Easy/possible to install driver for RNX-AC600UB in Pogoplug?

Great resources and thanks for that- snag right off the bat however:

root@DebianPlug:~# lspci -k | grep -A 3 -i "network"
00:00.0 Network controller: Ralink corp. RT3090 Wireless 802.11n 1T/1R PCIe
        Subsystem: Ralink corp. RT3090 Wireless 802.11n 1T/1R PCIe
        Kernel driver in use: rt2800pci
root@DebianPlug:~#  rt2800pci
-bash: rt2800pci: command not found
root@DebianPlug:~# modinfo rt2800pci | grep 'depend'
ERROR: Module rt2800pci not found.
root@DebianPlug:~#

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-

@Joey

I think you missed my statement about using this wifi card with hostapd will bite you in the @rse unless you do some recompilation.....

@rse bitten right proper lol Okay thanks I'll get on it...

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-

Good progress Joey! what I would suggest in general, in addition to Gravelrash fine detailed instructions is doing this in steps:

1. Have an unsecure wifi network on your router, if it can be set up. That way you won't have to worry about the wpa supplicant stuff yet.

2. After you can connect to this unsecure network and ping the internet,...etc, then start on the wpa supplicant setup on a secure network.

3. And then after the above, if you want the Pogo to be an access point then do that (as Gravelrash trying to emphasize above).

And since you've got to this point, you don't need to worry about the module rt2800pci any more, it is already working.

-bodhi
===========================
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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/29/2015 04:22PM by bodhi.

Configuration file: /root/hostapd-test.conf
Could not open configuration file '/root/hostapd-test.conf' for reading.

I should have paid more attention to a working wireless unit early on. The best solution as it stands would seem to be, wipe this Debian out, start from scratch, and go with that Atheros or something.

My only real regret is, not checking if PayPal worked at ebay earlier. I should have gotten a Go Flex Net and a couple hard drives. I just wanted to store stuff with easy, secure access and have it backup.

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-

@Joey
no need to wipe the debian install out - if you change the card to atheros based chipset then you would need the same packages as you have already installed - theres no need or even point in duplicating the effort.

:) unless it makes you feel better and you laugh like an evil genius when formatting the disk :)

-edited my super funny humor-

Well if that's the case with all drivers behaving that way, I can re-try. And if you don't mind...

1. any idea why it "Could not open configuration file" ? Oh... i wonder if, when i changed the apt-get update sources to the non-free ones, in order to get the ralink driver, I'd saved the previous two stock sources but got so tired I forgot to save that notepad. Therefore I have to find stock sources list and paste if back in Pogoplug.

2. If I get this working, is it easy to turn wireless on and off?

I'll keep trying a little bit...

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/2015 01:15PM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

You could have dpkg'd the firmware-ralink without changing sources BTW:

apt-get update -y
wget http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/pool/non-free/f/firmware-nonfree/firmware-ralink_0.36+wheezy.1_all.deb
dpkg -i firmware-ralink*
depmod

edit /etc/network/interfaces to add:
auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
WPA-SSID yadayadayada
WPA-PSK sisboombahrahrahrah

ifconfig wlan0 up
ifdown wlan0
ifup wlan0

- Thanks Leggo, I tried it and it doesn't work on the new stock /etc/apt/sources.list file. The ONE time I didn't backup something...

Then I got the idea to go into my E02's Debian Wheezy sources.list file and that doesn't look the same as whatever the newer Pro Debian list. And the Pro list had two entries I think, not three.

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/2015 05:58PM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

Try these:

root@debian:~# cat /etc/apt/sources.list
deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian wheezy main
deb http://security.debian.org/ wheezy/updates main contrib non-free

More steps forward, but setting SSIDs make it not boot again. However earlier it scanned local networks SSIDs which would seem good.
Thanks a lot for the sources list Leggo, as I never knew just one extra entry could cause duplicate downloading problems.

Off to bed once again.

