u-boot-nwsp2-classic experiments

[bozo29]

This really is great news.
I am very, very pleased.

:applause :applause :applause :applause
:thumbup :thumbup :thumbup :thumbup

[fvdw]

today some test with the nwsp2 Lite and the good news is the backdoor can be opened and the boot can influenced to boot from usb, all this with using the original u-boot

However it behaves not the same as the classic. It also was able to show a bad habit by removing all the files on the usb stick when using certain settings.. :dry :disapprove :scratch No idea how that can happen...interesting

[fvdw]

The nwsp2-Lite is booting now from usb and using a file system from usb. When running from usb and doing a reboot seems to confuse the device and it then seems to have difficulties to read the usb stick and then boots form hdd

[fvdw]

... It also was able to show a bad habit by removing all the files on the usb stick when using certain settings.. :dry :disapprove :scratch No idea how that can happen...interesting

This is solved, I used a linux system that auto mounts usb partitions, so it mounted itself after firing up and removed itself also. :doh

[fvdw]

After shutting it down and restarting it with the power button the nwsp2 Lite nicely boots from usb and no changes are made to u-boot.
I am quite sure that this also should work for other Lacie devices with more recent versions of u-boot having the backdoor possibility.
This backdoor is an environment variable, this you can set and if u-boot finds it to be present then it won't define a boot command and you can set that as well. If the backdoor is not open then u-boot will overwrite the boot command with its default setting, meaning it will boot from hard disk.
The environmental variable can be set from Linux, so now it becomes easy to modify the content of the hard disk without removing it from the casing.
We just run the thing from the usb stick. :bananadance

Unfortunate the nwsp2 classic has an older version of u-boot without the backdoor, but we have now a new version of u-boot for the classic that has this feature as well.

Need to write things down and then publish it :punk

[bozo29]

I am very glad to hear all this and I'm excited for you to finish it and post the new u-boot.

You are the MAN!

[fvdw]

what is your main interest bozo regarding the new u-boot ?

[bozo29]

Possibility to install a HDD> 2TB.

Right now I have the following configuration:
- NWSP2 classic - 1.5TB
- NWSP2 lite - 2TB

But this spring I want to make some changes and buy one 3TB HDD, maybe two (depending on money).
HDDs that I have now on two nwsp2 I want to install in two external enclosures and make external hard drives.

[bozo29]

Hello,

I do not want to sound nasty, it's just a question:
Some news about the new u-boot for nwsp2 classic?

[fvdw]

yes it is ready