Mounted phone memory card shows incorrect disk size.

[Thomas Kaiser]

Johan Grönqvist wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> I have a phone (SonyEricsson K550i) with a 2 GiB memory card, and try to
> transmit files to the card by connecting the phone via USB and mounting
> the phone card as a USB disk.
> 
> My immediate problem is that copying to the memory card is unreliable.
> It has not destroyed data that was previously on the card, but the files
> I wish to copy do not always end up on the card.
> 
> After lots of problems I recreated the filesystem on the disk and
> created a partition of size 1.9 GiB. The size displayed by "df -h" is
> (after some copying) much larger than the actual size of the memory
> card. (Around 6 GiB.) The command "dmesg" shows some errors like this
> (lots of them)
> 
> [ 7788.752000] sdc: rw=0, want=3984117, limit=3984057
> [ 7788.752000] attempt to access beyond end of device
> [ 7788.752000] sdc: rw=0, want=3984118, limit=3984057
> [ 7788.752000] attempt to access beyond end of device
> [ 7788.752000] sdc: rw=0, want=3984119, limit=3984057
> [ 7788.756000] attempt to access beyond end of device
> [ 7788.756000] sdc: rw=0, want=3984058, limit=3984057
> [ 7788.756000] attempt to access beyond end of device
> [ 7788.756000] sdc: rw=0, want=3984059, limit=3984057
> [ 7788.756000] attempt to access beyond end of device
> [ 7788.756000] sdc: rw=0, want=3984060, limit=3984057
> [ 7788.756000] attempt to access beyond end of device
> [ 7788.756000] sdc: rw=0, want=3984061, limit=3984057
> 
> I interpret this by guessing that my computer believes the size is 6
> GiB, and tries to write to a position beyond the end of the real disk.
> To my astonishment, the transfer of files often (not always) works.
> 
> I do not know if the fact that I use FAT16 is a problem. I have one
> partition of size 1.9GiB. Wikipedia says there is a limit at 2 GiB in
> the filesystem FAT16, but I would have expected GParted to complain if I
> created an illegally large partition. The internal memory of the phone
> is accessible to me as a FAT16 partition, and I therefore chose FAT16
> for the memory card as well.
> 
> Any help appreciated.
> 
> 
> Thanks 
> 
> / johan
> 
> 

Hello johan

I think it is better to continue on the mail list. Some other people 
might be interested.

==== quote ====
tis 2007-05-08 klockan 20:20 +0200 skrev Thomas Kaiser:
 > >
 > > I would like to copy some SMS Messages from the phone, but I could not
 > > find them  :-(
 > >

I have found a package called wammu in ubuntu, and I think it claims an
ability to copy SMS messages from certain phones. I used it for the
contact list, and it seemed to work fine.

 >> > > Can you transfer files to the memory stick?
 > >
 > > I did not try. I only transfered photos from the cam to the PC, which
 > > worked without problems.
 > > I will try this evening or tomorrow to copy to the phone.
 > >

Ok.

Someone on the mailing list suggested trying FAT32 as a filesystem, and
I will try that later this week.

/ johan

==== end quote ====

I will look into wammu, thanks.

As far as I know FAT32 _is_ limited to 2 GiB, because of the file 
allocation table (32 Bytes?). So I assume that FAT16 can only address 
half or even less?

I guess FAT32 will solve your problem.

Thomas








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