Getting debian to boot on Thecus N4520

[jagdtigger]

Hi all!

It has been a long time since my last post here but im stuck with getting debian to boot on this sucker. It has a CE5315 CPU (intel atom) and 2 GB RAM. The NAS itself runs some form of linux already but its ancient. Im currently dumping the internal storage, ill upload the contents as soon as im done. For now ill include 2 logs. One is with the original FW booting, and one with a i386 iso "burned" onto a sata ssd and manually booting from it. The NAS has HDMI but it only shows a thecus logo, only way to get into the "BIOS" is through serial.

So what do you guys think, is it possible to get it running debian?


Logs:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wnqtyuizte39y ... l.zip?dl=0

thecus os (just the files, not raw image)):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/tzox6giiwmrtn ... OS.7z?dl=0

[arochester]

1)Did you see the manual? https://www.manua.ls/origin-storage/the ... manual?p=4

2) Did you see the link to Linux? http://install.thecus.com/ ...leading to...

3) A Chrome extension... https://chrome.google.com/webstore/deta ... cildmahnhj

[jagdtigger]

I dont have issues bringing up the NAS, but installing debian onto the NAS itself. The original os uses i686 images and apparently based on fedora16 (released in 2011)....

/EDIT
When i tell the nas to boot from sata it errors out:

Code: Select all

shell> bootata
Attempting ATA boot...
SATA 0: SanDiskSDSSDH3500G - 500G
Attempting to boot redboot from Sector 1 of HD 0...
No valid redboot found in HD(s).
Reading boot sector...done.
Switching to boot loader.
Unhandled real mode interrupt!
Vector: 0x18
CS:IP = 0000:074b
SS:ESP = 0000:00007be8
EAX = 00000e0a  EBX = 00000007  ECX = 00000004  EDX = 00000000
ESI = 00000739  EDI = 00000800  EBP = 00000000  FLG = 00000246
DS  = 0000      ES =  0000      FS  = 0000      GS  = 0000
Stack:
   00007be8: 00000000 00000001 00000001 00000000
   00007bf8: 00000000 00000000 00085245 90900000
   00007c08: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
   00007c18: 00000000 00000000 8efaed33 7c00bcd5

[arochester]

Have you also tried the Thecus User Group? https://thecususergroup.proboards.com/

They cover Debian install on different models.

[jagdtigger]

I tried too look for existing guides via google (tried both debian and custom fw as keyword) but nothing useful turned up :/ . I give it a try but my hopes are pretty low since there is no section for 4520..... (searching for n4520 on that site via google turns up nothing)

[reinob]

See if you can boot from USB.
I have a similar NAS (but from ASUS, AS6102T) and I boot from a USB stick with Debian installed.
To make sure I don't run the original firmware by accident, I've rewritten/reused the internal disk.

[jagdtigger]

It doesnt seem like it could boot usb, in the shell i see these: bootata, bootflash, bootkernel, bootlinux.

I assumed bootflash refers to the internal mmc, i give it a shot.

/EDIT
Nope:
ERROR: No active Redboot found in flash.