HP NC6120 Laptop Wiress Stopped Working

I have a HP NC6120 laptop for a few years. It is a bit long in the tooth but works perfectly well as a Web Browser Appliance. I have had a number of Linux distributions on it  and it is currently runing Arch Linux.

Anyway, someone, who shall remain nameless, spilled a glass of water on it. I removed the power and all the batteries and let it dry for a few days.

When I powered it up again, it started up perfectly, with no ill effects from it's recent accident.

The only thing was that the WiFi was no longer working.

There was a clue in the dmesg log. It said "radio frequency kill switch is on". What the feck did that mean?

I followed many bread crumb trails that led to dead ends.

I eventually came accross a reference to a program called 'rfkill'. I wired up the laptop and installed the rfkill package.

Running it, I got the following:

[root@daffy ~]# rfkill list
0: hp-wifi: Wireless LAN
    Soft blocked: no
    Hard blocked: yes
1: hp-bluetooth: Bluetooth
    Soft blocked: no
    Hard blocked: no
2: phy0: Wireless LAN
    Soft blocked: no
    Hard blocked: no
3: hci0: Bluetooth
    Soft blocked: no
    Hard blocked: no

I simply ran 'rfkill unblock 0'



Running rfkill again, I got the following:

[root@daffy ~]# rfkill list
0: hp-wifi: Wireless LAN
    Soft blocked: no
    Hard blocked: no

And the wireless worked again.

Woohoo! Time for a beer.

USB Temperature Sensor and Linux (Part 2)

I wrote on this a quite a while ago and it seems very popular, so I thought I would write an update

I decided to include some of the files, to make it easier to use.

The first file is temper-1.0.tgz. I got this from the good looking guys over at www.relavak.com.

Here it is here temper-1.0.tgz

I downloaded it, and extracted it with 'tar zxvf temper-1.0.tgz'

Then I downloaded temper.c, which is my modified code.

I copied the temper.c file into the temper-1.0 directory.

Then I ran 'make'.

It produced and executable called 'temper'

Here is the compiled 32 bit version temper_32bit

And the compiled 64 bit version temper

Have fun.

Raspberry PI Arduino Shield - Cheap Option

I have a project on the go which I call Project Doorman aka Carlton. It will involve a Raspberry PI, I2C connections controlling a 1-Wire controller which will be connected to a DS2408 switch. I will use an iButton ID keyfob and sensor i got from http://www.homechip.com a few years ago. So, keybob, open the door and Bob's your auntie.

I wanted to have as much of the electronics mounted on the RPI. I have a Slice of PI by ciseco.co.uk but the prototyping space is too small.

I was also looking at the Adafruit Prototyping Pi Plate Kit for Raspberry Pi but that would cost €20 landed. I was going use it, so all the fancy connectors etc., would end up not being used. Feck that, I said. I know the bits would be used on other projects. A penny saved is a penny to squander.

I read about a fella who was talking about using an Arduino Prototyping Shield on the RPI. That sparked an idea.

In my previous researching/playing with Arduinos, I got Budget Proto Shield (x3) from Oomlaut.com. I had one I hadn't used.

So I desoldered the headers, and soldered one on the other way.

Presto Chango, I had a Cheapo Raspberry PI Prototyping Shield/Plate

Here is the Protoshield attached.

it only uses a single line header, which provides access to the I2C pins (3 & 5). I also get 3.3V on pin 1. I will also need access to the 5V pin (2) and Ground pin (6). I probably will put a small header piece to accomodate this and solder some pieces of wire and connect it to the Shield. I don't care really, whatever works.

It is a nice size and definately has the real estate I need.

From the side. I used the space to have it fit on top of the other bits of hardware, in this case, the composite video connector. Everything has to be nice, after all.

Kist the header from different angles.

Here we have the major components that will be used for this project. The red guy is a Logic Level Converter I got from CoolComponents.co.uk. Very cheap and useful. It ensures that I only have 3.3V connecting to the RPI.

The next girl is the Dallas DS2482-800 the I2C 8 Channel 1-Wire Master Controller. I used the Tirna SMT SMD DIL adaptor SOIC 16 PIN NARROW  to mount the DS2482-800. Very Handy and fairly cheap.

The final good buddy is a Dallas  DS2408 a 8 Channel 1-Wire Adressable Switch. Very handy. Again I used the Tirna adapter.

That is about it. I will probably reorganise the layout to facilitate adding extra components. I might add a couple of light sensors, while I am at it.

