Help getting mp3's off empeg

Posted by: dionysus

Help getting mp3's off empeg - 25/05/2000 08:19

OK - So I just sold my Empeg (for the least price gotten yet by an empeg - only $865 for a 6gb unit:( ) and i need to get my music off this thing.

Here's the monkey wrench. My empeg currently has 2 10gb drives in it, and I have a laptop with a 6gb drive. Here's what I wanna do:
  • transfer contents from one 10gb drive to a backup storage drive [1]

  • transfer contents from 6gb notebook drive to above 10gb drive

  • Re-format the 6gb drive to be used in the empeg [2]


So for [1], I was planning on copying the entire hard drive from the linux partition on the empeg TO A FAT32 partition - do you see any problems with this? Will any information be lost going from ext2 to fat32? As far as I could see, the file names for the music partition are all less then 8 characters, am I mislead?

For [2], I think the fastest way is to get the special image file to initialize these drives, does anyone have this they could send me? (mrahm[at]mse.ufl.edu)

Comments? Is there anything wrong with my plan?
-mark

...proud to have one of the first Mark I units
Posted by: dionysus

Re: Help getting mp3's off empeg - 25/05/2000 08:44

hmm.. I just noticed that my only installed copy of linux is in our 2 servers here, which I absolutely cann't take down and put different hard drives in Does anyone know of a floppy-distribution of linux which supports fat32 and ext2?
-mark

...proud to have one of the first Mark I units
Posted by: jbauer

Re: Help getting mp3's off empeg - 25/05/2000 10:12

I thought I read that you cannot move files FROM the empeg TO another storage device... Can you do this with the standard software?

- Jon

Posted by: dionysus

Re: Help getting mp3's off empeg - 25/05/2000 10:22

In reply to:

I thought I read that you cannot move files FROM the empeg TO another storage device... Can you do this with the standard software?

No, not with the standard software. What i'm doing is physically removing the drives from the empeg and hooking them up to a desktop computer using a special notebook hard disk adapter. This would void your warranty if you were to attempt doing it.
-mark

...proud to have one of the first Mark I units

Posted by: Kureg

Re: Help getting mp3's off empeg - 25/05/2000 10:23

Well, my understanding is that you can not get files off of the empeg using the "Emplode" software.

However, the empeg car unit houses normal IDE laptop drives. These drives can be connected to a regular laptop or PC (with the use of a special cable), and you can access the drive from there.

Of course, the drive is formatted for the Linux file system (second extended filesystem), so it is likely that you'll only get the files off if you connect the drive to a computer with a Linux operating system. Once the drive is connected and the file system is mounted, you can just copy the files to another hard drive (in theory). I've never done it before, but the process is pretty common in other similar endeavors.


So, technically you can transfer files off of the empeg... just the process isn't exactly easy (and if you take the drives out, you have to void the warranty of your empeg).

Kureg


Posted by: tfabris

Re: Help getting mp3's off empeg - 25/05/2000 11:26

For [2], I think the fastest way is to get the special image file to initialize these drives, does anyone have this they could send me? (mrahm[at]mse.ufl.edu)

I have this file, but you need to know what it does and how to use it first. After I tell you the following information, e-mail me and let me know if you still want to do it. Then I'll send you the file.

1) It works via the Empeg serial port only. You use EmpegUpgrade.exe to install it.

2) It's a replacement to the Empeg kernel which will unconditionally format any disk drives plugged into the Empeg at power-on time. It's extremely dangerous. You could lose all your music if you don't do it right. If you're not comfortable with this, don't try it.

3) You are required to have an ANSI terminal program pre-configured, ready and waiting to launch as soon as the upgrade is done installing. You have to launch the terminal to observe the behavior of the formatter and answer any possible prompts it might give you. Make sure you can do this before trying to install the upgrade.

4) It will only format the drives so that they're usable by the Empeg. I wouldn't try to run a regular Linux system on any drive formatted from this program.

5) Once you're done, you have to re-install a working Empeg kernel (such as 10a) onto the drive.

___________
Tony Fabris
Posted by: Henno

Re: Help getting mp3's off empeg - 25/05/2000 15:00

What i'm doing is physically removing the drives from the empeg

Dionysus, what exactly are you trying to do? May be I can help.
My Emma had two drives (18GB + 6GB); I sold it with only the original 6GB. So before I shipped her off, I moved all playlists onto the 18GB disk; removed the 18GB; re-initialised the 6GB; and loaded Emma with the latest consumer release (and sticky button upgrade ).

I'll look up my notes if you think they can help.

Henno
ex 00120

PS: PaulH, if you are lurking: the spell checker really needs an update. I wants me to change playlists into playmates

Edited by henno on 25/5/00 11:03 PM.

Posted by: tfabris

Re: Help getting mp3's off empeg - 25/05/2000 15:44

the spell checker really needs an update. It wants me to change playlists into playmates.

It didn't, by any chance, happen to give you any suggestions on precisely how to change playlists into playmates, did it?

