Instructions to set up Debian/NSLU2 are available at Debian on NSLU2, using the latest Debian Lenny release (5.0.4). There is also a manual method described at http://www.cyrius.com/debian/nslu2/unpack.html, but everything should work using the automatic install.

1. The previous installer for Debian/NSLU2 available via http://www.slug-firmware.net (debian-etch-rc1-20061102.zip) seems to repeatedly close SSH during installation, causing the install to restart. This is a symptom of the NSLU2 running out of available memory. [ Current Lenny installer debian-armel-5.0.4.zip from http://www.slug-firmware.net/ does not seem to have this problem anymore ]

Please note that a lot of information on this wiki is out of date. Refer to http://www.cyrius.com/debian/nslu2/ for up-to-date information about Debian on the NSLU2.

Please note that a lot of information on this wiki is out of date. Refer to [[http://www.cyrius.com/debian/nslu2/] for up-to-date information about Debian on the NSLU2.

   ( And it really run fine on my Slug after a long, long installation ! ) 

• [2009-02-14] Debian lenny (5.0) is released.

Contents

• What is Debian/NSLU2?
• Goals
• News
• State of the project
• Installation instructions
• Installation errata
• Upgrade from previous versions
• Links to more documentation
• Troubleshooting
• Native development
• Other solutions
• French support

What is Debian/NSLU2?

Debian/NSLU2 is the name given to the official Debian distribution for ARM that runs on the NSLU2, thanks to the efforts of the nslu2-linux developers to get the necessary kernel patches and utilities accepted upstream by the kernel maintainers and by the Debian Project.

Goals

The goal is to add full support for the NSLU2 and similar devices into the official Linux kernel and the Debian GNU/Linux distribution, so users can benefit from the full Debian package repository and also have slug-specific packages and patches for hardware devices such as the built-in Ethernet port, LEDs, etc.

News

• [2008-11-12] The first release candidate for Debian 5.0 (lenny) is available. At this point lenny is recommended for new installations. You can find installation instructions and a list of changes and improvements in the new installer for lenny.
• [2008-02-17] Debian Stable 4.0r3 is here (http://www.debian.org/News/2008/20080217). The latest information about it can be found at http://www.cyrius.com/debian/nslu2/install.html. If this is your first time installing Debian "etch", and if you need to use the on-board Ethernet port, the unofficial image with the the proprietary IXP4xx microcode can be found at http://www.slug-firmware.net/d-dls.php. If you have already installed 4.0r2 "normally", however, all you need to do to update is:

      # apt-get update
      # apt-get dist-upgrade
  

    Hmm. The package shipped with a symbolic link /lib/modules/2.6.18-6-ixp4xx/source
      However, I can not read the target: No such file or directory
      Therefore, I am deleting /lib/modules/2.6.18-6-ixp4xx/source

State of the project

Debian fully supports the NSLU2 using the Debian Installer (this is the setup known as Debian/NSLU2). Please visit http://www.cyrius.com/debian/nslu2/ for the recommended way to install Debian on a NSLU2.

Known Problems

• See http://www.us.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/errata for current known issues (not NSLU2-specific).

Installation instructions

You may still use debian installer. After connecting to the installer via SSH do the following:

1. start the menu
2. choose "<Go Back>"
3. choose "Change debconf priority" and set the priority to "low"
4. resume installation with "Choose a mirror of the Debian archive"
5. when you'll be asked which kernel you want to use, choose "linux-image-2.6.18-5-ixp4xx"

Solution from Rainer Hlawaty.

Instructions to set up Debian/NSLU2 are available at Debian on NSLU2, using the latest Debian point release (4.0r2). There is also a manual method described at http://www.cyrius.com/debian/nslu2/unpack.html, but everything should work using the automatic install.

If your device (i.e. an IXP4xx device other than the NSLU2) is not supported by the Debian Installer, then you can use the Bootstrap procedure instead.

French Version (DebianSlug): Debian GNU/Linux sur le NSLU2.

German Version (DebianSlug & DebianInstaller): Debian auf NSLU2 installieren.

