Memorex 4GB Media Player MMP8585C

English Multimedia
#1

I just bought this from Woot! It was cheap and I knew what I was getting into. Now I need to figure out how to get this to work in Suse 11.1 It seems to pick it up as sdh if I reboot while it is plugged in. But I am unsure what I can use to sync it. I never owned a media player like this, not even an Ipod. Took me awhile as well to go from cassettes to CD’s, lol. But now I have this I want to get it to work, no matter what I need to do (except reinstalling Windows.)

It uses MyDJ. I am wondering if I should even try getting that to work with wine, would it work with Virtual Box or should I just focus getting it to work with Suse.

    * Built-in 4GB flash memory
    * 2000 songs at 64kbps for over 128 hours of WMA music
    * 1000 songs at 128kbps for over 64 hours of MP3 music
    * MP3, WMA, WMA-DRM (WMA protected files), MPEG-4, and JPEG file playback
    * 1.5 inch OLED color screen with image viewer
    * Rechargeable lithium-polymer battery
    * Up to 20 hours of audio playback (up to 2 hours of video playback)
    * Equalizer with 5 presets and custom EQ
    * Mass storage compliance with Plug-n-play function
    * Downloadable PC software enables transcoding of most video formats to MPEG-4
    * Supports most subscription music providers
    * Upgradeable firmware

Memorex MMP8585C: Memorex 4GB Media Player Price, Specs and Features | MP3 Players

#2

Until I get this worked out I just got rid of PC-BSD and installed XP. So much for being MS free. I am going to check out other distro’s and see if they have something pre-installed, then see if I can get the same thing installed on Suse. Searching is bringing up nothing concerning this.

#3

In my limited experience these devices are not linux friendly. But usually will work after a fashion. If you can use it as a storage device and add and remove music in a file manager that may work.
It may work in a Virtual Box XP, but it would need to be the Sun version and have usb working. Or try amarok 1.4

#4

No go with Amarok 1.4.

As I said it was cheap, so I don’t expect a lot. For example the video, not really an option. I would need a magnifying glass to watch anything. Pictures, good to look at them as thumbnails and view them on another computer, but hard to make out anything with the player because of the size. The mp3 player part works fine, wish it would support ogg, but…

Suse does pick it up as sdh. Problem is there’s nothing there. When I plug it in booted in XP I open the media player file icon (under my computer) and then there is another folder I have to click on. That gives me the contents. But I can’t get that with Suse, or any distro (I made sure to have the show hidden files box checked.) Wish I could just get rid of the default set up and install something that would be compatible with Linux.

I will give the Virtual Machine a try. Be nice not having to reboot every time I want to change or add songs.

#5

If openSUSE detects it as “sdh” then its possible you will be able to manually mount it and access it along the lines suggested by caf4926.

With it not plugged in type:
df -Th
su -c ‘fdisk -l’
and then with it plugged in type
df -Th
su -c ‘fdisk -l’
and report on the differences between the two cases (plugged in and not plugged in).

#6

If the device is accessible as an “external storage” device, then you need be careful as to its file format. If it is formatted in NTFS format, then its important it is unmounted properly under Windows, else Linux could have the symptoms you describe when trying to read the contents.

#7

I need to reboot the computer while it is plugged in for it to register. If I just plug it in like I would a flash drive, it doesn’t show up, anywhere. Not in cfdisk, gparted, etc.

As soon as I get done with something I am doing I will reboot it and do the second part of the above.

Edit: This is what it says before I plug it in AND after I plug it in, without rebooting.

> df -Th                                     
Filesystem    Type    Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on              
/dev/sda3     ext3     99G   18G   76G  19% /                       
udev         tmpfs    2.0G  172K  2.0G   1% /dev                    
/dev/sda2     ext3    487M   37M  425M   8% /boot
/dev/sda4     ext3    190G   44G  137G  24% /home
/dev/sdb2     ext2    294G  108G  171G  39% /mount/backup



> su -c 'fdisk -l'
Password:

Disk /dev/sda: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x5be9a6a5

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1         653     5245191   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda2   *         654         717      514080   83  Linux
/dev/sda3             718       13772   104864287+  83  Linux
/dev/sda4           13773       38913   201945082+  83  Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x08000000

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb2               1       38913   312568641   83  Linux

Disk /dev/sdc: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x8f800000

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdc1   *           1        2607    20940696    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdc2            2608       19457   135347625    b  W95 FAT32
#8

I rebooted and I am getting the same thing as above. Now it isn’t even showing up as SDH.

It probably didn’t unmount the right way in XP, as you warned.

I don’t suppose there is a way I can just reinstall a Linux alternative on this media player? If it is even possible I am guessing it would be tricky, tricky as in making it unusable if things went wrong?

#9

Can you make it easier for me and explain what you posted?

Do you get the same with those commands BEFORE and AFTER?

If you believe they are different BEFORE and AFTER, then you need to label which is BEFORE and which is AFTER.

#10

Then please show the difference?

ie boot with it plugged in. Run the commands. Post the output. LABEL WHAT YOU ARE POSTING !!!

