Pogoplug v4 Optware ipkg, how to restore /etc/init.d/rcS

I installed ipkg on my stock Pogoplug mobile v4 using this as a guide: http://blog.qnology.com/2013/11/how-to-install-optware-and-samba-on.html

I rounded up and installed all the required files / programs and had a working system until I made some bad edits to /etc/init.d/rcS that broke it. I did save a backup of unmodified rcS. I have broke ssh access and am not sure the system is reaching a running state at this point. The LED's blink upon power up, then both go out.

I have installed systools along with other packages with optware, and they are all installed under /opt.

I have ordered a USB to Serial TTL cable: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA27C3GX9504

Would there be anything to try before my serial cable arrives? With a serial cable, will it allow me to log into a shell environment? I plan on using pico or minicom for access from my Arch desktop box.

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I ran into a few show stoppers during the ipkg install that I figured out and thought I would pass on as I saw others having similar issues.

I couldn't log into ssh after enabling it on the pogoplug web access. The following didn't work.

ssh [ip address]

After a bit of trial and error, this did the trick. You have to log in as root, using the password you created for ssh on the Pogoplug website.

ssh root@192.168.2.135 -oKexAlgorithms=+diffie-hellman-group1-sha1

The next thing was the source url's in the guide no longer work. I did find the required files / programs, but they were on github which uses https, and wget on my Pogo wasn't complied to handle it. I downloaded the files using my desktop, and setup a tiny, very basic http file server called webfs on it. That solved the wget issue.

Next issue revolved around the Pogo not having the right sources defined in env variables. I couldn't run ipkg or most other on board programs before fixing it with:

export PATH=$PATH:/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/opt/bin:/opt/sbin

Now I could run all the stock programs supplied via busybox. I installed systools to replace busybox, and a few other programs before I messed up rcS trying to automate some of the below commands upon bootup.

Starting from ssh-ing in, performed the following commands to get everything working right:

[jeff@Arch2014p9 ~]$ ssh root@192.168.2.135 -oKexAlgorithms=+diffie-hellman-group1-sha1
password
~ # killall hbwd
~ # export PATH=$PATH:/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/opt/bin:/opt/sbin
~ # fdisk -l
~ # mount /dev/sda1 /opt
~ # ls -a /opt
~ # mount -o rw,remount /
~ # export SHELL=/opt/bin/bash
~ # bash
~ # ipkg update

I'm thinking for future, copying the entire modified Pogo system over to run off USB or SD card so future breakage can be easily fixed. I'd like to try to retain the stock Pogoplug functionality, but just enhance it with wget over ssh capacity, then use it as a redundant backup system, one copy on external USB hdd, the other copy on line via Pogoplug free storage. Does this plan sound do-able?

Can't edit?

"but just enhance it with wget over ssh capacity"

should read:

"but just enhance it with rsync over ssh capacity"

JeffS,

You are not registered user so you can't edit post.

Perhaps you should consider installing the latest Debian rootfs on USB or HDD:
http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,12096

Using stock OS as a main system is not fun or safe. That kernel is very old.

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

Hi bodhi and thanks for the feedback. I'm now a registered doozan forum member!

I would consider installing a different version of Linux if I could run the Pogoplug software. I honestly have not looked into it yet. I am much more familiar with Arch compared to Debian though. If all I wanted is a cheap NAS, this would be an easy decision.

Is the Pogoplug software source available and is it open source? Has anyone tried compiling the Pogo software source using a newer kernel, systools, etc? Systemd on Arch would likely cause some major challenges.

I kind of like the idea behind how the pogo's work. I see it as once modified, possible making a backup system redundant, although the free online storage is very size limited. I'd only consider using it for weekly root rsync backups, overwriting and adding only the changes.

I may get a few more pogo's as cheap as they are. Besides the above scenario, have one set up for a network NAS and another setup for /home/user backups without redundancy.

With all that said, I'm recovering from throat cancer treatment and on leave from work. I've had the Pogo setting unused for years. I purchased it during a Wallmart shopping trip because it was cheap and looked interesting. Once I got home and checked out what it did, I was unimpressed and it found a home in my spare computer parts bin.

Over time, I see info of people installing Linux distros on it. With all the spare time I currently have, I decided to dust it off and see what I can do with it. Now I'm hooked and ready to buy a few more to play with....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/12/2016 06:54PM by JeffS.

