When I format any SD card into a Pandora SD card , it always has 2gb

[KeklysKekware]

HELLLLP

 

[FBnil]

https://pandorawiki.org/User_manual

Read "Download the codec pack"

https://pandorawiki.org/Ångström#Community_Codec_Package_-_for_Pandora_OS.2C_Release_2010-05


Patnik also has some info

make certain that your OpenPandora has the CodecPack installed, which also adds support for extra large cards and NTFS filesystem among other things. The CodecPack must be installed whenever one gets a new OpenPandora unit ( the CodecPack is not installed from factory by default for licensing reasons ) or when one reflashes his/her OpenPandora unit firmware. The CodecPack.pnd can be downloaded from the software Repo linked via the Firmware page

edit: wasn't it xFat support that was not installed by default? ah well..


https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/threads/problem-with-sd-card.69274/#entry204656


And then use this to format it (GUI is easiest. If you want commandline parameters I can help too):

http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=gparted-gparted

 

[KeklysKekware]

Baby steps

 

[benoitb]

Don't know how you are formatting, but try FBnil's suggestion of using gparted.

 

[elw3]

Still wondering: WTF is a Pandora SD card? The pandora uses the same cards as any other device.

 

[kuru]

The Zenity window for "Create Pandora SD Card" reads:
"This ultility creates the needed Pandora directories on your CD Card. You can also use it to format your SD card."

Ah. The pleasure of reading up on things.

 

[FBnil]

Baby steps

Ok.

So, a "Pandora SD card" is nothing more than a normal SD card with 5 directories:

pandora\appdata\
pandora\apps\
pandora\desktop\
pandora\menu\

with a README.txt that says:

Place all PNDs that should appear in the menu into the menu-subfolder.
Place all PNDs that should appear on the desktop in the desktop-subfolder.
Place all PNDs that should appear both on the desktop AND in the menu into the apps-subfolder.

PNDs will save their configuration into the appdata-subfolder.

Some cards are formatted exFat, and can not be read by the openPandora without the "codec pack". Most cards are formatted NTFS, however, due to this being a Linux machine, some applications get confused with that filesystem, but most just work (and you can always put the SD card back into a windows machine and manage your files).

So... you can format the SD card on Windows using NTFS as the format, then create those directories mentioned and you have a working card, where you can download PND's to...
Once you put the SD card into the Pandora it will autodetect PND's and fill the menu with them....
personally I always use the desktop to put some preferred applications... for example, the emulator/game I am using/playing... but I have much more apps than I can display on screen... so most are in the menus

Things that can go wrong:

• pandora/* directories do not give your user access (for example, because they are created under "Administrator" or "root")...
• You formatted the card in old FAT (not exFat)... which has size limitations ...FAT16 partition size at 2 GiB for sector size 512....

So, in order to break the chicken-egg problem, use a new card (those are already formatted)... and create your directories manually (using thunar or the "explorer")... and download a PND and put it in one of those directories.
You can use your current card to download and put gparted on it to format a new card.

If you do not mind breaking compatibility with Windows, you can use Unix formats like ext2 (ext3 has journalling and will lower the lifespan of your card, however, it is harder to corrupt the card...). For now, stick to NTFS or FAT32.


TIPS

The "Panasonic SD format utility" (for Windows) has been reported to work well, as it did with me also. Mind you, I chose quick format only, not a full format, and selected FAT32.

Panasonic has it here on their site.

source: https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/threads/format-sd-cards-to-fat32-or-ntfs.59864/

 

[KeklysKekware]

so Im using ext2 , it works so ye

 

[Letalis Sonus]

Most cards are formatted NTFS

You'll never see any card that was pre-formatted or device auto-formatted with NTFS, the pre-exFAT/pre-SDXC standard is FAT32, which is perfectly supported by pretty much everything.

NTFS works pretty well, FAT32 is the problematic one for having a max file size of only 4GB and not supporting any sophisticated filesystem features - no symlinks, no ownership information, no access rights...

 

[levi]

so Im using ext2 , it works so ye

Yeah, I use ext4 for most of my cards and filesystems these days. The only exception is a memory stick I use for transferring files between windows machines (not my own) and my Pandora, and that's probably still formatted to FAT32. Getting windows to read ext-formatted filesystems can be a bit tricky apparently.