help request with my RiscPC

Hi, I’m requesting help with my riscPC, because I’m totally unexperimented with this machine, I lack the basic knowledge to understand my problem. Here is my actual situation : I have a nice RiscPC with a StrongARM 200 Mhz. In there is a CD-rom device and a IDE drive with RiscOS 6 installed. I managed to pass the RiscOS 6 archive that I bought on a CD and install it on my machine. Then, I bought a 4D-IDE16 (4D) IDE Interface Podule (IDEFS/ZIDEFS) 16bit A310, because I wanted a faster IDE, and wanted to be able to use a SD card instead a real hard disk.

I was told by the seller that I have to type F12 under my working system and type “*Configure FileSystem ZIDEFS”.

Now that I did that, my system don’t boot anymore, nor on the internal IDE nor on the IDE interface podule. I double checked the connections, nothing work.
Now, when I boot on the internal IDE, I have this error message : "Machine startup has not completed successfully: “route: socket: Unknow error: 134787”. When I boot on the IDE podule, I have another error message :“Machine startup has not completed successfully: disk drive not know”.
I’m totally new to the riscPC world, therefore I’m now totally lost. Can you help me ?
Tnanks :-)

Do you see a ZIDEFS drive icon(s) on the iconbar?
If not, is the podule recognised when you press F12 and type *Podules?

thanks for your reply.
When I boot with the disc on the podule, after a while I reach the desktop. There is no ZIDEFS drive icon on the iconbar. When I type Podules under F12, I have a IDE interface listed on expansion card 1.

Edit:
I find out that when I press “DEL” at startup, then my parameters are reseted, and if I plug the hard disk on the internal IDE plug, I can boot the system. But I’ still unable to use my disk on the IDE podule. I think that doing the command “Configure FileSystem ZIDEFS” isn’t enough to make my drive working on the IDE podule. There was no documentation with the podule, I don’t know if I have to use one of the 2 jumper present, or if I have to do something else. My goal is to move the hard drive that boot now on the internal IDE on the IDE podule. Can someone explain me what I have to do in order to achieve that ?
Thanks a lot :-)

I found some info to a similar podule that uses ZIDEFS on the CJE site.

There is a link to a User Guide that includes some ZIDEFS configuration notes.

It looks to be necessary to set the number of IDE drives and it may be necessary to configure a start up drive number.

*help zidefs should show the commands available.

Otherwise try the retro stardot site, google found some entries there.

this is indeed the ZIDEFS podule sold by CJE that I have, I bought them this card. I tried to read this file, but it’s is simply too complex for someone like me that have no idea at all how IDE interface in a RiscPC work. I don’t even understand if I can simply plug my actual disk on the new interface or if it as to be reformated to work there.

A ready-formatted drive will work on the interface, it doesn’t need to be reformatted.
The SD Card you’re using, did you purchase that with the ZIDEFS interface?
You’ll need to press F12 and type
*configure ZIDEFSDiscs 1
*Configure ZIDEFSDrives 1
Then shut down, switch off and back on again.
If you’re using your own SD Card, you’ll need to format it using the HForm supplied to you (or in the zipfile linked above by David). The default values offered by HForm are generally ok to use.

*Configure ZIDEFSDrives 1

Should that not be in the singular?

*Configure ZIDEFSDrive X' (where X is the number of your boot drive).

How are you connecting an SD card to an IDE interface?

I thought the “usual” in this sort of situation was a CF card?

no, I bought only the podule adapter. Right now i’m not trying to use a SD card, I plugged the IDE hard disk that work now on the internal IDE interface on the podule. I will try your commands, they are not the same has CJE gave me.
EDIT
Well, now when I go under F12 and try to type “Configure ZIDEFS discs 1” i got a “configure option not recognised” as answer. Even the old command “Configure filesystem ZIDEFS” give the same answer.

Where are those commands stored ? They are in the IDE podule ?

Sorry, I understand nothing about this logic, I’m an Amiga guy, and the way it work on Amiga is pretty different….

EDIT 2
Ok looks like the jumper on the IDE podule de-activate thoses commands. I tried them, just to be sure that it is not needed to be able to boot. Without any documentation comming with the board, it’s difficult. Now I have the commands back.

@ rick Murray
Right now, I’m only trying to boot on the regular IDE hard disk, but on the IDE podule instead the internal IDE.

Should that not be in the singular?
*Configure ZIDEFSDrive X’ (where X is the number of your boot drive).

