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#1 2011-09-23 00:32:54

GabrieleV
Member
From: Como
Registered: 2008-12-08
Posts: 17
Website

Debian native: what about hard disk failure ?

I never installed Debian natively on DNS-323. My question is: what does happen if the disk where the distro is installed on is lost or missing ?
I think that the Debian firmware (kernel only ?) does not offer any recovery, web interface or ssh access in this case.
Anyone has experienced this case ?

Thank you,
Gabriele

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#2 2011-09-23 07:35:53

bjby
Member
Registered: 2009-02-22
Posts: 265

Re: Debian native: what about hard disk failure ?

This actually happend to me. I had / installed to a cheap ubs stick. It got somehow corrupted and the box did not boot. I had swap on the USB for a while, that might have write-killled the stick. Anyway, I suspected this may be the cause, I restored a backup to a new usb and plugged it in. Box was up again.

I do monthly backup. It is somewhat dirty since it backs a live partition but I think its good enought.  Each backup takes about 1G.

(sda is a usb stick.)
---------------------------------------------------------
#!/bin/sh
set -x
tdy=$(date +%Y-%m-%d)
tmpdir=/mnt/alice_a/temp/brian
workdir=$tmpdir/$tdy
tmptar=$tmpdir/brian-imgs-$tdy.tar.gz
destdir=/mnt/alice_a/backup

mkdir -p $workdir

#rm $workdir/*

cat /dev/sda > $workdir/brian-sda-$tdy.img;

for i in 0 1 2 3 4; do
  cat /dev/mtdblock${i} > $workdir/brian-mtdblock${i}-$tdy.img;
done

tar -cvzf $tmptar $workdir
 
mv $tmptar $destdir

echo "done!"

Last edited by bjby (2011-09-23 08:00:26)

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#3 2011-09-23 10:55:06

GabrieleV
Member
From: Como
Registered: 2008-12-08
Posts: 17
Website

Re: Debian native: what about hard disk failure ?

That's what I've argued reading other posts.
There is non "recovery" way without the hard disk installation.
You have to use serial console to reflash and tun installer, or get a backup of your installation media.
It would be nice to have another way to recover, or put a minimal system in the flash.
This is where Alt-F is better that native Debian, I think.

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#4 2011-09-23 19:08:16

bjby
Member
Registered: 2009-02-22
Posts: 265

Re: Debian native: what about hard disk failure ?

yes that would be nice.

Keeping the debian installer in flash should kind of give this as a rescue. But I read somewhere that space is limitied and therefore this idea was cut.


However, if you put / on USB stick it is pretty easy to make a backup usb just in case.

Debian also give the risk that some kernel update bricks the dns323. One has to be somewhat careful with updates.

Last edited by bjby (2011-09-23 19:18:30)

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#5 2011-09-23 19:58:05

GabrieleV
Member
From: Como
Registered: 2008-12-08
Posts: 17
Website

Re: Debian native: what about hard disk failure ?

What's this http://ipkg.dhub.me/debian_reloaded/ ?
It seems it boots debian via fonz reload.ko ...
Anyone tried it ?
Regarding the space problem, I had managed a system to include dropbear in an initrd, so this could be a partial solution.

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#6 2011-09-23 21:23:34

bjby
Member
Registered: 2009-02-22
Posts: 265

Re: Debian native: what about hard disk failure ?

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#7 2011-09-23 22:03:17

GabrieleV
Member
From: Como
Registered: 2008-12-08
Posts: 17
Website

Re: Debian native: what about hard disk failure ?

Fantastic .. so it works smile
Have to try it asap smile

Gabriele

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#8 2013-01-02 23:26:01

JBLSteeve
New member
Registered: 2013-01-02
Posts: 1

Re: Debian native: what about hard disk failure ?

Hi,

Can you help me. I have a problem with my hard drive so the DNS 323 don't start.
Can you give me some help me ? Is it possible to restore the file on a hard drive to restart my DNS323.

Steeve

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