Arch to Debian : Pogo-E02 Image for sharing

N00B Alert - This only works on Pogoplug E02's AND is only for a Kirkwood device. DO NOT TRY on a Oxnas based Pogoplug like Pro, Biz, V3, etc.

First the Disclaimer

You load this and modify your Plug at your own risk and i assume no responsibility for your lack of knowledge or powerfailure, or any other reason, including using this image and the associated tools to flash your PogoE02 with the associated software and tools, that may lead to a detrimental and none functional unit or experience. All software, scripts, compiled binaries and kudos for such belong to the respective authors -not to me - and are covered by there own respective licences. I claim no ownership over them in any shape or form. I share my efforts in colllating this together; in the ethos and protection of the GNU GPLv3

Right thats out of the way, you get the gist - you break it its your own fault not mine!
The image contains kernel 3.17 and the files you would normally have to download from there respective forum posts. In addition to the default software provided by Bodhi I have included Webmin / Samba / cifs-utils / cron and uboot.2014.07-tld-1.environment.scr in the /boot/ directory to aid recovery if necessary


Prerequisites
Serial console connection to your unit or netconsole setup on the Plug
Functioning install of archlinuxarm on your plug
Spare usb key to load this image on
Cup of coffee or tea or whatever you preferred beverage is.
Knowledge of linux command line

1 create a usb key with the .img file. use dd or whatever you preferred image writing software us

2 Poweron your Plug and boot from the archlinux install

3 logon as root/root

4 plug in the freshly created debian install made in Step 1 to your plug and mount the disk

5 Navigate to the newly mounted disk and change directory to the ./installation directory

6 In this directory you will find the following
. blparam
. mtd0-orig : incase you forget to make your own
. uboot.2014.07-tld-2.environment
. flash_erase
. nanddump
. uboot.2014.07-tld-2.environment.img
. fw_printenv
. nandwrite
. uboot.2014.07-tld-2.pogo_e02.mtd0.kwb

7 Follow the instructions on the below link, you dont need the download section, the files are already here.

http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?3,12381

8. Check check and double check that you have done everything as per the links - then Poweroff your plug
9. With the Plug powered off remove the archlinuxarm usb stick
10. boot from the Debian usb stick
11. Thats it you should now be up and running with the Debian 3.17 kernel and 2014 uboot
12. If all goes completely screwy - come back on here and ask for help

References

http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,12096,12096#msg-12096
http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?3,12381
http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?3,19960
http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?3,18105,18124#msg-18124

send me a PM if you want it

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Breaking stuff since 1994 :-)
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Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2015 12:04PM by Gravelrash.

I can see it coming............................

N00B Alert - This only works on Pogoplug E02's AND is only for a Kirkwood device. DO NOT TRY on a Oxnas based Pogoplug like Pro, Biz, V3, etc.

............I was once a N00B too :)

@Leggo - if only there was a like button.... i would click your last post... :))


just modding the disclaimer to include what you said

The reason I said something, when you first start shopping for Pogoplugs it's so confusing. Take Amazon for example....how many different versions of the Pogoplug (in black or pink) are available in either Kirkwood or Oxnas platform? Is it a P22 (but shipped with an E02 motherboard) or is it a P-21 with an Oxnas MB? Both are exactly the same on the outside but the only way you know is by a 3 letter code on the bottom. If it's an Oxnas, does it have PCI (and wifi) or is it non-PCI. And then what you end up with varies by the seller (Adorama, Ibex, yada, yada) on which platform you will actually end up with. eBay is no better - ask a seller which version they have and it's more likely they won't answer or will tell what's on the outside of the box which may end up to be misleading info. It's a major PITA I tell you <"/">



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2015 12:14PM by LeggoMyEggo.

I've bought quite a few Pogo E02 on ebay. If the ad doesn't explicitly state what model it is, I ask for a pic of the bottom of the foot where the actual model number is located on the label. So far I have asked for this five times and never was denied. But I only won two of the auctions :(

I also bought two Pink B01 Pogos from Adorama because the rumor at the time was that they were really E02s inside a B01 box. That turned out to be true at the time. About six months later, I wanted more, but to be sure of what I was going to get I called them on the phone. They were very quick to say that there are no more E02s going out in boxes marked otherwise, and that they get quite a few calls asking about this. I suggested they update the web page to include that info, but they decided not to do that. Maybe they like getting that question repeatedly on the phone?

I also bought a Pink B01 from another source on ebay because it was only $12.99 with free shipping and the seller offered returns including free return shipping. They never answered my pre-sales question about what the actual model was. Anyway when it got here it really was a B01 (V3) with the dual core CPU and only 128M RAM. I elected to return it and started the process on ebay. I got an immediate refund but they never sent the shipping label to send it back. When I questioned them about that they never replied. So I got that one for free. All I have done with it so far is add a serial port connector to it and put a switch on the line cord. I won't bother further with it until I run out E02s - I have two left on the shelf.

I have noticed that the prices on the remaining E02s on ebay continue to rise. The few they have left are in the $35-55 range shipped. I never paid more than $15 and even got a black one and a grey one.

Well my point was the more cookie cutter you make this the more risk there will be that the un-informed may brick their device because they don't know what they actually have. For the truly demented (in the techie sense) this is actually good - now they-ll spend countless hours trying to "un-brick" it and learn something in the meantime. But for people that have better things to do in life (I should really be in that category but I'm not) they will give up on a perfectly good device. So I applaud having an image or a script as in this sense it's a good thing to have initial success especially at a technical thing you don't really understand. That way at least you know what you can have. Then after you try something outside of your skill-set and you "brick it" you know what it should be like after you fix it.

But that kind of more certain success (via scripted or image based converstion) was easier to obtain when there weren't as many PP models. With the vast number now (gotta be at least 10) it's gotta be really confusing for most people (hey it was for me). And you know this is probably the reason for the lack of maintenance of the doozan script - too many platforms, too many different kernels which leads to too much whining and too much confusion.

All the above comments have merit and I encourage this discussion to continue.

However... If you look at the intended audience for this image....Arch to Debian....

It expects the user/noob to have already done there homework and have a working installation of arch. This in itself assumes and displays some measure of understanding of the device purchased...... Its a migration path

Thanks a lot Gravelrash. I got it in and will go slow at first. My only major question for now, might this work imaged to used/formatted faux linux hard drive plugged-in or is it best to usb?

I've at least a day of double-checking everything regardless.

I see no reason why it wont work on a hdd with usb adaptation.

I'm trying to be extra cautious here, and while I find a 32-bit machine to use Win32DiskImager (on Win7 x64 it doesn't dropdown USB device) the thought occurred to ask, what is specified as correct sized partition to deploy this .img into?

In fact, now that i think about it, not any kind of bad idea to ask you general guidelines partitioning 4 and 8 Gig USB sticks?

-update- first try didn't work. What's your preferred format? I tried Ext3



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/28/2015 11:34PM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

@joey. I use the dd command in Linux distro.

http://www.computerhope.com/unix/dd.htm


E.g. dd if=/path/name of file.IMG of=/dev/sdb

edit : I think the image partition table is corrupt... i have reimaged it back to a 4GB stick and expanded the partition to the disk size from 2Gb to 4Gb and the plug i offer it to shows the following below EVEN THOUGH THE DATA AND DISK ARE READABLE... i will rectify this and upload a new image

Disk /dev/sdb: 4009 MB, 4009754624 bytes
124 heads, 62 sectors/track, 1018 cylinders, total 7831552 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/sdb doesn't contain a valid partition table
root@debian:/#

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/2015 03:31PM by Gravelrash.