Ok support staff… I know what I am about to say is unsupported.
I note that the source code is available, if indeed it is source code ( https://launchpad.net/linaro-toolchain-binaries/trunk/2013.01/+download/gcc-linaro-arm-linux-gnueabihf-4.7-2013.01-20130125_linux.tar.bz2), so that tells me this system is customizable and nothing is embedded in the hardware to best of my knowledge.
Compiling and building is a wee bit beyond me at this time and having visited the Linaro.org site I can see that this is a bigger picture. Bricking the system is easy, unbricking is easy enough too. It’s a simple case of replacing the rootfs partitions with a back-up copy of the orginal.
All I am looking for is a rootfs.img that is just an openssh server, nothing more, and from there I will build upon what I want my box to do. I looked into creating a rootfs.img but it is beyond me. And quite frankly I probably wouldn’t use a rootfs.img posted by anyone other than official sources as that would be like leaving the key under the plant pot at my front door.
So is there a way to remove everything WD put in the system but keep the basics and keep the ARMv7 version of Debian OS intact. It’s not that easy to install a fresh OS on an ARM system so I figure reverse remove everything to just bare bones openssh server and build from there would be easier for me.
Anyone?
MagicCamera,
Hopefully this information will be provided by additional Users. Please bear in mind extreme caution is recommended as this is not supported by Western Digital.
I had tried to build that software. But it is only half way possible. The published text does not sufficiently describe how to build and does not at all explain how to install on the 4 partitons of the disk. Imho it is very bad ethical attitude of a company to profit from Linux publications and not publish all necessary data afterwards.
Eli_Tsigantes wrote:
It is the **bleep** duty of the company to publish how to build and ionstall this firmware!
I do not believe that is correct.
They do not have to provide any instructions dealing with the proprietary nature of the hardware or system architecture which is not subject to GPL.
They only have to provide instructions for compiling the software, and provide sources or links to sources, both of which have been done.
The bootstrap process is not entirely open-source, so it’s not subject to GPL conditions; only the open source portions are (and what WD modifed.)
That said, they do have one error in their instructions – the source dpkg list needs to point to wheezy, not squeeze distros, as squeeze doesn’t have (or no longer has) armhf binaries.
Eli_Tsigantes wrote:
–>> Read the FAQ of FSF about GPL.
Which of the 175 bullet points are you referring to? :)
Eli_Tsigantes wrote:
They do not have to provide any instructions dealing with the proprietary nature of the hardware or system architecture which is not subject to GPL.
–>> Yes but I did not request that.
I guess I misunderstood when you said: “The published text … does not at all explain how to install on the 4 partitons of the disk.”
I’m saying they don’t have to.
TonyPh12345: If you still have doubts: Write the FSF and they will tell you!