So, what are the benefits? Cheap and Useful. I don't really need a prototyping board. It is going strainght into production.

Arch Linux Raspberry PI Wirelss USB Edimax EW-7811Um

I got an Edimax EW-7811Um a few days ago on eBay from Peats, actually. Nice, really small. Just what I wanted for a wireless project I have for the Raspberry PI (RPI) running Arch Linux.

I had a wrestle with it for a few hours, trying to get it working.

I was able to get it working using a number of different sources.

Here all the sources are combined into one Recipe, that works.

I have two RPIs and used this method to configure the card on the second RPI, after the first one was working. so I know it works

I started with a fully upto date OS, e.g. pacman -Syu will do this.


The life saver link was Edimax EW-7811Un USB-Wifi adapter.

Here is what I did:

Download and compile the drivers
 
1. wget http://myplugbox.com/rtl8188C_8192C_usb_linux_v3.4.3_4369.20120622.tar.gz

Get the driver

2. tar xzf rtl8188C_8192C_usb_linux_v3.4.3_4369.20120622.tar.gz

Extract the doings

3. cd rtl8188C_8192C_usb_linux_v3.4.3_4369.20120622

Change to the directory

4. nano Makefile

Change KVER to what the current version is. It's currently set to: KVER := 3.1.9-31-ARCH+

I changed mine to 3.1.9-33-ARCH+

If in doubt use 'uname -a' to get the current kernel version.

5. make

This compiles the driver and takes about 10+ minutes

6. cp 8192cu.ko /usr/lib/modules/extramodules-3.1.9--raspberrypi/

Copy the new driver to a place that will be used to load it.

7. depmod -a

This wil find the new modules and write them to a file called something. I don't care.

8. sync ; reboot

9. Log back in and run lsmod

You should see the '8192cu' listed

So far, so good.

Now to configure for automatic loading of the driver and settings.

10. nano /etc/rc.conf and modify the line

MODULES=(8192cu !rtl8192cu)

This stops the rtl8192cu module that does not work for the USB Device and loads the 8192cu

11. nano /etc/rc.local

This makes sure that the required  programs are run at boot time.

#!/bin/bash
#
# /etc/rc.local: Local multi-user startup script.
#
wpa_supplicant -B -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant_special.conf -i wlan0
ifconfig wlan0 192.168.22.132 255.255.255.0
route add default gw 192.168.22.1

12. nano /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant_special.conf

This is all that is needed for wpa_supplicant. The other default settings are OK, I think.

# WPA-Personal(PSK) with TKIP and enforcement for frequent PTK rekeying
network={
        ssid="ESSIDtoUse"
        proto=WPA
        key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
        pairwise=TKIP
        group=TKIP
        psk="secret agent password in clear text or Hex"
        wpa_ptk_rekey=600
}

So far so good again.

13. sync ; reboot

14. Log back in

It might take a few minutes longer to login, as there are two network connection and the RPI may be getting confused.

If you run 'ifconfig', you should see the wlan0 card listed.

15. nano /etc/rc.conf

Comment out the Ethernet settings, so that the wire connection is no longer used.

#interface=eth0
#address=192.168.22.130
#netmask=255.255.255.0
#broadcast=192.168.22.255
#gateway=192.168.22.1

16. sync ; reboot

17. Log back in using the new Wireless IP Address.

Job done. Time for a beer and a quiet smirk.

PogoPlug Cheap Deal and Hack

I recently signed up for a PogoPlug Family Backup Offer . It cost €24 in total.

The best thing is that you get a free PogoPlug Pro.

Being a big embedded Linux fan, I was eager to find out if this was one of the hackable devices. It was a cheap price to pay, to find out if it was useful.

It arrived on Friday. The first thing I dis was to crack it open. That was even before I powered it up. I am that sort of guy.

It turns out that it is Model: PogoPlug Pro FCC ID: VUIPOGOPLUG. The one with the Grey/White Symbol on the front. It turns out that it is a hackable device, see Link.

I wanted the smallest USB drive I could get. I went to Power City and got an 8GB drive by someone or other. Picture here:

So, I horsed over to http://archlinuxarm.org/platforms/armv6/pogoplug-provideov3 and followed the recipe to install Arch Linux on the device. It worked like a charm.

Another Arch Linux box joins the Empire.



It has some wireless card and a SATA port and of course a Gigibit Ethernet port. Ultra cool to build some sort of data/file server or anything really.

