Pogoplug Mobile NAND messed up pretty decently :)

fsm,

Try using static IP to see if it helps.

-bodhi
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Hi Guys
I bought a brand new pogoplug mobile from ebay and attempted to turn it into a squeezeplug. Instead, I got snagged trying to install Arch onto it using this guide:
http://blog.qnology.com/2014/07/hacking-pogoplug-v4-series-4-and-mobile.html

When I attempted this:
#wget http://archlinuxarm.org/os/ArchLinuxARM-kirkwood-latest.tar.gz

I got a warning about a short write, and there was nothing to unpack.
I then foolishly powered down the device and when I powered it back up I had lost ssh/networking.

I now have a serial adapter attached to it and can access u-boot just fine, but I don't have any idea how to go from here.
Rapidly blinking green light is the symptom. The only things I have changed are the ipaddress and server address.

Can you help?
I am wondering if it is currently able to boot from USB or SD, but I have no idea how to set one up.
PS- I use only linux computers.

Thanks!
Peter

monkmandolins,

Do this on a different Linux box:

wget http://archlinuxarm.org/os/ArchLinuxARM-kirkwood-latest.tar.gz

- Format a USB drive with Ext3.
- And then as root user extract it (assuming the USB is mounted as sdb1)

cd /media/sdb1
tar -xf ArchLinuxARM-kirkwood-latest.tar.gz
sync

- connect serial console terminal
- plug the USB in and power up.

If you can't boot, copy the entire boot log and post here.

-bodhi
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Hi Bodhi

Thanks so much for your reply. I ran into two problems with your suggestion.
First, the wires ripped out the serial connections. Like a fool, I tried to hollow out the holes, which were previously filled with solder, for the TX and RX and now I can't make a serial connection.

The second issue is that your technique for unpacking the OS, at this point

tar -xf ArchLinuxARM-kirkwood-latest.tar.gz

Worked, but it left me with an error message in my command line and the task never finished.
Upon inserting the USB stick into the plug, the following was observed:
-first, the device still didn't show up on my home network in spite of plugging it directly into the router
-second, when i DID have the serial port hooked up, there was a kernel panic.

I guess i should give up. The device was cheap, but I am disappointed in myself.
Thanks for all of your help.
Peter

I think I was able to make the USB drive per your instructions, but it didnt work. When I power up the device I get a steady flashing green light for a time, then red light, then nothing. The cycle then repeats


One other thing. If I plug in to my modem and power up the device WITHOUT THE USB DRIVE, it DOES show up on my list but I can't ssh into it at that IP address.
One of the things I had done (following a different Bodhi guide) was mess with the setenv

The only things I changed were the IPAddress, which I fixed at 192.168.0.19 (unused on my network) and the ServerIP which I set at 192.168.0.1, which is the IP of my modem/access point.

If it is still showing up on my network, is there hope?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/08/2014 08:57PM by monkmandolins.

monkmandolins,

> If it is still showing up on my network, is there
> hope?

Yes! usually it means that, without the USB, the plug has booted into the stock OS in NAND.

1. Usually stock Pogo OS has these root user/password:

root, ceadmin
root, stxadmin

So these and see if you can log in with ssh.

2. Another thing worth to try is to create a Debian rootfs. Download my rootfs and extract it to a fresh USB (formatted with Ext3):
http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,12096

Boot with this Debian rootfs, and see how it goes.

3. Another idea. If the serial holes still have solder on them, you can try to connect serial console with small pins (the kind that merchants use for shirts in a box), You can use test hooks to clam the pins and push them in the solder buttons on the board. I've tried this twice successfully: just barely enough to connect the serial console and unbrick a Pogo Mobile :) And a 2nd time with a brand new Mobile. See Varkey's website for these parts. You'll see the test hooks wires connected to the serial module in the 1st picture.

In any case, the Pogo Mobile is so cheap that you could buy another one! however, it's good to unbrick a box successfully just to learn how.

-bodhi
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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/09/2014 12:01AM by bodhi.

@monkmandolins,

Assuming you followed the tutorial correctly up until the point where you executed the wget command (wget http://archlinuxarm.org/os/ArchLinuxARM-kirkwood-latest.tar.gz), you should be good with following Bodhi's instruction on setting up your USB drive on another Linux computer.

If you messed with the uBoot environment also, then that's another thing.

Are you sure the issue isn't with your USB drive? If you followed the tutorial correctly, the unpacking should have worked fine, unless you have a USB drive issue.

Also, can you ping the Pogoplug plug? Did you activate it on my.pogoplug.com? Can you see it on my.pogoplug.com? If you didn't activate it (and used the backdoor method to get into it), that would explain why you can't ssh into it when nothing is plugged in.

You guys are too cool!
Grayman-
I did as you suggested and was able to make the Archlinux usb drive.
I first powered up the plug without it, which registered the IP address on my home network.
Then, I plugged in the USB drive.
I can now access it via ssh, but as soon as I input the password it boots me out.

peter@peter:~$ ssh root@192.168.0.19
root@192.168.0.19's password: 
Last login: Fri Oct 10 17:00:36 2014 from 192.168.0.22
Connection to 192.168.0.19 closed.

