Symbolic links for simulator (was Re: Using Rockbox Simulator)

[BdN3504]

I have a question concerning the sim which has nothing to do with the OP's problem but i found the title rather fitting, so i decided to post in this thread.
Currently the sim plays files which i put on the simdisk. But the sim is also able to read playlists. i find it annoying having to copy files to the simdisk, rather than to have a playlist point to the files i want to play. is it not possible to make the sim access files outside the simdisk folder? Or is it possible to create shortcuts to files and just place the shortcuts into the simdisk directory?
i have come up with this concern because i code wps's for a lot of different targets, and copying music files to each simdisk folder takes up a lot of diskspace...
another benefit of this would be to actually make the simulator a useful fileplayer on a pc, but that's just a side effect...

[AlexP]

Please don't hijack threads just because the title is vaguely related to your query.  I have split your post out and given it a better title.

In answer, you can use symbolic links to play files exterior to the sim directory (as as far as the sim is concerned they are not exterior).  I believe something like symlinks exist for Windows, but you'll have to have a google for them.

[cool_walking_]

I think they're more like hard links than symlinks, but I think they're called "Junction points".

[GodEater]

...and the systinternals "junction.exe" works just fine for creating them.

So from your simulators simdisk directory, doing something like :

Code: [Select]

junction music c:\mymusic

Will create a junction in the simdisk directory which is pointing to the contents of c:\mymusic - saving you having to copy it all.

[BdN3504]

If you want to create a shortcut to a drive under WinXP there are some very easy steps you have to follow:

• Open a Command Prompt using "Run..." in the Start Menu and type in "cmd"
• Go to the directory where you want to create your shortcut (i.e. the Simulator folder) (you can simply open an explorer window, navigate to the directory and then drag and drop it onto the command prompt. then simply press "home" type "cd" and a space)
• Make a Directory using "md" and give it the name of your shortcut ("md music", "md hdd", whatever suits you) in the commandprompt
• Now type "mountvol" in the commandprompt
• Decide which drive you want to create the shortcut to
• Copy the first line of that drive (right-click into the command prompt choose "mark" and select the line beginning with "\\?\..." above your chosen driveletter)
• Last step: type "mountvol [the name of the folder you created with md] \\?\..." and you're done!
• To remove this shortcut, simply type "mountvol" again. you will see the location you have created just now under the drive you have chosen. copy the line of the new location (i.e. \simdisk\*yourfolder*\) type "mountvol ", paste the location and add " /d"

Shall i add this to the UISim wiki entry?

[Llorean]

This question wasn't about mounting a volume, and explaining core operating system functions is outside the scope of our documentation anyway. We don't want to overload the wiki with search terms.

[BdN3504]

Well, i have not figured out how to use junction.exe so i thought if there are people like me, who'd still want to have the possibility to make the sim read external files, i'd post a small tutorial.
If anyone elaborated a bit more on the use of the junction tool, i'd greatly appreciate it.

[AlexP]

Well, i have not figured out how to use junction.exe so i thought if there are people like me, who'd still want to have the possibility to make the sim read external files, i'd post a small tutorial.
If anyone elaborated a bit more on the use of the junction tool, i'd greatly appreciate it.

This really isn't the place to explain either junction or mounting volumes - google is a great tool for that.

[BdN3504]

yes, thank you. i figured it out.

[GodEater]

Well, i have not figured out how to use junction.exe so i thought if there are people like me, who'd still want to have the possibility to make the sim read external files, i'd post a small tutorial.
If anyone elaborated a bit more on the use of the junction tool, i'd greatly appreciate it.

I'm not quite sure how much more elaboration is needed - my example pretty much summed it all up - that's all there is to it.

[BdN3504]

using it like you suggested did not work. plus you have to have the junction exe in the same directory of the junction if you don't give the path in the first part of the command.
if you try to create a junction to a path containing spaces, you have to put it in bewtween quotation marks.

[cool_walking_]

Those are both standard Command Prompt issues/behaviors, nothing to do with junction.exe.

[GodEater]

Yes sorry - I assumed that someone about to start messing with some fairly low level features of their file system would know basic command prompt usage. A faulty assumption on my part.

Since that is the case I would suggest reading up on junctions via google, and why it's a very bad idea indeed to do *anything* with them via windows Explorer.

You have been warned.

[NorTheBear]

Seems as if junction points can only be created on volumes formatted with NTFS 5.0 or higher.
With the the simulator located on my DAP, I am out of luck here as Rockbox only supports FAT32, correct?