Booting through Alt-F to Debian

[stainl...@gmail.com]

Alt-F is a great firmware base, but it ends up to be too limited to do what I need to do on the device.  So, I have loaded up and heavily configured a Debian installation.  I can "debian -kexec" over to it and things are great.

The problem is that on boot up, I have to manually kick it over from Alt-F to Debian.

What I want to do is have the DNS-323 boot first to Alt-F, wait a bit, and then chroot over to Debian.  The Debian installation is where the real work of the device gets done.  I want a delay between the boot of Alt-F and Debian in case I have a botched Debian--I don't want to get stuck in a boot loop.  If Debian is busted, I just stay cancel the Debian chroot during the delay.

I'm treating Alt-F like a bootloader.  It is also my fallback if I somehow make Debian unusable.

I have created a "service" in /etc/init.d which sleeps and then does "debian -kexec".  I also want to make things a bit friendly, so I modified the status page to have a countdown timer and a cancel button.  I'm happy enough with it.

Not sure what the best way to share this is, or if there's even any interest in it.

[João Cardoso]

On Saturday, February 15, 2014 7:11:28 AM UTC, stainl...@gmail.com wrote:

Alt-F is a great firmware base, but it ends up to be too limited to do what I need to do on the device.

Alt-F is a linux distribution for an embedded device, like the one on your toaster, microwave oven, car... it is not a generic linux distribution such as Debian.

Alt-F is stored on flash memory, all 8MB of it, yes, no typo, 8 mega bytes. It is not installed on disk, where the equivalent Debian uses 200/300MB. What would you expect?

 

  So, I have loaded up and heavily configured a Debian installation.  I can "debian -kexec" over to it and things are great.

The problem is that on boot up, I have to manually kick it over from Alt-F to Debian.

What I want to do is have the DNS-323 boot first to Alt-F, wait a bit, and then chroot over to Debian.  The Debian installation is where the real work of the device gets done.  I want a delay between the boot of Alt-F and Debian in case I have a botched Debian--I don't want to get stuck in a boot loop.  If Debian is busted, I just stay cancel the Debian chroot during the delay.

I'm treating Alt-F like a bootloader.

You should use Debian natively, see http://www.cyrius.com/debian/orion/d-link/dns-323/

It flashes a minimum kernel and rootfs (kind of secondary bootloader) that boots the real Debian on disk. Of course if the disk is not there or is in fault you are lost and need to solder a serial adapter in order to recover.

[stainl...@gmail.com]

On Saturday, February 15, 2014 7:11:28 AM UTC, stainl...@gmail.com wrote:

Alt-F is a great firmware base, but it ends up to be too limited to do what I need to do on the device.

Alt-F is a linux distribution for an embedded device, like the one on your toaster, microwave oven, car... it is not a generic linux distribution such as Debian.

Alt-F is stored on flash memory, all 8MB of it, yes, no typo, 8 mega bytes. It is not installed on disk, where the equivalent Debian uses 200/300MB. What would you expect?

Please understand I was NOT complaining or criticizing.  Alt-F is awesome.  I really like it.  I understand that it has limitations, and I'm OK with that.  What it does, it does very well.
 

You should use Debian natively, see http://www.cyrius.com/debian/orion/d-link/dns-323/

It flashes a minimum kernel and rootfs (kind of secondary bootloader) that boots the real Debian on disk. Of course if the disk is not there or is in fault you are lost and need to solder a serial adapter in order to recover.

I would much rather work with Alt-F than solder a serial adapter.
 

[Dmitri Passaita]

Hi there,

I really like your idea and I would love to use your experience on my box.

Could you please share more details on how to achieve this?

Thank you.

Dmtiri

[Konrád Lőrinczi]

Could you post what modifications you did to reach this?:

"I have created a "service" in /etc/init.d which sleeps and then does "debian -kexec".  I also want to make things a bit friendly, so I modified the status page to have a countdown timer and a cancel button."

Thanks!

[stf...@gmail.com]

 i installed debian which command i must run for start debian ??  afetr login in alt-f ?  thanks