Navigation Via File System

[ritk]

Very impressed with Rockbox recently installed on my Sansa C240.  The features and flexibility amazed me.

Surprised that the Rockbox site opening page does not mention what I consider to be the most important feature;  navigation by file system rather than a database of tags.

With Rockbox, I can find a selection by navigating through directories and file names of my making.  The Sansa OF forces navigation using a database of tags.  For classical music, the tags can be very long and unclear.

Hoping someone is working on the USB interface and charging issues so we can avoid the Sansa firmware entirely in the future.

Rit Keiter

[Strife89]

Charging actually works, if you apply the patch yourself (my DAP is a Sansa c250). It's been hinted that the charging patch will be committed (applied to the main builds) after 3.0 is released.

USB is iffy, on the other hand. There's a bug in the SD driver that causes corruption. Unless that issue is solved, you will have to enable the USB stack yourself to use it, and even then, you are assuming a risk. Even if you don't do that, I advise you to back up your Sansa periodically. (Don't let that scare you away! I've been using Rockbox on my c250 for nine months and have not had any serious issues.)

If you are interested, here are the Wiki pages that cover Sansa charging and USB support, respectively.

http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/SansaCharging

http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/PortalPlayerUsb

[ritk]

Yes, I have seen the charger patch.  The author feels the ADC MUX channel is wrong as well and I agree.  I see an impossible high voltage for a LiPoly when plugged.

I am not set up to compile to the ARM but I am foolishly thinking of doing so.
The disgusting Sansa database refresh will drive me to it.

I get a XP "driver error" plugging while running Rockbox with select key down.  This is consistent with what I read on the RB site.  They say ignore, USB is not there yet, plugging is only for charging.  Of course, the charging is not working either cuz I have not patched.

The USB Mass Storage Compliance is also bizzare with the OF.  I must first boot the OF unplugged, then plug to see the SDMicro card I have inserted even tho the internal flash appears in My Computer regardless.
I get obnoxious, long, DB refreshes at both ends of the process.

The installation of the RB bootloader has created a new OF feature:
If I plug cold, the bootloader displays "Loading Original" and then the OF menu appears.  I can play music with the OF while charging.  I have to believe this was a happy accident. 

Rit Keiter

[ritk]

9/24/08
SANSA C240: Made DB files read-only.
Now DB refresh takes only 7 seconds instead of 28.  OF Displays "Unknown" twice with SDMicro card in.
(Making only the Data folder read-only, not the files, does not work.)
There is now no way to navigate in OF.  Even "PLAY ALL" does not work.  I don't care.
The attributes can be changed in the GUI or from command line.
And yes, using GUI, making the SYSTEM folder and contents read-only works the same.

Rit