External Optical Drive?

AmigaOne X5000 platform specific issues.
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Paul Zager
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External Optical Drive?

Post by Paul Zager »

In anticipation of getting an X5000/40 when available, I'm looking into whether to do my own build or buy it pre-built from AOTL. I'm seeing more and more computer cases available without an internal optical drive bay. Could an external BD/CD/DVD drive hooking up via USB 2 work for booting, or does a bootable optical drive have to be hooked up to SATA?

Paul
Frankenthousand, the monster A1000
A1-XE G4, 2GB, 9250
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nbache
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Re: External Optical Drive?

Post by nbache »

I believe you should be able to use an external USB drive.

I remember doing that back when the Sam 460 was new, which was when the masstorage USB class had the ability added to mount AMIGA BOOT discs, so we could boot from them.

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Niels
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daveyw
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Re: External Optical Drive?

Post by daveyw »

I'm pretty sure that currently you can only boot AmigaOS from the motherboard SATA. Even if you have a SATA card, that's not bootable.

I believe that's a unique hardware scenario for the X5000, so the A1XE or the SAM may be able to do it, but the X5000 can't... yet.

I can't remember if it requires a uboot or driver update.
Roland
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Re: External Optical Drive?

Post by Roland »

daveyw wrote:I'm pretty sure that currently you can only boot AmigaOS from the motherboard SATA.
But X5000 can definitely boot from a USB stick. Why does it not work for an optical drive with USB connector?
Even if you have a SATA card, that's not bootable.
That is correct, and also for a SCSI card.
I believe that's a unique hardware scenario for the X5000, so the A1XE or the SAM may be able to do it, but the X5000 can't... yet.

I can't remember if it requires a uboot or driver update.
The simplest solution would be to have Kickstart on the Boot SD, so that the controller driver modules are loaded before any other disks need to be accessed. Tonyw told earlier this is possible, but not with high priority on their to-do list...
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amigasociety
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Re: External Optical Drive?

Post by amigasociety »

Paul, finding a external USB CD/DVD that actually works with the X5K is not easy. Took me 3 tries of various NEW USB drives to get 1 to work, and the one that works HAS TO BE connected to an external hub, in my case a HP Display that has a built in USB hub. Direct connect my USB DVD unit to the X5K and it fails to work. Go figure.

X5K is VERY picky on USB devices is my finding. My keyboard has to be connected to the lower motherboatd USB in order to work. Others it does odd things.

Anyway, I made a USB bootable USB Stick for my X5K as mine is in a Thermaltake View 71 case and it has NO DVD 5.25 slot.

I only use my USB DVD device to read in CDs to make MP3s or to install apps I have from CD.

LG Slim Portable DVD Writer is what I own. Model GP65NB60

Nice to have since I have no internal DVD but it is not running on all cylinders. Apps like Adripper seems to not see CD changes so I have to adjust my USB from 0, to 1 to 2 etc... to see more CDs.

Regards

TJ
Roland wrote:
daveyw wrote:I'm pretty sure that currently you can only boot AmigaOS from the motherboard SATA.
But X5000 can definitely boot from a USB stick. Why does it not work for an optical drive with USB connector?
Even if you have a SATA card, that's not bootable.
That is correct, and also for a SCSI card.
I believe that's a unique hardware scenario for the X5000, so the A1XE or the SAM may be able to do it, but the X5000 can't... yet.

I can't remember if it requires a uboot or driver update.
The simplest solution would be to have Kickstart on the Boot SD, so that the controller driver modules are loaded before any other disks need to be accessed. Tonyw told earlier this is possible, but not with high priority on their to-do list...
Happy owner of several Amiga systems including:

AmigaOne X5000
Amiga A1222 Tabor
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