File transfer From USB To USB

Forum: USB booting
Topic: File transfer From USB To USB
started by: jaygeedsl

Posted by jaygeedsl on Feb. 15 2008,09:02

I'm running DSL-4.2.4 on a USB pendrive and can't work out how to transfer MP3 files from another USB pendrive to my DSL pendrive.

Any help would be appreciated.

Posted by Juanito on Feb. 15 2008,09:11

I'm not sure how your dsl pendrive is setup, but you need to make sure that the partition to which you want to copy the files is mounted - there are several ways to do this in dsl-4.x:

right-click on one of the icons near the top left and chose mount/your_device
start emelFM, navigate to /mnt right-click on your_device and chose mount
open a terminal window and type sudo mount -t vfat (for example) /dev/your_device /mnt/your_device

You can also do this for your other usb stick, navigate to the two sticks with emelFM and then use "copy"

Of course in dsl-4.x, there is also the drag n drop route...

Posted by jaygeedsl on Feb. 15 2008,17:47

Thanks for that.

I used emelFM to mount the other USB drive (sdc1), opened its "mymusic" folder and typed "cp *.mp3 /ramdisk/home/dsl/mymusic". Job done. Reminds me of my old DOS days.

Posted by jaygeedsl on Feb. 16 2008,08:34

Slightly off topic and probably self-evident but may be of use to another newbie: having found that transferring .mp3 files onto my DSL pendrive slowed down backup/loading appreciably I'm now using XMMS to play the files directly from the "music" pendrive instead.

Posted by mikshaw on Feb. 16 2008,11:17

Quote

typed "cp *.mp3 /ramdisk/home/dsl/mymusic".

Although it eventually winds up on the usb device, that command is not actually copying it there.

Quote

transferring .mp3 files onto my DSL pendrive slowed down backup/loading appreciably

The transfer was actually to /ramdisk/home/dsl/mymusic, which is in your home directory (in ram, not on the pen). The slowing of backup and restore is because these music files are being included in the backup every time you boot and shutdown. As Juanito said, you will need to mount the device and move the files out of your home directory and into /mnt/whatever

Posted by jaygeedsl on Feb. 16 2008,23:49

mikshaw

I thought I was making progress but your comments have sowed seeds of doubt in my mind.

I take the point that the contents of my home directory are included in the backup every time I boot and shutdown. So how else do I get the mp3 files from my music device to become resident on my DSl usb device and capable of being accessed when using xmms?

Posted by Juanito on Feb. 17 2008,03:40

Quote

So how else do I get the mp3 files from my music device to become resident on my DSl usb device and capable of being accessed when using xmms?

- it's as easy as creating a folder on your dsl device and copying the files to there:

Code Sample

$ sudo mkdir /mnt/sda1/music
$ sudo chown dsl /mnt/sda1/music
$ chgrp staff /mnt/sda1/music
$ cp /mnt/sdc1/music/* /mnt/sda1/music

assuming your dsl device is sda1 and your music files are on sdc1

Posted by jaygeedsl on Feb. 17 2008,11:46

Juanito

The code sample makes it very clear what's needed. Many thanks.

I'm still coming to terms with a key phrase in Ms Garrels' book - "everything in Linux is a file except when it's a process".

Posted by curaga on Feb. 17 2008,14:37

Oh, wait until you get to piping and plumbing with Mario :cool:

Just to confuse you even more, everything is a file, except when it's a process, pipes can be both unless they're named