I think I will investigate the possibility of connecting an SATA drive to it and use for centralized MyDocuments and Photographs.

Only the Windows client can take advantage of independent storage on the PogoPlug cloud. I may incorporate that into a general offloading plan. We will see.

The best thing is 'Cheap PlugComputer' and benefits that could be used.

Win. Win. Win.

Raspberry PI 1-Wire I2C OWFS

I wrote this a few weeks ago and forgot to post it.

I received a Raspberry PI recently. It looks great, nice and small.

I have been playing with PlugComputers, such as the SheevaPlug and the Seagate Goflex series for a few years. They form the basis of my low power computer systems that are on 24x7. The Raspberry PI is just like one of them but with a few extra facilities.

Getting up and running was a breeze. I simply downloaded the image, by bittorrent, if I remember correctly. It only took a few minutes.

I blew it onto an SD card and powered it up. Hey Presto! it worked. I was able to determine it's IP address and ssh in to have a look around. Perfect.

I didn't have a HDMI cable to hand, so I used a composite cable to connect it to the TV. It worked but the quality was not the best. Moved on.

I was wondering what to use the PI for. I still don't know.

I came across an article talking about using the PI with OWFS. http://raspberrypi.homelabs.org.uk/


OWFS stands for One Wire File System. 1-Wire is a technology developed by Dallas Semiconductor (Maxim-IC), that actually uses 2 wires to communicate with devices such as temperature sensors, switches, voltage detectors, a/d converters and so on. I use it extensively throughout the house to measure temperature and control things. One of the great things about the 1-Wire devices is that they are pretty cheap.

On the Raspberry PI, there are a number of input/output pins. The ones of interest in relation to 1-Wire stuff are the I2C pins. I2C is basically a serial protocol. It is the building blocks that USB and SATA are built on.

The good thing is that Maxim-IC make a number of I2C to 1-Wire controllers. These are the DS2482 and DS2483. There are probably others also.

So, the possibility to connect the chips directly to the PI was real.

I was able to acquire a couple of DS2482s from a friend of mine. I had to mount them on a 16 way SOIC to DIP converter.

The OWFS system was easily compiled from source on the Raspberry PI and installed.

I then began the search for the I2C drivers.

This was a hard one. I found many forums that resulted in a dead end. Many kernels were compiled and failed. I couldn't get/build a kernel that would work with the drivers installed.

I found a fella that had a pre-built kernel built for Debian. I use Arch, which is pretty different in it's config, even though it is Linux.Here is the link I used http://www.bootc.net/projects/raspberry-pi-kernel/ I also installed the latest firmware.

Anyhoo, I was able to install the new kernel and modules and boot a workable system. Cool.

All the quick checks were good.

I then wired up the chips, DS2482, and started  the main program owserver. Hey presto, it worked.

I wired a couple of DS18B20's and could see them and read temperatures. Success.

I love this embedded Linux crap.

Raspberry PI Stuff and Building a Case

My Raspberry PI arrived a few weeks ago.

I tried both the Debian and Arch Linux boot images.

I don't have a convenient HDMI TV to play with, so I settled on the Arch version.

It suites me better, as I really wanted to use it as another Plug Computer, to do something with.

What to do with it? I am not sure yet. There will probably be something Home Automation related.

I am a big fan of the 1-Wire technology, for temperature sensors and control, so I compiled the latest version of OWFS on it. It worked fine with the USB 1-Wire controller.

The RPi has an I2C interface, so I decided to get my hands on a couple of  DS2482-100s and DS2482-800s. These are I2C to 1-Wire controllers. After a bit of messing about, I was able to address the conrolllers using OWFS.

That will be a furure post, hopefully.

I was looking for a suitable plastic case fir the new toy. There are quite a few about and rather pricy for what they are. I liked the one on SKPANG. Including postage and VAT, it would come in at about €20.  As my friend Ber would say 'Balzac' to that.

I came accross a post by Pecker Dunne on raspberrypi.org http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=9165&e=0

I was able to get a small sheet of perspex. Using youtube, I was able to determine that the 'score and snap' method was the best and cleanest way to get the pieces I wanted.

I made a few attempts. Two sheets of perspex and some No4 screws and nuts. I got some plastic washers to hold the board. It was just the job.

Attempt 2. In the presious version, I had put the screws too close to the IO header.

I also decided to make a breadboard version of it, to add breadboards and a USB hub.

I found that 3 screws would hold the RPi quite tightly and was easier to position the top piece.

