nas

Beta testing new firmware CH3SNAS ?

I’ve new firmware available for those sending me an e-mail @ dennis @ aroundmyroom dot com

it’s 1.03 (0418.2008) where we have removed the scandisk function and fixed the e-mail issues with regard to the . and – characters not be able to use to store/save it.

In reply to reports of users mentioning that the HDD does not want to go into standby: engineers are not able to reproduce this <sigh>, so I must collect as much info as possible

  • How Much HDD? 1 or 2 ?
  • What is/are the brandname(s) of the HDD(s) ?
  • If you use 1 HDD, is it inserted LEFT or RIGHT (frontview) ?
  • If you use 2 HDD which one does not spindown ?
  • With which firmware did you format the HDD: 1.02, 1.03 ?
  • How is it formatted? Single Disk, Raid1 etc…
  • Do you use UPnP Server ?
  • Do you use iTunes Server ?
  • Did you enable PowerSave ?
  • Do you use Fun_Plug ?
  • Any other additional info you want to give?

CH3SNAS: Firmware release 1.03 Final

Please find in this entry the preview of the 1.03Final version just before it will be posted onto the official site at the end of this week.  Somewhere next week (but I will not be here in Europe)

This 1.03Final (2nd version) will be exact the same version when published at the Conceptronic driver website

The reason why it’s published here is to get valuable feedback from early adaptors so that a certain unseen important bug can be noticed before.

Our first version was withdrawn due to a nasty bug mentioned by early adaptors: data transferred could get corrupted. After getting a fix, there were still some issues left (rename folders causing an error message and ssl ftp did not work anymore), so therefore it took more time to release the 1.03Final version than expected. S O R R Y.

In this release some new added features and fixes compared to previous 1.03 version.

  • Fixed: formatting is stopping at 94%
  • Fixed: DHCP server issue offering IP to client
  • Fixed: Scan disk failure
  • Change: Changing cramfs into SquashFS
  • Added function:  fun_plug does not work on sdb2 : Fixed.
  • Fixed: data corruption (files getting bigger) when storing data with alternative tools (Total Commander etc).
  • Added: PureFTPD supports SIZE and MDTM 
  • Fixed: HDD1 unable to sleep in Raid1 mode
  • Added Request : FTP Server support option -O : ftp logging
  • Change: UPnP server: Refresh newly added files automatically,  so we removed the “Refresh” button and Auto Refresh Timer from the GUI. (enable / disable will re-index the total database) The database will not be updated when using FTP. This change will make the UPnP server run more stable.
  • Added Request : PureFTPD supports SSL
  • Added function: Scan Disk functionality

no guarantees & warranties ;-)

download here

CH3SNAS: Degraded Raid Status

In some very rare conditions (I still did not found when and why) it’s possible that a RAID1 array made onto the CH3SNAS gets into a degraded status and even a reboot is not solving the issue.

How to get the RAID array fixed again?

First of all: make sure you have telnet running. Telnet can be installed by using one of the many fun_plugs around. So no explanation from me about that.

Login to the shell

first check the actual raid status:

 # cat /proc/mdstat

Normally you should get something like this: 

Personalities : [linear] [raid0] [raid1]
md0 : active raid1 sda2[0] sdb2[1]
xxxxx blocks [2/2] [UU]

But when degraded the raid status shows: [_U] or [U_]

Do some debugging with the command:

# mdadm -D /dev/md0

This will show the actual HDD’s in the array. For the CH3SNAS it can be:

/dev/sda2 or /dev/sdb2 if one of the disks is not in the array anymore you have to add it manually by using the following command:

mdadm /dev/md0 -a [degraded hdd]

this is: /dev/sdb2 or /dev/sda2

System will report: 

mdadm: hot added /dev/sdb2; and the array will be synced again (seen through webinterface or using the `# cat /proc/mdstat command`)

Conceptronic CH3SNAS 1.03beta3 Firmware

Oeps.. the long awaited Sony Playstation 3 support for CH3SNAS was not functioning. After debugging we found out that the UPnP Server could not be started.