JeffS Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi bodhi and thanks for the feedback. I'm now a
> registered doozan forum member!
>
> I would consider installing a different version of
> Linux if I could run the Pogoplug software. I
> honestly have not looked into it yet. I am much
> more familiar with Arch compared to Debian though.
> If all I wanted is a cheap NAS, this would be an
> easy decision.
>
> Is the Pogoplug software source available and is
> it open source? Has anyone tried compiling the
> Pogo software source using a newer kernel,
> systools, etc? Systemd on Arch would likely cause
> some major challenges.
>
> I kind of like the idea behind how the pogo's
> work. I see it as once modified, possible making a
> backup system redundant, although the free online
> storage is very size limited. I'd only consider
> using it for weekly root rsync backups,
> overwriting and adding only the changes.

I understood what you meant. However, stock kernel is so old that nobody bothered (most likely not possible). Debian or Arch, it's simple to install, and you can run the latest Linux kernel, and run other solution such as Nextcloud to make your own online storage. With Debian rootfs you dont need systemd.

>
> I may get a few more pogo's as cheap as they are.
> Besides the above scenario, have one set up for a
> network NAS and another setup for /home/user
> backups without redundancy.
>
> With all that said, I'm recovering from throat
> cancer treatment and on leave from work. I've had
> the Pogo setting unused for years. I purchased it
> during a Wallmart shopping trip because it was
> cheap and looked interesting. Once I got home and
> checked out what it did, I was unimpressed and it
> found a home in my spare computer parts bin.
>
> Over time, I see info of people installing Linux
> distros on it. With all the spare time I currently
> have, I decided to dust it off and see what I can
> do with it. Now I'm hooked and ready to buy a few
> more to play with....

Then you got the time to make it a fully modern system :)

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

I finally got my USB to ttl adaptor and some time to play. I even figured out how to unbrick my pogo. Woot!

I had previously prepared the bricked Pogo by soldered wires onto it from an old 4 pin connector, and then de-soldered a 4 pin header from an old board for a connector. See pic.

I installed picocom on my Linux box. Figured out I need to add my user to a group to be able to use picocom as user. The group on my Linux box was uucp, found it by running the following. Then I added my user to that group.

# ls -l /dev/ttyUSB0
crw-rw---- 1 root uucp 188, 0 Nov 27 19:53 /dev/ttyUSB0
# gpasswd -a jeff uucp
Adding user jeff to group uucp

Su'd back to my user and got picocom ready by running:

$ picocom -b 115200 /dev/ttyUSB0
picocom v2.2

port is        : /dev/ttyUSB0
flowcontrol    : none
baudrate is    : 115200
parity is      : none
databits are   : 8
stopbits are   : 1
escape is      : C-a
local echo is  : no
noinit is      : no
noreset is     : no
nolock is      : no
send_cmd is    : sz -vv
receive_cmd is : rz -vv -E
imap is        : 
omap is        : 
emap is        : crcrlf,delbs,

Type [C-a] [C-h] to see available commands

Terminal ready

Powered up the pogo and edited /etc/init.d/rcS back to a working state. Rebooted to test.

Logged in via ssh and installed Arch for my first install to play with. The instructions at ArchARM had the user trying to download stuff into /tmp that wouldn't fit there (If I followed things right). Change that to download things to the USB so there would be enough space for the downloads. All was good after that.

I have 3 more pogos to play with, and getting one of my Pogo pros ready for a Debian install.

Now I want to order up some cheap 2.5 hdd's and enclosures for backups, one for each pogo. Thinking of installing 2 OS in each hdd. One Linux ARM install to run the pogos, the other one would be an x86 install so I can plug the drives into my x86 box's I'm backing up, and boot from them if needed. The 3rd partition would consist or the majority of the space, and would be reserved for backup duties.

Oh and I need to mention I'm having a great time with this new inexpensive hobby!

Pic2
Pic3
Pic4



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/2016 01:43PM by JeffS.

JeffS,

> Oh and I need to mention I'm having a great time
> with this new inexpensive hobby!

I'm glad you found this forum! you're going to have a great time picking and choosing your projects using some ideas in the Wiki thread:
http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,23630

I have a hunch that you will be be contributing tutorials to that Wiki thread soon :) things such as adding a SATA connector to the Pogo Mobile would be a good one. ebbes was one of our forum members (ebbes was the 2nd of the Pogo V4 true pioneers, davvygravy was the 1st) has done this but I dont think he/she provides clear instruction. This mods will require very good soldering skill.

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



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/2016 12:32AM by bodhi.