Add a 10 port powered USB Hub

Some Breadboards
 

A Nanode and Xino Basic Arduinos for completeness.

I plan to use the slim breadboard for connections from the RPi headers and the larger one for the various components.

I sized the main plate, based on a plastic box with cover I have. Everything fits in and can be safely stored between project activity.

The next investigation will involve the Ciseco Slice of PI and the XRF radio module.

Wireless Doorbell Amplifier

The Mater's doorbell started to become unreliable. The wires were pastered in concrete, so troubleshooting was pretty much out of scope.

I got 3 Homeeasy wireless doorbells and programmed them to one button transmitter. I put the plug-in unit in three different rooms.

Everything worked fine. The major issue is that the sound produced when the button is pressed was not very loud.

A new project was born.

Being a cheapskate Northsider, I decided to go for the best value option.

This would include buying the least abount of stuff and repurpose some parts I already had. I had a fairly small speaker box from a now defunct Hi-Fi unit. A 5V power supply which was an old Nokia phone charger. Some wire.

I got an amplifier kit from BitzBox.co.uk for £4.99.
http://www.bitsbox.co.uk/kits/projectkits.html

So cheap, what could possibly go wrong. Everything is included, as can be seen from the photo.

The instructions are quite good. I put it together and it worked first time. Woo hoo!! I have to say, it is a great kit and excellent value.

I dismantled the plug-in unit and connected two wires to the speaker leads. These wires were connected to the input on the amplifier board.

Connected up the power supply to the board and the speaker cables to the output connectors.

Tested it, all OK. Woo Hoo again!

Lastly, I hot glued the board onto the back of the speaker. I tried to open the speaker box, but it was too dense, so no joy there. Anyway everything will be hidden away, so hot glue was a good choice.

Anyway, I installed it in the Mater's house. Everyone was happy.

Job done.

Best Cajun Spice Mix

 
Cajun Spice Mix A handy mix using fairly ordinary ingredients. I like grinding my own pepper, as results in a more aromatic product. I have a grinder, I use for spices and one for coffee. You really need two grinders, as hot hot coffee is not great.


This mix gives a reasonably hot result, the pepper also gives a fairly smokey flavour. Mmmmmm.... 

If you are using fine ground black pepper, you will need to reduce the amount by 1/3. Otherwise it is very hot.
 
70 Grams Course Ground Black Pepper

26 Grams Garlic Powder

50 Grams Paprika

25 Grams Salt

7 Grams Dried Origano

10 Grams Dried Parsley

Mix together

Great with Chicken, Pork, Potato Wedges or basically anything.

To use just place the food in a bowl and sprinkle sufficient powder.
I suppose you need enough to cover the food.

Then grill or barbacue. It can be fried but it burns easily and creates loads of smoke.

DIY Cold Smoker

A while ago, I got a present of a Cold Smoke Generator http://www.macsbbq.co.uk/CSG.html. I used a cardboard box as a smoker and started smoking.



Very easy process. There are instructions  at the above link.

I had a few smoking sessions which were very successful. I used bacon, cheese and salmon. Fantastic result. I also tried some if the Bratwurst from Lidls.

The Cold Smoke Generator is basically a metal tray, with a spiral, where you put wood dust in it. You light one end of the dust and it smoulders for about 8 hours. Very cool idea.

I decided to build a wooden smoker. I wanted one that I could dismantle and out together easily, i.e. store when not in use.

I wanted 4 racks, which is more then I had with the cardboard box fella.

I headed out to B&Q, because they have a greater range of stuff.

I got a couple of sheets of plywood, 3m x 60cm x 3mm or so.

I also got some of the following:

Some battons. I had some already, so I got what I needed.

4 x food racks (I think I got them in HomeStore&More in Blanch. Fairly pricey.)

Draft proofing tape. I got some about 5 years ago, for a different project. It was brown, but who cares.


I already had loads of screws. I like the brass Philips type. They are called chipboard screws. I use them for everything.

Some long set screws with normal nuts and extra wing nuts.

The dimensions I used were:

61cm High

Two sides were 55cm wide. These will have the rack battons on them. Lets call them sides.

Two sides were 35cm wide. Nothing here. Let's call them front and back.

1. Make the frames. I drilled holes first and screwed. Easy and had no wook splits. Use lots of screws. I wanted 10cm between between the racks on the side frames. Work it out.
2. Drill holes in the front and back frames for the long set screws
3. Drill some larger holes on the outside of the front and back frames to sort of countersink the normal nuts on the set screws.
4. Mark the top of the frames with a number to reflect how they will be put together.

