[INSTALLATION] Install using 2 partitions

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Re: [INSTALLATION] Install using 2 partitions

Postby LavaChild » Wed Apr 18, 2012 12:43 pm

Hi,

I am trying to install using two partitions and wish for the second (RootFS) partition to be ext4. I am trying to do this entirely using the PogoPlug following the installation guide (*). I am creating and making the file system for both partitions (first small partition for /boot as ext2, second large partition for / as ext4). However at stage 6, I have trouble when I try to mount, using

$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', 'mount /dev/sda2 usb')

I get the following message:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', 'mount: mounting /dev/sda2 on usb failed: Invalid argument')

I have tried using

$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', 'mount -t ext4 /dev/sda2 usb')

But that fails with the following message:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', 'mount: mounting /dev/sda3 on usb/ failed: No such device')

I then remade the file system on the second partition (/) ext3 and was able to mount successfully.

Therefore, it seems that it is not possible to mount ext4 within the PogoPlug OS. Is this the case? If so, is there anyway at all to create a two partitions ALARM installation as detailed here, with ext4 RootFS, entirely on the PogoPlug?

Thanks.

(*) http://archlinuxarm.org/platforms/armv5 ... s-ui-tabs2
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Re: [INSTALLATION] Install using 2 partitions

Postby WarheadsSE » Wed Apr 18, 2012 4:15 pm

Put simply, you might need to pre-create these on a different system than the Pogoplug's stock os.
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Re: [INSTALLATION] Install using 2 partitions

Postby LavaChild » Thu Apr 19, 2012 9:40 am

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('WarheadsSE', 'P')ut simply, you might need to pre-create these on a different system than the Pogoplug's stock os.


Thanks, I'll do this using a live CD when I am ready... For now I'll try getting used to ALARM with a simple single ext2 partition installation. :)
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Re: [INSTALLATION] Install using 2 partitions

Postby john3voltas » Sat Oct 13, 2012 2:50 pm

Greetings.
Got a dockstar, usb harddisk and a couple of pendrives to test.
Have been running ALARM since the days of Arch Linux ARM.
Most of my problems have been difficulty in updating (pacman issues), and power outages.
Lately (past couple of weeks) I have had some other issues that I will post in other topics.
Since my regular setup is dockstar+usb hdd with everything in the same Ext2 partition, power outages always give me headaches.
Now I would like to move /boot into it's own Ext2 partition and the / (rootfs) to an Ext4 partition.
Before I start, I should say that last week I updated my dockstar's uboot to the latest using instructions on this post from Jeff Doozan.
Tried this without success:
- connected the usb hdd to a laptop running Linux
- did a backup to another hdd (could have used Gpart to resize partitions)
- removed all partitions and created a primary Ext2 partition with 256MB and another primary Ext4 partition with the remaining disk space.
- then I opened a terminal, and as "user root" and from the root of the Ext4 partition I:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', 'wget http://archlinuxarm.org/os/ArchLinuxARM-armv5te-latest.tar.gz
tar -xzvf ArchLinuxARM-armv5te-*.tar.gz
rm ArchLinuxARM-armv5te-*.tar.gz
sync')
- then I copied the contents of /boot to the root of the Ext2 partition. So the Ext2 partition has no folders and just have a file called uImage.
- removed the /boot folder from the Ext4 partition. Don't need it any longer. (or do I??)
- then I edited /etc/fstab on Ext4 partition and added a line at the end like this:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', '/dev/sda1 /boot ext2 defaults,noatime 1 2')
- at this point I unmounted the usb hdd from the laptop, disconnected it from the laptop and connected it back to the dockstar
- then I connected the serial from my laptop to the dockstar
- I opened Putty (everybody prefers minicom but I am used to Putty from M$ days) from the laptop, and opened the serial port at /dev/ttyUSB0 to see the dockstar terminal
- rebooted the dockstar and pressed a key to stop it from booting up
- from the "Marvel>>" prompt I changed the environment like this:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', 'setenv usb_scan_1 'usb=0:1 dev=sda2'
setenv usb_scan_2 'usb=1:1 dev=sdb2'
setenv usb_scan_3 'usb=2:1 dev=sdc2'
setenv usb_scan_4 'usb=3:1 dev=sdd2'
setenv usb_rootfstype ext4')
- did a quick printenv just to make sure everything looked alright from my changes and then I:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', 'saveenv
reboot')
This should have worked, right? Or maybe I shouldn't had removed the /boot folder from the Ext4 partition?
The truth is, it didn't boot.
Any idea what I could be doing wrong?
I wouldn't like to mess with the UUID's etc.
Sorry for the long post. I am usually very verbose.
And remember, I am not a Linux noob but I am a very slow learner, so although I am using Linux for the past 4 years, my Linux knowledge is still very scarce.
All help is welcome. ;)
Cheers
Seagate Dockstar
128MB RAM - 256 NAND
U-Boot 2016.09.01-1
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Re: [INSTALLATION] Install using 2 partitions

Postby hydro » Sat Oct 13, 2012 4:20 pm

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('john3voltas', '
')- then I copied the contents of /boot to the root of the Ext2 partition. So the Ext2 partition has no folders and just have a file called uImage.

That is not sufficient. The ext2 partition also has to contain a symlink "boot" that points to the root directory of the ext2 partition itself, otherwise U-Boot cannot find uImage
viewtopic.php?f=30&t=1325#p10059
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('john3voltas', '
')- removed the /boot folder from the Ext4 partition. Don't need it any longer. (or do I??)

You still need the /boot folder on the ext4 partition, because you want to mount the ext2 partition in it. If you don't, you'll run into trouble when pacman updates the kernel.
VDR on DockStar / Pogoplug E02: http://linux.bplaced.net/
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Re: [INSTALLATION] Install using 2 partitions

Postby john3voltas » Sun Oct 14, 2012 1:22 am

Hi hydro,
Thanks for your post. :)
Tomorrow I'll try again using your valuable advise.
At the end of the day I'll post my results.
Cheers
Seagate Dockstar
128MB RAM - 256 NAND
U-Boot 2016.09.01-1
john3voltas
 
Posts: 32
Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 3:42 pm

Re: [INSTALLATION] Install using 2 partitions

Postby john3voltas » Mon Oct 15, 2012 11:02 am

Worked like a charm.
I wonder what will happen when i add another usb hdd to the equasion...
Will my usb pendrive still be able to boot?
Thanks a lot.
Cheers
Seagate Dockstar
128MB RAM - 256 NAND
U-Boot 2016.09.01-1
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Posts: 32
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Re: [INSTALLATION] Install using 2 partitions

Postby hydro » Mon Oct 15, 2012 1:41 pm

It should still boot. If it doesn't boot, attach the pendrive to a USB port with higher priority. On the DockStar the order is: top (highest priority) > back left (next to ethernet) > back right > side (lowest priority). If it still doesn't boot, read this. You also should use UUIDs or labels in /etc/fstab.
VDR on DockStar / Pogoplug E02: http://linux.bplaced.net/
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