Is it possible to move the Alt-F folder to a usb device?

[Augusto Rodriguez]

Hi All!

I just started using Alt-F, and I'm wondering if there's a way to move the Alt-F folder from one of my drives to a usb flash drive that I have plugged to the DNS323. This is to prevent the disks from spinning when I access the web admin pages, as it looks like when I do this, alt-f touches or modifies the file /Alt-F/etc/blkid.tab.
I've also moved the swap partition to the usb drive, to prevent anything from waking the drive  (unless I'm accessing it).

Would it be enough just to copy all the contents from the hard drive to the flash drive? or do I need to change any other configuration?


Thanks a lot!
Augusto

[João Cardoso]

On Wednesday, April 2, 2014 9:38:52 PM UTC+1, Augusto Rodriguez wrote:

Hi All!

I just started using Alt-F, and I'm wondering if there's a way to move the Alt-F folder from one of my drives to a usb flash drive

Yes, the instructions have already been posted in the forum, search for them.

 

that I have plugged to the DNS323. This is to prevent the disks from spinning when I access the web admin pages, as it looks like when I do this, alt-f touches or modifies the file /Alt-F/etc/blkid.tab.

I never worried about that, because if you access the webUI that's probably because you want to do some maintenance, and that will spinup the drives anyway.

 

I've also moved the swap partition to the usb drive, to prevent anything from waking the drive  (unless I'm accessing it).

That's not a good idea, because swap is needed at boot time to perform a fsck when time arrives; without swap fsck aborts with a "no memory" or similar error. And probably the USB is detected at boot time after it is needed.

Of course this will only bit you when you don't expect.

swap IS needed period! It was invented long ago when main memory was scarce, exactly that happens in our box.

And what is the point using swap on the external USB drive? It will spin-up instead of the main drives. Unless you are using a flash drive, and its limited write cycles will worn out the pen soon (if swap is indeed used)

 

Would it be enough just to copy all the contents from the hard drive to the flash drive? or do I need to change any other configuration?

Grossly yes, but some care is needed.  No configuration exists.

And move, not copy, as the first found Alt-F folder will be used.

 

Thanks a lot!
Augusto

[Augusto Rodriguez]

Thanks a lot for the answer João!

[João Cardoso]

On Thursday, April 3, 2014 9:46:18 AM UTC+1, Augusto Rodriguez wrote:

Thanks a lot for the answer João!

Regarding the swap: what you can do to have a more secure setup is to reactivate the swap on the internal disks and write and activate the "Script to execute on powerup" (Services->User, Configure) and store that script in the USB drive. At boot, swap will be activated and used by the internal drives, and when the USB drive (and the user script) is found it can activate swap in the USB and disable (or, preferably,  lower the priority) of the disks swap.

There is also a post regarding how to change the swap priority.

[rick van Venrooij]

What would be the correct way of moving that folder? Because moving it while it is in use is rather difficult...

Op donderdag 3 april 2014 00:13:33 UTC+2 schreef João Cardoso:

[Gaiko]

Hi, well #1 I dusted off my DNS323 which had like RC2 on it and checked to see if ALT-F was still going and I was DELIGHTED to see that not only is it still going but its at v1!!!!!

I happily flashed to v1 and tried to move ALT-F to a usb flash drive, but #1 it wasnt clear how to "move" per se (copy yes) and #2 how to say copy then delete the copy of ALT-F on my 3.5 drive because everytime i did it said there was a process running... of which I have been able to disable every process/service *except* inetd, it tells me the signal has been sent but it might take awhile, I have literally tried quite a few times and waited as long as 9hrs for it to stop but no luck.

It also occured to me that if I was sucessful then I would not have access to the device as inetd controls remote login services... so not sure how to do about this?

I did read this post as well as the other post referenced in the FAQ but was not able to understand how to do this from those posts.

Any more information/detail would really really be appreciated!!

[João Cardoso]

On Monday, 2 September 2019 21:47:35 UTC+1, Gaiko wrote:

Hi, well #1 I dusted off my DNS323 which had like RC2 on it and checked to see if ALT-F was still going and I was DELIGHTED to see that not only is it still going but its at v1!!!!!

I happily flashed to v1 and tried to move ALT-F to a usb flash drive, but #1 it wasnt clear how to "move" per se (copy yes) and #2 how to say copy then delete the copy of ALT-F on my 3.5 drive because everytime i did it said there was a process running..

Packages->Alt-F

You select a Ext2/3/4  mounted filesystem in the USB and select CopyTo; then uncheck the current "Boot Enable" and check the copied to fs, Submit, then reboot. After the reboot you can Delete the not in use location.

 

. of which I have been able to disable every process/service *except* inetd,

inetd can't be stopped. And if you kill it it will resurrect after 3 minutes. And if you kill the resurrecting process it will be resurrected also. 

 

it tells me the signal has been sent but it might take awhile, I have literally tried quite a few times and waited as long as 9hrs for it to stop but no luck.

It also occured to me that if I was sucessful then I would not have access to the device as inetd controls remote login services... so not sure how to do about this?

No webUI, etc, so that's the reason why it's not stoppable. If however the http and ssh server are set to run in "server mode", as opposed to being under "inetd control", then it should be possible to stop inetd.But that's too risky.

[Gaiko]

That seems to have done it, thanks!