Depends what you’re trying to configure – ZIDEFSDrives is how many partitions you have on the disc, ZIDEFSDrive is the default boot drive

A ready-formatted drive will work on the interface, it doesn’t need to be reformatted.

Sure about that? ZIDEFS supports partitioning, can one just switch drives from one interface to another?

*Configure ZIDEFSDrive X’ (where X is the number of your boot drive).

Which for historical reasons is usually 4 on the older machines.

Where are those commands stored ? They are in the IDE podule ?

Entering *Help ZIDEFS ought to tell you the available commands and configuration options.

no, I bought only the podule adapter. Right now i’m not trying to use a SD card, I plugged the IDE hard disk that work now on the internal IDE interface on the podule. I will try your commands, they are not the same has CJE gave me.
EDIT
Well, now when I go under F12 and try to type “Configure ZIDEFS discs 1” i got a “configure option not recognised” as answer. Even the old command “Configure filesystem ZIDEFS” give the same answer.
Where are those commands stored ? They are in the IDE podule ?

Well, if the email from CJE was signed Andrew, then it was me who emailed you. I am trying to offer support in my own time at home and from memory though, so there’s a possibility I made a mistake above.

Does *Podules show the interface still?

Configure ZIDEFS discs 1

Note that there shouldn’t be a space between ZIDEFS and Discs

Ok, I tried with those commands :
*configure ZIDEFSDiscs 1
*Configure ZIDEFSDrives 1
this changed a little bit, now the computer begin to boot on the hard disk, but there is a error message.
https://imgur.com/k0OgEVD

What is this now ?

Sure about that? ZIDEFS supports partitioning, can one just switch drives from one interface to another?

Yes, so long as the drive has only one partition.

Ok, I tried with those commands :
*configure ZIDEFSDiscs 1
*Configure ZIDEFSDrives 1
this changed a little bit, now the computer begin to boot on the hard disk, but there is a error message.
https://imgur.com/k0OgEVD
What is this now ?

That looks like a network configuration issue, nothing to do with the ZIDEFS interface, I don’t think.

@ Andrew
Ha, yes, then it was you :-) In your mail, you told me "To configure the computer to boot from ZIDEFS, press F12 and type:

*Configure FileSystem ZIDEFS".
Not a problem :-) I only try to learn how it is working, and how I can make my system boot. I apreciate your help !
So, I sum up : I have only one partition on the drive
the drive is a regular IDE drive, not a SD or a CF
the drive boot fine on the internal IDE
the drive now beggin to boot on the podule interface since I typed those boths commands:
*configure ZIDEFSDiscs 1
*Configure ZIDEFSDrives 1
*Configure FileSystem ZIDEFS

but the boot hang now on this message
https://imgur.com/k0OgEVD
What did I do wrong?

Ok, if the system starts to boot from the drive attached to the ZIDEFS interface, then we’ve established that the configure commands above were correct.

The error message in the screenshot, "Machine startup has not completed successfully: ‘Route: socket: Unknown error: 134787’ sounds to me like a network configuration problem. Oddly, we have seen some SD-IDE adaptors cause weird problems with network interfaces, so it is possible that your SD-IDE adaptor is clashing with your network card!

but I don’t use a SD to ide inteface, I’m using a hard disc, a true one :-)

but I don’t use a SD to ide inteface, I’m using a hard disc, a true one :-)

Oops, sorry, it’s late at night for thinking straight!

In that case, I’m not sure what the problem is. When you boot from the regular IDE interface, did you have the ZIDEFS interface plugged in? Just to check that there’s not some odd hardware clash.

I suggest that this rather abstruse (is that a word?) theme is interesting, perhaps its content might be better taken to e-mail, and its ultimate solution summarised here when resolved?

It seems to be more complex that it originally seemed.

now I’m booting on the podule IDE device. Should I come back to the internal IDE with holding DEL at startup ?

@ John Williams
Ok, no problem
@ Andrew
I just send you a mail with a sumarize of my problem, we can check that latter, when you have time /at work, I don’t want to consume your week-end with that :-)
Tnanks a lot everybody for your help.

Email support will have to wait until I’m back in work on Tuesday I’m afraid.
A delete power-on will reset all the CMOS settings, including the filesystem, which will be reset back to ADFS, yes. It’s a bit of a drastic solution though, just type *configure filesystem adfs to go back to the regular IDE interface. There might be a pause while the ZIDEFS interface looks for a missing drive though.