5. Drill holes from the front and back frames through the side panels. See above.
6. Fit the set screws and get the countersunk nuts recessed.
7. Cut the plywood to the required size for the various frames.
8. Again use loads of screws to fix the panels to the frame. It needs to be fairly air tight, obviously.
9. You can now assemble it. Use the wing nuts also.
10. Make the lid.

11. Make a frame that fits the assembled structure. Loads of screws.
12. Cut a plywood panel that fits the frame. I had of a hangover to prevent any rain problem.
13. Disassemble. Add the Draft proofing tape on all the seals, including the lid.
14. Done.

Ready to SMOKE.

Here are some other photos:

Simply whack in the Cold Smoke Generator and off you go.

The most recent smoking involved some back bacon, mild cheddar and salmon.

The bacon and cheese turned out fantastic.

The salmon was an epic fail. I cured it for two days before smoking it. It turned out quite nice but way way too salty. I couldn't any more then a few thin slices. Better luck next time.

Top tip with the Cold Smoke Generator:

1 or 2 days before you are going to use it, take out the wood dust and let it dry properly. I have found that the wood dust really likes dampness, and unless it is perfectly dry, can be a pain to get smoking.

Arch Linux Stora Error - Fixed

I kept getting the following error repeated every gew seconds, filling up the log files like crazy.

unable to receive ctrl connection: Function not implemented

I found this after a bit of research

 ##in /etc/rc.local add
kill $(pidof udevd)
sleep3
udevd &


A reboot later and no problem.


It seems there was some problem between between different versions of udevd

Arch Linux on a Netgear Stora

I got one of these recently.

It is basically a Plug Computer, with the following specs:

My goal is to put Arch Linux on it. It seems that no one has done this yet.

What I am going to do, is set-up the system with Debian, which boots from the hard disk. There a number of recipes around to do this, particularly on the openstora.com site. I am following this one http://www.openstora.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=217

It did not contain all the information, so I thought about writing this walk through and fill in some blanks.

What you need to start is a USB serial cable. I got a Nokia phone data cable from eBay for a few Euros. Cut the end off the cable and solder some header thing on it. I used and old PC motherboard cable that I chopped up.

You also need some method to access the disk as a USB device. I used an old dismantled external drive controller board, which was handy.

To remove the back panel, you need to remove the two screws behind the Disk Release Latches. There are two of those nasty plastic clips about 5cm in from each side. There are two more of these nasty fellas about 9cm down from the top on the left and right side. Gently prise the panel with a small screw driver and it should pop off. Pop it off from the top as there are two clips on the bottom of the panel. These can be seen when looking at the bottom of the case.

You can see the serial port pins at the top of the board.

The pin-outs are from right to left:

Pin     Function     Notes
1     3.3Vdc     Pin is the farthest from the battery.
2     RXD     Recieve Data line from Stora.
3     TXD     Transmit Data line from Stora.
4     GND     Ground.

I will be using 2, 3 and 4, as I have cable made from an old Nokia USB data cable.


I installed  tftp-hpa on the laptop, as the tftp server.

Connect stora to real network

Set-up environment for flashing.

setenv mainlineLinux yes
setenv arcNumber 2743
setenv ipaddr XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX   #This is the IP of your Stora
setenv serverip XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX #This is the IP of your TFTP server
saveenv
reset

The install the files from your tftp server


tftpboot 0x200000 uImage.di
tftpboot 0x800000 uInitrd.di
setenv bootargs console=ttyS0,115200n8 base-installer/initramfs-tools/driver-policy=most
bootm 0x200000 0x800000

This will install Debian to the hard disk.

The disk partitioning takes a long time, 40 minutes or so, so go and have a cup of tea or a beer. I wouldn't recommend reboot at this time, cuz I don't know what state the Stora would be in. Perhaps and expensive brick.

Then, it begins installing the system..............

I then followed the remaining instructions on http://www.openstora.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=217

I got quite a few errors but kept going.

Presto chango! Debian!

aka FAIL

It wouldn't boot. Feck again.

I scrolled down further on that page and began to experiment a bit with the settings.


setenv bootcmd_ide 'ide reset; ext2load ide 0 0x200000 /boot/uImage; ext2load ide 0 0x800000 /boot/uInitrd'

setenv bootcmd 'setenv bootargs $(console) root=/dev/sda1; run bootcmd_ide; bootm 0x200000 0x800000'

saveenv

reset

Again FAIL. Again Feck.

