A question to users of OI: do you use "storage" partition on your device, and do you dual-boot with the original firmware?

I'm going to implement some changes which will result in saving applications state when device is reflashed, but I don't want to keep the FAT filesystem a top of bare flash, as V3 designers decided to do, as this leads to quick wear-out of the flash.

In a nutshell, I'd like to create a jffs2 filesystem in place taken by LOGO, USERDATA and STORAGE volumes, which will result in 13MB (454MB for V3ext) filesystem available to store applications state, fonts, books and whatever else. This filesystem won't be touched on subsequent updates.

If you reflash back to original V3 firmware, you'll have to format the exported "disk" using your desktop.

There may be another incompatible change in future, when jekhor makes UBI work with V3, which will result in reverting to VFAT on top of UBI, which will prevent flash wearing and allow exporting FS as a disk though USB, but this depends on the jekhor's free time.

I keep my books on an SD card. That way I can try different software without the risk of losing anything. My original ROM is long gone!! I have an EZ Reader.

A question to users of OI: do you use "storage" partition on your device, and do you dual-boot with the original firmware?


I do not dual-boot with the original firmware, but I do store books on the device. In my case, I do not suppose it matters what the underlying file system is, since I just use OI's file copy facility to get books off the SD card. Wear leveling sounds like a really great idea!

Everyone has a SD-card (and anyway their cost for ten, twenty or even forty times more storage space than the internal storage is now very low), so I think you can do whatever you feel is right with the internal storage.

Sounds like a good plan. If you want anyone to beta test it with I'm willing to give it a try.

I keep my books on the SD card so trading the onboard storage for application space is an acceptable trade-off if it results in better performance and/or more features and flexibility. And maybe extra file format support? (please?)
I'm very impressed and pleased with the current version of OI, but I really really miss even the partial LIT support from the OEM firmware.

I'm very impressed and pleased with the current version of OI, but I really really miss even the partial LIT support from the OEM firmware. It would be possible to add DRM-free LIT support as a 2 stage process: a) clit.exe to explode to a OEB ebook (HTML, Images, and a .opf file) in its own directory, and b) open the OEB ebook using FBReader on the .opf file. This is the approach taken on the Iliad, although the iLiad's unique directory metadata make this a more natural approach than for OI.

The other approach is to convert from LIT to ePub or MOBI or OEB off-line. I use "ConvertLIT GUI" under Windows to create an OEB-ebook and then I ZIP it and rename to .oebzip. FBReader opens the OEBZIP file and treats it as an OEB ebook. An alternative, and probably now a better, approach is to use Calibre to convert from LIT to ePub. Then the result is readable under the standard firmware as well (and will be even more readable under the upcoming Jinke firmware with Adobe ePub support). Calibre's LIT to MOBI conversion is also very good.

Calibre's LIT to MOBI conversion is also very good.

Calibre actually *loves* LITS as inputs for conversion, whether to Mobi or epub. Fast and clean.

I'm aware of all the ways you can work around lack of native LIT support but I'd prefer not *needing* the work-around. One of the reasons I got my BeBook in the first place was the promised native LIT support. It lets me use the same file on my tablet PC, Dell Axim, and cell phone, as well as the reader.

Push comes to shove, if I *have* to go with converters, I might as well get a Kindle. :o

I use OI for all my reading and the SD card to store all my books. So go ahead and use the internal storage is my opinion.

I agree with the others. I don't ever use the internal storage and extending the life of the flash seems like an excelent idea.

That sounds like a good decision. The iRex DR1000, which I have, uses only the SD card for user data storage - the internal RAM and flash is used exclusively by the operating system.

I only put books on a dedicated SD card - allows using same card on different devices (usually Palm T3).

Original BeBook firmware long gone, after an initial trial dual booting. I'm not going back :-)

Happy with OI and any changes required to make it even better sound great.

Is wear leveling a real world problem for devices like the V3?

Is wear leveling a real world problem for devices like the V3?

Yes. FAT filesystems wear flash really quickly when placed on top of raw flash. Unfortunately, it's still the only one "sane" choice when used in conjunction with USB mass storage.

Fortunately, UBI will help us avoid quick wearing in future.

I only use an SD card as well, so I too think it's a good idea.

I prefer to keep the internal storage for my ebooks.
I am not sure if I will use OI if I have to keeps all my books on a SD card.

With the current 20090508 OI version I still have to reset my Bebook every 2 days.

I just managed to make my Bebook completely SD card independent.
Using the Windows driver and the WinSCP tool I changed the following:

- stored my fonts in usr/share/fonts

- stored my Coolreader settings in usr/share/crengine

- changed home/madshell/config for reader preferences
(default Coolreader for all formats except epub as Coolreader doesn't open all epub books, e.g. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes from manybooks.net)

- stored my dictionary files in new the directory sd/dict
made a link named sd in the media directory which points to root directory sd
Coolreader seems to have a hardcoded dictionary lookup on the sd directory.

Hopefully without SD card freezes will become less frequently.

I prefer to keep the internal storage for my ebooks.


How is this change going to keep you from doing that? The original post in this thread said "filesystem available to store applications state, fonts, books and whatever else". The file system just will no longer be FAT, the way I understood the proposal?

How is this change going to keep you from doing that? The original post in this thread said "filesystem available to store applications state, fonts, books and whatever else". The file system just will no longer be FAT, the way I understood the proposal?

My apologies, I have overlooked this.

If you reflash back to original V3 firmware, you'll have to format the exported "disk" using your desktop.

Will the "disk" show up on the desktop on a Windows XP computer in order to format back to FAT?

I am asking this because I have had the same problem as Soxendom reported (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47123).
I couldn't access my SD card nor internal storage anymore after installing the March OI firmware.

Will the "disk" show up on the desktop on a Windows XP computer in order to format back to FAT?


Yes, when you install original firmware back.