CompactFlash based iPod mini

[dbpaddler]

actually, instead of clicking on dankoozy's link I did a save as and it worked. So I just did a switch of the 16gb card from my microphoto to the mini and am trying it now.

[GodEater]

Good luck!

[dbpaddler]

thanks.... I now have 16gigs of flash based rockboxed Mini goodness Which is probably the only way I can stomach owning an ipod. Now I just need my replacement LCD to come in so I can have a backlight.

Good luck!

[SpaceFuzz]

Let's revisit this topic!

Having loved my 4GB iPod 1st Gen only AFTER Rockbox arrived, I've now exhausted the 4GB capacity.

Next hack?  Upgrade the 4GB microdrive to an 8GB compact flash!  (and replace the 400mAh battery with a new 850mAh one).  I followed instructions here:  http://www.entrenched.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1393

IT WORKED!  The Apple firmware recognized 7.6GB free space (FAT32), and works flawlessly.

BUT WAIT!  After patching Rockbox back in (v1.1 firmware), and loading the latest build (r14691-070914), I get the same file system hangs as described above.

Has anyone compiled a firmware for the iPod mini 1st Gen that disables the ATA spindown/timeout/whatever?  If so, could you please post it here?

If not, I'll have to CAREFULLY read what was done for the 2nd Gen above, and see if I can follow it.  If I get a successful firmware for 1st Gen iPod mini with compact flash upgrades, I'll post it here.  

Thanks!!

[saratoga]

If not, I'll have to CAREFULLY read what was done for the 2nd Gen above, and see if I can follow it.  If I get a successful firmware for 1st Gen iPod mini with compact flash upgrades, I'll post it here.  

The patch is one line of code and works for both versions:

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

[Thingfisher]

I've never written any code, but needing the minicf.diff patch for my 1G Ipod Mini with 4G CF drive, I just tried to compile my own patched version, without any success.  So, I am now resorting to groveling for build of a patched version.  Does anyone have such a build to share?

[AlexP]

You are much better doing it yourself, as then you will be able to keep up to date.  It isn't very dificult, so with that in mind:

What happened when you tried to patch?  Can you build an unmodified rockbox?

Personally I'll help you build, but I won't provide it for you. (others may)

[bluebrother]

I've never written any code, but needing the minicf.diff patch for my 1G Ipod Mini with 4G CF drive, I just tried to compile my own patched version, without any success.

Did patching even worked? The last time I looked the patch on that wiki page was outdated, but readjusting it is quite easy. If you are able compiling you should easily be able to do so.

[Thingfisher]

I ran the patch, and it didn't work.   I got an message that the patch failed.  Then I opened up the  source code in Word and did a manual cut of "#ifndef IPOD_NANO" and everything through the next #, and pasted in the patch from the .diff file.  When I went to compile, that failed.    Now, I'm curious:  how can I adjust the patch to make it work if it is outdated?  If I can do that, I can try the patch again.

[heinimuecki]

i have a 1st gen mini with a 512MB cf card running
on rockbox.

i did it this way:
open the ata.c file from the firmware/drivers directory
replace the corresponding part of that file with this code:

http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=9354.msg72211#msg72211

replace the line
#ifndef IPOD_NANO

with this one

#ifndef IPOD_MINI
and with this one

#ifndef IPOD_MINI2G
if you have a 2nd gen

open the config-ipodmini.h file from the firmware/export directory
search for the line

#define HAVE_ADJUSTABLE_CPU_FREQ

and replace it with this one

#undef HAVE_ADJUSTABLE_CPU_FREQ

this is because the 1st gen minis sometimes are affected by
the so called frequency scaling bug
so you have to turn off that feature

after that i just ran

../tools/configure
make
make zip

out of my build directory and that did it for me
 

[bascule]

...Then I opened up the  source code in Word...

Well, that's your problem. You need to use a text editor that does not add unseen formatting to your file. Word definitely will, even Notepad adds incorrect (for coding) line endings.

Use Notepad++ (freeware) or similar.

[Mad Cow]

Could somebody take a picture of their ipod mini hard drive connector, the part attached to the board? From what I've seen it looks like a flex cable with the IDE connector attached. Is there a ZIF socket it connects to? I want to revive my old H10 with a CF card, but it uses a ZIF connector, and I can't find an adaptor anywhere.

[LambdaCalculus]

Does it look something like this, perhaps?

http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/OlympusMR100Info#Seagate_Microdrive

[Mad Cow]

Yep, but not sure about the pin amount. The one on the H10 uses a 45 pin connector.

EDIT: Looked at the wrong picture, yes that's the exact drive in the 5GB version, the 6GB version uses the same model 6GB drive.

My attempt to transplant a CF card into a gigabeat failed miserably, so now I want to revive my old H10 as a little project.

[SpaceFuzz]

heinimuecki:  Thanks for the simple, explicit instructions!  It works!  I love my 8GB Rockbox iPod Mini again!  (It was painful to revert to iTunes until I could get Rockbox to work with the CF.  Sacrilege!)

Mad Cow:  this isn't a pic of MY iPod hard drive connector, but here is a great site that has pictures of nearly all components in an iPod mini (this is page 2, which has the hard drive connector cable you wanted):  http://www.ifixit.com/Products/Mini-1st-Gen/96/Page-2

Everyone else:  Yes, with heinimeucki's instructions, hacking out the ATA sleep function to make your Compact Flash work with a Rockboxed iPod mini is fairly trivial...if you know Linux, have some programming skill, and the tenacity to figure out things.  But if you're not so inclined, I'll post a link to my recompiled rockbox.ipod firmware (iPod Mini 1st Gen) later this week.  Like was stated earlier, it really is best to compile your own so you can keep up with the latest advances, however.