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[SOLVED] installed. But no place to drag and drop files from computer

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whatshisname:
Hope this is the right forum.

Long-time Rockbox user.  Using Sansa Clip Zip.

Running Arch Linux.

The other day the computer wouldn't recognize the Clip Zip.  Turns out I had lost the partition table.  So I fdisked , re-partitioned and re-formatted the Clip Zip.

Installed the Rockbox Installer from the AUR.  Rockbox installed, kept my previous settings but, of course, I lost all the podcasts and music that was on it.  So I know the install succeeded.

(I've since done the install 3 or 4 times with the same results.)

Problem is when I browse the device from my computer, I no longer see the familiar "MUSIC, PODCASTS, AUDIOBOOKS, etc." folders into which I used to drop files into.

All I see now is the clpza.bin file and my personal .rockbox folder.

What's up?  This has always worked flawlessly for me before.  But clearly I'm missing something now.

Thanks.

(Edit:  Answering my own question.)

In the end, after formatting and re-formatting, partitioning and re-partitioning, for a while actually bricking my device, I was kind of back to square 1.

I will say this:  One of the many things I did to the device during the mayhem of the evening was pull it up in gparted and create a new partition table on the device.  Full disclosure, I'm not sure if that made the difference or not.

Nonetheless

I finally threw a file on the root of /mnt/ClipZip (the mount point on my computer) and I finally spied it in the "Files" folder on the Clip Zip.

So I immediately manually created AUDIOBOOKS, MUSIC and PODCASTS folders and they, too, are now showing up on the device in the files folder. 

So I am finally, finally back to normal.

My memory certainly isn't what it used to be but I could have sworn those folders were automatically created in the past and I didn't have to create them manually.  (Because I certainly wouldn't have created them in all caps if it had been me.)  So it's all been one gigantic curve ball as far as I'm concerned.

Whatever, I have a working clip zip again.

Sorry for the noise.


[Saint]:
Hi, glad to see that you sorted out your "issue" by journey of self discovery. That's awesome.

The reason why I say "issue" is because it isn't clear to me that you understand the relation of these folders to the device regarding Rockbox and the original firmware.

Basically, Rockbox couldn't care less about the internal folder structure of the device. As long as you don't put your media inside the /.rockbox directory itself, it really couldn't care about the layout of the files or directory structure.

These files are created by the original firmware, you'll find they get recreated on every boot of the original firmware if they are removed or damaged. Myself, personally, I just use my own directory layout of /Music, /Playlists, and /Recordings. You may have noticed that Rockbox has the ability to set the default location to search for for the database, or the directory in which the file browser will start in, and the playlist catalogue and recording output directory.

The original firmware doesn't have the flexibility so it supplies these (I regard them as annoying) pre-formed buckets to drop things into.

TL;DR: If you're not actually using the original firmware them do as you please with the directory structure because Rockbox doesn't care.


[Saint]

whatshisname:
Yes.  This was a journey of discovery!  And I now see what you mean about Rockbox not caring about the directory structure on the device.

The reason I was confused this time around was because this was the first time I had to blow out, i.e., re-partition and reformat an already configured Rockboxed device.  The result was a "bare" device, so to speak.

All my previous Rockbox instalations had been on new Clip Zips.  So I didn't realize that the folder structure I was used to seeing was left over from the original firmware and not a result of the Rockbox installation.  So not seeing them threw me off. Kind of like water being the last thing a fish "sees", I guess.

While I was trying to sort this out, I had tried placing a file on the disk then looking for it in RockBox early on.  Like an idiot, I never looked for it in the "files" folder else I would have saved myself several hours of hammering and hacking away.  I kept expecting to see the sample file in the main menu system.

Definitely a cognitive block on my part.  Sometimes a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing!

Got it now, though.

Love me some Rockbox!  Couldn't live without it.  Thanks for a great project.

arty6669:
Yes it is a project that deserves a lot of praise i must say, I've  been using it since it came out for the iPod Video.  One thing for sure is I've installed in over 1000 iPod's. Not my own but i refurbish them and sell them and fix them for other people. :) And one more thing does Rockbox take donations.  :) If it does i think its time fore me to pay up.   ;D  I'm such a blind out fart i just seen  the PayPal Donation all taken care donation done.

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