FFP on NSA-220 (plus) or NSA-210 in 3 easy steps.

[Mijzelf]

This version is depricated. Use this one instead.


Needed: an usb stick (an external usb harddisk might work either) of at least 64MB. (The base install of FFP is +/-40MB, and an additional 10MB is temporary needed while installing.) But the bigger the better. (I've installed almost all FFP packages provided by Fonz, plus some extra provided by others, and compiled lots of packages myself, (Tarbal, sources and object files are still on the stick), I have a 512MB swapfile on the stick, and now my 4GB stick is filled for 60%).

When you plan to install FFP on internal disk any stick will do (16kB is enough).

• 1) Collect the files: download ffp_for_NSA-220.3.zip here. Unzip it. When you've got firmware 2.30 or newer you need to rename nsa220_check_file.230 to nsa220_check_file.
  Download fun_plug.tgz here.
  NSA-210: rename nsa220_check_file.230 to nsa210_check_file. Download md5sum here.
  2) Reformat the stick: The stick has to be formatted ext2. In order to do so, put the files usb_key_func.sh, nsa220_check_file and nsa220_checksum on the stick.
  NSA-210: Also add md5sum and nsa210_check_file. (You can omit nsa220_check_file, but it won't hurt). md5sum should have the executable flag set.
  Plug it in the NAS, and reboot the NAS. This step will destroy all data on your stick! When the NAS is rebooted, the stick is formatted ext2. In the samba share you should only see a map 'lost+found'.
  • *When your stick is already formatted ext2/3 or reiserfs, you can skip this step. The script won't reformat it anyway.
    *An NTFS formatted stick will not work. First reformat it FAT.
  3) Install FFP: Put the files usb_key_func.sh, nsa220_check_file and nsa220_checksum on the stick via the samba share.
  NSA-210: Also add md5sum and nsa210_check_file. (You can omit nsa220_check_file, but it won't hurt).
  • 3a) If you want to install FFP on the stick, then put after_booting.sh, root.tgz and fun_plug.tgz on the stick as well. Reboot the NAS.
    3b) If you want to install FFP on internal disk, then create a new share ffproot. Make sure you enter \ffproot in the 'Path:' field (if available. In 'newer' firmware this field seems to be gone). Put after_booting.sh, root.tgz and fun_plug.tgz in this share. Reboot the NAS.
    (Note: You still need your usbstick at each boot to start ffp)
  (Note:If you use another way than samba to put the files on the device, make sure usb_key_func.sh and after_booting.sh have the executable bit set)

Now the NAS should have a telnet server running. Both .tgz files should be disappeared, and the directory /ffp should be filled with Fonz' wonderful stuff.

To enable an ssh server:
telnet to the device
type

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chmod a+x /ffp/start/sshd.sh
/ffp/start/sshd.sh start

After a while the ssh server should be started. Try if it works. You have got two logins: root password root and user password user.
If it works, login as root and type

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/sbin/reboot

The box should reboot. If the ssh server is in the air again, you can disable the telnet server:

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chmod a-x /ffp/start/telnetd.sh

You can change the passwords for root and user with the passwd command.

For more information about FFP I refer to Howto FFP, and to a forum full discussions about FFP packages.

[Mijzelf]

Time for a little party. Today the downloadcount for my scriptset reached 200. That makes about 2 downloads a day!

[Superkikim]

Hey. Tx for the update.

Since I have installed the FW 3.12, I can't boot on my USB key anymore No idea why...

[Mijzelf]

Did you rename nsa220_check_file.230 to nsa220_check_file? If yes, are you still using the same (physical) stick? Not all sticks work, those which don't contain a partition table don't. (I've seen that only on cheap mp3 players, with a sectorsize bigger than 512 bytes, but I can't garantue 'regular' sticks all work)

[Superkikim]

Did you rename nsa220_check_file.230 to nsa220_check_file?

whoops... I missed that one Sorry. It worked streight forward with the correct file, with FW 3.12. No problem.

Tx

[refe]

hello
i have a question
i am trying to install ffp on the hdd of the nsa220 but it doesn't work.
i have managed to do this on the USB flash ..but i want to have the ffp on the hdd of the box.

i have nsa220 (simple, no plus) using firmware version : V3.22(AFB.0)

i have few questions :
1- what tipe of file system must be the storage ? (mine is radi0)
2- "If you want to install FFP on internal disk, then create a new share ffproot.Make sure you enter \ffproot in the 'Path:' field. " Where do i enter \ffproot in the path field? in what file do i need to make the change? i've made a folder named ffproot with everyone permision.

thanks in advance for help

[Mijzelf]

On newer firmwares the 'Path' field seems to be disappeared. I suppose then the sharename is the same as the directory name on the hd.
Actually you don't need a share, only a directory. The script usb_key_func.sh on the usb stick waits until the box is booted, and then searches for an executable file /i-data/md0/ffproot/after_booting.sh. If it can find it, it will execute it, and exit. (Else it will execute after_booting.sh on stick, the current situation)
This script should start ffp. When ffp is loaded you can remove the usb-stick, but it needs to be plugged when the box boots.

