stronggeek

I'm running PI from my SD card and in a another thread http://www.ipaqhq.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13460 mentioned this and now wonder if others are.

Here I quote myself and Rob:

Quote:
Originally Posted by stronggeek

Hey rob1303, I have question for you.

I'm currently running PI (and with no speed issues) from my SD card, but I originally had the app in ram, then fs before finally re-installing it to the sd.

My question is: is installing it to ram a prerequisite before being able to inst. to the card or should one be able to inst. to the card without first installing to ram and have the updated version still function over the rom version?

Thanks.


Rob's Response:

I am surprised that it is working - just on what I have read on the PocketInformant site - where they state that any upgrade to a 47xx version of PI MUST be installed in RAM to work.

But thinking about it logically I suppose that the following could happen
- installing the update to RAM - this would "copy over" the built in files
- uninstalling PI - would delete the references to them in the File Allocation Table
- installing to SD - would add markers in the FAT to tell it to look at the SD card.

So it may be that by installing to RAM first, you can then install and run the programme from SD card (you won't gain anything in RAM doing this, but you will lose less on installing the updated version).

As I said I don't know - but if someone else with a 47xx wants to try it (and keep a track on memory used then I think everyone who has a 47xx would be very interested).
__________________
Regards

Rob

Anyway, i thought this question deserved a separate thread as I know there must be others that that must be doing this and I also believe that Rob's explanation is extremely logical and may valid reason for why it's working for me and flwlessly I might add.

Just need to experiment to see if it's really saving me ram.

PS Rob, hope it's ok I quoted you. If not I can edit your quote out as I linked to the thread.
Thanks again.

__________________
-stronggeek

If you ain't livin on the edge... then you're takin up too much space!

rob1303

Originally Posted by stronggeek

PS Rob, hope it's ok I quoted you. If not I can edit your quote out as I linked to the thread. Thanks again.

No problem quoting me - I am interested to know this as well (as I am sure Alex will be at WebIS if it works ).

Even though I don't have a 47xx if it works it should theoretically work with any upgrade to a programme which is in built in RAM - and is therefore of use to ALL PPC users

__________________
Regards

Rob

swhoutx035

This is a copy/paste of a response from the PI developer on 1/11 in the WebIS forum:

Question:
"I purchased an iPAQ hx 4705 and promptly upgraded to PI 5.6. I noticed some mysterious things where the WEBIS folder for icons and color schemes would fritz and some files that kept turning up in MY Documents synch file.
I tried once to move these files to iPAQ file store and this never worked (see that string).
I now think some of the odd behaviour relates to what Frank and Tweaks2k2 says is a configuration that simply cannot work. I was trying to "move" the 2mb of files in main memorty to the iPAQ File Store.
1. Is there a way to fix this situation where there are files in ROM and in main memory so I can save some main memory?"

Response:
"A 4700 cannot use PIToMem or the tweaks to move PI to a storage card. It is not possible. This is simply because PI 5.04 is in ROM and being in ROM it means the only way to overwrite it is to overwrite newer files into the same place. Which means into \WINDOWS. Which is real RAM.

The problem is that if you install PI to a storage card, then you have TWO copies of the software installed, and there is no technical way to tell the OS to ignore the version in ROM and use the version in storage card. I wish there was

Now the best bet is to just install PI to main memory like its supposed to. Then just make sure all your icons and such are in a storage card."


I still plan on giving it a try, but these guys seem pretty sure of themseves so I don't expect anything different.

