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Why compacting on flash cards?


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Topic: Why compacting on flash cards?

wingdo
Member

Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Chicago, USA, Earth
Posts: 11

As a proud new owner of an 8MB HS Flash Springboard, I have been following the threads on the problems with compacting the cards. My flash comes with version 1.2 of File Mover.

I have been experimenting with what can and can not run on the flash card. But I notice when I move items back off of the flash and into RAM, the MB free on my module rises to correspond with the file size I have just moved off.

So the question is, if my "free" memory rises when files are moved off, what is the purpose of compacting? I understand what compacting does on flash cards so please don't explain that, but does File Mover report *available* Flash, or does it just add up all the file sizes on my flash and subtract that from the 7.8MB it reported when the card was new?

Thanks!

04-18-2001 02:44 PM

GSR13
Member

Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 708

As I understand it, this is the problem.

FileMover reports the correct amount of free memory, say 2.0MB. However, the 2.0MB may not be "together". So if you install data that needs the full 2.0MB FileMover has to Compact the Free space. This is where the problem comes in. It is kind of like a puzzle, you may have 500 pieces, but until you put all those pieces together in the correct order, you have no picture. Of course, I could have this all wrong, in which case, maybe someone else will help you.

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In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. JOHN 14:2

04-18-2001 03:14 PM

Fat_Man
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Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 384

I think GSR13 has it right, the compacting program that the FileMover uses is not a compression program more like a "defrag" program.

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Fat's

04-18-2001 03:23 PM

purplemd
Member

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Silicon Valley, California
Posts: 173

I "forced" my RAM module to compact yesterday. It worked!!

The key seems to be ensuring that you have at least twice size of the files being moved available on both the visor and the module.

04-18-2001 04:57 PM

wingdo
Member

Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Chicago, USA, Earth
Posts: 11

quote:
The key seems to be ensuring that you have at least twice size of the files being moved available on both the visor and the module.

Well with 8MB RAM and an 8MB flash, that means I need to have 4MB free on both. Which means I have to have no more than 8MB of data between the two, which in turn means I never needed to buy the flash card in the first place

04-18-2001 06:18 PM

bnystrom
Member

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Naperville, IL
Posts: 8

Off Topic

Fat Man,

That picture of the dog looking up at the hydrant sure puts a big grin on my face.

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Natara Software, Inc.

04-18-2001 06:20 PM

purplemd
Member

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Silicon Valley, California
Posts: 173

quote:
Originally posted by wingdo
Well with 8MB RAM and an 8MB flash, that means I need to have 4MB free on both. Which means I have to have no more than 8MB of data between the two, which in turn means I never needed to buy the flash card in the first place .

No...you just have to plan how you move files around. When I filled up my RAM module, I tried to put the largest files on first so that there wouldn't be any problems.

I still think that it shouldn't be too difficult for Handspring to address this. One simple way would be to allow compacting on-demand, so that it doesn't happen unexpectedly.

04-19-2001 12:15 AM