WebIF install after HD Format

[prpr]

GPT is NOT formatting or anything to do with filesystems. It is to do with partitioning.
Fixdisk will run quickly on empty newly formatted filesystems.

 

[MontysEvilTwin]

GPT is NOT formatting or anything to do with filesystems. It is to do with partitioning.

Fair enough, excuse my poor terminology. What I was getting at was the number of inodes. There is clearly scope to change this (see 2TB disk blog in the wiki). Are inodes regarded as part of the filesystem? Whenever I have had disk problems, fixdisk reports changing various inode attributes. Surely the time taken for fixdisk to run must be proportional to the number of inodes it has to check?

Fixdisk will run quickly on empty newly formatted filesystems.

Obviously.

 

[prpr]

Are inodes regarded as part of the filesystem?

Yes.

Whenever I have had disk problems, fixdisk reports changing various inode attributes. Surely the time taken for fixdisk to run must be proportional to the number of inodes it has to check?

Probably, but it has nothing to do with GPT v MBR partitioning. It is how you set up the filesystem when formatting (mke2fs) or tuning (tune2fs).

 

[MontysEvilTwin]

Probably, but it has nothing to do with GPT v MBR partitioning. It is how you set up the filesystem when formatting (mke2fs) or tuning (tune2fs).

I am aware that selecting GPT over MBR will not in itself affect the number of inodes. I formatted the hard drive using the gptf option (Re-format disk using GPT scheme) which is available in maintenance mode with custom firmware v3.10: see here. The number of inodes will depend on how af123 set it up. Based on what was done with the procedure for formatting 2TB drives, I think that there may be fewer inodes per GB of disk compared to a 'standard Humax format', i.e. what you would get if you used the remote control handset to format the drive from the HDR-FOX user interface. This is what I was asking about two posts ago. Unfortunately the number of inodes assigned to the largest partition is not in the wiki page.

 

[af123]

Unfortunately the number of inodes assigned to the largest partition is not in the wiki page.

The GPT format option uses 1 inode per 1MiB of storage for the recording partition (and the default of 1 per 16KiB on the other partitions). I haven't checked what the default Humax formatting does these days but it used to use 16KiB on all three.

With ext3, fewer inodes will most definitely result in improved fsck time as several of the checks that fsck does must traverse every inode and the number of inodes in a file-system is constant and decided at file-system creation time.

Fixdisk will run quickly on empty newly formatted filesystems.

With ext4, yes, since unused inodes are marked as such - fsck time is effectively related to the number of files.
With ext3 fsck time effectively just related to that fixed number of inodes.

Edit: Found a nice graph at http://superuser.com/a/581655

 

[MartinLiddle]

With ext4, yes, since unused inodes are marked as such - fsck time is effectively related to the number of files.

When do you think PVR manufacturers will start using Ext4 as it does seem to have a number of advantages over Ext3 (or is there a good reason why not)?

 

[prpr]

Would ext4 for the Humax be a practical possibility?

 

[MontysEvilTwin]

Would ext4 for the Humax be a practical possibility?

See here.

 

[ian_j]

New hard drive installed
Humax said it had to be formatted which I did.
I've tried to re-install the WebiIF but get the following error:



Fixweb gives the following:



What do I do next?

I have checked the drive is working by recording & rewinding live TV.

I have checked that the box has access to the internet by using iPlayer on the Portal.

I have enabled shares.

I'm missing something.


EDIT:

Ignore all of the above, after trying to access the box via the WebIF a couple of times it finally said that that it had installed the WebIF and the box needed re-setting.

The schedule is intact.

EDIT 2:

As I had the box open I decided to also remove the orange filter, the blue/green display looks much better than the orange, my better half loves it and can actually read it now.

 

[Black Hole]

It isn't just the webif package that needs to be installed, you need to do the whole CF install (except for the flash from USB part). Go to the web installation page (at the usual IP address) - except you may have corrupted the process already!

 

[ian_j]

The custom firmware version was showing on the box display when turned on.

All of the settings have been saved (power on channel, disable OTA etc but none of the packages are showing as being installed.

 

[Black Hole]

Don't be daft! The CF version shown on the VFD during boot comes from the Flash. You have a new disk, so all the CF payload that is stored on the HDD cannot be there. The HDR-FOX settings are stored in Flash too - it works without a HDD installed.

