WORK PROPERLY

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

It ran fine for me.

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

using it on a N800 was not fun. I appreciate the app but it took me a bit to figure out that I had to use the pop up screen and choose my keys carefully. But it did work as advertised and I suppose would have been better on the 810.

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

I think it'd be great if you can make it into two tools: one to partition and format the SD, and the other to clone to any partition the user selects. I tried and had problems with the fonts also.

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

It seemed to work OK, until my card showed up as unformatted or corrupt.
I can't seem to get my card re-partitioned without the stupid popup telling me this. It's a 16GB Kingston MicroSDHC in a Mini-SD Adapter.

Or if the tool runs, it tells me that it formatted the SWAPFILE, and just prints:
OK
OK

If anyone can point me in the right direction to getting past the problem, that would be GREAT!!!!

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

I think a more appropriate place to post, and for you to look in, is the "try here first" link in my sig. To start from scratch, you might want to use the Panasonic formatter, linked to in the first or second post on the first link in my sig.

Re: Console-Tools Poll does it suck?
 

Trying it again but a couple things:

- the bootmenu timer no longer exists, doesn't count down
- I see 3 boot options (flash, external, internal)... I only installed it to internal, and if I boot from that it doesn't work, reverts to flash.

I remember the first time I tried this, it went fine, the 2nd I had some hassle but got it, and now I just can't get it to work.

"- Internal Flash
- External MMC card, p2, ext3, N/A
- Internal MMC card, p6, ext3, N/A

boot from mmc6 failed, booting from flash..."

I got it working...

I had to go back into Pbeasy and clone using that, after doing the partitioning/formatting through PB... odd.