Installation errata

1. The previous installer for Debian/NSLU2 available via http://www.slug-firmware.net/d-dls.php (debian-4.0r0.zip) was hardwired to look for kernel version 2.6.18-4, but the kernels have been upgraded to 2.6.18-5 with the release if Debian 4.0r1 and the installer could not continue, causing the installation to abort. This is a known problem with Debian 4.0r1 and no longer applies to 4.0r2. The automatic install using debian-installer works correctly in 4.0r2.
2. The current installer for Debian/NSLU2 available via http://www.slug-firmware.net (debian-etch-rc1-20061102.zip) seems to repeatedly close SSH during installation, causing the install to restart. This is a symptom of the NSLU2 running out of available memory.
3. RC2 has the same problem as above when tested on an 2GB flash drive. Best bet is to format the flash drive on another box and then mount it as per the link below: You can choose to manually partition the flash drive in the installer making the second partition a 128Mb swap and the first partition the rest.

Check DebianInstallerDisconnectsSSH.

Another option is to create and format the ext3 partition on a normal PC as described in the FAQ.

Upgrade from previous versions

Upgrade from debian-installer beta2

If you are already running Debian/NSLU2 as installed by debian-installer beta2, you can upgrade to the latest version following the guide for Upgrading Debian on the NSLU2. Please note that this manual procedure is necessary due to changes in the way the kernel is loaded at boot time.

Upgrade from manual bootstrap to testing ("etch")

If you have previously installed SlugOS/LE (formerly know as DebianSlug) using the manual bootstrap procedure with Debian testing ("etch") and your root partition is /dev/sda1, you can upgrade to Debian/NSLU2 according to this message from the mailing list. To do this, first create the file /etc/kernel-img.conf with the following contents:

 do_symlinks = yes
 relative_links = yes
 do_bootloader = no
 do_bootfloppy = no
 do_initrd = yes
 link_in_boot = yes

Ethernet driver issue: If your /etc/network/interfaces looks like this, it may happen, that eth0 isn't brought up.

 auto eth0
 iface eth0 inet static
         pre-up modprobe -f ixp400
         pre-up modprobe -f ixp400_eth
         address 10.0.0.201
         netmask 255.255.255.0
         gateway 10.0.0.138

If this is the case try this:

 allow-hotplug eth0
 iface eth0 inet static
         address 10.0.0.201
         netmask 255.255.255.0
         gateway 10.0.0.138

After that, follow the guide to Upgrading Debian on the Linksys NSLU2. When you get to the step, "You need to obtain Intel's proprietary NPE-B microcode so built-in Ethernet will work.", follow the procedure documented below in the next few paragraphs.

Obtaining the NPE-B microcode

The following details a method for obtaining the NPE-B microcode, which is needed for the ethernet driver in 2.6.18. The procedure is not tested yet, so please provide feedback or update the Wiki if you find errors. Note that, apart from building the microcode from the source, this procedure is currently the only documented legal way to obtain the microcode.

Download the debian-installer image from slug-firmware.net and unpack the image using slugimage (you need a recent version of slugimage that includes second-stage bootloader support (the -L switch.).

(For Ubuntu users, fiesty is not up to date as of 09/09/07 and slugimage should be downloaded from the debian unstable repository and installed using dpkg. Frank: Ubuntu users can extend the software source for the installation to gutsy and will have the recent version

  sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

add an additional line with

  deb http://at.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy universe

update your package list and install the newest version. remove the line afterwards again.).

 apt-get install slugimage
 slugimage -u -i di-nslu2.bin       # di-nslu2.bin is the debian-installer

Endian swap the initramfs (ramdisk.gz).

 apt-get install devio
 devio '<< ramdisk.gz; xp $ 4' > ramdisk-swap.gz

Unpack the initramfs into a directory e.g. initrd.

 mkdir initrd; cd initrd
 zcat ../ramdisk-swap.gz | cpio -i

The NPE microcode firmware will be in the lib/firmware directory. It is called NPE-B.01000201. Copy this file as root to /lib/firmware on the slug or to /mnt/lib/firmware if you are creating a usb drive image, and then create a symbolic link in /lib/firmware called NPE-B which points to NPE-B.01000201.

