how to format MMC in linux

GoogleGroups
1

Hi,
If I have to boot beagle board from MMC, I have to go to windows-use
the HP formatting utility-format the MMC card-then come to Linux and
boot the board. Formatting in linux didn't work.
Is there any way so that I can do everything on Linux itself.??
Kris.

2

Hello Kris.

3

Hi Kees

4

It is possible to use Beagle itself to format the SD/MMC card for
boot-loading from the SD and dual-partitions. I've been doing this
using an Angstrom console ramdisk image with mtd-utils, e2fsprogs,
e2fsprogs-e2fsck, e2fsprogs-mke2fs, and dosfstools. I started to
write this up at http://beagleboard.org/demo/angstrom to include the
full process for Windows-only users to build up a resizable 'dd' image
of a dual-partition, bootable card, but I have some issues with
resize2fs crashing and reading past the first partition with 'dd for
Windows'.

5

Hi Kees,

6

hi Kees,

Can i have a help on that?

7

Kris,

As I understand it, OMAP3 requires that the MMC's (or SD card's) MLO
file be in the first sectors of the MMC.

My guess as to what is happening is that when you format the MMC under
Linux it creates pseudo-files "." and ".." in the first sectors so
that when you copy MLO it does not end up in the first sectors. This
is only a guess.

What has worked for me is to re-format the FAT32 partition under
Windows before copying MLO, etc. The reformat operation gets rid of
all files, including "." and "..", so that when I copy MLO it does
indeed get into the first sectors.

Hope this helps.

8

John Beetem wrote:

Kris,

As I understand it, OMAP3 requires that the MMC's (or SD card's) MLO
file be in the first sectors of the MMC.

My guess as to what is happening is that when you format the MMC under
Linux it creates pseudo-files "." and ".." in the first sectors so
that when you copy MLO it does not end up in the first sectors. This
is only a guess.

What has worked for me is to re-format the FAT32 partition under
Windows before copying MLO, etc. The reformat operation gets rid of
all files, including "." and "..", so that when I copy MLO it does
indeed get into the first sectors.

I prepared my cards entirely using Linux (no Windows in my house), and
it works just fine.

The ROM loader is very particular about certain things. The filesystem
must be FAT32, not FAT16 or FAT12, and the disk geometry must be set
just right. It probably also requires the file to be unfragmented.

9

Can you try if you can ls the mmc when in uboot and see if you can see
the files?

greetings