gui for ms windows / install via ms windows

[fvdw]

Currently developments are done to make a GUI for ms windows that will enable contacting the net console of the lacie devices and install the firmware without the need to remove the harddisk. Also partitioning can then be done on the directly on the lacie device without a need to run Linux on your PC.

gui1.JPG

[wd9895]

WoW ! :applause

[fvdw]

work is progressing well, all ingredients are available and working. Just need some fine tuning and make it more nice :mrgreen:
Beside a net console terminal also a tftpf server is added to be able to transfer files via the network, so also no usb-stick is required.

gui3.JPG

gui2.JPG

gui4.JPG

[fvdw]

work is progressing ;)

gui-vs2-1.JPG

gui-vs2-21.JPG

[fvdw]

:scratch struggling a little with the routine to flash u-boot on nwsp2, sorry to keep you waiting :mrgreen:

[wd9895]

Don't brick your drive ;)

[fvdw]

don't worry :-D

problem is resolved work continues..to make it (almost) fool proof

[Mijzelf]

Maybe you have seen meanwhile Lacie also introduced this option?
http://www.lacie.com/support/support_ma ... ticle=1422

I had a look at the initrd of the 'upgrade kernel'. It gets the IP address of an tftp server via the kernel commandline, and downloads the lzma compressed tarred filesystems.

[fvdw]

interesting

My solution is also working fine.
I made a "standalone" kernel with an initramfs file system. It has a full version of busybox (1.21) static compiled using ulibc, it has a tftp client and telnet server on board. Also it includes version of gdisk static compiled with uclib. This to make easily gpt partition tables on the disk.
The kernel is about 3 MB when compressed as uImage. When booting it assigns the network interface 3 ip addresses and it fires up a telnet server that can be accessed on these 3 ip addresses. When logged in you can do anything with box.
The tftp client can be used to contact a tftp server running under windows to transfer the required disk images.

It will be released soon, the standalone kernel should work on all Lacie kirkwood based devices..so not only nwsp2
And it runs under ms windows. All made possible by my windows version of clunc.
Its very convenient also to try out other kernels.
Last but not least it can be used to write another version of u-boot to flash.
And it doesn't matter which firmware is installed on the NAS. As it fully runs form the kernel and filesystem in RAM :mrgreen: Hacking becomes very easy..
Are you willing to test it ?

[Mijzelf]

The kernel is about 3 MB when compressed as uImage.

The Lacie one is 7MB. But they didn't even try to keep it small. Some files are provided twice (/usr/sbin/mkfs.ext2 and ...ext3 are identical, but provided both, and so are fsck.ext2/3, ... ) there is a kernel map file in /boot, 1.1MB! I really have no idea why.

When booting it assigns the network interface 3 ip addresses

Why 3?

Are you willing to test it ?

I can't, as I don't have a Windows machine.