Surely you could install debian to it, but using another HDD or SSD. But, this device has a 1GB NAND flash built in. You might want to install alpine to it, it will have almost 600MB of empty space then.
How to install Debian
This device is X86 Intel atom. So it has a easy BIOS interface. Just setup an serial console to it, plug a keyboard. I forgot the exact colors of serial. But you will see the BIOS. Del for BIOS, F11 for boot menu. See? It's a small PC.
The easy way to do this is that, from another PC. Just plug an SSD to a normal PC, and a Debian USB, and just install Debian normally as you would do to an HDD or SSD. Preferably without a desktop. Choose MBR. Also, enable SSH server too. Then, unplug that disk and plug it into the NAS. Then from BIOS, select that disk to boot first. Simple as that. With ssh you can use it this way.
How to install Alpine Linux
This might be better, since you're utilising the 1GB Nand flash. Other distros can't be as small as Alpine, so I choose it. Just install Alpine Linux into a virtualbox PC. The exact storage is 955MB, so set it 955MB. Other options don't matter. Give it 2GB RAM or whatever.
I do these before starting setup-alpine, due to low space.
export BOOT_SIZE=100
export SWAP_SIZE=0
This disables swap and boot size to 100. Works best. I am currently using it for years and it has 600MB empty space, even with all ftp, smb, ssh and stuff.
Then, there are commands to change that vdi file to an IMG file. Then, by booting that Debian disk mentioned above, just copy that img file to that Debian disk. Then sudo fdisk -l to find out where is the NAND Flash. Then with dd you can burn that img file on that flash.
Let me say that this device runs some stripped version of debian 7. You might want to take that image first, so with dd you can back it up.
Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 10/28/2024 04:04AM by ahlaklisuvari.