 [s]cp NPE-B.01000201 [user@hostname:][/mnt]/lib/firmware/
 [ssh user@hostname]
 cd [/mnt]/lib/firmware; sudo ln -s NPE-B.01000201 NPE-B

Upgrade from manual bootstrap to unstable ("sid")

If you have previously bootstrapped your NSLU2 to Debian unstable ("sid"), you will have to adjust your /etc/apt/sources.list file in order to install the correct packages for kernel 2.6.18. Before you start the upgrade procedure, add a line to /etc/apt/sources.list for testing (remember to use your favorite Debian mirror):

 deb http://ftp.XX.debian.org/debian testing main non-free contrib

Now follow the same steps mentioned above for etch: create the /etc/kernel-img.conf and follow the upgrade guide. However, during the upgrade procedure, at the point you have to install the kernel packages, use this command to get the correct packages for kernel 2.6.18:

 apt-get -t testing install linux-image-2.6-ixp4xx

Links to more Debian/NSLU2 documentation

The Debian/NSLU2 FAQ.

To learn how to build a Debian/NSLU2 image, see BuildImage.

See ChangeKernelCommandLine for how to change the command line passed to the kernel by the second-stage bootloader, APEX, in a Debian/NSLU2 system.

If you want to free up some space in your internal flash, see NoInitramfs.

To use the Debian Installer with a FatSlug, follow the instructions here.

To use a Hauppauge WinTV PVR USB2, see InstallWinTVPVRUSB2

For information on installing rtorrent, go here InstallRtorrentOnDebian

Troubleshooting

Section moved to the Debian/NSLU2 Troubleshooting page.

Native Development

The Debian build-essential package should install without problems, however if you try to compile more than a few dozen lines you might see problems that don't appear to make sense. The first thing to check is that you have enough memory: on a system with 32Mb physical RAM Debian might only install another 90Mb swapspace.

I believe that in order to fix this you will have to reinstall, deleting/recreating partitions to get sensible sizes. Based on the fact that I've seen building the Lazarus GUI taking 200Mb I suggest 256Mb swap as a minimum, 512Mb is probably adequate.

Other Solutions

The old solution to run Debian packages in the NSLU2 is SlugOS/LE, previously known as DebianSlug. This solution uses the SlugOS kernel in little-endian mode, in a way that is compatible with the Debian arm distribution. This setup requires a manual bootstrap procedure and is no longer the recommended solution to run Debian in the slug.

Also available is Big Endian DebianSlug (known as OpenDebianSlug, because it uses the big-endian OpenSlug binary image). Since Debian does not provide big endian ARM as a supported Debian architecture, OpenDebianSlug makes use of the unofficial armeb port of Debian. Currently, only parts of debian sarge and sid are available.

French support

I have added some guidelines in french to install Debian on the Slug, with an associated support forum. Everything is located here and in the forum section of the site.

To use rTorrent >= 0.7 then download the libtorrent10 from this link: [http://www.coutts.plus.com/rtorrent_nslu2] or compile libtorrent10 with the following arguments CXXFLAGS="-O2 -mcpu=xscale -mtune=xscale" ./configure --prefix=/root/installroot/ as told in bottom of the following page: [http://libtorrent.rakshasa.no/wiki/LibTorrentKnownIssues]

 slugimage -u -i di-nslu2.bin       # di-nslu2.bin is the debian-installer

 wget http://www.groux.org/docs/ubuntu/NSLU2/di-nslu2.bin

(For Ubuntu users, fiesty is not up to date as of 09/09/07 and slugimage should be downloaded from the debian unstable repository and installed using dpkg. Frank: Ubuntu users can extend the software source for the installation to gutsy and will have the recent version

  sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

add an additional line with

  deb http://at.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy universe

update your package list and install the newest version. remove the line afterwards again.).

The NPE microcode firmware will be in the lib/firmware directory. It is called NPE-B.01000201. Copy this file as root to /lib/firmware on the slug or to /mnt/lib/firmware if you are creating a usb drive image, and then create a symbolic link in /lib/firmware called NPE-B which points to NPE-B.01000201.

 [s]cp NPE-B.01000201 [user@hostname:][/mnt]/lib/firmware/

 cd [/mnt]/lib/firmware; sudo ln -s NPE-B.01000201 NPE-B

Download the debian-installer image from slug-firmware.net and unpack the image using slugimage (you need a recent version of slugimage that includes second-stage bootloader support (the -L switch.).

(For Ubuntu users, fiesty is not up to date as of 09/09/07 and slugimage should be downloaded from the debian unstable repository and installed using dpkg.).