Hey could I ask another special favor? While my Pogoplug Pro is connected with Ethernet to a router set to address reservation of 192.168.167.102 (I really like this, to get into OpenWRT too) does anyone else run stock wireless that could share their complete /etc/network/interfaces list? Or close enough to paste and not modify much. That was the last thing I did before it wouldn't boot. It's easy as pie to plug that USB into Windows and edit it.



-update- no it won't boot. I might take out the wireless card if I get some bench space this afternoon/evening.

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/2015 01:07PM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

I got it to boot once again, after copying the top eth0 parts from my E02 running Debian.

auto lo eth0
iface lo inet loopback
iface eth0 inet dhcp

ifconfig wlan0 up 
ifdown wlan0 
ifup wlan0

auto wlan0 
iface wlan0 inet dhcp 
WPA-SSID yadayadayada 
WPA-PSK sI5b0ombahrahrahrah

My current /etc/network/interfaces list, allows Ethernet access, wireless (iwlist scan) can retrieve neighborhood SSIDs

Wireless parts are copied from Leggo, with changes in the WPA pass to conform. iwlist scan will show network devices in my neighborhood, so it can't be too far off.

I'm just looking for PogoPro's stock wireless to allow my laptop to get in wirelessly, and be able to turn it on and off sometimes. .
If you see anything out of joint, please advise! We're close! Sounded good.

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/2015 03:01PM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

@Joey

I refer the right honorable gentleman to the reply i gave some time ago

https://www.google.co.uk/search?client=ubuntu&channel=fs&q=RT3090&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gfe_rd=cr&ei=gyJEVcKKNPTH8geB2YC4AQ#channel=fs&q=rt3090%20access%20point

!change the card for an atheros dude!

You can imagine when I was a kid, burning my finger on a hot stove. "Hmmm... I wonder if the thumb will hurt too?" Yes and what a terrible odor.

But yeah you're right, not many stones left unturned on this tangent, probably wise to give it a break - use that mpcie slot for something else. The only thing that irks me is the extra files I installed that must be impossible to restore to whatever it was when first installed, but sooner or later i'll get to the identical PogoPro and make a nice, lean Debian install and live happily ever after.

So the moral of the story is, if i need to get high speed wireless access to Pogoplugs, go through the router and use Pogoplug's mpcie port for something else. And the now-valuable mpcie slots, could take this in many better directions even.

My sincere thanks for exhausting any other alternative before saying "____ -it" lol

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-

@Joey,

Have you installed a desktop GUI for your plugs like I've suggested before: xrdp, tightVNC, xfce (or lxde)? if you run into problem setting wireless or can't seem to find where the problem is, the shortcut would be: install Network Manager, or wicd, and let the tool take care of the details.

Use the remote desktop from Windows or Linux, log in to the plug, and run the GUI. As long as your hardware is working, chances is that network manager/wicd will set it up OK.

With that said, it also makes a lot of sense to use the PCI slot for something else if you don't plan to use the plug as a portable plug.

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

bodhi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> @Joey,
>
> Have you installed a desktop GUI for your plugs
> like I've suggested before: xrdp, tightVNC, xfce
> (or lxde)? if you run into problem setting
> wireless or can't seem to find where the problem
> is, the shortcut would be: install Network
> Manager, or wicd, and let the tool take care of
> the details.
>
> Use the remote desktop from Windows or Linux, log
> in to the plug, and run the GUI. As long as your
> hardware is working, chances is that network
> manager/wicd will set it up OK.
>
> With that said, it also makes a lot of sense to
> use the PCI slot for something else if you don't
> plan to use the plug as a portable plug.

Nice, the extra files I was talking about happened to be wicd. Super cool, that's in there already. Just to re-check, this is doable on PogoPro/Debian?

Sooner or later I'll do that on the PogoClassic because of the extra RAM (and our discussion of Desktop linux made me realize XFCE is within the realm of happy RAM. I don't know a thing about lxde, but for PogoPro all I'd have to do is double-check swap file.

