There must be a Pogoplug-light neighborhood message system

Or am I beating a dead horse here? I know a lot of neighbors with Androids and no cell phone plan that would think it's cool to access a simple message board with their wireless, which is a neighborhood's range about.

Left to my own devices I'll probably jerry rig something together, but does anyone know of sort of an OwnCloud that's more for group login and all that over a wireless LAN basically? Templates are good; I'm not proud :-)

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

Not sure if this is what you are looking for.

https://help.cloudtrax.com/hc/en-us/articles/202245580-Part-1-Network-Planning-Guide-Overview

How big of an area are you talking about and distances to other houses?

If close I think you could get by with some goodwill routers with wrt or something like the Dreamplugs but you would need to get everyone to have one in each house for a typical single family neighborhood.
Otherwise, the cost goes up significantly with bigger radios and possibly point to point radios to network clusters together over the network.

Joey,

TBH, I really don't know what exactly you wanna achieve. However, perhaps this Getting started with storage -- Understanding SAN vs NAS vs DAS article may shed some lights about storage.

Put it this way, let's say we want to make a Neighborhood Watch website for my neighborhood, which would be a basic message board and private messaging. I've been out of the loop for a while, but that shouldn't be hard.

But, it's not on the WWW, rather it's what neighbors can connect with their Androids or laptops or anything wireless they have.So if I ran a LAMP server on Pogoplug or Beelink X2, hooked that to a wireless router that can handle as many wireless connections as possible, at most six.
I'll do some research if XAMPP can run a 4-neighbor bulletin board and private message system.
What I don't get, is once a neighbor does the wireless login name/password, then what do I give them for a start page? Don't know how that's done.

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

JoeyPogoPlugE02 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> What I don't get, is once a neighbor does the wire
> less login name/password, then what do I give them
> for a start page? Don't know how that's done.


Look at the link I gave. It goes into a splash screen to accept terms like a free wifi. Perhaps you could replace that with what you want for a start page since its all html.

JoeyPogoPlugE02 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'll do some research if XAMPP can run a 4-neighbor bulletin board and private message system.
>
If you wanna setup a BB, then perhaps try this free ProBoard. You don't even need a hardware. All you need is to sign up for a free account and your neighbors can access it through their Internet devices. If you insist on running your own BB on your own hardware, then try installing a free open-source and very lightweight PunBB (download punbb-1.4.4.zip or from its GitHub repository). This is the same BB used by OpenWRT Forum. I tried this on my PogoPlug Pro a while back sans any problem. If you take this route, then you will need to setup a DNS pointing to your device. Since I have IPv6, I used FreeDNS. The only problem I encountered with using an IPv6 is no one could access my device from an IPv4 based device (probably it has something to do with DNS delegation).

@ all thanks a lot, great places to get acquainted with. The FreeDNS website struck me as a government front, but humerus how friendly they are.

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

@ Habibie about PunBB, do you really need Internet-based DNS for essentially a neighborhood-wide ad hoc simple web server?

PunBB looks great and if it's possible to setup I will. But in lieu of no internet DNS service can we tell the router it's the DNS server or fool it like that? My hardware for now will be any old router lying around here and either a Pogoplug or Beelink/Armbian.

So this is sounding likable even. As an afterthought, because it is neighbors, they wouldn't care if there was no DNS, just give them a long code.

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

@Joey,

TBH, I don't know the answer. I had my Pogoplug Pro that automatically assigned with both a private IPv4 and/or a public IPv6 configured with several web based applications, i.e. OpenWRT/LEDE (main) Web GUI, FusionPBX, PunPBB, etc., where each used a different port. So, I had used the [IP Address]:[port] scheme to access each web page with a web browser within the same internal private LAN sans a DNS (if that is what you meant). I did not do any IPv4 port mapping on my main router for an external access to any of the web pages. So, only IPv6 with a proper IPv6 DNS can externally access to any of the web pages (and I had a friend confirmed the access sans a problem through an IPv6 DNS). I wished I had kept a copy of an older version OpenWRT/LEDE firmware so I can let you test the PunBB on my Pogoplug Pro. Right now, all OpenWT/LEDE firmware I build already hard coded its Linux kernel with the FIT support (don't know how to disable it) and it 's not compatible with the any existing Bodhi's u-boot that does not have a FIT support. Bodhi has already mentioned he may support FIT as soon as u-boot mainline phases out the DTB format completely (see here). It certainly will be great if that happens tomorrow. Otherwise, I will have to resort to OpenWRT/LEDE u-boot soon.

FYI, I have excerpted the boot message below that shows Wrong Image Format for bootm command when trying to boot a LEDE firmware with FIT support. This same Pogoplug Pro used to boot an OpenWRT/LEDE firmware before the FIT feature was enabled into its Linux kernel.

