Re: Smoothwall booting on CompactFlash ram drive

John Shane wrote, On 21/09/2004 18:29:
>>Glenn Bamrud wrote, On 20/09/2004 22:21:
>>
>>
>>>I'd like to eliminate the dependency of magnetic media for my
>>>Smoothwall. Anyone with a successful smoothwall GPL config running
>>>on a CompactFlash RAM drive? Any hardware recommendations for this
>>>config? _______________________________________________

>>I've been using mine for just coming up for two years - 256MB CF, AMD 
>>K6-166, 32MB RAM, Alcatel Speedtouch USB.
>>
>>Mike
>>_______________________________________________
> 

> 
> Mike, how about posting a description of how you set it up?  John
> 
> .
> 
OK.  Here goes...

Actually, apart from a problem with the CF to IDE adaptor it was all 
very easy.

Connect the Compact Flash device via a CF to IDE adaptor in place of the 
primary hard disk.  Set the CF to master.  Note that it's important for 
the disk (CF or otherwise) to be set as primary master.  Then install 
the Smoothwall software just as you would with a standard hard disk.

The problem with the CF-IDE adaptor was that the one I have (type V1 
from http://linitx.com/index.php?cPath=39) seems to expect that the line 
used for master/slave selection will be pulled high at the other end of 
the cable.  When low the CF operates as slave.  With my motherboard (or 
is it the cable) that line is floating.  When I first started using the 
CF, Smoothwall would operate with the disk set to primary slave. 
However one of the updates stopped that so I needed a fix.  I suspect 
it's a Linux kernel update rather than a Smoothwall update that's 
stopped primary slave working.  The solution I found was to add a 
pull-up resistor on the relevant line, then everything worked just fine.

I've done a little more research recently.  Maybe the problem is a known 
difficulty with cable select for disk drives - see 
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/if/ide/confCS-c.html.  If so, then the 
problem should be solved by using an 80-conductor cable.

The main point to be aware of is that flash memory can only handle so 
many write cycles before it gives up.  I'm not using the Web Proxy which 
would otherwise do a lot of writing to the CF.

One other related thought.  There are occasionally various discussions 
on the spec of the processor needed to run Smoothwall.  In my case I'm 
not using the web proxy and I'm not using a VPN.  As a result the system 
is doing so little work that the processor (AMD K6-166) hardly gets 
warm.  In fact I've been running the processor for two years with only a 
passive heat sink after the fan gave up and I removed it.  The only 
noise generator left is the fan in the power supply.

Mike
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