I took out the drive and connected it via USB to my laptop.

I ended up with a single partition that had some GPT data in the partition table

# fdisk -l /dev/sdb

WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sdb'! The util fdisk
doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted.

Feck again.

I used this link to remove it http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/wipegpt.html

All cool.

Install Arch Linux

My next plan, was to prepare the disk and put an arm version of Arch Linux on it.

What you need is, the board ot whatever to connect your SATA drive to a USB cable. Connect it up.

Mine was /dev/sdb

Partition New Disk

I wanted to have the following disk layout:

/dev/sdb1 = 2Gb plenty of space. I don't want to have to worry that it will fill up and require maintenance at a later date.

/dev/sdb2 = swap of 1Gb

/dev/sdb3 = The rest of the disk


I have taken out some of the disk detail because it just clutters up the page.

> fdisk /dev/sdb

Delete whatever partitions are on the disk.


Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/sdb: 2000.4 GB, 2000398934016 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System

Command (m for help): n
Partition type:
   p   primary (0 primary, 0 extended, 4 free)
   e   extended
Select (default p): p
Partition number (1-4, default 1): 1
First sector (2048-3907029167, default 2048):
Using default value 2048
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G} (2048-3907029167, default 3907029167): +20G

Command (m for help): n
Partition type:
   p   primary (1 primary, 0 extended, 3 free)
   e   extended
Select (default p): p
Partition number (1-4, default 2):
Using default value 2
First sector (41945088-3907029167, default 41945088):
Using default value 41945088
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G} (41945088-3907029167, default 3907029167): +1G

Command (m for help): n
Partition type:
   p   primary (2 primary, 0 extended, 2 free)
   e   extended
Select (default p): p
Partition number (1-4, default 3):
Using default value 3
First sector (44042240-3907029167, default 44042240):
Using default value 44042240
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G} (44042240-3907029167, default 3907029167):
Using default value 3907029167

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/sdb: 2000.4 GB, 2000398934016 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1            2048    41945087    20971520   83  Linux
/dev/sdb2        41945088    44042239     1048576   83  Linux
/dev/sdb3        44042240  3907029167  1931493464   83  Linux

Command (m for help): t
Partition number (1-4): 2
Hex code (type L to list codes): 82
Changed system type of partition 2 to 82 (Linux swap / Solaris)

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/sdb: 2000.4 GB, 2000398934016 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1            2048    41945087    20971520   83  Linux
/dev/sdb2        41945088    44042239     1048576   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdb3        44042240  3907029167  1931493464   83  Linux

Command (m for help): w
The partition table has been altered!

Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.
Syncing disks.

Done

Set-up the file systems and install Arch and Kernel files


I wanted to have journeling so I setup /dev/sdb1 to ext3. It should be reognised as ext2 on boot.

mkfs.ext3 /dev/sdb1

mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb3

Mount /dev/sdb1 and cd to the mount point

wget http://archlinuxarm.org/os/ArchLinuxARM-armv5te-latest.tar.gz

extract the Arch linux tarball to the root of /dev/sdb1

e.g.

tar zxvf /location/ArchLinuxARM-armv5te-latest.tar.gz


kernel image: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1397036/stora_di/uImage
initrd image: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1397036/stora_di/uInitrd

wget the images and copy them into the boot directory of /dev/sdb1

Almost complete.

Finally put the disk back in the stora in the left slot.

Boot into the uBoot prompt.

Here are the settings I found that worked.

setenv mainlineLinux yes
setenv arcNumber 2743
setenv bootcmd_ide 'ide reset; ext2load ide 0 0x200000 /boot/uImage; ext2load ide 0 0x800000 /boot/uInitrd'
setenv bootcmd 'setenv bootargs $(console) root=/dev/sda1; run bootcmd_ide; bootm 0x200000 0x800000'
saveenv
reset

Let it run and it should boot into Arch Linux.

Woo Hoo !!!