This was fixed quickly and now a new version has been released. UPnP Server working: PlayStation 3 Working (MP3 at least, movies seems to be difficult with PS3 .. )

and euh .. it’s beta .. so no warranty on working and the safety of your data ;-)

update: I see some ‘sudden’ disconnects from the UPnP server .. No idea how to trace and to find what is causing the disconnect (I am playing a 80min MP3 file and after about 45 minutes the server disappears .. Damn!)

Conceptronic CH3SNAS 1.03beta2 Firmware

Just before the black box is hitting the shelves. 

Today a new firmware was released to some beta users .. 1.03beta 2

update: firmware withdrawn, version 1.03abeta 2 had issue that UPnP server did not start. New Version released!

release notes:

1. Users with RAID1 configuration could loose their data after the reboot of upgrade 1.02 to 1.03beta1. The device was asking if you want to re-format the device. Removing the HDD’s and restart the device empty could save the data, but some users were pig-headed and lost all their data. Some RAID parameter were wrong causing this issue. It’s fixed now.
Password courrupted :  user’s password could get corrupted after changing. We fixed that also.

CH3SNAS beta firmware 1.03

Be one of the first CH3SNAS users with the 1.03 new firmware

Conceptronic is announcing NEW features and FIXED features in this 1.03 release

Beta v1.03 was released on  11/16/2007 to a select number of beta testers. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK !!   

 DO BACKUP YOUR DATA BEFORE APPLYING THIS FIRMWARE ! THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR KEEPING YOUR DATA OR UNFORMATTING THE HARDDRIVES ! DO NOT USE AT PRODUCTION DEVICES !

What was addressed and fixed  

1.Stop at 94% issue.

Due to some various wierd issues some pre-formatted HDD’s are unable to be formatted. Than they stop at 94%

I think this bug finally is fixed

2.NFS Server modules added.

Requested by End-Users: add the NFS modules to apply ‘Fun Plug’ stuff: so we did !

3.PS3 Support.

Requested by End-Users: support for PS3 .. Hey this should work now .. Are you happy?  

4.”Removing files or folders in combination with Windows Vista”
 When using scheduled back-up in combination with Windows Vista it is not possible to remove files or folders in any way afterwards. 

Phew .. again happy!

USE AT YOUR OWN RISK ! [download here]

Many new and other issues will be addressed and released in the 1.03 series.. What kind of new stuff?

  • Give you the ability to skip the formatting of a HDD 
  • Add more option in the power management like: add 60 and 120 min options
  • Use also the IP address as sharename
  • Some stuff with anonymous FTP
  • Something to be valid with the e-mail system ..

Hey you can add your idea here ..  

Conceptronic CH3SNAS 1.02 Firmware #2

Just received new beta firmware 1.02, with bugfixes addressed in a previous 1.02 release.

http://www.aroundmyroom.com/ch3snas/ch3snas102a.rar

many issues / options resolved / added / fixed ..

among them:
File Transfer tools where able to damage files
Subtitle files are supported through UPnP A/V tool when playing divx
Progress bar with Itunes Server
Admin cannot be used as groupname anymore
wuftpd has been abandoned and pureftpd is now in use (utf-8 support)
Samba 2.2.8a replaced by Samba 3.0.24 (fix vista issue)

Please do not test this firmware in systems where precious data is stored .. use it for test ;-)

Conceptronic CH3SNAS 1.02 Firmware

New beta firmware released (version 1.02)  for the Conceptronic CH3SNAS

New stuff:

  • Improved Samba
  • Pureftpd
  • Format bug: allow correct formatting if HDD was already formatted FAT32 or NTFS. Get rid of the 94% format bug ;-)
  • Do not allow to have group named admin: dangerous ;-)
  • Many other fixes

Download the beta here the beta is withdrawn due to some issues when transferring files through the Network File Sharing (SMB) part .. things got corrupted