Using MSMount with a Palm m500 or Palm m505
Using Palm m50X
Expansion Card > Using MSMount
MSMount will allow you to access data files (e.g., documents and databases)
stored on the card with applications that have not been modified to do so. For
example, TomeRaider and TealDoc do not yet allow a user to open documents that
are stored on a Secure Digital (SD) or MultiMedia Card (MMC). By using MSMount,
you can store a document on the card, open the related application and read the
file - the fact that the file is on the card is almost completely transparent.
It is also possible to run applications from the card by using MSMount, but I
would recommend against it (I and others have experienced instabilities and
strange behavior when attempting to do so). If you want to run applications from
the card, I recommend using PowerRUN for that purpose.
The instructions below will step through the process of setting up MSMount.
After the instructions, there are some important notes about problems that you
might experience.
Finally, to get the most use out of MSMount, you'll also want to install and
use McFile. MSMount involves placing documents into a directory (also known as a
folder) on your expansion card. If you use the Palm desktop Install tool, all
files installed to the card will be placed in the "\Palm\Launcher"
directory, and there is no way to move them to a new directory (or to create a
new directory, for that matter) using the software included in the Palm. McFile
will allow you to create folders and move files to them.�
Download
and install MSMount (the English version, assuming you don't speak
Japanese...). You will need to install MSMount.prc and MSDW.prc. After
installing, you may need to perform a soft reset.
Example
Task |
The task here will be to
set up a directory (\Palm\MSMount) as a "mounted" directory on
the Palm. Files placed into that directory (including two very large
TomeRaider databases - the Webster's Abridged Dictionary and the Compact
View of the Internet Movie Database, containing information on nearly
every movie since 1980) will then be visible from TomeRaider. |
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Step
1. MSMount "category" in Palm Preferences |
Unlike most Palm applications, installing MSMount will not create an icon for
itself in the launcher. Instead, you'll need to launch the Palm
"Preferences" applications (i.e., the place you go to reset your
digitizer, change the volume of alarms, etc.).
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Figure 1. MSMount screen. |
From within the Preferences application, tap on the category control at
the top right, and select MSMount. The screen to the left should appear.
- The "Mount Path" is the directory that MSMount will force
the Palm to treat as if it were RAM. Files placed there will be
visible to applications that would normally see them if they were
placed in RAM.
- The Settings button (described in more detail in a later section)
allows you to specify applications for which MSMount will be disabled.
This important because some applications (e.g., FireViewer) do not
work well with MSMount and may cause your Palm to crash.
- The two primary buttons are "Enable" and
"Disable." Tapping "Enable" causes the directory
specified in the "Mounted Path" field to be
"active." As described later on this page, I would recommend
leaving the state as Disabled until you need to access a file there.
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Step
2. Specify a Directory or "Path" |
The "/Palm/Launcher" directory is one that will exist on any SD or
MMC card that is inserted into an m500 or m505 (the OS creates it by default). I
would recommend against using that directory as the mounted one. Reserving the
"Launcher" directory for applications will have several beneficial
effects, mainly related to performance (the more things in that directory, the
slower your Palm may be) and stability. Instead, use McFile to create a
different directory under the Palm directory specifically reserved for files you
want to access through MSMount.
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Step
3. Enable MSMount |
The last step is to "Enable" MSMount. As stated above, I would
leave MSMount disabled except when you actually need to access the documents
within the directory. This does require an extra step whenever you want to view
those documents, but it may save you headaches in the long run.
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Figure 5. MSMount has beeen Enabled. |
Tapping the "Enable"
button makes the "Mount Path" directory read-only, hides the
"Settings" button and reveals two new settings:
- "Enable after soft reset" will cause MSMount to be
automatically re-enabled should you have to perform a soft reset. I
recommend that you leave this setting unchecked - if MSMount is what
caused you to perform the reset, you may be trapped in a reset
"loop."
- "Disable during HotSync" should be checked. This prevents
the Hotsync application from trying to backup your mounted directory
as if it were RAM. It may also prevent some other unpredictable
behavior with applications that have their own conduits (e.g.,
WordSmith).�
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Step
4. TomeRaider "Documents" screen. |
At this point, the task is completed. Open an
application that reads the files placed into the directory, and you should see
them listed.
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Figure 6. TomeRaider Documents screen. |
The TomeRaider
Documents screen shows a list of documents that are in the mounted
directory and documents that are on the Palm. For example, "The Fight
Club" screenplay is on the card, whereas the "Phone
Instructions" document is resident in the Palm's RAM. As you can see,
the difference is transparent - you can not tell which documents are in
RAM and which are not. (The different icons for the "movies" and
"websters" files are due to the fact that they are TomeRaider,
not Doc files; further, the "movies" file was the most recently
opened, which is why it has a "darkened" icon.) |
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The "Settings" Button |
You may find that some applications do not "play nice" with
MSMount. For example, if you have FireViewer pictures in the mounted
directory, FireViewer will cause a VERY NASTY crash when you next open it
(the program attempts to incorporate those files into its own database).If
you encounter such a program, MSMount can be made to automatically disable
itself when that program is opened. To do this, you specify the offending
program in the "Settings" screen of MSMount.�
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Figure 7. MSMount "Settings" screen. |
The
"Settings" Button reveals a screen like the on shown on the
left. In this case, I have added a series of applications for which I want
MSMount to be disabled (e.g., BackUpBuddy VFS, FireViewer and JackFlash).
Tapping the "Add" button will open a dialog box that lists
all the applications on your Palm. |
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Problems
and Oddities |
For the most part, recent versions (after 0.65) of MSMount have caused no
significant problems. That is, few crashes and no loss of data. However, there
are a few situations that require some caution:
- Be sure that you disable MSMount before removing a card. I've had to
perform a soft reset on several occasions due to leaving the card mounted
when physically removing it.
- Disable MSMount when modifying the contents of the mounted directory. I've
gotten odd behavior (including a long series of very loud beeps) when I've
forgotten to do so.
- Do not place a file in the mounted directory if you plan to modify it. If
you have a large WordSmith document that you are editing, for example,
either leave the file in RAM or manually move it back and forth using McFile
(or use PowerRUN to move the application and its data files to the card and
back). Changes in the file do not seem to be saved, and you might see odd
behavior (e.g., the file subsequently appearing both on the card and in
RAM).
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Using Palm m50X Expansion
Card > Using MSMount