[root@linux:/home/local/PEOPLE/habibie 13%] # minicom

Welcome to minicom 2.7

OPTIONS: I18n 
Port /dev/ttyUSB0, 08:07:00

Press CTRL-A Z for help on special keys


U-Boot SPL 2013.10-tld-4 (Sep 07 2014 - 14:10:12)
  Boot device: NAND
Attempting to set PLLA to 850 MHz ...
  plla_ctrl0 : 0000020a
  plla_ctrl1 : 00330000
  plla_ctrl2 : 0065008b
  plla_ctrl3 : 000000f1

PLLA Set


U-Boot 2013.10-tld-5 (Mar 07 2015 - 16:50:17) for OXNAS

DRAM:  128 MiB
NAND:  128 MiB                                                                                                                    
In:    serial                                                                                                                     
Out:   serial                                                                                                                     
Err:   serial                                                                                                                     
Net:                                                                                                                              
Led:    GREEN                                                                                                                     
mii0                                                                                                                              
Main Loop                                                                                                                         
Waiting for PHY auto negotiation to complete.... TIMEOUT!                                                                         
ENET Speed is 10 Mbps - HALF duplex connection                                                                                    
Using mii0 device
ping failed; host 192.168.1.74 is not alive
Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0
Use bootcmd_nand before scan_disk
Scanning usb device
(Re)start USB...
USB0:   USB EHCI 1.00
scanning bus 0 for devices... 3 USB Device(s) found
       scanning usb for storage devices... 1 Storage Device(s) found
Scanning device: usb 0:1
550 bytes read in 302 ms (1000 Bytes/s)
Found bootable drive on usb 0:1
## Info: input data size = 551 = 0x227
## Info: input data size = 397 = 0x18D
## Info: input data size = 21301 = 0x5335
Use bootcmd_usb after scan_disk
2129740 bytes read in 526 ms (3.9 MiB/s)
7083 bytes read in 292 ms (23.4 KiB/s)
Wrong Image Format for bootm command

Led:    ORANGE (Failed)
ERROR: can't get kernel image!
resetting ...

Fascinating Habibie, I've let that sink in a bit because I don't know if most smartphones around here are rigged or show a preference for IPv4 or IPv6. When talking to neighbors I see iPhones and Samsungs.

Also I'm not sure if a Pogoplug is the right device to run this; but:
1. there's always one of the BeelinkX2s with 1G RAM I could rig, and
2. I DO have OpenWRT on one of the Pogoplug Pros here, but I never got far into it (never wrecked it either though mwahaha)

Habibie, what does "FIT support" mean? Why we need it?

JoeyBeelinkX2 over at the Armbian forum (hey, wait a minute LOL) wondered the same thing, and one answer speaks of "Apache or nginx and desired software". Still out of my league. What I'll do in the meantime is find a spare router and run maybe a Beelink Armbian loaded with ... I forget the name of it, a turnkey web package, and see how it looks if I log in with a laptop or smart phone.

* and my next door neighbor got her young daughter's bike stolen, so the trend around here is we need to keep our neighborhood cleaner and be alert what's going on. Just a message board is good enough for now.

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

JoeyPogoPlugE02 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Fascinating Habibie, I've let that sink in a bit because I don't know if most smartphones around here are rigged or show a preference for IPv4 or IPv6. When talking to neighbors I see iPhones and Samsungs.
>
AFAICT, most Android devices have a support for IPv6. The question is rather towards if their ISPs do support IPv6.

> Also I'm not sure if a Pogoplug is the right device to run this; but: 1. there's always one of the BeelinkX2s with 1G RAM I could rig, and 2. I DO have OpenWRT on one of the Pogoplug Pros here, but I never got far into it (never wrecked it either though mwahaha)
>
AFAICT, a Pogoplug Pro is strong enough to support such a simple BB forum. It probably won't have a problem to support at least 10 concurrent users. Just make sure the upload Internet speed is big enough to support X amount of concurrent users. After all, I tested mine on my Pogoplug Pro 02 with a self-built OpenWRT firmware using its uhttpd web server. A BeelinkX2 with 1G RAM should have plenty of juice to drive such a BB forum even with a more powerful webserver, i.e. apache, etc., on an Armbian OS.

> Habibie, what does "FIT support" mean? Why we need it?
>
TBH, I have no idea, but I will leave this for Bodhi to explain what a Flattened Image Trees (FIT) is.

FIT is the new image format used by u-boot.

We are booting with uImage and uInitrd (legacy image format) and a DTB file that is provided by the kernel. In short, FIT packages these components into one image.

You don't really need FIT, at the moment. OpenWrt still compile and package uImage and DTB in their build tree. So all you need to do when upgrading is to make sure the uImage and DTB files are copied to your OpenWrt rootfs.

