Linux distro on NSA325

[AvanOsch]

Excellent stuff WarheadsSE!
Thanks for all your efforts!

@SomeoneOnLine:
To return to "Stock", Open a terminal and run:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', 'fw_setenv bootcmd 'run to_stock'
reboot')
If you have a serial terminal, you can also stop the boot-process, and just enter run to_stock
You'll probably get some error messages during boot, as the Arch partitions will not contain a "volume" or any shares.
To totally return to stock, you'll have to do a full reset on the NAS.

After returning "to_stock", you should be able to return to Arch with:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', 'fw_setenv bootcmd 'run to_linux'
reboot')
If you don't change anything in "Stock", I believe the Arch installation will be unchanged.
(Anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong)
It's not possible to have an actual "dual-boot", as the stock installation will want to re-format your partitions.

At least, that's how I've experienced things while tinkering with Arch and Debian...

[WarheadsSE]

You could do a dual-boot. Just that you would need to dedicate various bits to a partition & filesystem available to both parts.

[SomeoneOnLine]

So basically I can follow the guide from http://archlinuxarm.org/platforms/armv5/zyxel-nsa320#qt-platform_tabs-ui-tabs2 to install ArchLinuxArm. I have already updated "usb_key_func.sh.2 to reflect the new arcnumber 4495.

So after I have followed the install steps from the link above does the nsa325 startup using DHCP? I can get the IP it gets issued from my DHCP server if it does then SSH to it using putty? What is the default root password? Sorry im a little new to archlinux. Just want to make sure before I start playing with this thing.

Thanks,

~SOL

[WarheadsSE]

Unless you pre-install the linux-kirkwood kernel to the rootfs... you might have a bad day.

You could, however:
1) boot into stock
2) install
3) Hope that puppy has no install issues.
4) let it reboot
5) IMMEDIATELY install linux-kirkwood.

[SomeoneOnLine]

OK. Sorry for yet again another dumb question but im getting more and more confused as to the steps I need to follow from beginning to end in order to get archlinuxarm installed on my nsa325.

What tut would you recommend I read in order to do so? At first thought I kinda figured that the steps in that link I posted seamed a little too simple.

When you say 'boot into stock' do you mean boot the nsa325 into the stock ZyXel firmware like it already does? Or something else?

Sorry. I dont mind reading before I get down and dirty I just want to make sure I understand what I need to do inorder to get ArchLinuxArm installed on my nsa325.

Thanks again for helping me understand.

~SOL (ShitOutaLuck) lol.

[WarheadsSE]

http://archlinuxarm.org/platforms/armv5/zyxel-nsa325

[prokrypt]

... whoa! That [NSA325] wasn't listed there before. When/how did it magically appear?!?
Also, what was the key to disabling the watchdog?

[edit]
Was it as simple as enabling/initializing ethernet?

[edit #2]
Oh, there it goes.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', '/* the nsa325 uses the 88E1310S Alaska, and has an MCU attached to the LED[2] via tristate interrupt */
static int nsa325_phy_fixup(struct phy_device *phydev)
...')

[anesthetic]

is it possible archlinux can be installed on usb drive, instead of the first hdd?

[prokrypt]

Yes, sort of. It must still boot from the HDD though, at least for now...

[SomeoneOnLine]

OK. I followed the steps with the new rootfs file on put them on a FAT32 formated usb thumb drive and popped it into the front usb port and put a single 250GB drive in the left drive bay and powered on the nsa325 but it just boots up to the normal firmware and I can access the zyxel web interface like normal. Am I missing something? I never really get any activity on the usb key or anything. I let it sit there for a few hours but nothing. LEDs on the front of the system stop flashing after about 2-4 mins.

~SOL