___________
Tony Fabris
Posted by: dionysus

Re: Help getting mp3's off empeg - 25/05/2000 19:01

In reply to:

Dionysus, what exactly are you trying to do? May be I can help.

Hey; my case is a bit more complicated then yours.. Basically I currently have 2 10GB drives in the empeg - one of which I'm going to sell with the empeg, and one of which has to go into my laptop... My laptop has a 6gb disk drive that I'm upgrading to the empeg's 10, and I'm goign to use the 6gb from the laptop in the empeg, all the while backing up my music, and laptop:)

Confused yet?:)

Actually, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to have any problems with the transfers.. My biggest problem right now is finding space to PUT 20gb worth of music.. (my 20gb empeg had less then 500mb free) - I've ordered a maxtor 60gb drive ($298, shipped, in case you're wondering), but I don't think it'll get here in time.. I think I might have to rape our computer lab's hard drives at work over the weekend until my drive gets here:)

Incidentally, if anyone wants to purchase a 20gb western digital 5400 rpm (my old desktop drive), I'm selling it for $100...

-mark


...proud to have one of the first Mark I units

Posted by: bmihulka

Re: Help getting mp3's off empeg - 25/05/2000 20:14

Try looking at tomsrtbt . It supports almost everything on one floppy.


-Waiting to replace the hole in my truck with a Mark2
Posted by: Henno

Re: Help getting mp3's off empeg - 25/05/2000 23:54

suggestions on precisely how to change playlists into playmates

I don't think Emma would let me ,
I'm sure Mark won't mind

Henno
ex 00120

Edited by henno on 26/5/00 07:55 AM.

Posted by: Henno

Re: Help getting mp3's off empeg - 26/05/2000 00:24

. . . my case is a bit more complicated then yours. . .

Seems like it. I guess the key thins is to move all your MP3 onto the hard drive of your desk PC.

I believe Nils managed to do something like this. Have a look at his posting where he says that he copied all of his Empeg's MP3s to a desktop disk and named the resulting files sensibly. Have a look here.

Henno
ex 00120
Posted by: dionysus

Re: Help getting mp3's off empeg - 26/05/2000 06:43

Thanks guys,

In case you're wondering, here's what I ended up doing so far:

  • Install linux on second home computer

  • Install Empeg's first drive on second ide channel using adapter

  • Install FTP server on my Windows 2000 box

  • mount /dev/hdc4 /mnt/temp

  • copy /mnt/temp/fids/* to windows 2000 box

    • Transfer failed with files bigger then 100mb; is this a windows 2000 ftp limitation? Repeatedly, files over 100mb would fail and kill the ftp process...

  • Install ftpd-BSD on linux box

  • Transfer from Linux box to W2000 box (10GB drive, full, took less then an hour)



...So this is where I stand now, and right now my hold-up is that I need more space to copy the second drive... Here's the additional steps I'll have to take:

  • Borrow hdd from work temporarily

    • set it up as the primary-slave on linux box

  • Setup the empeg's other drive on secondary/master on linux box

  • mount partitions, copy fids from the second drive to the temporary drive

  • Setup my notebook's 6gb drive as primary/master in desktop

  • setup one of the now-backed-up drives from the empeg s the secondary/master

  • Use Symantec's GHOST to duplicate the 6gb drive onto the 10gb drive

  • Re-setup the empeg with the 6gb and the 10gb drive

  • Initialize the empeg w/ the special init/formatter

  • Re-load latest player software

  • Wait for new 60gb drive to come in

  • Copy the backup off the work hdd onto the 60gb drive

  • Return work drive



-mark

...proud to have one of the first Mark I units
Posted by: Alan

Re: Help getting mp3's off empeg - 26/05/2000 08:48

You could leave both 10gigs in it. I bet that would make the buyer happy :)
Doesn't everyone else archive their music on a desktop drive or is that too easy?

Alan
00056,00287

Posted by: dionysus

Re: Help getting mp3's off empeg - 26/05/2000 09:03

In reply to:

You could leave both 10gigs in it. I bet that would make the buyer happy :)

Na - I've promissed him a 6gb and a 10gb drive.. I think he'd be awefully disappointed if it shows up with a 10gb instead of the promissed 6:)
-mark

In reply to:

Doesn't everyone else archive their music on a desktop drive or is that too easy?

Some of us have slacked in the archival department;)

...proud to have one of the first Mark I units

Posted by: tfabris

Re: Help getting mp3's off empeg - 26/05/2000 09:36

Doesn't everyone else archive their music on a desktop drive or is that too easy?

Even Hugo has said his Empeg has more storage than his desktop.

___________
Tony Fabris
Posted by: muzza

Re: Help getting mp3's off empeg - 28/05/2000 15:23

thank heavens for CDRs.

I have most of my CDs ripped and burnt onto mp3 CDRs (and developing a DB for cataloging). So when i sell my MK1, I just have to remove the tunes (i'm not a pirate) and redo the MK2. (or use the promised txfer util)



____________________________
Murray