HD-FOX and Custom Software - USB Stick Issue

[Black Hole]

Is this some kind of ploy to claim the 10kth (same post three times)?

 

[Black Hole]

At last! We're In!!

After your last incantation I removed and replaced the UPD, then a mount command showed it mounted as ext2. I then did the modinit and opkg update commands. Accessing the web server got me the download interface, which then downloaded without errors and brought up the full web interface after a warm restart.

Flashmap works (from the diagnostics screen), I'll post the result in the relevant topic. Asking for the packages available list no longer crashes and burns.

This is the business, I'll even think of giving you (yet another) like (as if you don't have enough). Now we need a streamlined process to create an Ext2 UPD - maybe even a script that can be run from the minimal WebIF? In the mean time, some refined instructions here would be nice.

 

[Black Hole]

Oh wow! I installed auto-update and ntpclient from the webif, and the clock sync'ed up straight away (having died back to 1970 earlier on during an attempted restart). Happy bunny. Cifs here we come...

 

[Sam Widges]

More detail please

You have probably moved on from here, but if you install the lsof package and run the lsof command, you will be able to see what process has which files open in the filesystem. That's what I use to find out if the humax process is still recording a file or not.

 

[af123]

Is this some kind of ploy to claim the 10kth (same post three times)?

Nope - thank you to the moderator who fixed it, something was wrong with the site or my computer...

 

[Ezra Pound]

Is this some kind of ploy to claim the 10kth (same post three times)?

Is there any doubt who will get the 10,000th post?

 

[af123]

Ok - this seems like a good option for people who just want to use a small USB Flash disk. I'll wrap the whole thing up into an easier process with a future firmware update.

 

[Black Hole]

Is there any doubt who will get the 10,000th post?

It's a lottery. See HERE (post 20 onwards).

 

[Black Hole]

Here is my take on rolling together the experience of the topic so far, for ease of reference.

The problem: I was trying to run the custom software on a HD-FOX T2 (ie no internal Ext3-formatted HDD) using a USB pen drive (UPD), but having all manner of strange results. This (af123 eventually realised) was due to the FAT32 format of the UPD not being compatible with the requirements of the custom software - no symbolic links, file names case-insensitive. Most people with HD-FOXs are probably using an external HDD, formatted (by the HD-FOX) as Ext3. Installing the custom software on that would lead to no problems and a smooth user experience.

The solution for people wanting to use a UPD to host the custom software is to prepare it to Ext2 format (Ext3 being incompatible with UPDs because of the large minimum size requirement and the large number of writes which would quickly wear out a UPD). The following describes an interim process to achieve that, prior to "something nice" being created to do the job. You will need to be confident typing commands into a terminal session. I have quoted af123's original instructions, and edited them where appropriate. Note that I have not actually tested this streamlined version, it is what I believe would be the right path ignoring the blind alleys.

Original post linked here, for reference

• First, make sure the UPD has a single partition on it and is formatted as FAT32, and ensure it is empty.
• Install (or re-install) the Customised Firmware onto the HD-FOX (can use the same UPD as long as the .hdf is the only file on it).
• Connect the target UPD.
• Gain access to the command prompt on the Humax (via telnet - see footnotes).
• Install the e2fsprogs package by typing the following commands at the Humax# prompt:

/sbin/modinit​

opkg update​

opkg install e2fsprogs​

• Copy the formatting utility from where it was installed on the UPD to a temporary internal directory:

cp /mod/sbin/mkfs.ext2 /tmp​

• Determine the device name and mount point for the UPD:

cd /mod​

df -h .​

• The device name is the first column in the output of the df command, something like /dev/sda1,
• The mount point it the last column, something like /media/drive1.
• Unmount the flash drive (replace the mount point string with that determined above if necessary, and note the correct command spelling):

cd /​

umount /media/drive1​

• Format the drive (replace the device string with that determined above if necessary):

/tmp/mkfs.ext2 /dev/sda1​

• Change the partition type of the new drive. Note that the last part of the command is the root name of the device determined above, so for /dev/sda1 omit the trailing 1 in the following command, and then reply to the resulting dialogue as shown:

fdisk /dev/sda​

Command (m for help): t​

Selected partition 1​

Hex code (type L to list codes): 83​

Command (m for help): w​

The partition table has been altered!​

• Now remove and re-insert the UPD (to mount it) and reinitialise the package repository

/sbin/modinit​

opkg update​

Accessing the HD-FOX from a web browser (see notes) will now produce the minimal interface which invites you to download the full interface. Everything then proceeds as it would have done if we were installing to an Ext3 HDD (internal or external).

Notes

For general information regarding installing the custom firmware/software on the HD-FOX, see HERE (click) and HERE (click). Be careful that most instructions are written for the HDR-FOX.

For information about using Telnet see HERE (click), particularly the end of Post #3. For information about accessing the web browser interface, read Stage 3 in Post #3. For more background on either of the above, read from the top.

 

[Brian]

Nope - thank you to the moderator who fixed it, something was wrong with the site or my computer...

I deleted these duplicate posts for you.