adding debian to alt-f

[tiad...@gmail.com]

Hi,

I have a dns320l and I have flashed the latest alt-f on it.  I have used it for a week and I am happy with it.  it has two drives both with data on it accessed within windows via samba.

I added debian to it last night and the build log showed debian built OK but it said at the end  that alt-f wasn't added to the debian build ok. I then found that I couldn't access the data on the drive where I have loaded debian.  however, on fresh starting both machines today I can access  data on the debain drive OK but cannot browse it within alt-f.

I haven't executed debian in alt-f today as I am unsure what happens to my original data on that drive if I do. I cannot find any documentation on running and accessing  debian on the system. I have looked on my router  and cannot see an ip to debian. alt-f now shows the debian drive containing debian files which I cannot access from within alt-f.

so I have some questions please.

to access debian would I need to execute it from alt-f first each time ? does it run automatically on boot up of the machine ?
do I need  to add the failed alt-f addition to debian somehow ?
If I simply uninstall  debian without executing it ever what happens to the drive and data that I put it on ?

alt-f is a nice piece of software and for a newbie like me is fairly idiot proof  debian may not be suitable for this dns320 as I risk my data probably which is the main point of my having the machine.

any help much appreciated, thanks.

[João Cardoso]

On Sunday, February 8, 2015 at 2:57:25 PM UTC, tiad...@gmail.com wrote:

Hi,

I have a dns320l and I have flashed the latest alt-f on it.  I have used it for a week and I am happy with it.  it has two drives both with data on it accessed within windows via samba.

I added debian to it last night and the build log showed debian built OK but it said at the end  that alt-f wasn't added to the debian build ok.

hmm, yes a bug.

 

I then found that I couldn't access the data on the drive where I have loaded debian. 

Please clarify. Debian install only creates new folders on the filesystem, such as bin, etc, usr...

 

however, on fresh starting both machines today I can access  data on the debain drive

Debian is not installed on a drive, it is installed on a filesystem on a drive.

 

OK but cannot browse it within alt-f.

Again, please clarify. Where have you installed Debian? /mnt/sda2? ? then folders named /mnt/sda2/bin, /mnt/sda2/etc, /mnt/sda2/usr should exist.

 

I haven't executed debian in alt-f today as I am unsure what happens to my original data on that drive if I do. I cannot find any documentation on running and accessing  debian on the system. I have looked on my router  and cannot see an ip to debian. alt-f now shows the debian drive containing debian files which I cannot access from within alt-f.

Debian can be run in two modes: kexec and chroot.

-kexec entirely replaces Alt-F while it is running, using its own linux kernel and programs; you have to use ssh to login into debian and to terminate running debian and return to Alt-F you have to reboot the box.

-chmod runs Debian in a 'jail' within Alt-F -- Alt-F linux kernel and programs continue running, and additional Debian programs can be run, using the resources that Alt-F made available to it.

For the DNS-320L/325 kexec is not working, so you have to use chroot from the command line, e.g., 'debian -chroot cat /etc/issue', to execute the  'cat /etc/issue' command from within Debian and return to Alt-F as the command ends, or just 'debian -chroot' to interactively enter Debian and continue issuing Debian command and typing 'exit' to return to Alt-F.

Debian needs a Wiki! Anyone?

As part as the Debian Alt-F install, the Debian message of the day is changed and says: "You leaved Alt-F, you are now on your own"

 

so I have some questions please.

to access debian would I need to execute it from alt-f first each time ?

Yes. You can use the "user boot script" to execute needed Debian programs at boot time.

 

does it run automatically on boot up of the machine ?

See above

 

do I need  to add the failed alt-f addition to debian somehow ?

???

 

If I simply uninstall  debian without executing it ever what happens to the drive and data that I put it on ?

Uninstaliing Debian just remove the folder it has created at install time, the /mnt/sda2/bin, /mnt/sda2/etc, etc (a full dozen of folders or so)

[tiad...@gmail.com]

On Monday, February 9, 2015 at 5:18:44 PM UTC, João Cardoso wrote:

On Sunday, February 8, 2015 at 2:57:25 PM UTC, tiad...@gmail.com wrote:

Hi,

I have a dns320l and I have flashed the latest alt-f on it.  I have used it for a week and I am happy with it.  it has two drives both with data on it accessed within windows via samba.

I added debian to it last night and the build log showed debian built OK but it said at the end  that alt-f wasn't added to the debian build ok.

hmm, yes a bug.   

OK, thanks.

 

I then found that I couldn't access the data on the drive where I have loaded debian. 

Please clarify. Debian install only creates new folders on the filesystem, such as bin, etc, usr...

 

however, on fresh starting both machines today I can access  data on the debain drive

Debian is not installed on a drive, it is installed on a filesystem on a drive.

 

OK, I understand now. This is my mistake as I don't know Linux and misunderstood as a windows newbie.
 

OK but cannot browse it within alt-f.

Again, please clarify. Where have you installed Debian? /mnt/sda2? ? then folders named /mnt/sda2/bin, /mnt/sda2/etc, /mnt/sda2/usr should exist.

 

sdb2 which is called /mnt/sbd2/bin etc etc.  these folders all exist ok.

I haven't executed debian in alt-f today as I am unsure what happens to my original data on that drive if I do. I cannot find any documentation on running and accessing  debian on the system. I have looked on my router  and cannot see an ip to debian. alt-f now shows the debian drive containing debian files which I cannot access from within alt-f.

Debian can be run in two modes: kexec and chroot.

-kexec entirely replaces Alt-F while it is running, using its own linux kernel and programs; you have to use ssh to login into debian and to terminate running debian and return to Alt-F you have to reboot the box.

-chmod runs Debian in a 'jail' within Alt-F -- Alt-F linux kernel and programs continue running, and additional Debian programs can be run, using the resources that Alt-F made available to it.

For the DNS-320L/325 kexec is not working, so you have to use chroot from the command line, e.g., 'debian -chroot cat /etc/issue', to execute the  'cat /etc/issue' command from within Debian and return to Alt-F as the command ends, or just 'debian -chroot' to interactively enter Debian and continue issuing Debian command and typing 'exit' to return to Alt-F.

Debian needs a Wiki! Anyone?

thank you for the explanation. naively I thought that scripts would be in place to switch to and from debian from alt f on the next re boot or to alternatively run both debian and have the alt f interface there too on a different ip.
 

As part as the Debian Alt-F install, the Debian message of the day is changed and says: "You leaved Alt-F, you are now on your own"

 

so I have some questions please.

to access debian would I need to execute it from alt-f first each time ?

Yes. You can use the "user boot script" to execute needed Debian programs at boot time.

 

thanks for the explanation.  your suggestion of a wiki would be great for this. also draft scripts and where to put them for a newbie too.
 

does it run automatically on boot up of the machine ?

See above

 

do I need  to add the failed alt-f addition to debian somehow ?

???

newbie daft question, I meant as there was the failure in the debian build which you said was a bug was anything needed to be run to correct it.
 

 

If I simply uninstall  debian without executing it ever what happens to the drive and data that I put it on ?

Uninstaliing Debian just remove the folder it has created at install time, the /mnt/sda2/bin, /mnt/sda2/etc, etc (a full dozen of folders or so)

thanks, for your help. as it requires scripts and modding alf f to add  them I will simply delete debian for now as I don't want to risk my data.