1. The current installer for Debian/NSLU2 available via http://www.slug-firmware.net/d-dls.php (debian-4.0r0.zip) seems to be hardwired to look for kernel version 2.6.18-4, but the kernels have since been upgraded to 2.6.18-5 and the installer cannot continue, causing the installation to abort. Maybe this is due to the mirrors now reflecting Debian 4.0r1 but the installer being built for 4.0r0? Know problem with Debian 4.0r1, see above for a workaround using a manual procedure.
2. The current installer for Debian/NSLU2 available via http://www.slug-firmware.net (debian-etch-rc1-20061102.zip) seems to repeatedly close SSH during installation, causing the install to restart. This is a symptom of the NSLU2 running out of available memory.

To use a Hauppauge WinTV PVR USB2, see InstallWinTVPVRUSB2

• [2007-08 17] Debian Stable 4.0r1 released (http://www.debian.org/News/2007/20070817). Unfortunately this release has broken the Debian Installer on the NSLU2. For a detailed explanation, please see http://lists.debian.org/debian-arm/2007/08/msg00073.html.
  It is not possible to install Debian on the NSLU2 using the automatic installer right now. This will be fixed in the next point release (4.0r2). In the meantime, people who wish to install Debian on the NSLU2 can use the manual method described at http://www.cyrius.com/debian/nslu2/unpack.html.

Instructions to set up Debian/NSLU2 are available at Debian on NSLU2. Please note that a recent problem with the latest Debian point release (4.0r1), it is not possible to use the automatic install procedure based on Debian Installer right now. If you wish to install Debian on your NSLU2, please use the manual method described at http://www.cyrius.com/debian/nslu2/unpack.html.

• [2007-08 17] Debian Stable 4.0r1 released (http://www.debian.org/News/2007/20070817). Unfortunately this release has broken the Debian Installer on the NSLU2. For a detailed explanation, please see http://lists.debian.org/debian-arm/2007/08/msg00073.html. It is not possible to install Debian on the NSLU2 using the automatic installer right now. This will be fixed in the next point release (4.0r2). In the meantime, people who wish to install Debian on the NSLU2 can use the manual method described at http://www.cyrius.com/debian/nslu2/unpack.html.

Instructions to set up Debian/NSLU2 are available at Debian on NSLU2. Please note that a recent problem with the latest Debian point release (4.0r1), it is not possible to use the automatic install procedure based on Debian Installer. If you wish to install Debian on your NSLU2, please use the manual method described at http://www.cyrius.com/debian/nslu2/unpack.html.

If your device (i.e. an IXP4xx device other than the NSLU2) is not supported by the Debian Installer, then you can use the Bootstrap procedure instead.

1. The current installer for NSLU2 available via http://www.slug-firmware.net/d-dls.php (debian-4.0r0.zip) seems to be hardwired to look for kernel version 2.6.18-4, but the kernels have since been upgraded to 2.6.18-5 and the installer cannot continue, causing the installation to abort. Maybe this is due to the mirrors now reflecting Debian 4.0r1 but the installer being built for 4.0r0? Know problem with Debian 4.0r1, see above for a workaround using a manual procedure.

1. RC2 has the same problem as above when tested on an 2GB flash drive. Best bet is to format the flash drive on another box and then mount it as per the link below: You can choose to manually partition the flash drive in the installer making the second partition a 128Mb swap and the first partition the rest.

• [2007-08 17] Debian Stable 4.0r1 released (http://www.debian.org/News/2007/20070817). Unfortunately this release has broken the Debian Installer on the NSLU2. For a detailed explanation, please see http://lists.debian.org/debian-arm/2007/08/msg00073.html.

• [2007-08 17] Debian Stable 4.0r1 released. Unfortunately it seems to have broken netinstall on NSLU2. http://www.debian.org/News/2007/20070817

1. The current installer for NSLU2 available via http://www.slug-firmware.net/d-dls.php (debian-4.0r0.zip) seems to be hardwired to look for kernel version 2.6.18-4, but the kernels have since been upgraded to 2.6.18-5 and the installer cannot continue, causing the installation to abort. Maybe this is due to the mirrors now reflecting Debian 4.0r1 but the installer being built for 4.0r0?

Section moved to the Debian/NSLU2 Troubleshooting page.

