According to http://www.nslu2-linux.org/wiki/Debian/HomePage there is a version of debian for my NSLU2 NAS controller.
(1) What is the difference between this special NSLU2 distribution and the debian for ARM (is is it MIPS?) in the debian download pages?
(2) Where are the instructions for building the debian for NSLU2?
Thanks,
Siegfried
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Where are build instructions?
Are you still waiting for an answer on this post?
I am perhaps not the best person to answer your questions (you will get more information at the Debian arm mailing list).
... which maybe partly answers your first question. I am not familiar with MIPS but the slug uses the arm branch of Debian (whatever that means). The installer includes an ssh server so that the install (like everything on the slug) can be done remotely.
The installer can be found here and instructions here
I'd advise that you know how to restore your slug to its former state before installing any alternative firmware, not because I've ever had any problems with alternative firmwares (I've used unslung, openslug - with gentoo - and now Debian), but for your own piece of mind and education and so you can revert easily if you want.
As a personal commendation I think the installer is amazing, it makes putting a new OS on the slug almost as easy as it is on a desktop, maybe even easier because there are less choices to make. And Debian is running flawlessly on my slug, so far I've installed and set up a USB sound adapter for use with mpd (a music player) and apache2 web server (not using it yet), among others. I was using gentoo before but compiling from source on this wee beast is really painful, much as I love gentoo. Using Debian gives both freedom and speed.
I hope this helps.
I am perhaps not the best person to answer your questions (you will get more information at the Debian arm mailing list).
... which maybe partly answers your first question. I am not familiar with MIPS but the slug uses the arm branch of Debian (whatever that means). The installer includes an ssh server so that the install (like everything on the slug) can be done remotely.
The installer can be found here and instructions here
I'd advise that you know how to restore your slug to its former state before installing any alternative firmware, not because I've ever had any problems with alternative firmwares (I've used unslung, openslug - with gentoo - and now Debian), but for your own piece of mind and education and so you can revert easily if you want.
As a personal commendation I think the installer is amazing, it makes putting a new OS on the slug almost as easy as it is on a desktop, maybe even easier because there are less choices to make. And Debian is running flawlessly on my slug, so far I've installed and set up a USB sound adapter for use with mpd (a music player) and apache2 web server (not using it yet), among others. I was using gentoo before but compiling from source on this wee beast is really painful, much as I love gentoo. Using Debian gives both freedom and speed.
I hope this helps.
Cool!
I have a few questions regarding using the slug with Debian. Im not very used to linux without Gnome or something like that. First off, is it obvious for a novice like myself how to "share" the slug drive on the network once Debian is installed? I want to be able to "map" it in my network computers. If its not, is there a howto/newb instructions? I also wanna connect my USB-laser printer to the slug and use it as a ftp server.
I want to use the slug to learn stuff but I could use a push in the right direction here..
..or do you think I should stick to the boring standard firmware?
I have a few questions regarding using the slug with Debian. Im not very used to linux without Gnome or something like that. First off, is it obvious for a novice like myself how to "share" the slug drive on the network once Debian is installed? I want to be able to "map" it in my network computers. If its not, is there a howto/newb instructions? I also wanna connect my USB-laser printer to the slug and use it as a ftp server.
I want to use the slug to learn stuff but I could use a push in the right direction here..
..or do you think I should stick to the boring standard firmware?
Sorry, I haven't been at this forum for a while.
You can share directories, using samba, like on any other linux. If you are used to using SWAT (samba web administration tool - I think), you can use that to configure it. Personally I've never used SWAT, I set up my shares by manually editing the smb.conf file.
You can also run a network printer, using CUPS, although I've only done this on my unslung slug, not the Debian one (the Debian slug is my play slug, the unslung one shares files and a printer). Again, this is done the same way as for any other linux (though maybe not quite the same if you use some gnome or kde GUI - CUPS like samba has a web-based configuration utility that is pretty easy to use though).
I don't have any easy howtos for you. I'd suggest that the slug is not an easy howto kind of thing. It is an excellent toy to use to learn about linux though. I fully expect to break mine, and have been very (pleasantly) surprised that I haven't broken it using Debian, after breaking it several times using gentoo (but each time fixing it as well).
So I recommend that you do your own research and make your own decision. You could always do what I did and buy a second one for play - then you don't have to worry about breaking it and upsetting any other users of the shared drives.
Good luck and have fun.
You can share directories, using samba, like on any other linux. If you are used to using SWAT (samba web administration tool - I think), you can use that to configure it. Personally I've never used SWAT, I set up my shares by manually editing the smb.conf file.
You can also run a network printer, using CUPS, although I've only done this on my unslung slug, not the Debian one (the Debian slug is my play slug, the unslung one shares files and a printer). Again, this is done the same way as for any other linux (though maybe not quite the same if you use some gnome or kde GUI - CUPS like samba has a web-based configuration utility that is pretty easy to use though).
I don't have any easy howtos for you. I'd suggest that the slug is not an easy howto kind of thing. It is an excellent toy to use to learn about linux though. I fully expect to break mine, and have been very (pleasantly) surprised that I haven't broken it using Debian, after breaking it several times using gentoo (but each time fixing it as well).
