[HowTo] Get a HeadStart on a WL-500gP

[raas]

Hi hypernetics,


I'm glad to hear it's working out for you!
Indeed, thumbs up for Wengi and Oleg for providing so much information.
Like my signature says.. I just put stuff together, hoping to help someone!., the more the better.

[hypernetics]

Hi raas,

How would i configure the firewall using your set-up? as i am getting slow transfer rates in transmission (about 4kb/s to 20kb/s). And think the listening port may be closed. (In utorrent I get speeds of about 100kb/s)

I have tried... vi /usr/local/sbin/firewall ...but there is no file to edit.

Also your installed_packages.txt file states transmission - 0.81-1 is installed, where can I see this within the application? And Is it worth updating to the newer versions?? (as some people are having difficlties... and unlike me they know what they're doing...) What version are you running...??

Thanks in advance

[raas]

Hi, I'm running the same version of transmission as in the package.
But I have to say, I'm not a 'torrent' guy, preferably use newsgroups. (that's why HellaNZB is in the package)
But It's working, that's why I included it in the package.

I don't thing the firewall is your problem, because, if it was closed you wouldn't have a connection..

Are you running in Access Point only or as a Home Router (I don't have experience with this setting as I have another firewall in my dsl-modem which I use. I'm using the asus as a 'normal' client within my network. It doesn't have 'network-tasks')

I have no experience in updating transmission, so I can not vote for that solution.

But if transmission is not working like you want it, and utorrent does, then skip the transmission part.


HTH

[SeverusSneep]

Hello Raas!

First, thank you for your hard work. Or like we use to say in dutch: Kei gaaf man!

My questions before I will update
-I have my wl500gP setup by wengi tutorial with transmission, samba and offcourse with the help of DrChair SabNZB. Can these programs (or the programs that you substitute with) work in the newest firmware of Oleg 1.9.7.10.
-The fastest way to backup 450Gb of data? at my wl500g I can only get 3Mb/sec 450Gb will then take up to: 42 Hours, almost 2 days! I cannot setup an linux machine to speed this up. I cannot take the risk to "try and hope it will work" because I have some important documents (3Gb each)

Thanks in advance

[Serpent]

The fastest way to backup 450Gb of data, from Ext3 volumes, without an Linux machine is to install onto your Windows machine this:
Ext2 Installable File System for Windows

BUT you need to read more, because:
"If you mount an Ext3 file system as an Ext2 file system and the file system is not cleanly dismounted, you have to run the e2fsck tool."

[raas]

Hi,

@SeverusSneep: Kei vet!
I can not yet confirm this package also works on oleg's 1.9.7.10. version firmware. Haven't had the time to check this, but with a little luck I will check this weekend. However, you said you've installed your asus a-la wengi. this means you have a 3 partition setup (swap, /opt and /mnt (or /tmp/harddisk). You can choose only to install the /opt package to your asus. This means, only the programs get installed on your asus, and your data partition is 'left-alone'. You can then choose to extract the /mnt (which is in fact a directory structure for the /mnt partition and also contains some webapplications ) package to your pc's harddrive.
This way you don't have to backup your datapartition because the installation does not write to it. (only for downloading the /opt package, nothing further)
Be sure to make a backup of /opt though before installing the headstart image.

@Serpent
Thanks for the tool !
I've had similar tools like this, but only with read permissions, not write permissions.. (I've had a partition-crash when I was doing something really-really stupid, had to fill the partition over LAN. 400gb of data, took a couple of days.... now this will speed up the process)... like SeverusSneep I don't have a full-blown linux pc to do this. Thanks !

[SeverusSneep]

Thank you all of your help, I decided to backup everything and try the new firmware. In return I will make an post (in this topic) with all my experiences and thing I ran into.

For backupping >200Gb

I used Totalcommander, with the filesystem plugin, worked for me quite fine. 350Gb (selected 100Gb of *rubbish* to be deleted anyway) in barely 3 hours. With an avarage speed of 6MB/sec. Acceptable for my though.

For Raas
Bedankt voor alle moeite kerelt! Ik probeer de nieuwe firmware nu uit. En zet hier mijn ervaringen neer. Vanavond of morgen post ik er meer over.

[BrandonSk]

Dear all,
contents:
1) Thank you,
2) Samba solution,
3) Proftpd problem.