Do what said!

 

[ian_j]

Don't be daft! The CF version shown on the VFD during boot comes from the Flash. You have a new disk, so all the CF payload that is stored on the HDD cannot be there. The HDR-FOX settings are stored in Flash too - it works without a HDD installed.

Do what said!

Apologies for being daft, I'm only a simple end user not a coder so have no knowledge of what is stored where.

What does Do what said! mean?

 

[Black Hole]

You need to go through the normal installation process from scratch, just like you must have done before, with the exception of the USB to Flash stage. That means when you try to access the WebIF as normal, you should see the web page to complete the CF installation by Internet download.

You don't have to be a coder to have observed the stages of CF installation.

Quick Guide to Custom Firmware (click)

 

[ian_j]

Apologies if I've upset you in some way BH it wasn't my intention.

I tried what af123 said here:

The schedule is stored in flash so swapping the hard disk won't erase that.
If the disk isn't readable then there's nothing to do other than swap and reformat it, re-install webif then run fix-flash-packages from Diagnostics.

I tried that but the webIF kept saying that no hard drive had been found even though I tested it working as per my previous message and pwer cycled the box a number of times.

That is when I turned to telnet to try and fix the WebIF with no success and then tried the WebIF again which finally worked after saying that it didn't have net access.

 

[Trev]

Don't be daft! The CF version shown on the VFD during boot comes from the Flash. You have a new disk, so all the CF payload that is stored on the HDD cannot be there. The HDR-FOX settings are stored in Flash too - it works without a HDD installed.

You're at it again BH. Not making allowances for people who are not as knowledgeable as you are. There's no real need to call someone daft just because they don't yet understand how stuff works.

 

[Black Hole]

You've not upset me, I'm just incredulous that you've been here as long as you have without learning a thing or two. I've written a great deal about it, as have other people. It's in the wiki and my encyclopaedia posts.

Anything not stored in Flash (ie the vast majority of your CF stuff) has been deleted by replacing the HDD. AF's "reinstall the WebIF" meant what I said - access the web installation page and let it run (the Telnet menu fixweb option repairs a faulty installation, it doesn't create a new one). The fix-flash-packages diagnostic would then reinstate the parts that are still stored in Flash memory.

I suspect you are now not in a position to recover the situation easily. Unless the "complete the installation" web page is now available (at the usual IP address) you will need to go into the Telnet menu and run the RMA option. Then go into the Telnet menu again and clear the RMA flag. You will then be able to reinstall from the web page. Alternatively, reformat the HDD and start again.

 

[Black Hole]

You're at it again BH. Not making allowances for people who are not as knowledgeable as you are. There's no real need to call someone daft just because they don't yet understand how stuff works.

No, he's a long-term user. This is a case of brain-fade.

 

[ian_j]

I did install the CFW yes, but a fresh install from scratch.

This was different as I had replaced the HD and some signs of the CFW were still showing, I was not sure which bits though so needed advice on how to proceed from a situation I had not encountered before.

I don't feel that your response was warranted purely on the basis of how long I have been a member of the forum.

 

[af123]

Unless the "complete the installation" web page is now available (at the usual IP address) you will need to go into the Telnet menu and run the RMA option. Then go into the Telnet menu again and clear the RMA flag.

RMA isn't the right option here. Just pick reset from the telnet menu:

      /-------------------------\
      |  T E L N E T   M E N U  |
      \-------------------------/

  [ Humax HDR-Fox T2 (humax) 1.03.12/3.10 ]

   maint - Restart into maintenance mode.
    safe - Enable safe mode on next boot.
     rma - Enable return-to-manufacturer (RMA) mode.
   reset - Reset custom firmware environment.
upgrade - Upgrade all installed packages.
  passwd - Remove web interface password.
  fixweb - Re-install web interface.
    stat - Show current activity.
       x - Exit and close connection.
  reboot - Reboot the Humax.
    diag - Run a diagnostic.
     cli - System command line (advanced users).

Please select option:

That will put it back to a fresh state and show the initial installation web interface at which point you can click on the Install button again or you can re-connect to the telnet menu and select the webif - Install web interface and supporting packages option that will now be presented.