You must specify a filesystem type

[Bitswap]

When mounting a pc-connected tivo drive and we get an error stating "you must specify a filesystem type" what do we use for mount's -t parameter?

Searching these forums has only resulted in many questions but no answers.

[Gunnyman]

it would help to know what kind of tivo you are dealing with and what your mount command is.

[Narf54321]

Assuming you're using a linux distro (Since that looks like a linux mout complaint) you need a couple of things...

You need something like the new tivopart with the 'r' option so a typical linux can make sense of the wierd partition map.

You can only "mount" the two root ext2 partitions, and the ext2 /var partition.

[ocntscha]

When mounting a pc-connected tivo drive and we get an error stating "you must specify a filesystem type" what do we use for mount's -t parameter?

We don't use the -t parameter. For the partitions we tell it to mount (4,7, or 9) it can figure out the file system type all by itself.

[ScanMan]

You might just want to get a new boot cd like the free one from ptvupgrade.com...

[PlainBill]

It should not be necessary to use the -t switch. There are several reasons for this message.

1. You are trying to mount an unformatted partition. Only partitions 4, 7, and 9 are ever mountable. Under some circumstances either 4 or 7 may be unmountable.

2. If you are using a standard Linux distro which does not recognise TiVo partitions you must run tivopart before mounting a partition.

3. Byteswapping issues will cause this error.

4. Trying to mount a non-existing partition has been known to cause this message.

In short, tell us what you are trying to do and we will be able to give you a better answer. Is it a drive from a Series 1 or a Series 2 system? Are you running a standard Linux distro or did you boot from a tools cd? If a cd, which one? Which partition are you trying to mount? What is the result of pdisk -l /dev/hdX where X is the drive position?

PlainBill

[eastwind]

5. Trying to mount a drive instead of a partition.

ew

[1dave1]

DSR6000 V 3.1.0
I have ran into the same thing.

I was was fixing a typo in the root command (upgradesoftware=false)

I rebooted then only got the "Welcome powering up" screen.

I pulled the drives, place in a computer, booted with mfstools disk, but was UNABLE to mount the drives (hdC & hdB) I got the message "must specify file system"

I scrolled back thru the startup of the boot cd and found this:

"Signature 1492 be16 Signature 9214
03:40 block 0 has signature 9214 rather than 1492
partition table unknown" 

The SAME message was after hdC & hdb

I tried

pdisk -l /dev/hdc   &  /hdb
Responce: No valid block 1 on /dev/hdc
              No valid block 1 on /dev/hdb 

Is there a way to repair the partitions?
I doubt theres serious damage, isnt there backups for reduncy created on these drives to overcome errors?

I am not up on linux but slowly getting the hang of it.

I hate to loose the shows on these drive I finally managed to get unscramble.o to work!

[PlainBill]

DSR6000 V 3.1.0
I have ran into the same thing.

I was was fixing a typo in the root command (upgradesoftware=false)

I rebooted then only got the "Welcome powering up" screen.

I pulled the drives, place in a computer, booted with mfstools disk, but was UNABLE to mount the drives (hdC & hdB) I got the message "must specify file system"

I scrolled back thru the startup of the boot cd and found this:

"Signature 1492 be16 Signature 9214
03:40 block 0 has signature 9214 rather than 1492
partition table unknown" 

The SAME message was after hdC & hdb

I tried

pdisk -l /dev/hdc   &  /hdb
Responce: No valid block 1 on /dev/hdc
              No valid block 1 on /dev/hdb 

Is there a way to repair the partitions?
I doubt theres serious damage, isnt there backups for reduncy created on these drives to overcome errors?

I am not up on linux but slowly getting the hang of it.

I hate to loose the shows on these drive I finally managed to get unscramble.o to work!

Two words: Byteswap issue.
Advice: You're using the wrong boot cd.

PlainBill

[Narf54321]

"Signature 1492 be16 Signature 9214
03:40 block 0 has signature 9214 rather than 1492
partition table unknown"

Looks like you managed to byte-swap your drives at some point. I suppose you could try MakeTivoBootable but I think the problem probably runs deeper than that if the drive is byte-swapped.

[PlainBill]

Looks like you managed to byte-swap your drives at some point. I suppose you could try MakeTivoBootable but I think the problem probably runs deeper than that if the drive is byte-swapped.

It's not a drive problem; more likely it's the boot cd he's using.

PlainBill

[1dave1]

Actually thats GOOD NEWS, I think! ?

I pulled ou another boot cd (Kazymyr's TiVo Boot CD) used it and then run pdisk -l /dev/hdc & hdb ALL directoriesand sizes show up PERFECTLY!

NOW the question is how to fix this byte-swap problem? I have se=tarted seaching but I havent found much that says how to correct it.

[PlainBill]

Actually thats GOOD NEWS, I think! ?

I pulled ou another boot cd (Kazymyr's TiVo Boot CD) used it and then run pdisk -l /dev/hdc & hdb ALL directoriesand sizes show up PERFECTLY!

NOW the question is how to fix this byte-swap problem? I have se=tarted seaching but I havent found much that says how to correct it.

You don't. Unless you made a serious mistake, the original drive is unchanged. Check your jumpers, power connectors, ribbon cable, etc.

PlainBill

[1dave1]

Well issue IS solved! I managed to find the correct boot cd to use. I totally forgot that S1 is swapped and S2 in NOT Swapped. Guess thats what happens when ya dont do this for awhile

Somewhere along the line the boot parm got messed up and the root= was missing from the boot line, corrected that, reinstalled the drives in the DTivo and wala Boot away!

thanks for the responces and for pointing in the right direction!

[PlainBill]

Well issue IS solved! I managed to find the correct boot cd to use. I totally forgot that S1 is swapped and S2 in NOT Swapped. Guess thats what happens when ya dont do this for awhile

Easily solved. Spend an hour or two a day answering questions here and you'll remember all of this.

Somewhere along the line the boot parm got messed up and the root= was missing from the boot line, corrected that, reinstalled the drives in the DTivo and wala Boot away!

Ah!!! The dreaded 'Failure of the component between the keyboard and chair' problem.

thanks for the responces and for pointing in the right direction!

De nada.

PlainBill