1) Let me start with big thank you to Raas and Wengi for their tutorials. All my experience with linux so far was 1 Suse installation (graphical) which lasted for 1 day and that was it. Yet, using your tutorials I was able to get my Asus up and running on the first try! Great job guys!

2) I have noticed around this forum (and on the web too) that many people tend to have a login issue to Samba from XP as Guests, especially when XP is part of a domain (AD) and often no solution is given. Well, solution which seems to work everywhere (where I have tested) is simple:
Through web interface (192.168.1.1:901) go to Global -> basic view. Then leave everything as configured by the tutorial (security=SHARE), and in addition change these settings: NullPasswords = Yes [that should help regular XP/Vista installations]; Encrypt passwords = Yes; WINS support = Yes [that should be for ok for xp/Vistas which are part of a domain].

3) Proftpd is a nightmare for me and I am possibly doing something really really wrong or other people just gave up on it and use something else -> because I was not able to find solution anywhere... I even followed the original documentation but still no luck. Well, to the point then:
[insert => maybe if someone writes a complete Howto for others to use would be also helpful]

I can start Proftpd -> no problem (I start it manually). I have it have specified this folder as "ftp root": /mnt/public/FTP
I can login into FTP as anonymous (if that section is present in conf file).
I can login into FTP as users when I comment out the anonymous section, but users must be defined in passwd file using adduser.

Problems:
1) Cannot write to any folder under FTP! (I have an Upload folder there) I used the LIMIT as in the examples of conf files to allow access there. I even disabled the Limit not to write to the whole FTP but still can't upload to any directory. (could it be access rights in linux?)

2) Users -> When I use users, they can browse the whole disk (e.g. they can get "above" FTP -> to public -> mnt -> ...)
I would prefer not tu use passwd file but to create an AuthUserFile -> I tried but apparently proftpd ignores all users in it even when specified in the conf file.

3) What I ultimately want is a conf file which will allow:
a) no anonymous access FTP
b) read virtual users from authusers file (not passwd)
c) each user to have access to either
/mnt/public/FTP
or /mnt/public/FTP2
but only to 1 of these. (I do not want these to be different FTP servers, only different folders).

And hopefully such a conf file that even I will be able to do the updates to it in the future.

Now if you want, go ahead and post here the complete proftpd.conf file. But I'd rather have a good understanding of what and how to do. Also other people might benefit from it.

Thanks in advance.
Cheers,
B.

[Tamadite]

Dear all,
contents:
1) Thank you,
2) Samba solution,
3) Proftpd problem.

Regarding point (3), have you taken a look here?

[britnet]

i made this thread sticky.

[raas]

Hi Britnet,

I guess I have to hurry up then in releasing the HeadStart which is for oleg -10 version.
(this one runs with modifications, but not out of the box on a -10 firmware version anymore)

In a week or 2 I'll have a second wl500g premium, which is only for test-purposes..

Anyway, thanks for the trust in the how-to and making it sticky.
One request though, can you make wengi's excellent tutorial sticky also?
http://www.wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=10307

[raas]

Hi,

Since I've created the HeadStart image for the asus wl500g Premium and oleg released it's v 1.9.2.7-10 version of the firmware I discovered the original HeadStart image didn't work with oleg's new firmware.
After receiving comments (by pm and by answering to the thread) and britnet making this thread sticky (thanks!) I thought it was time to release a new image which supports oleg'sv 1.9.2.7-10 firmware, having a smaller footprint and supporting more (web) packages.

So here it is: HeadStart II image, which works with oleg's firmware v 1.9.2.7-10 .

What is in the package?
A lot, at least to provide the same functionality as would the original firmware (package) would bring, and a lot more.
- Automatic downloading system (providing a replacement for 'Asus Download Master' with ADOS
- BitTorrent Downloader (Transmission)
- Binary Newsgroup Downloader (HellaNZB)
- PHP webserver (lighttpd)
- MySQL Database with phpmyadmin support
- Samba2 (Basic setup for (windows) networking)
- Wake-On-Lan-Application
- Webapplications (like: mp3database (with a few very small mp3s to show tag-support), photo-album (with some pictures of the asus), content management system, AIOCP, filebrowser)


prerequisites?
yes.
- an asus wl500g premium device and a harddrive. (Duh)
- followed wengi's excellent tutorial exactly until and including step 4b.
- (if you're running in Access Point Only mode, like me, you have so set a nameserver in resolv.conf)
- Make sure your device has a 'hostname' (to be set in asus 'original' router setup webpages), otherwise, MySQL gets into trouble.


