Alt-F-0.1RC4 is released, Release Notes, Known issues

[João Cardoso]

=== June 24, 2014: Alt-F-0.1RC4 is released

-The DNS-320/325 is now supported. Supported devices are the DNS-320-rev-A1/A2, DNS-320L-rev-A1, DNS-321-rev-A1/A2/A3,

 DNS-323-rev-A1/B1/C1, DNS-325-rev-A1/A2, Conceptronic CH3SNAS, and Fujitsu-Siemens DUO 35-LR

-Preliminary support for the DNS-320L/LW-A1, thanks to Steven Samson collaboration and

 Andreas Böhler work (http://www.aboehler.at/cms/projects-a-hacks/50-dns320l).

 More work is needed, please report any issue.

-All packages in the base firmware updated, most require RC4, upgrade to RC4 to use them.

 As such, all Disk-installable packages must be updated (Packages->Alt-F, UpdatePackagList, then UpdateAll)

 As there are almost 200 packages available, only the most used ones have been tested.

 Please use https://sourceforge.net/p/alt-f/_list/tickets for bug reports or requests.

-Most packages in the base firmware are now individually upgradable on disk, avoiding the need

 for a new Alt-F release whenever any of those packages has a new release.

-For the DNS-320/321/325 some packages are pre-installed in the firmware.

 You still HAVE TO CREATE A USER (Setup->Users) and SETUP ALT-F PACKAGES (Packages->Alt-F) on disk.

-The build system has been extensively reviewed and tested on openSUSE-12.1/13.1 and on Debian 7.0.

-Package updates, fixes, releases, as well as Announcements, are checked twice a week and shown

 in the Status page through the News service (Services->System). It has nothing to do with USENET News.

-There is the possibility of applying simple fixes using the webUI, avoiding the need

 for a new Alt-F release (System->Utilities->Fixes).

 If the "News" service is running you will be warned of the fixes existence in the Status page.

-The linux kernel 3.10.32 is now used.

-The reloaded/run-on-top mode has been discontinued

-The inady DDNS client has been replaced by inadyn-mt, which supports 14 DDNS providers

-Added Disk and Users Quotas webUI

-The Status pages now has a Errors/Warning section

-The ftp server can be launched standalone (not under inetd control).

-Themable webUI

-Simple ffp services start/stop control

-Setup->Host Samba related items moved to Samba Setup

-Added Samba online help.

-Most known bugs are fixed.

-Setup->Debian now installs "wheezy"

known issues:

-kexec is not working on the DNS-320/325, no TryIt in Firmware Update nor Debian kexec (only chroot)

-starting Transmission deploy a "save settings" warning on the DNS-320/325

-leds might work differently than described on different hardware revision boards

-the transmitted/received bytes on the Status page wraps to zero at 4GB

Please report any issue and Enjoy

João

PS-The SVN and documentation is not yet updated, that will be done in the next few days

[João Cardoso]

Known issues after the release:

1-The DNS-320L firmware was updated a few hours after being released, because of a severe bug.

2-ticket 324/325/331: mediatomb/minidlna fails after updates: can't load library 'lib...'

Starting mediatomb: mediatomb: can't load library 'libsqlite3.so.0'

Starting minidlna: minidlna: can't load library 'libjpeg.so.8'

   Do, after ssh/telnet the box and login as the 'root' user, same password as the webUI

ipkg -force-reinstall install jpeg-libs
ipkg -force-reinstall install sqlite-libs

  The same symptom my happens for other libraries.
  When updating packages with libraries, if the library is in use by some other program the update/upgrade might fail without notice.

  The fast cure is to always stop all services before updating or upgrading packages.

3-Minidlna/forked_daapd are not allowed  to access your media folders:

  From the minidlna log (System->Utilities->View Logs), you can see:

Error scanning /mnt/.../YourMediaFolders
inotify_add_watch(/mnt/.../YourMediaFolders)[Permission denied]

  forked_daap exhibits similar errors.

  minidlna and forked_daapd used to run under group multimedia in RC3, and now because of a bug they don't, so you have to recursively
  adjust your files and folder permissions to allow browsing and reading for everybody.
  As soon as possible a new minidlna/forked_daapd package release will fix the bug.

4-The SMART configuration file used for RC3 is not accepted by the smartd version shipped with RC4.

  You only have to Configure smartd using its webUI and Submit.
  You don't need to change anything, as the webui reads the old configuration and generates a new correct one.

5-The DNS-320L has some issues regarding proper peripheral handling, such as fan, temperature, buttons...

   This is being worked out with users cooperation. Please participate if you have such a box.

6-The first login wizard asks for the creation of two users

   The wizard runs the "new user" webUI always twice -- the first time to specify the Users folder, the second to create one user.

   If the Users folder already exists, it still runs twice, so you have to create two users to continue the "wizard".

7-The Debian installer does not work, as Debian has started using xz compressed packages.
   See ticket 329