So PogoPro has wicd already. Just tell me what to install and I can handle it. Another thing, Mint XFCE LDME is on the way (though x64) and this may be another way to troubleshoot and not bug you guys with frivolous issues. Just the fun stuff hopefully.

-note- earlier what happened was, when i was all ready to install those previously, I realized 90% of what I was looking to do could be accomplished with a thin Client and Browser-based Webmin. But if there's a GUI that's accessible, I'd dig that for sure. Even if it's underpowered. I've spent a week messing with a couple of single core 350Mhz Wyse thin clients with 128 MB RAM running Windows CE! And the kicker is, for 5 bucks I got two sticks of 512MB and they still only used up like 30 megs of RAM anyway running DamnSmallLlinux and streaming music with browser pages open! Crazy I tell you!

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-

This is a happy milestone, easy as pie to install xdrp and TightVNC. That's all i installed on the Pogoplug right now and awaiting further instructs.

So from a Thin Client I have a choice of logging into: sesmanXvnc, console, vnc-any, sesman-any, rdp-any and sesman-X11rdp. Any favorites? i have a feeling i need to install more stuff in the Pogoplug but for now (and it's bedtime again) this is cool!

-update- ToDo tomorrow: set both with passwords and autostart if that's cool. Anything else I need to see anything when logged-in?

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/03/2015 01:29AM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

JoeyPogoPlugE02 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This is a happy milestone, easy as pie to install
> xdrp and TightVNC. That's all i installed on the
> Pogoplug right now and awaiting further
> instructs.
>
> So from a Thin Client I have a choice of logging
> into: sesmanXvnc, console, vnc-any, sesman-any,
> rdp-any and sesman-X11rdp. Any favorites? i have a
> feeling i need to install more stuff in the
> Pogoplug but for now (and it's bedtime again) this
> is cool!
>
> -update- ToDo tomorrow: set both with passwords
> and autostart if that's cool. Anything else I need
> to see anything when logged-in?

sesmanXvnc is good.

Also install xfce. That's your desktop environment. It's been long ago, I can't find my installation notes! But I do remember you have to tell X to start your xfce session automatically. After Linux boots up, xrdp daemon and xrdp-sesman are running. When you connect with RDC client from another box, xrdp-sesman will start xfce-session and a whole bunch other processes.

Remember you have to have swap (make it 512MB swap file at least). And use zswap to make it better. You'll need do this to have a better GUI response. The remote desktop session response is going to be a little slow, but very decent and usable. On the desktop, you can start wicd or any other GUI-able tools that are equivalent to what you usually have built in in Windows/Linux/Mac desktop.

And even with 128MB, it is really fine for xfce. You will be surprise to look at the memory usage while you are using the desktop. CPU is actuall something you need more. That makes the PogoPro a better plug for it.

-bodhi
===========================
Forum Wiki
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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/03/2015 03:21AM by bodhi.

FYI,

Sorry, you can't use zswap on PogoPro yet. It was not in the current kernel. I'll config in the next release.

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

Bodhi,
The XFCE environment you described above, that will only have a desktop sessionrunning when there is an RDC connected and it will not run when there is no such connection?

optim,

Yes, when you log out of the desktop (not just closing RDC connection), all xfce processes exits . So it's back to the same memory usage as before. It practically costs nothing to install in each plug.

