Re: Debian kernel package for linkstation pro

[Tim Small <tim@buttersideup.com>]

Hello,

I presume (but I'm not sure) that the only method for installing Debian 
on the kuropro, and lspro will be to start the installer via TFTP..  I 
suppose it might also be possible to write an installer image to the HD 
of the linkstation (by connecting the drive directly to another machine 
first), and use this to boot-strap the install.

Initially, I didn't think this was possible to do on the lspro, without 
using a serial cable (since there is no method on the lspro V2s which I 
have to force a tftpboot, without a serial cable, but some earlier hw/fw 
versions apparently have a feature to do this by holding down the reset 
key during power-on).

AFAIK, no one is making, or selling the lspro serial cables 
commercially, and although the parts are cheap, they are time-consuming 
and relatively difficult to make.

In the end, between myself, and the others on IRC (#linkstationwiki on 
freenode), we came up with two methods:

A (keep stock firmware):

1. Update your firmware to the latest version from Buffalo (new 
linkstations ship with this already).
2. Use a serial cable to trigger tftp install.

B (use non-standard firmware):

The linkstation firmware is a patched version of uboot.  The Buffalo 
changes have been forward-ported to a newer version of uboot 1.1.4, 
which has been built with network console support - thus doing away with 
the need for a serial cable:

http://buffalo.nas-central.org/download/Users/davy_gravy/uboot_materials/

Additionally, since the source code for the firmware is available, it 
should be possible to restore the 
hold-down-reset-during-power-on-to-trigger-tftpboot feature to the 
current Buffalo firmware, in order to keep changes to a minimum - 
however someone would have to be sufficiently motivated to do this....


We came up with some methods for getting the updated firmware onto the 
Linkstations:

i.  Use the Buffalo 'EM Mode' firmware updater (implemented via 
Buffalo's kernel+initrd pair) to flash the newer firmware.
ii. Take the front-panel off the Linkstation, and disconnect/remove the 
hard drive - the Buffalo uboot will then fall-back to booting from tftp, 
and the new firmware could then be flashed via this way.
iii. Write the firmware updater directly to the HD of the linkstation 
using another machine.


Whichever firmware is being used, you'll need to delete the faulty 
initrd=... boot parameter from the uboot "nvram" variables (which are 
actually also stored in flash - not nvram - in the linkstations), but 
this should be possible by the same sort of methods which would be 
necessary for updating the firmware (or could just be done manually 
using the serial console).

Cheers,

Tim.