There are benefits in using FIT. But that's besides the point of discussion about whether you can use legacy images or not. It is simply wrong to say that you need FIT to boot any kernel, Debian, Arch or OpenWrt.

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



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/06/2017 06:11PM by bodhi.

bodhi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You don't really need FIT, at the moment. OpenWrt still compile and package uImage and DTB in their build tree. So all you need to do when upgrading is to make sure the uImage and DTB files are copied to your OpenWrt rootfs.
>
Bodhi, you are right. However, my Pogoplug Pro 02 that used to work with an old and self-built OpenWRT/LEDE firmware sans any problem by means of your u-boot (U-Boot 2013.10-tld-5 (Mar 07 2015 - 16:50:17) for OXNAS) now fails to boot with a recent built LEDE firmware and spits out this error message Led: ORANGE (Failed) as shown below. FYI, I did copy this <LEDE root source directory>/build_dir/target-arm_mpcore_musl_eabi/linux-oxnas/linux-4.4.70/arch/arm/boot/dts/ox820-pogoplug-pro.dtb file to my /boot directory.

[root@linux:/home/local/PEOPLE/habibie 19%] # minicom

Welcome to minicom 2.7

OPTIONS: I18n 
Port /dev/ttyUSB0, 15:58:53

Press CTRL-A Z for help on special keys


U-Boot SPL 2013.10-tld-4 (Sep 07 2014 - 14:10:12)
  Boot device: NAND
Attempting to set PLLA to 850 MHz ...
  plla_ctrl0 : 0000020a
  plla_ctrl1 : 00330000
  plla_ctrl2 : 0065008b
  plla_ctrl3 : 000000f1

PLLA Set


U-Boot 2013.10-tld-5 (Mar 07 2015 - 16:50:17) for OXNAS

DRAM:  128 MiB
NAND:  128 MiB                                                                                                                    
In:    serial                                                                                                                     
Out:   serial                                                                                                                     
Err:   serial                                                                                                                     
Net:                                                                                                                              
Led:    GREEN                                                                                                                     
mii0                                                                                                                              
Main Loop                                                                                                                         
Waiting for PHY auto negotiation to complete.... TIMEOUT!                                                                         
ENET Speed is 10 Mbps - HALF duplex connection                                                                                    
Using mii0 device
ping failed; host 192.168.1.74 is not alive
Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0
Use bootcmd_nand before scan_disk
Scanning usb device
(Re)start USB...
USB0:   USB EHCI 1.00
scanning bus 0 for devices... 3 USB Device(s) found
       scanning usb for storage devices... 1 Storage Device(s) found
Scanning device: usb 0:1
550 bytes read in 302 ms (1000 Bytes/s)
Found bootable drive on usb 0:1
## Info: input data size = 551 = 0x227
## Info: input data size = 397 = 0x18D
## Info: input data size = 21413 = 0x53A5
Use bootcmd_usb after scan_disk
2129740 bytes read in 526 ms (3.9 MiB/s)
7083 bytes read in 292 ms (23.4 KiB/s)
Wrong Image Format for bootm command

Led:    ORANGE (Failed)
ERROR: can't get kernel image!
resetting ...

habibie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> bodhi Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > You don't really need FIT, at the moment. OpenWr
> t still compile and package uImage and DTB in thei
> r build tree. So all you need to do when upgrading
> is to make sure the uImage and DTB files are copie
> d to your OpenWrt rootfs.
> >
> Bodhi, you are right. However, my Pogoplug Pro 02
> that used to work with an old and self-built OpenW
> RT/LEDE firmware sans any problem by means of your
> u-boot (U-Boot 2013.10-tld-5 (Mar 07 2015 - 16:50:
> 17) for OXNAS) now fails to boot with a recent bui
> lt LEDE firmware and spits out this error message
> Led: ORANGE (Failed) as shown below. FYI
> , I did copy this <LEDE root source directory>/
> build_dir/target-arm_mpcore_musl_eabi/linux-oxnas/
> linux-4.4.70/arch/arm/boot/dts/ox820-pogoplug-pro.
> dtb file to my /boot directory.
>

