Pink Pogoplug v2 wont boot

[doper]

Hi all!

I need a little bit of help. I've been running Arch Linux Arm on my Pogo v2 for 1,5 years, until a couple of days ago. Due to a full HDD the /tmp folder ran out of space and in an attempt to free some space I deleted ../ntp/lib. Oops! I ended up with a pogoplug without /lib so every command failed. After a hard reset the led turned green, but no ssh was possible.
I removed the USB from the Pogoplug and stuck it into a laptop running Ubuntu. I followed http://blog.qnology.com/2013/03/tutoria ... linux.html to download Arch an tar it back to the USB.
When that was done the USB when back in the Pogoplug. After a hard reset I was able to ssh to the Pogo again. I found out that only 18MB of free space was left at / so I decided to start all over again. Stuck the USB back into my Ubuntu laptop and did a fdisk to delete and create a new partition. I downloaded Arch again, and did a tar to the USB. Removed the USB from the laptop and plugged it in on the Pogo. I can see the USB led flashing (indicating its reading), the led on the Pogo turns on solid green. But no SSH is possible. I’m running my own DHCP, the DHCP logs shows no IP request. I ran a scan (with nmap) but no IP was found linked to the Pogo. When I remove the USB and hard reset the Pogo the led turns solid green and an IP is requested and given. I get a SSH login. But I can’t logon. Not with root/root, root/ceadmin, root/password, root/<no_passwd> & root/several_own_password.
Somehow I can’t logon. I tried a different USB. Downloaded Arch and did a tar tot that USB. But no luck.

With the USB in the Pogoplug there is no IP request and no SSH. With the USB in my laptop I created /etc/netctl/eth0 which contains:
Description='Wired'
Interface=eth0
Connection=ethernet
IP=static
Address=('192.168.1.15/24')
Gateway='192.168.1.1'
DNS=('192.168.1.1')

Without the USB in the Pogoplug there is an IP and SSH, but no valid credentials. I even ran Hydra to brute force my way in, 30K passwd but none of them is the right one.

I'm stuck with these questions:
1) Do I need to format the USB to ext2 of ext3?
2) Does the boot flag needs to be set? (meaning fdisk will show it as a bootable USB)
3) I guess I can’t use netconsole as I can’t logon to the Pogo?
4) What could be the default credentials to logon?
5) How to get more logging?

Any tips on what I can try are more than welcome!

I tried creating the USB with a laptop running Ubuntu 12.04 and a VM running Arch Linux.

[doper]

Really? Nobody can help me?

[bodhi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('doper', '
')4) What could be the default credentials to logon?

[Socaltom]

Have you updated the uboot? They came out with a new one a while back and I don't believe it boots the new kernel.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('bodhi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('doper', '
')4) What could be the default credentials to logon?

[moonman]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('doper', '
')1) Do I need to format the USB to ext2 of ext3?
2) Does the boot flag needs to be set? (meaning fdisk will show it as a bootable USB)
3) I guess I can’t use netconsole as I can’t logon to the Pogo?
4) What could be the default credentials to logon?
5) How to get more logging?

[doper]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('moonman', '
')1. Depending on u-boot verison. If you haven't updated your u-boot in that 1.5 years than yes, it is either ext2 or ext3, ext3 being a more universal option. (if you have ext2, or ext3 set in uboot - it will boot)
2. no, it doesn't matter
3. netconsole is independent of login, but it did have to activated manually on V2. If you didn't, it won't work
4. If you changed password, it could be anything. I know I did and forgot after
5. Get usb to ttl.

You also mentioned COM2USB adapter. It has to be TTL to USB, not COM to USB. COM (rs232) is 12volt, ttl is 3.3volt (IIRC)
Try link in my signature to reinstall from scratch (you might need to download http://archlinuxarm.org/os/ArchLinuxARM ... est.tar.gz instead of what's there)

[doper]

Today I got the USB 2 TTL in the mailbox so I got right down to business. After remounting / with rw set I changed the (forgotten) root passwd. Did a reboot without the serial interface. Got the prompt back... tried the passwd... and... I was logged on!

Did a reinstall of Arm on the same USB. Reboot... and now my Pogo is running Arch again!