Any thoughts? It sure seems like I have a working system after all.
Thanks for all of your help
Peter

So, Arch didn't work but Debian did. Most crucial was the order of things- Boot the device without the USB, allow the connection via ETH, then insert USB with Debian, and bingo- I am able to SSH into Debian. Very happy and very grateful.

However, I still need to get Arch onto an SD card and boot from it. I followed Qui's guide but I am stuck here:

/tmp/fw_setenv bootcmd 'run bootcmd_mmc; run bootcmd_usb; run bootcmd_sata; run bootcmd_pogo; reset'

I have no access to

/tmp/fw_setenv

from within Debian.

What should I do next? The goal is to have Arch linux on an SD card to free up the USB port.
Thanks
Peter

@Peter,

> So, Arch didn't work but Debian did. Most crucial
> was the order of things- Boot the device without
> the USB, allow the connection via ETH, then insert
> USB with Debian, and bingo- I am able to SSH into
> Debian. Very happy and very grateful.
>
> However, I still need to get Arch onto an SD card
> and boot from it

You can put Debian on the SD card, too. And when after you've booted in to Debian, if running stock U-boot, you have to use blparam to list the envs. If you run new u-boot then use fw_printenv (download these tools as described in section A of the 1st post in this installation thread: http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?3,12381).

And you do need to get a listing of the u-boot envs so we can advise what to do next.

-bodhi
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Bodhi-
Here is my current printenv:

arcNumber=3960
baudrate=115200
bootcmd=run bootcmd_usb; run bootcmd_mmc; run bootcmd_sata; reset
bootcmd_mmc=run mmc_init; run set_bootargs_mmc; run mmc_boot
bootcmd_sata=run sata_init; run set_bootargs_sata; run sata_boot;
bootcmd_usb=run usb_init; run set_bootargs_usb; run usb_boot;
bootdelay=10
console=ttyS0,115200
device=0:1
ethact=egiga0
ethaddr=00:25:31:05:c2:cc
if_netconsole=ping $serverip
ipaddr=192.168.0.19
led_error=orange blinking
led_exit=green off
led_init=green blinking
machid=F78
mainlineLinux=yes
mmc_boot=mw 0x800000 0 1; run mmc_load_uimage; if run mmc_load_uinitrd; then bootm 0x800000 0x1100000; else bootm 0x800000; fi
mmc_init=mmc rescan
mmc_load_uimage=ext2load mmc $device 0x800000 /boot/uImage
mmc_load_uinitrd=ext2load mmc $device 0x1100000 /boot/uInitrd
mmc_root=/dev/mmcblk0p1
mtdids=nand0=orion_nand
mtdparts=mtdparts=orion_nand:2M(u-boot),3M(uImage),3M(uImage2),8M(failsafe),112M(root)
partition=nand0,2
preboot=run if_netconsole start_netconsole
preboot_nc=run if_netconsole start_netconsole
rootdelay=10
rootfstype=ext3
sata_boot=mw 0x800000 0 1; run sata_load_uimage; if run sata_load_uinitrd; then bootm 0x800000 0x1100000; else bootm 0x800000; fi
sata_init=ide reset
sata_load_uimage=ext2load ide $device 0x800000 /boot/uImage
sata_load_uinitrd=ext2load ide $device 0x1100000 /boot/uInitrd
sata_root=/dev/sda1
serverip=192.168.0.1
set_bootargs_mmc=setenv bootargs console=$console root=$mmc_root rootdelay=$rootdelay rootfstype=$rootfstype $mtdparts
set_bootargs_sata=setenv bootargs console=$console root=$sata_root rootdelay=$rootdelay rootfstype=$rootfstype $mtdparts
set_bootargs_usb=setenv bootargs console=$console root=$usb_root rootdelay=$rootdelay rootfstype=$rootfstype $mtdparts
start_netconsole=setenv ncip $serverip; setenv bootdelay 10; setenv stdin nc; setenv stdout 
nc; setenv stderr nc; version;
stderr=serial
stdin=serial
stdout=serial
usb_boot=mw 0x800000 0 1; run usb_load_uimage; if run usb_load_uinitrd; then bootm 0x800000 0x1100000; else bootm 0x800000; fi
usb_init=usb start
usb_load_uimage=ext2load usb $device 0x800000 /boot/uImage
usb_load_uinitrd=ext2load usb $device 0x1100000 /boot/uInitrd
usb_root=/dev/sda1
usb_rootfstype=ext3

@Peter,

It does look good. So format your SD card as Ext3. Download the latest Arch rootfs, or use an existing one if you already have. Extract the Arch rootfs to it.

And boot with only the SD card plugged in. See how it goes.

-bodhi
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All good! You are amazing!
I am grateful.

Now I can't get the wifi device recognized.
It's one thing after another...

Thanks again

Hi Guys
For posterity, I found my error in setting up the Pogoplug Mobile initially for Arch Linux.
I was copying commands and totally missed this obvious layout error:

#tar -xzvf ArchLinuxARM-kirkwood-latest.tar.gz#rm ArchLinuxARM-kirkwood-latest.tar.gz

I neglected to separate the unpacking and the deletion of the compressed file. It should have read:

#tar -xzvf ArchLinuxARM-kirkwood-latest.tar.gz

#rm ArchLinuxARM-kirkwood-latest.tar.gz

It is now working. Thank you so much
Peter