Then do the same with it not plugged in.

And ensure you remove it properly under MS-Windows ! (and under Linux, if seen)

#11

That is what I am saying. It is the same.

Before I rebooted, with it not plugged in I get this:

> su -c 'fdisk -l’
Password:

Disk /dev/sda: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x5be9a6a5

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 653 5245191 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda2 * 654 717 514080 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 718 13772 104864287+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda4 13773 38913 201945082+ 83 Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x08000000

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb2 1 38913 312568641 83 Linux

Disk /dev/sdc: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x8f800000

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 * 1 2607 20940696 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdc2 2608 19457 135347625 b W95 FAT32

After I plugged it in.

> su -c 'fdisk -l’
Password:

Disk /dev/sda: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x5be9a6a5

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 653 5245191 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda2 * 654 717 514080 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 718 13772 104864287+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda4 13773 38913 201945082+ 83 Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x08000000

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb2 1 38913 312568641 83 Linux

Disk /dev/sdc: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x8f800000

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 * 1 2607 20940696 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdc2 2608 19457 135347625 b W95 FAT32

And after I rebooted with it plugged in at start up/boot it didn’t make a difference to the above output.

As soon as I can boot into XP I will take care of the media player so it unmounts the correct way and then run it again.

#12

I am doing a few things at once at the moment. I ended up editing the above reply a few times.

#13

I am seeing from some research that this problem, it showing up and not showing up, has happened to others as well and they where using MS Windows.

#14

I have this player here which has very similar capabilities to your Memorex Buy PROLINE NK01 4GB | 4gb mp3 player - Specification | Comet The Proline player is a household brand of Kesa Electricals but in reality is actually a re-branded TEAC which as we all know, TEAC is an expert and high-quality Audio equipment maker - no wonder I was surprised by the quality of the Proline for such a low price :wink:

I have two HDs on my system (sda and sdb) and an entry for a third HD (sdc) in fstab that looks like this

/dev/sdc1            /media/data2         auto       noauto,users,noatime   1 2

Since sdc1 can have any file system as I have different disks with different file systems, I set “auto” which will virtually always guess the correct file system on sdc1. “noauto” I set because sdc is not always plugged in thus when it’s not, noauto will prevent it from trying to mount at boot something that isn’t there. users is a flag that allows any user on your system to mount the partition. noatime disabled timestamp updates on files which can speed up a file system by ~25%

My Proline when connected to a USB port, reports itself as mass storage device and a second after connection, I get a notification from KDE4’s device notifier that a new device is present (my player). I open up Dolphin and there’s already a device entry for my Proline as Dolphin gets it from /etc/fstab. All I need to do is click on it to mount and I have all its contents. When I’m done copying something to it, I right click on the device icon in Dolphin to “Safely unmount it” and I’m done :wink:

So you may need to add an entry to your fstab for it.

PS: all portable flash players come with FAT32 (some FAT16) file systems. There’s not one of them that comes as NTFS formatted

#15

IMHO this behaviour that you are reporting is inconsistent:

ie inconsistent with this

If it was picked up as ‘sdh’ then it should show up in the fdisk and there would be a difference.

#16

Which is why I did some research and posted above about others having this same issue. It showing up and not showing up on MS Windows. Part of the problem may have to do with the mdeia player itself.

#17

The first time I tried that it didn’t work. I added the above, replacing sdc1 with sdh1 and rebooted directly into Suse with the media player already plugged in.

After that I booted into XP and did/wrote down what the following:

*I plugged it in and then booted into XP. Now it comes up as a removeable disk and not a media player, this is different then plugging it in after I booted into Windows, it shows up as a media player then.

Automatically fix file system errors

Scan and attempt recovery of bad sectors

Everything is fine

I ejected it and then it showed up as a media player.

When it does that there is no option to eject (dismount)*

After that I booted into Suse and SDH is showing up again, but no files. This is what I get:

This doesn't look like a partition table
Probably you selected the wrong device.

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdh1   ?           1           1           0    0  Empty
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.

Edit: Also when I unplug the media player SDH no longer shows up anywhere. So it is picking the right one up.

I am going to try Puppy Linux just to see what happens with it there. Puppy Linux has been pretty good at picking up even bad flash drives. I might get lucky with this one.

#18

Have you tried going back to XP and seeing if it is recognised? I got a cheap player by Intenso and the file system got corrupted. After formatting it as fat32 it works fine.
As long as you are getting the setup menus when youswitch it on, formatting it will only loose the music that’s on it and it should work after that.

#19

Ok I tried it in Puppy Linux. It shows up as SDH.

I ran cfdisk /dev/sdh


Name    Flags   Part Type   Fs type    label   size (Mb)
                Pri/Log     Free Space         4031.49

Gparted tells me it is unallocated 3.75 GiB

I booted back into Suse and now SDH is not showing up at all.

Whych, I am going to give that a try now.

#20

I think Puppy is telling the truth - it needs to be formatted.
Also, there is a firmware update for it:
http://www.memorex.com/support/support_product_detail.php?scc=1&fid=50108&pid=50642&cid=56
You will need windows to install it.