Restore Original Firmware

It seems that the original firmware is stilled in Nand. To restore this use the following:

setenv mainlineLinux=no
setenv arcNumber
setenv bootcmd_ide
setenv bootcmd 'nand read.e 0x800000 0x100000 0x300000; setenv bootargs $(console) $(bootargs_root); bootm 0x800000'
saveenv
reset

Back to Arch Linux

setenv mainlineLinux yes
setenv arcNumber 2743
setenv bootcmd_ide 'ide reset; ext2load ide 0 0x200000 /boot/uImage; ext2load ide 0 0x800000 /boot/uInitrd'
setenv bootcmd 'setenv bootargs $(console) root=/dev/sda1; run bootcmd_ide; bootm 0x200000 0x800000'
saveenv
reset 


The End

Now to put it back together, set it up with the services I want and put it into production as a house file server and some other sneaky things.

Bloody Dovecot Error Solved

I added an email account to my email server recently. No problem.

My mail set-up is Arch Linux, Postfix and Dovecot. Thunderbird as a client using Imap.

The problem was, I was getting the following error:

Error: user newuser: Initialization failed: mail_location not set and autodetection failed: Mail storage autodetection failed with home=/home/newUser

Feck!!!

The google machine didn't help.

It took a while, but the solution was to edit the file /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-mail.conf

Add the line:

mail_location = mbox:~/mail:INBOX=/var/mail/%u

and restart dovecot. Problem solved.

Frozen Turkeys @ Lidl and Dunnes

Here is a quick analysis of frozen turkeys purchased @ Lidl and Dunnes

4,5K Turkey @ Lidl = 10 euro

3.5K Turkey @ Dunnes = 6.5 Euro

I roasted both on a Monday. We had sambs etc. on the Tuesday and I made a casserole fella on Tuesday night.

There was a whole breast of turkey left, after making the casserole using the Lidl turkey. Not with the Dunnes one.

This would suggest that the carcass was the same size and the difference in weight was meat. So, and extra Kg in breast meat, perhaps.

Lidl turkey is better value then the Dunnes one. Bloody Gemermans.

This is in now way scientific and is just a perception of a single comparison which was not measured fully.

Easy Roast Venison Recipe

I recently got a leg of venison from the beautiful Paul. It was just over 1.5kg in weight, and was from a Sika calf. Milk fed is best, I always say.

I am a big fan of the slow roast method, so I decided to do the same with the venison. Slow roasting is like half roasting half steaming and usually results in a very tender outcome. I have some cast iron pots with heavy lids, which is great for this task. If I am roasting a large piece of meat, I use a standard roasting pan covered with a tin foil tent. It is just as good but more work.

I usually put a head of celery under the meat when I am roasting it. This helps protect it from the heat of the roasting pot. I failed to see the celery that was hidden in plain sight in the fridge, so I used some carrots instead.

Preheat the oven to the highest.

As venison is very lean and the muscles contain virtually no fat, lay some streaky rashers over the top of the meat to help keep it moist.

Simply put the meat on the veg, pour in some hot water, maybe 500ml. I usually then bring it to the boil on the hob before bunging it in the oven. Put it in the oven at max for 20 - 30 mins, then turn it down to 150 degrees centegrade.

Cook it for a further 2 hours. Remove from the heat and let it rest for about 30 mins.

I made the gravy with the remaining juices and some chicken stock I had in the freezer, with a dash of light soy sauce.

The result was truely fantastic. Totally fall off the bone texture. No need to cut it, it just flakes away. So tender. It didn't have a strong gamey flavor either. It was like the best roast beef, only it tasted better.

It was so nice, I even forgot to use the almost obligatory Red Current Jelly.

I will certainly use this method again.

Dovecot Failed after upgrade

I upgraded my SheevaPlug server which runs PlugBox.

It operates my email and internet server, plus other services.

Anyway, I ran 'pacman -Syu', as you do to upgrade the OS.

Among other things, Dovecot was upgraded.

Having restarted Dovecot, I got the following error:

doveconf: Fatal: Error in configuration file /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-ssl.conf line 14: ssl_key: Can't open file /etc/ssl/private/dovecot.key: No such file or directory

My response was something like, Feck, Feck, Feck.

Consulting Dr. Google gave me no solace.

I decided that I needed to generate a new certificate and key. I ran the following:

openssl req -new -x509 -nodes -config /etc/ssl/dovecot-openssl.cnf -out dovecot.cert -keyout dovecot.key -days 365

and gor the following output:

Generating a 1024 bit RSA private key
.................++++++
............................................++++++
writing new private key to 'dovecot.key'
-----

I moved the files to where /etc/dovecot/conf.d/10-ssl.conf expected them to be.

After restarting dovecot, I had to change the connection settings in Thunderbird to:

Connecting Security: SSL/TLS

Authentication Method: Normal Password

Happy Days........