Need to knows?
I have never changed my ip of the asus (192.168.1.1) so this setup assumes that address. I am running in Access Point only mode, I have no experience with the other settings so I can't answer questions about that. (configure this in the basic asus setup http://192.168.1.1)
The name of my device is: NAS (Not that I know of it has be configured in this setup, but should you run into something, which I doubt, then this of NAS as the name of the device in the system setup of the basic asus setup http://192.168.1.1)


How to use this tutorial:
In this tutorial you'll have to change, download and extract items by giving certain commands and changes according to example(s) which are given in this tutorial. Furthermore, the tutorial first explaines a step what we're going to do and then supplying to the exact piece of code you have to execute. When you have to execute code (marked with 'Execute'), the code will be displayed in a special code window and, in some cases, be followed by example(s) of code (marked with 'Example'), if you have to change according to the example.


Let's start!

Step 1.
I couldn't have done a better job than WENGI. (Thanks man!)
Follow step 1 to 4b exactly from the excellent tutorial made by WENGI (found here: http://www.wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=10307). If you read Step5: IPKG, stop, and continue this tutorial.


Step 2.
Wengi uses a different mounting point for the data partition. In order for the HeadStart II image to work properly, we have to change the mounting point of the data partition (the 3rd parition).
Change /etc/fstab to match the example.

Execute:

vi /etc/fstab

Example: (last line has been changed at the Mountpoint -> /mnt)

#device                 Mountpoint      FStype  Options         Dump    Pass#
/dev/discs/disc0/part1  none            swap    sw              0       0
/dev/discs/disc0/part2  /opt            ext3    rw,noatime      1       1
/dev/discs/disc0/part3  /mnt		ext3    rw,noatime      1       1

Now, to prevent anything to startup at next reboot which could interrupt the image extraction we will change the post-mount script in order to prevent running any services at startup.

Execute:

vi /usr/local/sbin/post-mount

Example: (last line has been made as a comment -> #, so the script doesn't execute anything)

#! /bin/sh
#/opt/etc/init.d/rc.unslung start

We have to save our changes to the flash and reboot.

Execute:

flashfs save && flashfs commit && flashfs enable && reboot

Step 3.
Your (telnet/ssh) connection will be broken, so log in (give it some time -> 30sec) and check after the full reboot if the partitions are mounted correctly. The output will/must match the following example:

Execute:

df

Example:

Filesystem            Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
rootfs                3.0M  3.0M     0 100% /
/dev/root             3.0M  3.0M     0 100% /
/dev/discs/disc0/part2
                      966M  233M  684M  26% /opt
/dev/discs/disc0/part3
       	               17G  235M   16G   2% /mnt

We're now ready to continue the download and extraction of the image:
go to data partition and download the image, then go to root extract the file to /opt, go to program partition, download mnt.tar.gz and install the webapplications and directory structure (this takes a while!)

Execute:

cd /mnt
wget http://files.wl500g.info/asus/custom/raas/v10/opt.tar.gz

Execute:

cd /
tar -xvzf /mnt/opt.tar.gz

Execute:

cd /opt
wget http://files.wl500g.info/asus/custom/raas/v10/mnt.tar.gz

Execute:

cd /
tar -xvzf /opt/mnt.tar.gz

(if you get an error like: wget: Unable to connect to remote host add your nameserver(default router in your network) to resolv.conf) If the download and image extraction is ok, then we have to enable our services to startup at reboot again.

Execute:

vi /usr/local/sbin/post-mount

Example: (last line has been decommented -> # removed, so the script does execute)

#! /bin/sh
/opt/etc/init.d/rc.unslung start

Again, We have to save our changes to the flash and reboot.

Execute:

flashfs save && flashfs commit && flashfs enable && reboot

Your (telnet/ssh) connection will be broken, so log in (give it some time -> 30sec)

Actual installation done. !!..

Read on in the next post on how to customize.

[raas]

Step 4.
Now, how to customize?


All user/pass combinations I have used in this image are admin/asus
(only not for ADOS, this is a error which I made in the process, sorry, use: admin/logitech)
besides from the swat/samba login, which uses the standard password you've entered in the router (oleg's firmware) to secure it.