Section moved to the NSLU2 Troubleshooting page.

1. The current installer for NSLU2 available via http://www.slug-firmware.net (debian-etch-rc1-20061102.zip) seems to repeatedly close SSH during installation, causing the install to restart. This is a symptom of the NSLU2 running out of available memory.

Also available is Big Endian DebianSlug (known as OpenDebianSlug, because it uses the big-endian OpenSlug binary image). Since Debian does not provide big endian ARM as a supported Debian architecture, OpenDebianSlug makes use of the unofficial armeb port of Debian. Currently, only parts of debian sarge and sid are available.

Also available is Big Endian DebianSlug (known as OpenDebianSlug, because it uses the big-endian OpenSlug binary image). Since Debian does not provide big endian ARM as a supported Debian architecture, OpenDebianSlug makes use of the unofficial armeb port of Debian. Currently, only parts of debian sarge and sid are available linux versions and linux

French Version (DebianSlug): Debian GNU/Linux sur le NSLU2.

Long startup time hwclock

If you experience whey long start up time (20 min) this may be be a indication that the hwclock cant be set. Try to set the hwclock in your command promt with

 $ sudo hwclock  --systohc

If this doesn’t work you could try to change the Nslu Bios battery.

To use a Hauppauge WinTV? PVR USB2?, see InstallWinTVPVRUSB2

Instructions to set up Debian/NSLU2 are available at Debian on NSLU2. If your device (i.e. an IXP4xx? device other than the NSLU2) is not supported by the Debian Installer, then you can use the Bootstrap procedure instead.

Instructions to set up Debian/NSLU2 are available at Debian on NSLU2. If your device (i.e. an IXP4xx? device other than the NSLU2) is not supported by the Debian Installer, then you can use the [[Debian/Bootstrap] procedure instead.

Instructions to set up Debian/NSLU2 are available at Debian on NSLU2. If your device (i.e. an IXP4xx? device other than the NSLU2) is not supported by the Debian Installer, then you can use the Debian/Bootstrap procedure instead.

Note: This issue will happen every time if you manually create a swap partition with a partition type of primary. Making the swap partition a logical partition resolves this issue.

Note: This issue will happen every time if you manually create a swap partition with a partition type of primary. Making the swap partition a logical partition resolves this issue.

Update: This occurs when apt attempts to install the "hotplug" package.

Upgrade from manual bootstrap to unstable ("sid")

If you have previously bootstrapped your NSLU2 to Debian unstable ("sid"), you will have to adjust your /etc/apt/sources.list file in order to install the correct packages for kernel 2.6.18. Before you start the upgrade procedure, add a line to /etc/apt/sources.list for testing (remember to use your favorite Debian mirror):

 deb http://ftp.XX.debian.org/debian testing main non-free contrib

Now follow the same steps mentioned above for etch: create the /etc/kernel-img.conf and follow the upgrade guide. However, during the upgrade procedure, at the point you have to install the kernel packages, use this command to get the correct packages for kernel 2.6.18:

 apt-get -t testing install linux-image-2.6-ixp4xx

Then rerun apt-get again. This problem was caused by a bug in the Debian kernel and has been fixed in the kernel source version 2.6.18.dfsg.1-9. See Debian bug #401980 for more information.

List the UUIDs of your drives with the tree (apt-get install tree) command

 |   |-- usb-ST340014_A_5000000000002886 -> ../../sda
 |   |-- usb-ST340014_A_5000000000002886-part1 -> ../../sda1
 |   |-- usb-ST340014_A_5000000000002886-part2 -> ../../sda2
 |   `-- usb-ST340014_A_5000000000002886-part5 -> ../../sda5

 $ tree /dev/disk

 /dev/disk
 |-- by-id
 |   |-- usb-ST340014?_A_5000000000002886 -> ../../sda
 |   |-- usb-ST340014?_A_5000000000002886-part1 -> ../../sda1
 |   |-- usb-ST340014?_A_5000000000002886-part2 -> ../../sda2
 |   `-- usb-ST340014?_A_5000000000002886-part5 -> ../../sda5
 |-- by-path
 |   |-- pci-0000:00:01.2-usb-0:1:1.0-scsi-0:0:0:0 -> ../../sda
 |   |-- pci-0000:00:01.2-usb-0:1:1.0-scsi-0:0:0:0-part1 -> ../../sda1
 |   |-- pci-0000:00:01.2-usb-0:1:1.0-scsi-0:0:0:0-part2 -> ../../sda2
 |   `-- pci-0000:00:01.2-usb-0:1:1.0-scsi-0:0:0:0-part5 -> ../../sda5
 `-- by-uuid
    `-- 424ba820-8e80-422e-aaeb-b343b4a462f1 -> ../../sda1

