Need a little help/advice before adding 2nd HD to Dtivo

[Toaster]

I have a Hughes GXCEBOT with Superzaps 2.5.2 xtreme os running. It has the "standard?" single 40gb Quantum. Now I want to add a second HD... But have a few specific questions I could really use answers too first. (BTW: I want to leave the original 40gb as drive A, and just add the second larger drive simply for more storage)

I can get a 160gb maxtor 8mb/7200rpm ($120-$40rebate=$80) or a 80gb WD 8mb/7200rpm ($80-$30rebate=$50)... From what I understand I will be unable to use the full 160gb? As its limited to 137gb - Right?

Does the brand matter? (maxtor/western digital/ibm)

Will I loose any of the shows, or season passes I already have setup by adding the second drive?

Thanks
-Toaster

[captain_video]

You can add the 2nd drive without affecting your recorded shows. If you add the 160GB drive you will only get 137GB of additional storage as you indicated. You will need to increase the size of your swap file if you add the 160GB drive since your total drive capacity will then exceed 140GB. I would recommend copying the contents of your existing drive to the new 160GB drive as follows:

mfsbackup -Tao - /dev/hdc | mfsrestore -s 127 -xzpi - /dev/hda

This assumes you have the existing Tivo drive as secondary master and the new drive as primary master. This method preserves your recordings and increases the swap file to the necessary size. Now you can either add the original drive back into the mix as the new B drive or set it aside as a backup. If you decide to use the drive as a B drive then I would also suggest that you make a backup of it before setting it up as the B drive. Refer to Hinsdale's How To for making a backup of the Tivo drive.

I would recommend installing the new drive in the Tivo at this point to test it and make sure everything is working OK and you can access all your recordings. If everything looks OK, return the new Tivo drive to your PC as secondary master and configure the original drive as primary slave. Now add the original drive as the new B drive:

mfsadd -x /dev/hdc /dev/hdb

This only takes a few seconds and its done. Now return both drives to your Tivo, making sure the A drive is jumpered as master and the B drive is jumpered as slave.

[Toaster]

Thank you captain! For your clear and well understood reply. ;)

Now, Can I assume if I decide to upgrade to the 80gb drive, at which point the total in the Dtivo would be <140gb (120gb actually) I would only have to do the following

Originally posted by Captian Video on another thread
If it's a single drive, all you have to do is use the command

mfsadd -x /dev/hdc /dev/hdb

to add a 2nd drive. This assumes that you have the A drive configured as secondary master and the B drive as primary slave.

Can I further assume this would be the case if I added a second drive of less than 100gb capacity, since my total would still be less than 140gb, as I have a factory installed 40gb main A drive currently.

[arthur]

Captain, i have a question if you don't mind.

I originally had 40 + 60 GB drives with Tivo 2.5
and I upgraded to
40 + 120 GB Tivo Ver 2.5.2
I don't recall if I increased the swap space or not.
And I've been having lots of pixelization problems and am wondering if I made the mistake of not paying attention to the swap.

So my question is the following.
1- Is there a way to know if I have the correct swap or not.
2- And if I don't have the correct size, what is the easiest way to add to the swap?, do I need to backup and then restore with -s 127 flag, or can I add to it, through bash?

Thaks in advance.

[Blademan007]

Originally posted by arthur
So my question is the following.
1- Is there a way to know if I have the correct swap or not.
2- And if I don't have the correct size, what is the easiest way to add to the swap?, do I need to backup and then restore with -s 127 flag, or can I add to it, through bash? 1- Unless you backed-up and then restored, you don't have the swap for large drives (captain_video feel free to correct me :) )
2 - Backup and then restore, using the -s 127 flag mentioned on the
Hinsdale-How-To (http://www.newreleasesvideo.com/hinsdale-how-to/index9.html)

[arthur]

Thanks a lot, that's what I was afraid of.

[Blademan007]

Originally posted by arthur
that's what I was afraid of. Don't worry about, eventually you will do something bad enough that you'll have to restore. You are browsing this forum, right?:)

[Toaster]

Originally posted by captain_video
If you add the 160GB drive you will only get 137GB of additional storage as you indicated.

Whats you guy's opinion of the LBA48 kernel hack, which allows the tivo to see all 160gb of the drive?

I read about it at http://www.dasmonkey.net/lba48.html

Is it safe, compatible with 2.5.2, etc...???