GFHome - debootstrap failed.

Got a new GFHome base no HDD. Plugged 8GB Cruizer flash into...went thru archlinux steps to gain root access and partitioned the flash drive accordingly...returned to Jeff's uBoot script and successfully installed that...then went to install debian squeeze first (via Jeff's "Run Linux on your Dockstar, GoFlex...etc" page) before upgrading to wheezy, but got an error:


## Valid uBoot detected: [goflexnet davygravy-2012-04-19-current]
## The newest uBoot is already installed on mtd0.

# uBoot installation has completed successfully.
mke2fs 1.39 (29-May-2006)
/dev/sda1 is mounted; will not make a filesystem here!
/dev/sda2: No such file or directory

# Starting debootstrap installation
mknod: `/tmp/debian/test-dev-null': Operation not permitted
E: Cannot install into target '/tmp/debian' mounted with noexec or nodev
debootstrap failed.
See /tmp/debian/debootstrap/debootstrap.log for more information.

Tried to open log file via vi and got new file prompt...can someone help? Do I need to unmount /dev/sda1 first?

EDIT3: OK, I tried to umount the usb drive, sda1, but there were some processes running that restricted me...so I tried to end the processes and effectively kicked myself out of login...tried to reboot, but got red blinking light then turned off...looks like I need to flash to factory and start again....will do and report back.

EDIT4: OK, That didn't work...I downloaded the factory zip to a usb flash drive, powered on while holding reset pin...green light flashed then red light blinked until off...this cycle continued. Maybe I have Jeff's uBoot looking to boot linux from the usb, but there is not linux on the usb...the device won't reset. Maybe I need to somehow get linux loaded on the usb...although I don't have another linux box...I'm stuck.

EDIT5: I'm going to try cygwin on windows to try and create a rootfs on the usb drive to boot to...I believe the uBoot was created successfully, because it said so...however, no linux was install on the GoFlex...so here I go...

EDIT6: cygwin didn't work...I have another goflex with a HDD...maybe I could use that to build the rootfs on the usb drive, as long as I don't modify the uBoot...I'll try that...I'll remove the HDD before attempting, so I don't lose my data.

EDIT7: Can't get the usb drive to make a rootfs...trying to create an ext3 fs can't because it is mounted...same problem I had on first one...can't figure this out...can anyone help me?

EDIT8: OK, I got it...I went thru the steps again on the ArchLinux site...I had to keep killall -9 processes so they would let go of the usb drive...I was then able to umount it and proceed with the ext3 filesystem creation...I am now installing the rootfs steps on bohdis page...so far so good.

EDIT9: Well, I got the rootfs (Debian-3.14.0-kirkwood-tld-1-rootfs-bodhi.tar.bz2) on the usb drive using the other (unmodified) GoFlex base...I think because there are folders and such that look like a linux system. So I exited putty (ssh) and shut down that base and then plugged the usb drive into the bricked base and turned on...the green light blinked a while, no red light blinked, the usb drive blinked, then the green light stopped blinking and remained off...the usb drive is in an idle state I think because it just glows...I don't have a new ip on my network router and I cannot ssh in with the old ip for this bricked base...so I'm stuck again.



Edited 9 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/2014 11:17PM by jfharper.

@ jfharper,

I'm responding to this post: http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,12096,16917,page=20#msg-16917.

If you were intalling using Jeff's script, and lost connection before the Debian part, then whether it was bricked depending how far you were, whether U-boot has been installed completely or not. If you you have a log please post here.

And btw, since you've kept editing your post, I did not notice that you still need help! It's best to make a new post in this thread so that it will show up on top as new post.

-bodhi
===========================
Forum Wiki
bodhi's corner (buy bodhi a beer)

bodhi,
Thanks for your reply. I actually, just got something working. What I did was use the other goflex base (not mod/bricked one) with usb stick and loaded archlinux on the usb drive...I did not go thru the steps to load the archlinux uBoot because I didn't want to brick my non-mod base. Again, I assumed Jeff's uBoot was successful on the bricked base because I got a message saying so at the end...I just needed a usb filesystem to boot with. I tried the rootfs you posted on another thread, but did not do the kernal stuff...as I didn't understand it...maybe that is why the rootfs didn't work. Anyway, after getting archlinux loaded on the usb stick, I unplugged from non-mod base and plugged into mod/bricked base and booted and I got an ip and was able to ssh login. so I'm assuming the bricked base is not bricked. I would like to load the rescue boot on the modded base, but am having trouble understanding the steps.

jfharper,

> boot with. I tried the rootfs you posted on
> another thread, but did not do the kernal
> stuff...as I didn't understand it...maybe that is
> why the rootfs didn't work.

If u-boot was installed succesfully, you only need rootfs on a USB stick. The kernel is part of the rootfs already. Kernel installation is for when you want to upgrade a kernel on top of it.

-bodhi
===========================
Forum Wiki
bodhi's corner (buy bodhi a beer)

bodhi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If u-boot was installed succesfully, you only need
> rootfs on a USB stick. The kernel is part of the
> rootfs already. Kernel installation is for when
> you want to upgrade a kernel on top of it.

Oh...thanks...I was wondering about that! Just an update, so far so good, I got apache loaded and figured out how to get access to the placeholder page from a browser...I followed the guides but they said to enter localhost in the browser but that did not work for me, I had to enter the ip of the GFHome to access the placeholder. Still running archlinux on the GFHome. I ordered a couple mobile Pogoplugs because they were cheap ($7 shipped)...so I'd like to try your guides again on one of them for fun just to get my head wrapped around all this. Thanks again for your help, especially for setting all this up for us who need a guide.