Installing first time firmware version 11

[JORDAORP]

Hi fvdw.

Fist of all, thanks for your help.

Let me tell what happens. My nwsp2 used the original Lacie firmware (2.2.8).
Then, suddenly it stop working and when I restarted it, the only thing was the blue light blinking all the time.
I went to this forum and discovered your firmware, and i decided to use it.

I create a Virtual Machine and installed Ubuntu.
When I typed fdisk -l, the last line of command was "Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System", nothing below. So, the partitions simply was gone.

Answering your questions.
1) It´s the NWS2 Classic.
2) The disk is the one with came from it (Seagate ST2000DL001) 2TB.
3) I used fdisk in some partitions and another one create the partitions with GParted. Probably this is the problem, I'll use the fdisk with 'u' option to create the partitions again.

Best regards.

This was the message from General NAS-Central Forums.

ps if you use fdisk then you can easily switch between sectors and cylinders using the "u" command option

No this is not normal what you describe. It means it don't find a harddisk. Most likely it is not formatted correctly and the bootloader cannot read the disk

The sector size you mention indicates that you have an advanced format format disk. If that disk can not emulate the classic sector size of 512 bytes and you formattted it using GPT partition table the and your nwsp2 is a classic one then the bootloader of the nwsp2 will not be able to read it.

Did you format it using a GPT table? If so then it won't work as the nwsp2 classic can not read disks formatted in GPT. If you you have a nwsp2 Lite then it should be able to read the disk but it won't boot as the kernel of fvdw-sl doesn't support yet GPT (EFI) formatted disks. The kernel of version 13 supports it, but it is only of use for the nwsp2 lite.

If you hae a nwsp2 classic then and the disk is < 2.2 TB then you should format it using fdisk (=ms-dos partition table)

So to solve your issue we need to know a little more
(1) what nwsp2 do you have
(2) what harddisk are you using size, brand and advanced format yes/no
(3) how did you format it

lf you have an advanced format disk the you should modify the partition table to be used to align partitions with physical sectors, if you don't do it then it can cause severe performance loss on reading and writing to the disk. Some brands have special measures in the software of the drive that let you use the drive just like a 512 bytes one. You need to check on the internet.

ps on the plugout forum various topics can be found on this.
for instance this one
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=581

please discuss further on plugout forum

[fvdw]

I see.
because it is a nwsp2 classic you will need to partition it with fdisk (ms-dos partition table). As the classic can not read GPT partion tables

The HDD you mention is the same HDD as I have in one of my nwsp2's

The fact that the disk stop working with the conventional firmware and that you did not see any partitions with fdisk makes me wonder if something is wrong with the disk (maybe it crashed). Loosing the partition table is not a normal behavior...

PS
I partitioned my HDD somewhat deviating from the table mentioned in the first time install guide for nwsp2. (I used fdisk).
This is because I found on the internet that it is an advanced format disk with physical sector size of 4096 bytes as you mentioned.
I also read read on the internet that this disk drive has build in software that will let it work as a conventional 512 bytes sector disk.
But just to be sure not to loose performance in reading and writing I have put the partition boundaries on the physcial sectors of 4096 bytes.
Probably you can also use the partition table as mentioned in first time install guide for nwsp2 as fdisk recognize it as a disk with logical sector size of 512 bytes and does not mention anything about physical sector size, menaing the disk emulates the conventional disk.
Up to you what to use.

Code: Select all

root@nwsp2-3:/ # fdisk /dev/sda

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/sda: 2000.3 GB, 2000398934016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 243201 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks  Id System
/dev/sda1               9          72      514080  83 Linux
/dev/sda2              73         136      514080  83 Linux
/dev/sda3             137         200      514080  83 Linux
/dev/sda4             201      243200  1951897500   5 Extended
/dev/sda5             209         312      835380  83 Linux
/dev/sda6             321         328       64260  83 Linux
/dev/sda7             337         400      514080  83 Linux
/dev/sda8             409      243200  1950226740  83 Linux

Command (m for help):

[JORDAORP]

Thanks.

With this clue I believe I'll fix it. Soon I'll post the result.

[JORDAORP]

:scratch

Hi fvdw
Huummm. Didn't work. I create the partitions again with fdisk and the nwsp2 don't boot (only blue and red blinking).

I have some doubts.
If I use your parameters from to first and last cylinder the partitions stay with to many blocks. For example, the first partition, first = 1 / last = 64 cylinder, the /dev/sdb1 has 4 million blocks and not 500.000 as tutorial (i think this happens because it´s 4096 and not 512 kb sector size). Is It correct?


Another questions.
1) I'm thinking to change the logical sector size to 512. Could be this the problem? I set the size of sectors after to create the partition? Or at the same time of creating a new one?
2) I'm not Linux expert, my Ubuntu must have the 2.6.39.4 kernel??? I'm using the ubuntu 12.04 (32 bits) and the kernel is 3.4. Or the kernel 2.6.39.4 it's only about the image file (UIMAGE...)?
3) Do I have to gave some especific privileges to others partitions ? By the way, as the tutorial, the command 'chmod 777' to sdb5 (XML file) and sdb8 (/public folder) are OK.
4) I'm using Oracle Virtual Box. Do you know someone that installed successfully the firmware with virtual machine?

Thank's a lot.

