> Do you need a flash programmer or can you program from the IDE interface? I > assumed you could program from IDE and only needed a programmer if you needed > to use them externally. I just ordered two IDE adapters from PC Engines and > some 32 meg CF for $15 each I found on pricewatch.com. I passed on the USB > programmer because I didn't think I'ld need it. I was going to set up one in > a box with a harddrive to copy files over the the other in a diskless box.
This will work, the only problem with using the IDE -> CF adapter is since it is connected to IDE, you need to shutdown the computer before inserting/removing the CF card. In this case it's not even really 'programming' as such, you just treat it EXACTLY like an IDE disk (partitioning, formatting, mounting, etc). As for 'flash programmer' - the other way to write the CF is more of a 'flash reader' - in this case the Linux drivers treat the CF as a removable SCSI disk, but otherwise it's the same as with the IDE. The advantage is you can remove and insert it without shutting down your development machine. If you go through the power up/down cycle enough when writing the flash with IDE, you'll see why this is a huge advantage. Anyway, if you do go with a flash reader, I recommend the Sandisk ImageMate USB (SDDR-31). Some of the other ones out there aren't supported in Linux yet... -Jake