The Most Measured Fridge in the World

What would you measure about your fridge?

I wanted to measure Temperature and Energy Usage.

A few months ago, I used two 1-Wire DS18S20 Temperature sensors and OWFS to measure the temperature in the main fridge and the freezer compartment. It is a fairly standard and straightforward set-up which I am not going to cover here. I stick the readings in a MySQL database and produce graphs using gnuplot. Interesting in a very geeky way.

You can see the way behaviour such as leaving the door open for a minute or more can drastically effect the temperature. It can take over an hour go get to a stable temperature.



This is an average day. Not much activity. Quick opens and closes. There is a temperature spike in the freezer about 10 am. This happens about every 30 hours or so and I think this represents the automatic defrost function. This removes the requirement to have to defrost the fridge from time to time. Cool in my book.


The main reason for this article is to outline the process involved in installing a new Currentcost IAM (Individual Appliance Module) and how to extract the readings and process them.


I have using Currentcost sensors and display/receiver for a number of years to measure electricity consumption in my house.

I have a CC128 Display/Receiver Unit connected to a Linux computer which reads the XML output, parses it and stores it in a RRD database and a MySQL database.

I then use a few scripts to gather the data and product graphs which I display on a web page. Excellent stuff.

The set-up is based on the excellent write up on http://www.jibble.org/currentcost/.



So, after waiting for yonkity bonks for the Currentcost IAM to be released, I saw that they were available recently. They measure the energy usage of an particular appliance and send it to your receiver, in my case the CC128.



They are available on Amazon.co.uk for about £30. I am based in Dublin, so the postage was about £20. Feck I thought. My brother, who is also a Currentcost fan, bought 2 and posted it to me. Postage about £10, still to high. They need to do something about that.

Anyway, the time came to install one of the IAMs and set-up the logging and graphing processes. I had a look around but could not find much useful information about how to handle the extra sensors.

I found some information on the Currentcost site here http://www.currentcost.com/cc128/xml.htm. Not really much help though.

What I did at the end of the day, was just configure the new sensor and plugged in the fridge.

I watched the output from the CC128 and noticed, that there were two lines output. One was for the main energy sensor and the other one was from the new sensor.

Here is an example:

<msg><src>CC128-v0.11</src><dsb>00621</dsb><time>13:46:40</time><tmpr>21.9</tmpr><sensor>0</sensor><id>01223</id><type>1</type><ch1><watts>00601</watts></ch1></msg>

<msg><src>CC128-v0.11</src><dsb>00621</dsb><time>13:46:42</time><tmpr>21.9</tmpr><sensor>1</sensor><id>01181</id><type>1</type><ch1><watts>00001</watts></ch1></msg>

As you can see the lines are fairly similar. The first point of note is the sensor number 0 and 1. This was enough to discriminate between the sensors.

I then modified the data collection script as follows:
Original line
m!<ch1><watts>0*(\d+)</watts></ch1>.*<tmpr> *([\-\d.]+)</tmpr>!

had to be changed to
m!<tmpr>\s*(-*[\d.]+)</tmpr><sensor>0</sensor>.*<ch1><watts>0*(\d+)</watts></ch1>!

as in e.g.

#Sensor 0
if ($line =~ m!<tmpr>\s*(-*[\d.]+)</tmpr><sensor>0</sensor>.*<ch1><watts>0*(\d+)</watts></ch1>!)
{
my $watts = $2;
my $temp = $1;
system("rrdtool update /var/www/html/currentcost/data/powertemp.rrd N:$watts:$temp");
system("./mysql_bit.sh $watts $temp");
}

#Sensor 1
if ($line =~ m!<tmpr>\s*(-*[\d.]+)</tmpr><sensor>1</sensor>.*<ch1><watts>0*(\d+)</watts></ch1>!)
{
my $watts1 = $2;
my $temp1 = $1;
system("rrdtool update /var/www/html/currentcost/data/powertemp_mod1.rrd N:$watts1:$temp1");
system("./mysql_module_bit.sh 1 $watts1 $temp1");
}

That was it basically. Everything worked.



Here is an average 4 Hour Graph and Usage of the fridge at the weekend. Some activity, not much.

Bloody hungry machines. It makes up a significant part of our electricity bill. Not much you could do except increase the general minimum temperature. Some research required, I think.

I think I will produce a daily Fridge Electricity Bill. I have done this for the house, based on Dale Lanes idea

If you need more information, leave a comment.