Hi,

My latest shot at this was to purchase an inexpensive ($50.00 USD), computer today with Linux (Linux Mint), installed on it. The system has 2 SATA ports, 2 IDE ports, a 2.4GHz Intel Celeron, and 2GB RAM - enough infrastructure (I think), to carry out the task. I had them install the Linux onto a WD 1TB SATA 3.5 inch drive I had as a spare. The 1TB OS drive is on SATA 0.

A while ago, I used FTP to load all of the FIDS from a dual 250GB drive Empeg system into a directory of another 1TB SATA WD 3.5" drive. Since the FIDS are just a continuation from hda to hdc, the FIDS appear as a flat file system. So, the whole directory is contiguous FIDS.

Next, I will install the FIDS drive onto the Linux SATA port 1 temporarilly and copy the FIDS to a directory on the 1TB OS disk. At that point, a FIDS file structure will now be on the OS drive. I will then remove the FIDS drive from SATA Port 1.

If that works, I will prep a 1TB Laptop drive in the Empeg using the JMicron IDE-to-SATA converter. These work just fine for anything local to the Empeg player. The Marvell chip will prep the drive fine, but you lose Ethernet controller.

Next, I will copy the FIDS from the OS drive to the prepped 1TB Laptop drive. Then I will install the 1TB drive into an Empeg with the JMicron SATA-to-IDE Converter and invoke a commanded database rebuild, to link the database together and fix the Tags.

At this point I haven't seen the player have a problem playing the music database once the database is loaded and the Tags rebuilt. So, this has some chance of working.

If this works, I think I saw a program to make DOS files into FIDS. If that is so, I might be able to build a FIDS database outside of Emplode and load a full database onto the drive through the Linux system.


After you have had a chance to stop laughing, tell me where and why it appears that I need to just stop and play with my fingers and toes contently instead of this stuff.

Crazy, probably. But it's grtown to become a hobby of mine.

Thanks,

Ross