Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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running debian on inexpensive network attached storage

Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

May 15, 2023 278 likes •453 views

Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices Martin Michlmayr tbm@cyrius.com FOSDEM Brussels, Belgium Martin Michlmayr Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices Objectives Explain what Network Attached

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Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices

Martin Michlmayr tbm@cyrius.com FOSDEM Brussels, Belgium

Martin Michlmayr Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices

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Objectives

Explain what Network Attached Storage Devices (NAS) are. Show some interesting hardware. Explain how Debian can be installed on them. Mention some web resources and answer questions.

Martin Michlmayr Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices

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Network Attached Storage Devices

For most people, a Network Attached Storage device (NAS) is an external hard drive on steroids. For geeks, a NAS is a complete computer.

Martin Michlmayr Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices

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Advantages of NAS

Power efficient Quiet Cheap

Martin Michlmayr Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices

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Linksys NSLU2

Intel IXP42x, 133 or 266 MHz 32 MB RAM 8 MB flash no internal disk 1 10/100 Ethernet 2 USB ∼85 EUR

Martin Michlmayr Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices

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Thecus N2100

Intel IOP 80219, 600 MHz 1 DDR400 slot (up to 512 MB) 16 MB flash 2 SATA 2 GBit Ethernet 3 USB 1 mini-PCI slot ∼350 EUR (no disk)

Martin Michlmayr Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices

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Iomega NAS 100d

Intel IXP420, 266 MHz 64 MB RAM 16 MB flash 1 PATA 1 10/100 Ethernet 2 USB

Martin Michlmayr Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices

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Freecom FSG-3

Intel IXP42x, 266 MHz 64 MB RAM 4 MB flash 1 SATA 4 Ethernet 4 USB 1 E-SATA interface (external) ∼290 EUR (with 160 GB disk)

Martin Michlmayr Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices

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Kuro Box

Freescale MPC8241, 266 MHz 128 MB RAM 4 MB flash 1 PATA 1 GBit Ethernet 2 USB Similar to the Buffalo Linkstation US$149

Martin Michlmayr Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices

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Linksys NSLU2

Advantages: It’s cheap. It’s quiet. Firmware can be upgraded via the network. Disadvantages: Ethernet needs proprietary microcode. It’s slooow and doesn’t have much memory.

Martin Michlmayr Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices

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Thecus N2100

Advantages: It’s reasonably fast. RAM can be upgraded. The company supports our porting effort. Disadvantages: Ventilation is not ideal. It’s noisy. It’s expensive.

Martin Michlmayr Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices

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Prerequisites

Have serial console access (and ideally JTAG). Have working kernel support in mainline! Ideally, have a good relationship with the hardware vendor.

Martin Michlmayr Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices

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The general approach

We provide a ‘firmware’ image that really is debian-installer. We read values from the existing system to start SSH. Users can do a normal installation via SSH. At the end, a Debian kernel and initramfs will be written to flash.

Martin Michlmayr Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices

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Tools - oldsys-preseed

Reads values from an existing system or firmware. Preseeds debian-installer so SSH will be started. Parses Unix tree, reads value from flash, etc.

Martin Michlmayr Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices

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Tools - flash-kernel

Writes kernel and initramfs to flash. Supports NSLU2 and N2100 – easy to extend. initramfs hooks: for example to set root partition

Martin Michlmayr Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices

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The future

Support systems with 4 MB of flash. Put a rescue filesystem in flash. Release debian-installer RC2 because RC1 is broken.

Martin Michlmayr Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices

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More information

http://www.cyrius.com/debian/nslu2/ http://www.cyrius.com/debian/iop/n2100/ http://www.nslu2-linux.org/

Martin Michlmayr Running Debian on Inexpensive Network Attached Storage Devices