[root@linux:/home/local/PEOPLE/habibie 19%]
> # minicom
> 
> Welcome to minicom 2.7
> 
> OPTIONS: I18n
> Port /dev/ttyUSB0, 15:58:53
> 
> Press CTRL-A Z for help on special keys
> 
> 
> U-Boot SPL 2013.10-tld-4 (Sep 07 2014 - 14:10:12)
> Boot device: NAND
> Attempting to set PLLA to 850 MHz ...
> plla_ctrl0 : 0000020a
> plla_ctrl1 : 00330000
> plla_ctrl2 : 0065008b
> plla_ctrl3 : 000000f1
> 
> PLLA Set
> 
> 
> U-Boot 2013.10-tld-5 (Mar 07 2015 - 16:50:17) for
> OXNAS
> 
> DRAM:  128 MiB
> NAND:  128 MiB
> In:    serial
> Out:   serial
> Err:   serial
> Net:
> Led:    GREEN
> mii0
> Main Loop
> Waiting for PHY auto negotiation to complete.... T
> IMEOUT!
> ENET Speed is 10 Mbps - HALF duplex connection
> Using mii0 device
> ping failed; host 192.168.1.74 is not alive
> Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0
> Use bootcmd_nand before scan_disk
> Scanning usb device
> (Re)start USB...
> USB0:   USB EHCI 1.00
> scanning bus 0 for devices... 3 USB Device(s) foun
> d
> scanning usb for storage devices... 1 Stora
> ge Device(s) found
> Scanning device: usb 0:1
> 550 bytes read in 302 ms (1000 Bytes/s)
> Found bootable drive on usb 0:1
> ## Info: input data size = 551 = 0x227
> ## Info: input data size = 397 = 0x18D
> ## Info: input data size = 21413 = 0x53A5
> Use bootcmd_usb after scan_disk
> 2129740 bytes read in 526 ms (3.9 MiB/s)
> 7083 bytes read in 292 ms (23.4 KiB/s)
> Wrong Image Format for bootm command
> 
> Led:    ORANGE (Failed)
> ERROR: can't get kernel image!
> resetting ...

This might be that the uImage on your rootfs is not a legacy format image.

Quote

So all you need to do when upgrading is to make sure the uImage and DTB files are copied to your OpenWrt rootfs.

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

Bodhi, the uImage file is the one generated by both OpenWRT and/or LEDE build process. The DTB file I had to copy from the Linux source directory as shown previously because the DTB file is no longer provided by the build process. My understanding on what you said is the uImage file (FIT) is not compatible with the legacy format.

habibie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Bodhi, the uImage file is the one generated by bot
> h OpenWRT and/or LEDE build process. The DTB file
> I had to copy from the Linux source directory as s
> hown previously because the DTB file is no longer
> provided by the build process. My understanding on
> what you said is the uImage file (FIT) is not comp
> atible with the legacy format.

What you said is contrary to what bobafethotmail reported. He can boot OpenWrt with my uboot.

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



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/07/2017 08:50PM by bodhi.

bodhi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> habibie Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Bodhi, the uImage file is the one generated by both OpenWRT and/or LEDE build process. The DTB file I had to copy from the Linux source directory as shown previously because the DTB file is no longer provided by the build process. My understanding on what you said is the uImage file (FIT) is not compatible with the legacy format.
>
> What you said is contrary to what bobafethotmail reported. He can boot OpenWrt with my uboot.
>
Bodhi, you are right. But, we are probably using two different versions of OpenWRT/LEDE. I am trying to use the git (snapshot) version and bobafethotmail probably uses the latest release, i.e. Chaos Calmer 15.05.1 (CC). IIRC, CC release is still based on the old DTB and not FIT. FYI, my Pogoplug Pro 02 had no problem to boot with CC release.

> But, we are probably using t
> wo different versions of OpenWRT/LEDE. I am trying
> to use the git (snapshot) version

If there is no uImage, initrd, and DTB (as you could not find them), look at the FIT image and extract kernel image, ramdisk image (if any), and DTB from this FIT image. Again, FIT is a container. There are tools to extract its components.

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

bodhi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > But, we are probably using two different versions of OpenWRT/LEDE. I am trying to use the git (snapshot) version
>
> If there is no uImage, initrd, and DTB (as you could not find them), look at the FIT image and extract kernel image, ramdisk image (if any), and DTB
> from this FIT image. Again, FIT is a container. There are tools to extract its components.
>
Both OpenWRT and/ir LEDE build processes produce uImage, rootfs tarred file, and among other files, but no initrd and/or DTB files. As I mentioned before, the .dtb file I copied from the <LEDE root source directory>/build_dir/target-arm_mpcore_musl_eabi/linux-oxnas/linux-4.4.70/arch/arm/boot/dts/ox820-pogoplug-pro.dtb file to my /boot directory. AFAICT, this .dtb file was automatically generated during the process of compiling Linux kernel source.

Joey,

If you are still looking for something give this a try. I just set up on my pi3 and laptop. Really simple to install and configure.

https://github.com/tomeshnet/prototype-cjdns-pi/issues/130

feas Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Joey,
>
> If you are still looking for something give this a
> try. I just set up on my pi3 and laptop. Really
> simple to install and configure.
>
> https://github.com/tomeshnet/prototype-cjdns-pi/issues/130

I know JoeyUniverse joined GitHub :-D. A few lucky days and I should be coherent better.

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

> I know JoeyUniverse joined GitHub :-D. A few lucky
> days and I should be coherent better.

Good for you Joey :)

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