[fvdw]

:scratch

Hi fvdw
Huummm. Didn't work. I create the partitions again with fdisk and the nwsp2 don't boot (only blue and red blinking).

I have some doubts.
If I use your parameters from to first and last cylinder the partitions stay with to many blocks. For example, the first partition, first = 1 / last = 64 cylinder, the /dev/sdb1 has 4 million blocks and not 500.000 as tutorial (i think this happens because it´s 4096 and not 512 kb sector size). Is It correct?

Seems you disk is still not partitioned in the right way and the nwsp2 can not read it.
please post the output of fdisk /dev/sdx to show what for disk we are looking at and how your partion table looks like
(the p command in fdisk should display main info of the disk, for example look at my output posted)
And yes if your disk has logical sector size of 4096 Bytes instead of 512 then it will get 4 million blocks instead of 500.000

Another questions.
1) I'm thinking to change the logical sector size to 512. Could be this the problem? I set the size of sectors after to create the partition? Or at the same time of creating a new one?

I don't know I never modified the standard settings of my disk, but if it is now set to 4096 then the partition table as proposed by me is not useable, thats for disk with logical block szie 512 Bytes. if you use my proposal in combination with logical sector size of 4096 then you will not have enough cylinders to make the table as I proposed.
How did you modify the original settings as this disk should have logical block size of 512 bytes (see my output)

2) I'm not Linux expert, my Ubuntu must have the 2.6.39.4 kernel??? I'm using the ubuntu 12.04 (32 bits) and the kernel is 3.4. Or the kernel 2.6.39.4 it's only about the image file (UIMAGE...)?

No the Linux version that you use to prepare the harddisk can be different from the one in the firmware. The only thing you do is creating a partition table and writing data to the disk using Ubuntu. When the nas boots it will try to load the kernel supplied in the firmware from partition sda6, assuming it can read the disk

3) Do I have to gave some especific privileges to others partitions ? By the way, as the tutorial, the command 'chmod 777' to sdb5 (XML file) and sdb8 (/public folder) are OK.

no, just follow the tutorial

Are you sure that this HDD is ok ?

[fvdw]

I made some changes in previous post :mrgreen:

[fvdw]

for your info the output of fdisk in cylinders and sectors for my seagate 2 TB disk

Code: Select all

Command (m for help): u
Changing display/entry units to cylinders

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/sda: 2000.3 GB, 2000398934016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 243201 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks  Id System
/dev/sda1               9          72      514080  83 Linux
/dev/sda2              73         136      514080  83 Linux
/dev/sda3             137         200      514080  83 Linux
/dev/sda4             201      243200  1951897500   5 Extended
/dev/sda5             209         312      835380  83 Linux
/dev/sda6             321         328       64260  83 Linux
/dev/sda7             337         400      514080  83 Linux
/dev/sda8             409      243200  1950226740  83 Linux

Command (m for help): u
Changing display/entry units to sectors

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/sda: 2000.3 GB, 2000398934016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 243201 cylinders, total 3907029168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks  Id System
/dev/sda1          128520     1156679      514080  83 Linux
/dev/sda2         1156680     2184839      514080  83 Linux
/dev/sda3         2184840     3212999      514080  83 Linux
/dev/sda4         3213000  3907007999  1951897500   5 Extended
/dev/sda5         3341520     5012279      835380  83 Linux
/dev/sda6         5140800     5269319       64260  83 Linux
/dev/sda7         5397840     6425999      514080  83 Linux
/dev/sda8         6554520  3907007999  1950226740  83 Linux

Command (m for help):

[fvdw]

about blocks. In linux typical bloksize is 1024 bytes
So for example on my disk sda1 has size of 514080 blocks this means a size of 526417920 bytes

On my disk each cylinder is 8225280 bytes (=255*63*512) (=number of heads*numbers of sector/track*sector size)

Checking if number of cylinders set for this partitons fits witht the blocks learns that it does.

526417920/8225280 = 64 cylinders. This matches with the number of cylinders set for this partition 9 as start and 72 as end (so number of cylinders used is 72-8 =64)

If your partition table mentions 4 million blocks for this partition then for sure you logical block size is set to 4096 and not 512.

what did you do with this disk :tapfoot

[uelpenich]

Just for information:
I have an NWSP2 lite with a Seagate Barracuda LP 1Tb hard disk.

I used a stanalone gparted system to create all partitions (partition sizes as described in "howto-fvdw-on-lacie nwsp2-5jan2012.pdf"). Because I red the discussions about the "advanced format disk " I decided to choose the "align to cylinder" option, I have no idea if a Barracuda really needs this option.
With a 1 Tb disk I don't care about some lost space.

Everything worked fine with the first try.

[JORDAORP]

Are you sure that this HDD is ok ?

Hi fvdw. You were right.The problem is the HDD.

I have an old computer with a 100 GB disk (512 kb sector size).
I 'borrow' it and installed the firmware at this disk (with the tutorial), just to test if the problem was the HDD.

Guess what.
It worked with the first try. :thumbup

Definitely I found the problem, is the 2 TB HDD.
Perhaps if I change the logical size of sectors from 4096 to 512 kb, it works. I don't know how to do that, but I'll googling.
I'll post if this idea works.

Thanks for your support.
JORDAORP.