(if you want to see what's running now, before customizing, take a look at http://192.168.1.1:8082 (change the ip address, if you don't use the standard ip address) it will take you to the homepage where most applications are accessible.))


Step 4a. (optional)
Samba
Standard, 2 shares are configured in the system: /opt and /mnt are both shares.
use /mnt for your data, and /opt for a quick-ref to your programs and config files to be accessible from lan.

open http://192.168.1.1:901/ and login with admin and the password you've used for the default asus web site (def. configuration).
You can define your shares here.

If you want to define the shares using the console and a text editor, change the smb.conf file.

Execute:

nano /opt/etc/samba/smb.conf

Example:

# Samba config file created using SWAT
# from desktopmr.lan (192.168.1.250)	
# Date: 2008/09/18 08:12:36

# Global parameters
[global]
       security = SHARE
       log level = 1
       max log size = 100
       dns proxy = No
       guest ok = Yes

[opt]
       path = /opt
       force user = admin
       read only = No

[mnt]
       path = /mnt
       force user = admin
       read only = No

Step 4b. (optional)
MySQL
Change the MySQL database password for the root user.

Execute:

mysql -u root -p mysql

Now the MySQL password is asked: Enter 'asus' (without the quotes)

Execute the command to enter a new password

Execute:

update user set password=PASSWORD("YourNewPasswordHerePlease") where User='root';

(Where you replace "YourNewPasswordHerePlease" with your new password)

Exit MySQL console and reboot

Execute:

exit

Then Execute:

reboot

Your (telnet/ssh) connection will be broken, so log in (give it some time -> 30sec)

Log in and in the following files, change the password so that your mysql login for phpmyadmin works.
(text-editor nano is installed, which I preferably use, so this will be used in the tutorial from now on)

Execute:

nano /mnt/AIOCP/admin/phpMyAdmin/config.inc.php

(change password at line: 73)
Save the file with CTRL+O, Exit with CTRL+X


Execute:

nano /mnt/AIOCP/shared/config/cp_db_config.php

(change password at line: 47)
Save the file with CTRL+O, Exit with CTRL+X


Execute:

nano /mnt/protected/WebUI/ados/database.conf.php

(change password at line: 29)
Save the file with CTRL+O, Exit with CTRL+X


Execute:

nano /mnt/protected/WebUI/ampjuke/db.php

(change password at line: 4)
Save the file with CTRL+O, Exit with CTRL+X

That's it for MySQL security.

Step 4c (optional)
Webserver.
The webserver it's standard root is /mnt, which means that your whole data partition is accessible through the webpage!
Not all directories are accessible by public, /mnt/protected (your data-storage) is protected, and /mnt/cgi-bin is protected.
The content management systems which are running are: Simple CMS (/mnt/cms) (standard) and AIOCP (/mnt/AIOCP) (installed, but not default CMS.)
Besides that /mnt/AIOCP is public, it also contains the phpmyadmin stuff, which is off-course protected. (if you remove the AIOCP directory, you will loose phpmyadmin.)

Now, if you absolutely don't want the root of your data-partition (/mnt) to be the root of your website, change it in:

Execute:

nano /opt/etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.conf

(change server.document-root at line: 40)
(change /mnt/ to /mnt/cms/ or /mnt/AIOCP/)
Save the file with CTRL+O, Exit with CTRL+X
Keep in mind that the installed web application will not work anymore unless you rearrange the directory structure.


Now change the password for the protected area on the webserver. (the stuff behind /mnt/protected)
Execute:

nano /opt/etc/lighttpd/.lighttpdpassword

(this file uses the 'user: password' combination (without the quotes) define you 'web' users here.)
Save the file with CTRL+O, Exit with CTRL+X


The directories which are user: password protected on the webserver are stored in lighttpd.conf file.
Open the file and go to line: 280, from this point, the file contains the protected directories. Add/remove ass you like.

Execute:

nano /opt/etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.conf

(change server.document-root at line: 280)
Save the file with CTRL+O, Exit with CTRL+X

Example:

auth.backend               = "plain"
auth.backend.plain.userfile = "/opt/etc/lighttpd/.lighttpdpassword"
auth.require               = ( "/protected/" =>
                               (
                                 "method"  => "basic",
                                 "realm"   => "Enter Password",
                                 "require" => "user=admin"
                               ),
                               "/cgi-bin/" =>
                               (
                                 "method"  => "basic",
                                 "realm"   => "Enter Password",
                                 "require" => "user=admin"
                               ),
                               "/AIOCP/admin/phpMyAdmin/" =>
                               (
                                 "method"  => "basic",
                                 "realm"   => "Enter Password",
                                 "require" => "user=admin"
                               )

                        )

if you change anything in this file, you have to run the following command:

Execute:

/opt/etc/init.d/S80lighttpd restart

Step 4d (optional)
Configure the newsserver to download binaries.

