How good is it.. Really....
Daveb500
Junior Member
Posts: 42
#16
2013-01-04, 16:58
(2013-01-02, 13:39)s7mx1 Wrote: Install pi onto usb or nfs (you still need a tiny 128MB sd card), get MPEG2, VC1 license, overclock to "Super" mode (arm_freq=950, core_freq=450, isp_freq=450,sdram_freq=450, over_voltage=6). Then you will get a surprising excellent xbmc box that can play almost any files you throw at it.

Current the only import feature still missing: fast forward/backward.

Which version do you use and what is the purpose of the SD in addition to the USB drive?
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Vaneshi
Newbie
Posts: 9
#17
2013-01-04, 17:26
(2013-01-04, 16:58)Daveb500 Wrote: Which version do you use and what is the purpose of the SD in addition to the USB drive?

Booting.

The Pi (like any ARM SoC) has nothing onboard to bootstrap itself with so it looks to the first partition of the SD card for it's firmware and configuration. So the USB drive may hold the OS but you'll always need the SD card to hold the firmware for the processor.

Most of the ARM boards are the same in this respect: the SD card isn't an optional extra.
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Daveb500
Junior Member
Posts: 42
#18
2013-01-04, 17:42
(2013-01-04, 17:26)Vaneshi Wrote:
(2013-01-04, 16:58)Daveb500 Wrote: Which version do you use and what is the purpose of the SD in addition to the USB drive?

Booting.

The Pi (like any ARM SoC) has nothing onboard to bootstrap itself with so it looks to the first partition of the SD card for it's firmware and configuration. So the USB drive may hold the OS but you'll always need the SD card to hold the firmware for the processor.

Most of the ARM boards are the same in this respect: the SD card isn't an optional extra.

Ok, thanks. So, if i'm using OpenELEC, what goes on the SD and what goes on the USB? I thought it was a single package with everything? Sorry if its a dumb question, its all very new to me but I'm very keen to learn.
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Milhouse
Retired Team-Kodi Member
Posts: 17,855
#19
2013-01-04, 19:04
You always install the boot files on the SD card - this can be as small as 16MB for just the boot files (including kernel). Included in these boot files are two text files that configure the Pi, one that instructs the kernel how the OS should be loaded (cmdline.txt), and a second (config.txt) that instructs how the ARM SoC is configured (ARM/GPU memory split, overclocking, HDMI settings etc.)

Now, for the Pi to complete booting it also needs to load the OS files - these can be located on a second SD card partition (/dev/mmcblk0p2, typically formatted as ext4), or on a USB memory stick (eg. /dev/sda1, again ext4 formatted) or a remote NFS mount point (see guide elsewhere in this sub-forum). You configure where the kernel can find the OS by editing cmdline.txt.

In the case of OpenELEC, all of it can go on the SD card (two partitions required, the first for the mandatory boot files, a second for storage).

Or you can configure your OpenELEC storage to be on a USB memory card - this setup is much less prone to SD card corruption. For USB storage, your cmdline.txt file would look like:
Code:
boot=/dev/mmcblk0p1 disk=/dev/sda1 ssh nosplash

Or you can boot from NFS which requires only the boot loader and kernel files on the SD card (less than 16MB required), with the OpenELEC OS and Storage mounted and loaded over NFS. Since OpenELEC on a 512MB Pi loads entirely into RAM at boot, performance is surprisingly good, and SD corruption a fading memory...
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Daveb500
Junior Member
Posts: 42
#20
2013-01-04, 21:35
(2013-01-04, 19:04)MilhouseVH Wrote: You always install the boot files on the SD card - this can be as small as 16MB for just the boot files (including kernel). Included in these boot files are two text files that configure the Pi, one that instructs the kernel how the OS should be loaded (cmdline.txt), and a second (config.txt) that instructs how the ARM SoC is configured (ARM/GPU memory split, overclocking, HDMI settings etc.)

Now, for the Pi to complete booting it also needs to load the OS files - these can be located on a second SD card partition (/dev/mmcblk0p2, typically formatted as ext4), or on a USB memory stick (eg. /dev/sda1, again ext4 formatted) or a remote NFS mount point (see guide elsewhere in this sub-forum). You configure where the kernel can find the OS by editing cmdline.txt.