rob1303

Originally Posted by swhoutx035

This is a copy/paste of a response from the PI developer on 1/11 in the WebIS forum: Question: "I purchased an iPAQ hx 4705 and promptly upgraded to PI 5.6. I noticed some mysterious things where the WEBIS folder for icons and color schemes would fritz and some files that kept turning up in MY Documents synch file. I tried once to move these files to iPAQ file store and this never worked (see that string). I now think some of the odd behaviour relates to what Frank and Tweaks2k2 says is a configuration that simply cannot work. I was trying to "move" the 2mb of files in main memorty to the iPAQ File Store. 1. Is there a way to fix this situation where there are files in ROM and in main memory so I can save some main memory?" Response: "A 4700 cannot use PIToMem or the tweaks to move PI to a storage card. It is not possible. This is simply because PI 5.04 is in ROM and being in ROM it means the only way to overwrite it is to overwrite newer files into the same place. Which means into \WINDOWS. Which is real RAM. The problem is that if you install PI to a storage card, then you have TWO copies of the software installed, and there is no technical way to tell the OS to ignore the version in ROM and use the version in storage card. I wish there was Now the best bet is to just install PI to main memory like its supposed to. Then just make sure all your icons and such are in a storage card." I still plan on giving it a try, but these guys seem pretty sure of themseves so I don't expect anything different.

I agree with what you have quoted - which is what I was refering to in my orginal post.

But I am wondering of installing the update to SD is not quite the same as installing to Main, uninstalling and THEN installing to SD

Let us know how you get on.

__________________
Regards

Rob

swhoutx035

I got my upgraded 4700 back today. There'll be more on that later.

Instead of doing a restore from backup I decided I would do this from a freshly hard reset state. After going thru all the basic setup after a hard reset, I opened up PI, noted the version number. It was the version that came with the device.

I installed the 5.6.1 upgrade to Main Memory. I opened up PI and confirmed the upgrade. I then used the System/Remove Programs utility to remove PI and the color schemes and 2 icon sets. I then reinstalled PI to File Store. Opened up PI and it worked, it said version 5.6.1. But I noticed that Main Memory still took about a 2.3mb hit. So I installed Resco File explorer and did some checking around. In File Store, there was only one file in the WebIS/Pocket Informant folder. It was a 22K file named PIUpgrade.exe. I then checked the My Documents folder and found a subdirectory there called WebIS. It had three directories beneath it (ColorSchemes with 46.41K of files, IconStore with 117.82K of files, and IconStore_VGA with 67.32K of files). I found all the other files in the Windows directory (PI .exe's and .dlls totaling 2.16mb) That's where the 2.3mb hit came from.

I thought I might have missed something in the install so I removed everything again and reinstalled to File Store. Same results. You aren't given any other options to install those other files in File Store and even though you think you are installing the program files to File Store it would apprear that the upgrade still installs all the files in Main Memory and just the upgrade file to File Store.

Stronggeek, can you take a look at your subdirectories and see if you have these files installed in the same locations in Main? That may be why it appears your upgrade to SD/CF works. Let me know what you find.

BTW, since I have the space now, I uninstalled from File Store and reinstalled to Main

rob1303

Thanks for the update - looking forward to an update on the memory. (Jammy g!t )

__________________
Regards

Rob

stronggeek

Thanks for checking this out for me as I can now confirm those same files are indeed in my doc and windows folders.

And congrats on your mem upgrade!

__________________
-stronggeek

If you ain't livin on the edge... then you're takin up too much space!

imported_jb2001

Originally Posted by swhoutx035

[size=1]"A 4700 cannot use PIToMem or the tweaks to move PI to a storage card. It is not possible. This is simply because PI 5.04 is in ROM and being in ROM it means the only way to overwrite it is to overwrite newer files into the same place. Which means into \WINDOWS. Which is real RAM. [i][size=1]The problem is that if you install PI to a storage card, then you have TWO copies of the software installed, and there is no technical way to tell the OS to ignore the version in ROM and use the version in storage card. I wish there was [img]]

I read somewhere in these forums that the upgrade even when installed in the ROM didn't overwrite the original version?? is this correct. The way i read PI's response to swhoutx035 contradicts this..

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swhoutx035

Originally Posted by jb2001

I read somewhere in these forums that the upgrade even when installed in the ROM didn't overwrite the original version?? is this correct. The way i read PI's response to swhoutx035 contradicts this..

Hi jb2001. You are correct. The upgrade does not install on top of the original ROM version. BUT, when the upgrade is installed it overwrites the PI application launch icons with icons that have links to the upgraded application files which are installed to main memory in the directories I listed. If you do a hard reset, the original icons are restored and point back to the old version in ROM.