Execute:

nano /opt/etc/hellanzb.conf

(on line: 33, change to your newsserver provider)

Step 4e (optional)
Configure transmission if you've other demands than the standard

Execute:

nano /opt/etc/transmission.conf

Step 4f (optional)
Configure user/passwords in installed webapplications.
(If you've changed your ip-address, then use it below)

ADOS: http://192.168.1.1:8082/protected/WebUI/ados/
AIOCP: http://192.168.1.1:8082/AIOCP
AmpJuke: http://192.168.1.1:8082/protected/WebUI/ampjuke

Step 4g (optional)
Configure a mac-address in /mnt/cgi-bin/wol.cgi

Execute:

nano /mnt/cgi-bin/wol.cgi

Example:

#!/bin/sh
ether-wake -i br0 00:16:17:B1:F3:99
echo "<HTML><HEAD><title>test</title></head><BODY>Magic Packet
Sent</Body></html>"

(add your mac-address at the second line at the end.)
once you've entered the correct mac-address in this file, you're able to start the machine once you access the page through a webbrowser -> http://192.168.1.1:8082/cgi-bin/wol.cgi

Step 4h (optional)
FTPserver
proftpd is installed as ftpserver.
you can configure it in :

Execute:

nano /opt/etc/proftpd.conf

End of basic configuration!



What did I get and how do I use it:
I recommend a reboot when you're reading this, this way you make sure all the services are correctly started after you have configured them. In the meantime, you can read along what this system install has installed and how to use it.


Samba2, The network share service (connect with your (window$) PC)
Samba is pretty standard configured.
On the disk, you have 2 partitions to store programs (/opt) and data (/mnt) these are also writable shares in Samba. In a windows environment (I used WORKGROUP, can be configured with swat http://192.168.1.1:901, name of device is NAS) it would show up as:

-Microsoft Windows Network
___Workgroup
______Nas
_________mnt
_________opt

Both shares are writeable, I reccommend writing your data to /mnt (look at the expanded directorystructure by using your pc.) The access to /opt is just there to give you a quick-ref to your program directory without login into your console.




Other than Samba, most of the items installed are webapplications (which has been pointed out at the beginning of this tutorial), open up http://192.168.1.1:8082 in your browser and read the homepage, there is a number of links which will lead you further.




HellaNZB
Well, there are 2 small issues with this one.
1) it doesn't start on itself after the router reboots. start with:
Execute:
/opt/bin/startHellaNZB

2) it doesn't download anymore after more than 24h of inactivity.
However, I've downloaded TB's with this application and i'm very please how well it downloads, verifies and extracts my downloads. That's why I've included this one in the package.
In my opinion it's workable, because when your are collecting your nzb files, your at your machine. A simple reboot/restart of HellaNZB to get it to download again can be executed then.
Once you've started HellaNZB with /opt/bin/startHellaNZB, you can access zussaweb WebUI in order to control HellaNZB at http://192.168.1.1:8082/protected/WebUI/zussaweb/
After starting HellaNZB, simply put your nzb's in /mnt/protected/Downloaders/HellaNZB/nzb/daemon.queue and download will start.



That's about what I can tell you, play around, if you've any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Also, if you've comments to make it better (the image, or the tutorial, please post)

[raas]

Sources:

wengi's basic installation: http://www.wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=10307
lighttpd + php: http://www.wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=5247
MySQL: http://www.wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=8236 and http://www.macsat.com/macsat/content/view/73/29/
HellaNZB: http://www.wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=11481
ADOS: http://www.wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=13227
Ampjuke: http://www.ampjuke.org/
AIOCP: http://www.tecnick.com/public/code/c...aiocp_dp=aiocp
CMSimple: http://www.cmsimple.com/
And of course: all the help from other forum members and the fantastic search engine

[raas]

@Zapt, you send me a PM but I can't reply, 'cause you don't accept messages.