Pogoplug series 4 loses settings on reboot

[aasemkhan]

Hi, I finished installing archlinux on a pogoplug series 4 successfully and everything works fine except the following two issues:

First issue: I cannot reboot with the external USB drive (Seagate Backup Plus Desktop 4TB) connected. When I do reboot, I can't ssh in to the machine. However, rebooting without the drive works fine, and then when I connect the drive the system mounts it fine. I have the thumb drive (with the OS) installed on the top slot, and have tried both the side (rear?) slots for the external drive, but both give the same result.

Second issue: I have minidlna installed on it as well, and it works fine, but doesn't start on reboot. Whenever I reboot, I have to restart the service (systemctl restart minidlna).

I've searched the forums, but no joy. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[WarheadsSE]

2x USB drives: this is a classic race problem with USB and u-boot. This is not "losing settings"

minidlna: again, it isn't losing settings if it simpy fails to start for some reason. Examine the logs via journalctl/systemctl and see why it failed.

[aasemkhan]

Can you explain what you mean by a 'race problem'? I've used this same setup with other pogoplugs and they are working fine, so don't understand what the issue with this situation is. Thanks.

[WarheadsSE]

Essentially:
When two usb devices are presented to u-boot @ start time, sometimes they come up in an "unexpected" order, resulting in the one you are expecting to be sda actually being sdb, and when the booting the kernel, they may come up in yet _another_ order.

[aasemkhan]

Is there a solution to such an issue, like setting boot order? If so, can you point me in the right direction?

I've run a search on this, and apparently the pogoplug series 4 cannot boot from the USB 3.0 ports (the other two ports one of which has the larger hard drive installed).

Thanks.

[WarheadsSE]

The u-boot can't see the USB 3 ports. Linux kernel can.

[aasemkhan]

What is this? A guessing game, or some kind of archlinux solution scavenger hunt? Or are you some kind of wizard taking me through a labyrinth through carefully placed hints?

Just because you know the answer, and I don't, doesn't make you the keeper of the linux kingdom's keys, the solutions of which you can only reveal to the few worthy souls who can decipher your cryptic clues. Geez.

Thanks for nothing. Guess I'll ask somewhere else to get a straight answer.

[moonman]

We should have a 'no drama' rule for this forum.