It doesn't matter how your box is organized, raid0, 1 or jbod.

[refe]

hello
here what i did but didn't work
i put the files usb_key_func.sh, nsa220_check_file and nsa220_checksum on the flash formated reiserfs
created a share named ffproot adn put after_booting.sh, root.tgz and fun_plug.tgz in this share.
shutdown the nsa220
after booting with the usb flash connected..nothing happens ..no telnet ..tar.gz files are still not unarchived on the share
i have tried to boot without usb flash connected ..same thing ...

can anyone help?
what am i doing wrong?

after i formated the usb from nsa220 as ext2 put the usb_key_func.sh, nsa220_check_file and nsa220_checksum on the flash an booted againg it worked

i had to turn of and turn on the box, with restart didn't work.

thanx and cheers

[Mijzelf]

Reading your post I'm not sure whether you succeeded or not.

If not, I suppose the problem is that the ffproot samba-share is not located at /i-data/md0/ffproot. You can use an ffp-stick to check that. Eventually you can create a symlink to the right directory.
Another option is that after_booting.sh doen't have the executable flag set. When using samba that flag is set automatically, but using nfs not. (nfs was not available when I wrote the how-to).

If you already succeeded, congratulations!

[refe]

Reading your post I'm not sure whether you succeeded or not.

If not, I suppose the problem is that the ffproot samba-share is not located at /i-data/md0/ffproot. You can use an ffp-stick to check that. Eventually you can create a symlink to the right directory.
Another option is that after_booting.sh doen't have the executable flag set. When using samba that flag is set automatically, but using nfs not. (nfs was not available when I wrote the how-to).

If you already succeeded, congratulations!

i did succeed.
now the files (ffp) are on my hard drive .

i still need the usb stick to be pluged in order ffp to start.
if i don't have usb stick ...then ssh doesn't start. ...i was tot expecting this.. i had the impresion that afer i put ffp on the drive.. it will not require the usb stick anymore

[Mijzelf]

Yeah, that's due to how it works. The firmware scans all usb devices for the right files usb_key_func.sh/nsa220_check_file files, eventually executing usb_key_func.sh. I'm not aware of a way in the stock firmware to auto execute some own script on harddisk. If you're willing to flash home-brew firmware, you could contact fvdw link.
Another way is studying the new packet install tools. I can hardly imagine there is no way to create an installable ffp packet. I had a quick look at a few packets, and they look like standard Debian .deb files.

[quidam]

Hi Mijzelf,

thanks for your work and excellent description.

To see whether ffp would help me, I would like to ask if you know whether davfs2 is available on the NSA-210 out of the box? (This allows to mount a remote webdav server as a local directory, so that you just move a file to this directory to send it to the webdav server)

If it is not, would you consider it a great effort to install it on the NAS box using ffp? Would I need a cross compiler, or could I compile it on the box? Or even use an existing package?
If I should need a cross compiler, for which processor? ARM?

Thanks

Ulrich

[Mijzelf]

Actually I have never touched or even seen a NSA-210, so I can't tell you for sure if this package is available or not. But I don't think so, it's a bit exotic.

Assuming this filesystem works through fuse, and doesn't need it's own kernel module, I don't think it will be hard to compile the package yourself. Fonz has also created build tools for FFP, to run on your box. I think you will need autoconf, automake make, gcc and binutils, which you can find here and install using 'funpkg -i package'

Then you can build your own software. In most cases you can just do:

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tar xzf software.tar.gz
cd software
./configure --prefix=/ffp
make
su
make install

[micjsas]

procedure does`t work for NSA210 i tried everything and nothing, or hangs during startup (endless SYS blinking), or nothing happens, no reformat and no install FFP

[Mijzelf]

or hangs during startup (endless SYS blinking)

In that case the stick obviously does *something*

no reformat

So you're using a FAT stick? In that case you can try to reformat it ext2/3 yourself, on your favorite Linux box, or maybe using this trick:

2) Use the Webinterface to login to your box as admin.
3) Goto Administration->Storage
4) Use the 'Create an External Volume' button to change the filesystem of the stick to EXT2. This step will destroy all data on the stick.

(Don't know if this option is available on the NSA-210)