In the case of OpenELEC, all of it can go on the SD card (two partitions required, the first for the mandatory boot files, a second for storage).

Or you can configure your OpenELEC storage to be on a USB memory card - this setup is much less prone to SD card corruption. For USB storage, your cmdline.txt file would look like:
Code:
boot=/dev/mmcblk0p1 disk=/dev/sda1 ssh nosplash

Or you can boot from NFS which requires only the boot loader and kernel files on the SD card (less than 16MB required), with the OpenELEC OS and Storage mounted and loaded over NFS. Since OpenELEC on a 512MB Pi loads entirely into RAM at boot, performance is surprisingly good, and SD corruption a fading memory...

Ok, I think i'm getting there. Final question for now, if i put OpenELEC on the SD card and use a USB device for storage using the config detailed above, do I need to pre-configure the USB in any way or just format it?
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Milhouse
Retired Team-Kodi Member
Posts: 17,855
#21
2013-01-04, 21:37
Just format the USB using a single ext4 partition (although FAT may work - try it, if you're desperate).
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Daveb500
Junior Member
Posts: 42
#22
2013-01-05, 17:07
Ok, so far so good. UsingvOpenELEC, does the advancedsettings.xml just go in the same place as the config file?
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Milhouse
Retired Team-Kodi Member
Posts: 17,855
#23
2013-01-05, 18:02
No, that goes in your Storage.

Either use ssh and and create advancedsettings.xml in /storage/.xbmc/userdata, or use SAMBA to connect File Explorer on your Windows PC to the Pi, and navigate to the Userdata folder.
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dvandriesen
Member
Posts: 62
#24
2013-01-05, 23:42
I am in the same vote here trying to get openelec on SD and usb was very simple with raspbmc never toyed with the openelec had not much luck in the early stages hope can figure this out.
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Milhouse
Retired Team-Kodi Member
Posts: 17,855
#25
2013-01-05, 23:49
Putting OpenELEC on SD & USB doesn't get much simpler than 1) FAT formatting the SD card for the boot, kernel and SYSTEM files 2) ext4 formatting your USB stick to be used as storage 3) Specifying the USB stick as your "disk" in cmdline.txt.

If that isn't working for you, you best describe how far you are getting and where it is failing.
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PobjoySpecial
Senior Member
Posts: 227
#26
2013-01-06, 00:26
...
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Milhouse
Retired Team-Kodi Member
Posts: 17,855
#27
2013-01-06, 00:28
In that case consider yourself lucky, as a number of users do experience SD card corruption and for an "appliance" type device (which is why you might be using OpenELEC) it's just not worth the hassle hence USB or NFS booting to avoid writes to the SD card when at all possible.
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PobjoySpecial
Senior Member
Posts: 227
#28
2013-01-06, 00:43
...
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s7mx1
Senior Member
Posts: 265
#29
2013-01-06, 02:55
(2013-01-04, 16:58)Daveb500 Wrote:
(2013-01-02, 13:39)s7mx1 Wrote: Install pi onto usb or nfs (you still need a tiny 128MB sd card), get MPEG2, VC1 license, overclock to "Super" mode (arm_freq=950, core_freq=450, isp_freq=450,sdram_freq=450, over_voltage=6). Then you will get a surprising excellent xbmc box that can play almost any files you throw at it.

Current the only import feature still missing: fast forward/backward.

Which version do you use and what is the purpose of the SD in addition to the USB drive?

If you want less messy way of getting xbmc installed on either USB or NFS try raspbmc, just go to http://www.raspbmc.com/download/ and select a few options in the installer (like if you want to install to USB etc) image your SD card then put it back on the pi. Job done.

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dvandriesen
Member
Posts: 62
#30
2013-01-06, 06:11
(2013-01-05, 23:49)MilhouseVH Wrote: Putting OpenELEC on SD & USB doesn't get much simpler than 1) FAT formatting the SD card for the boot, kernel and SYSTEM files 2) ext4 formatting your USB stick to be used as storage 3) Specifying the USB stick as your "disk" in cmdline.txt.

If that isn't working for you, you best describe how far you are getting and where it is failing.


I can get the usb drive formatted to ext4 and get it set to be used as storage but would like to get the contents from my storage folder on the sd card over to the usb drive and having trouble doing that as im loosing addons and what not now can i move the contents?
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