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

@Joey,

Install xfce:

apt-get install xfce4 xfce4-goodies

Create/edit this file in your home directory for xrdp to start xfce automatically:

cat ~/.vnc/xstartup

#!/bin/sh
xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
startxfce4 &

and make it executable

chmod +x ~/.vnc/xstartup

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

Almost edited in time! Hailstorm blew over.
Gravelrash, I should have almost 3 GB free space on the USB stick's current partition. It's brand new, and I'd risk a large swap drive just to make sure it's close enough working to make quality backup copy.
At Qui's Arch tutorial he goes with this:

#This will create a 1024MB swap file
#Named "swapfile.img" in /media/usb (USB HD).
dd if=/dev/zero of=/media/usb/swapfile.img bs=1M count=1024
mkswap /media/usb/swapfile.img

Note to bystanders: this is for Arch Linux

At the Debian site it's very very similar. In both cases i get this:

root@DebianPlug:~# dd if=/dev/zero of=/media/usb/swapfile.img bs=1M count=1024
dd: opening `/media/usb/swapfile.img': No such file or directory

I even tried making a blank file in Windows with that name, copying it with WinSCP into that directory and same result.

And really that's the result of the other problems I'm having.

The other issue is cat ~/.vnc/xstartup - I don't understand that syntax, so I just ran it as code.

cat: /root/.vnc/xstartup: No such file or directory

I don't know what it means.

So separate that from another thing i can't work through on my own at the moment, the swap file. There's lots of room left on the USB stick and I could put the stick in Windows and format a nice fat 1-4GB swap, anything for happy temporary swap. If Debian can be made to recognize it. I might do that now. That's because i suspect some directory is locked from making a swap within the OS partition, but I'm guessing.

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/03/2015 09:51PM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

What pr9bems are you having creating a swapfile?

Gravelrash up above when I wrote that, my USB stick had one partition. Since then I put the USB stick in a Windows format app and added swap samba partitions. Took screenshot, attached.

Then on my laptop running live Mint I used GParted to see what Linux sees. Oh i forgot, Pogoplug Debian ought to have the dev/sdc allocations.
Cut to the chase, this should be easier to setup a swap than making an image file within the OS partition. So for now the bigger troubles are that cat problem

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/03/2015 09:02PM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

Quote

Create/edit this file in your home directory for xrdp to start xfce automatically:

cat ~/.vnc/xstartup
#!/bin/sh
xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
startxfce4 &

"cat" is the equivalence of "type" in MS-DOS. So whenever you see "cat", it means that the the person is posting the content of a file. The above means: create the xstartup file at the current home login directory (~), and this file should be placed under the .vnc directory. If the file was already there, then edit to add the last 2 lines into that file.

-bodhi
===========================
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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/03/2015 11:30PM by bodhi.

Right after doing an apt-get update, I think I tried doing this right:

root@DebianPlug:~# cat ~/.vnc/xstartup
#!/bin/sh
xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
startxfce4 &root@DebianPlug:~# #!/bin/sh
root@DebianPlug:~# xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
xrdb: Can't open display ''
root@DebianPlug:~# startxfce4 &
[1] 2352
root@DebianPlug:~# /usr/bin/startxfce4: Starting X server

/etc/X11/xinit/xserverrc: 3: exec: /usr/bin/X: not found
chmod +x ~/.vnc/xstartup
root@DebianPlug:~# xinit: giving up
xinit: unable to connect to X server: Connection refused
xinit: server error

Also I can't verify my VNC password is set right, but i alternate between using Pogo's password and VNCs. Of the choices in the connect dialog, one says it's connected but it's a black screen, another says everything's okay and then flashes off, the rest say "error: problem connecting".

I wont' fault any of you if you want to wash your hands of this. -edit self-defeating ponder-

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/04/2015 10:16AM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

Joey

Look here for good info on creating swapfile

http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,19624,19645#msg-19645

.

Does this make (or lack) sense? Just fdisk -l and free commands:

root@DebianPlug:~# free
             total       used       free     shared    buffers     cached
Mem:        121776      92108      29668          0       5400      38060
-/+ buffers/cache:      48648      73128
Swap:            0          0          0
root@DebianPlug:~# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/mtdblock0: 14 MB, 14680064 bytes
171 heads, 42 sectors/track, 3 cylinders, total 28672 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: 0xaaaaaaaa

This doesn't look like a partition table
Probably you selected the wrong device.

          Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/mtdblock0p1   ?  2863311530  1431655763  1431655765   aa  Unknown
/dev/mtdblock0p2   ?  2863311530  1431655763  1431655765   aa  Unknown
/dev/mtdblock0p3   ?  2863311530       21843   715838805   aa  Unknown
/dev/mtdblock0p4   ?  2863311530  1426085203  1428870485   aa  Unknown

Disk /dev/mtdblock1: 119 MB, 119537664 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14 cylinders, total 233472 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/mtdblock1 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/sda: 7849 MB, 7849115648 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 954 cylinders, total 15330304 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: 0x67990726

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1              10     7812869     3906430   83  Linux
/dev/sda2         7823655    15326009     3751177+   f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5         7823718    12016619     2096451   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6        12016683    15326009     1654663+   b  W95 FAT32
root@DebianPlug:~#

Given the best of my abilities, I went into etc/fstab and deleted three lines of the same thing (forgot) and added, like bohdi said:

I would avoid adding this to fstab. Turn swap on in /etc/rc.local is better, IMO. 

/etc/rc.local 
....
swapon /swapfile1
swapon /swapfile2
....

I then pasted that code exactly as shown after the exit line of code in /ect/rc.local. I then changed "swapfile1" to "/dev/sda5" because that's a whole partition formatted Linux swap on the USB stick. At first i changed the second line "swapfile2" to that image file i already made somewhere in ect (not fstab). Confused? I am. lol

Here are the results of fdisk -l and free:

root@DebianPlug:~# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/mtdblock0: 14 MB, 14680064 bytes
171 heads, 42 sectors/track, 3 cylinders, total 28672 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: 0xaaaaaaaa

This doesn't look like a partition table
Probably you selected the wrong device.

          Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/mtdblock0p1   ?  2863311530  1431655763  1431655765   aa  Unknown
/dev/mtdblock0p2   ?  2863311530  1431655763  1431655765   aa  Unknown
/dev/mtdblock0p3   ?  2863311530       21843   715838805   aa  Unknown
/dev/mtdblock0p4   ?  2863311530  1426085203  1428870485   aa  Unknown

Disk /dev/mtdblock1: 119 MB, 119537664 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14 cylinders, total 233472 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/mtdblock1 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/sda: 7849 MB, 7849115648 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 954 cylinders, total 15330304 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: 0x67990726

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1              10     7812869     3906430   83  Linux
/dev/sda2         7823655    15326009     3751177+   f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5         7823718    12016619     2096451   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6        12016683    15326009     1654663+   b  W95 FAT32
root@DebianPlug:~# free
             total       used       free     shared    buffers     cached
Mem:        121776      79972      41804          0       6360      40768
-/+ buffers/cache:      32844      88932
Swap:            0          0          0
root@DebianPlug:~#

There's some other swap code I tried as well, getting desperate and surprised this unit boots.

I lament, why don't they have a swap manager in Webmin?

And further, i wonder if we should make an updated, separate thread about setting up swap files when you have to do that on USB stick. We all understand a USB stick won't last too long (and will eventually break), but even small USB sticks can spare 1-4 GB easilly for a swap. Or another method, have a dedicated USB slot for spare USB sticks and feed the beast until it dies. Plug in another. USB sticks are like batteries anyway, you want them either alive or fully shot. Keeps a cleaner workspace :-D

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/04/2015 12:01PM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

Gents I don't know if my lack of working swap file is the cause of my RDP problems, but it's a persistent problem. After trying this, replacing fstab reference to /etc/rc.local, here's what free does after a reboot:

root@DebianPlug:~# free
             total       used       free     shared    buffers     cached
Mem:        121776     116872       4904          0      47968      36088
-/+ buffers/cache:      32816      88960
Swap:            0          0          0
root@DebianPlug:~#

Instead of unscrambling an egg, I'm kind of compelled to start a new thread, as this one has beat a dead horse into glue lol

To answer this thread's topical question Easy/possible to install driver for RNX-AC600UB in Pogoplug?
No. lol

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-