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Minimal wheezy install images for b3

Discuss development on Bubba
MouettE
Site admin
Posts: 341
Joined: 06 Oct 2011, 19:45

Minimal wheezy install images for b3

Post by MouettE »

Hello everyone,

For anyone interested, I made some install images for the B3 which can be used with standard rescue key to install a almost vanilla debian to your bubba (meaning without the excito apps). The starting point was this wiki page : Revert_to_minimal_Debian_installation. Then I made a few changes, upgraded to wheezy and adapted it to make the system self-sufficient, as you would get it from a fresh debian install.

There are two images available : Some details about the system configuration :
  • The root password is still excito. root can login through ssh
  • Exim4 is configured for local mail only
  • The default editor is vim
  • I had to keep the admin account (password 'admin' without the quotes) to make exim4 deliver messages for the root user
  • There is a halt alias to turn off the device (root only)
  • The LAN port is active with address 192.168.10.1/24. The WAN port is not configured
  • There is NO firewall (everything is opened)
  • The UBoot tools to manipulate the bootloader environment are installed and configured for the b3
  • The wifi images have an activated hotspot (based on bubba wifi configuration) ; the ssid is b3 and the key is 'ExcitoSweden!' (without the quotes)
  • All the package are from debian or excito (no custom packages ; the kernel is excito 2.6.39.4-11) and up to date.
To use the image, put ONE image in the install/payload folder on the USB rescue key. Delete or move the bubbaroot-*.tar.gz file from the key. Only one image can be in that folder or the key won't work.
Last edited by MouettE on 18 Oct 2013, 10:08, edited 1 time in total.
ahoff
Posts: 105
Joined: 01 Apr 2008, 20:50
Location: Swe

Re: Minimal wheezy install images for b3

Post by ahoff »

I just bougt myself another b3 this week just to try your image. It seems to boot alright but... I can't conect to it. I use a patchcable conected from the LAN-port directly to my desktop who is set to ip = 192.168.10.10 but get no answer on ping on address 192.168.10.1. Then I edited the /etc/network/interfaces file (whit the help of a rescue pin) to use dhcp, like in this articel and put it on my lan whithout success. The B3 never ask for a lease.

Any idea what to look for?
Åke Hoff
Örskogen
Sweden
MouettE
Site admin
Posts: 341
Joined: 06 Oct 2011, 19:45

Re: Minimal wheezy install images for b3

Post by MouettE »

The fault is mine ; you need to delete the file /etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules which maps the mac addresses of the network cards to the interfaces names (ethX). You can do it from the rescue system, this file will be re-created during the next boot. It's possible however that the LAN and the WAN port are mixed up between eth0 and eth1 during this detection process. Do not hesitate to exchange the cables if it doesn't work on the first boot. I have updated the images to remove this file.
ahoff
Posts: 105
Joined: 01 Apr 2008, 20:50
Location: Swe

Re: Minimal wheezy install images for b3

Post by ahoff »

Thanks a lot. I would never have figured out that myself.
Now I will try to patch and kompile a new kernel with vserver support.
Åke Hoff
Örskogen
Sweden
MouettE
Site admin
Posts: 341
Joined: 06 Oct 2011, 19:45

Re: Minimal wheezy install images for b3

Post by MouettE »

Awesome ! I can help you with the custom kernel if you wish, I have one myself. It's not outstandly difficult. I can write a quick tuto, or answer your questions.
ahoff
Posts: 105
Joined: 01 Apr 2008, 20:50
Location: Swe

Re: Minimal wheezy install images for b3

Post by ahoff »

That would be most apeseated. I'm not realy shure what kernel sourses and which patch to use, and how to acomplish all this.
Today I'm runing my vserver on AMD-64 hardware and that is quite strate forward

Code: Select all

apt-get install linux-image-vserver... 
A tuto would be realy nice.
The latest vserver suorses are here, or mayby one have to use a 2.6-kernel on bubba.
Åke Hoff
Örskogen
Sweden
MouettE
Site admin
Posts: 341
Joined: 06 Oct 2011, 19:45

Re: Minimal wheezy install images for b3

Post by MouettE »

I've written a quick howto in the wiki to compile a custom kernel. Provided you find the right patch for the kernel version used on the bubba (2.6.39.4), it should be doable ... But it's a big 'provided', the few tests I tried tonight were not very successful (the different patches I tried did not apply successfully). I will however try to dig a little deeper.
Gordon
Posts: 1461
Joined: 10 Aug 2011, 03:18

Re: Minimal wheezy install images for b3

Post by Gordon »

AFAIK if you do `apt-get source bubba-kernel` all the patches are included. The only problem with that download is that the .config file does not correctly state the full kernel version (it lacks the config_localversion which should be "-11").
MouettE
Site admin
Posts: 341
Joined: 06 Oct 2011, 19:45

Re: Minimal wheezy install images for b3

Post by MouettE »

That's right, but excito doesn't include vserver in their patches.
Gordon
Posts: 1461
Joined: 10 Aug 2011, 03:18

Re: Minimal wheezy install images for b3

Post by Gordon »

I don't think Excito uses vserver?
Ubi
Posts: 1549
Joined: 17 Jul 2007, 09:01

Re: Minimal wheezy install images for b3

Post by Ubi »

Ya wanna run virtualization on a B3? It'll be a fun hack, but dont expect any decent performance out of it :D
ahoff
Posts: 105
Joined: 01 Apr 2008, 20:50
Location: Swe

Re: Minimal wheezy install images for b3

Post by ahoff »

I don't. I just want to cut power consumption, and test if it is even posible.
Åke Hoff
Örskogen
Sweden
MouettE
Site admin
Posts: 341
Joined: 06 Oct 2011, 19:45

Re: Minimal wheezy install images for b3

Post by MouettE »

Well, I tried. I mean I really tried. 2 days of kernel patching/compilation... I manage to patch and successfully boot my B3 with a 3.0.86 version of the kernel with official vserver patch 2.3.2.5. When I wanted to test the vserver capabilities I realized that debian dropped the support for vserver in wheezy :evil: . However I guess you could test the kernel on a squeeze image, I believe it should work. Note that with this version of the kernel the wifi card on the device doesn't work anymore and the ipv6 stack is absent from the kernel (which left me bewildered, I left it activated in the configuration).

Tell me if you're still interested, I can upload the kernel, both binary and source packages. I don't know what you wish to do with vserver, perhaps Linux Containers could fulfill your needs ? It seems very similar to vserver.
ahoff
Posts: 105
Joined: 01 Apr 2008, 20:50
Location: Swe

Re: Minimal wheezy install images for b3

Post by ahoff »

As I mentioned earlier I'm runing a wheezy vserver on AMD-64 hardware with 5 vserver clients. The purpous is to host some domains for some friends and my self. No heavy trafic. Just mail and some web pages. The B3 I bougt was a 1 TB non wifi one so no need for wifi-spport.
I know how to set up a vserver so therefor I would bee most thankful if you uploaded your work.
If I get this to work I'll write a step by step toturial how to do it.
Åke Hoff
Örskogen
Sweden
MouettE
Site admin
Posts: 341
Joined: 06 Oct 2011, 19:45

Re: Minimal wheezy install images for b3

Post by MouettE »

Here are the links :
Perhaps you already know, the repository you're referring to does not provide arm binaries. You will have to compile the tools you need.
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