So I recommend that you do your own research and make your own decision. You could always do what I did and buy a second one for play - then you don't have to worry about breaking it and upsetting any other users of the shared drives.
Good luck and have fun.
Thanks!
Well, so far I've succeeded in installing debian and sharing the drive on the network! I've also managed to install apache on it to play around with that.
This was the first time I used samba, and I found a howto on the swedish ubuntu forum which worked great: www.ubuntu-se.org/Wiki/Samba (Swedish).
I also realized that sharing a printer is analogous with sharing a folder and shouldn't be much of a problem. Though, I have problems installing my printer in the first place. The only linux driver I've found is for 386 processors and cannot be used with the nslu2 (true?), anyway I tried without any success. The slug couldnt read the .deb driver package.
So, what can I do? Is there a universial usb-printer driver for the nslu2? What driver did you use in unslung, could it be used in debian? I have a Brother 2030 laser printer.
Well, so far I've succeeded in installing debian and sharing the drive on the network! I've also managed to install apache on it to play around with that.
This was the first time I used samba, and I found a howto on the swedish ubuntu forum which worked great: www.ubuntu-se.org/Wiki/Samba (Swedish).
I also realized that sharing a printer is analogous with sharing a folder and shouldn't be much of a problem. Though, I have problems installing my printer in the first place. The only linux driver I've found is for 386 processors and cannot be used with the nslu2 (true?), anyway I tried without any success. The slug couldnt read the .deb driver package.
So, what can I do? Is there a universial usb-printer driver for the nslu2? What driver did you use in unslung, could it be used in debian? I have a Brother 2030 laser printer.
Excellent! I'm glad you installed Debian.
About that printer, I don't think you need to install the driver on the slug. You only need to install it on the machines that will print to it. Do you need to print to it from the slug? Or just through the slug?
If I recall correctly, you install it as a raw device using CUPS, then tell your client machines (the ones you are printing from) that you are printing to a raw device. I think you install them as internet printers, at location http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:631/printername where those x's are the IP address of the slug and printername is the name you gave the printer in CUPS. You can also use its name if DNS is working on your network.
(My trouble with this stuff is that I forget how it's done almost as soon as I've finished doing it, so I just have a vague memory of how it was done.)
The main thing (that I can remember) that you need is CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) - this is configured through an excellent web interface that is part of CUPS (see screenshot). Install this on the Debian slug, and see if it can find the printer attached to a USB port.
About that printer, I don't think you need to install the driver on the slug. You only need to install it on the machines that will print to it. Do you need to print to it from the slug? Or just through the slug?
If I recall correctly, you install it as a raw device using CUPS, then tell your client machines (the ones you are printing from) that you are printing to a raw device. I think you install them as internet printers, at location http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:631/printername where those x's are the IP address of the slug and printername is the name you gave the printer in CUPS. You can also use its name if DNS is working on your network.
(My trouble with this stuff is that I forget how it's done almost as soon as I've finished doing it, so I just have a vague memory of how it was done.)
The main thing (that I can remember) that you need is CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) - this is configured through an excellent web interface that is part of CUPS (see screenshot). Install this on the Debian slug, and see if it can find the printer attached to a USB port.
Ow! That sounds great! You don't want to know how much time I spent looking for a printer driver =S.
Well. Gonna try cups tonight Thanks for the info!
Another thing, it seems my usb-drive doesn't ever spin down, it seems to spin all the time. Shouldnt debian take care of this or do I have to install some daemon or something to take care of it?
Well. Gonna try cups tonight Thanks for the info!
Another thing, it seems my usb-drive doesn't ever spin down, it seems to spin all the time. Shouldnt debian take care of this or do I have to install some daemon or something to take care of it?
I don't know about the spinning disk, but remember you've only got 32MB of memory, anything else is going to be swap partition, which means accessing the disk. So as soon as all your running applications use more than 32MB of memory, the disk will just keep going. I am guessing.
We are using these things beyond their intended purpose, I wouldn't expect either the slug or the disk to last as long your standard PC. But it's good fun eh?
Let us know how you get on.
We are using these things beyond their intended purpose, I wouldn't expect either the slug or the disk to last as long your standard PC. But it's good fun eh?
Let us know how you get on.
Because it is now a more-or-less standard debian install, you can use standard debian documentation. You don't need to look for info specific to the slug. You are now running a Debian server and the hardware architecture is not so important.
The Debian cups package is called cupsys. Try this first. It will have dependencies, just let apt-get install them too.
Others you *might* need are cupsys-common, cupsys-client, cupsys-bsd
You could install and compile from source (the tarballs you mention) - the source should work if you have a compiling environment installed. I'd suggest you resist trying this route, it will probably lead to more pain. This is standard software and it is generally much easier to install standard software the standard way.
The Debian cups package is called cupsys. Try this first. It will have dependencies, just let apt-get install them too.
Others you *might* need are cupsys-common, cupsys-client, cupsys-bsd
You could install and compile from source (the tarballs you mention) - the source should work if you have a compiling environment installed. I'd suggest you resist trying this route, it will probably lead to more pain. This is standard software and it is generally much easier to install standard software the standard way.