 # /etc/fstab: static file system information.
 #
 # <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
 proc            /proc           proc    defaults        0       0
 UUID=424ba820-8e80-422e-aaeb-b343b4a462f1       /       ext3 defaults,errors=remount-ro 0       1
 /dev/sda5       none            swap    sw              0       0
 /dev/sda1       /media/usb0     auto    rw,user,noauto  0       0
 /dev/sda5       /media/usb1     auto    rw,user,noauto  0       0

 $ sudo update-initramfs -u

 $ sudo flash-kernel

If you connect a second drive after you have installed Debian, for example to store your data files, the order of the drives will be random after rebooting, i.e. the new drive could become /dev/sda with your root filesystem being /dev/sdb. If that happens the slug will fail to boot because it will be looking for its root filesystem on the wrong disk. To recover, boot with only the root drive connected and change your fstab to mount your root drive by UUID by following the procedure outlined below.

List the UUIDs? of your drives with the tree (apt-get install tree) command

   `-- 424ba820-8e80-422e-aaeb-b343b4a462f1 -> ../../sda1

and then modify your fstab by replacing /dev/sda1 (your root partition) with the UUID, e.g.

Then update the initramfs:

and flash the new initramfs

You may want to make a copy of your existing flash before this last step in case something goes wrong.

• [2007-04-08] Debian/NSLU2 Stable 4.0r0 released.

• [2007-04-08] NSLU2 Stable 4.0r0 released.
• [2007-03-12] Etch Debian Installer Release Candidate 2 available.

1. RC2? has the same problem as above when tested on an 2GB flash drive. Best bet is to format the flash drive on another box and then mount it as per the link below: You can choose to manually partition the flash drive in the installer making the second partition a 128Mb swap and the first partition the rest.

1. RC2? has the same problem as above when tested on an 2GB flash drive. Best bet is to format the flash drive on another box and then mount it as per the link below:

The default configuration will cause the slug to fail to boot if errors are encountered during filesystem check on reboot. This can be the cause of a slug which works fine over a few reboots but then one day hangs during boot with no response to ping or ssh. This problem is described in the README. The simple fix is to set "FSCKFIX=yes" in /etc/default/rcS. Do this on thefirst boot, or connect the slug drive to another computer to make the change.

The slug gets stuck during boot

The default configuration will cause the slug to fail to boot if errors are encountered during filesystem check on reboot. This can be the cause of a slug which works fine over a few reboots but then one day hangs during boot with no response to ping or ssh. This problem is described in the <a href="http://svn.debian.org/wsvn/pkg-nslu2-utils/trunk/debian/README.Debian?op=file">README</a>. The simple fix is to set "FSCKFIX=yes" in /etc/default/rcS. Do this on thefirst boot, or connect the slug drive to another computer to make the change.

The README also suggests changes which cause networking and SSH to start earlier in the init procedure, both of which can help to diagnose problems like this.

If you have previously bootstrapped your NSLU2 to Debian unstable ("sid"), you will have to adjust your /etc/apt/sources.list file in order to install the correct packages for kernel 2.6.18. Before you start the upgrade procedure, add a line to /etc/apt/sources.list for testing (remember to use your favorite Debian mirror):

After changing this, on reboot, I was able to ping during boot, ARP -a was reporting correctly, and when start up was complete - I had SSH. I have reported this on the debian-arm mailing list, as my config was like the top one from installation.

• The previous problem with the real time clock is also fixed in RC2. Please note that the NSLU2 will not keep time with the 2.6.17 kernel. The problem has been fixed in 2.6.18, which is the current linux kernel image for ixp4xx in testing, but was not in testing when the RC1 debian-installer was released. To permanently fix this problem, update your slug to a 2.6.18 ixp4xx kernel and restart. To temporarily fix the problem without restarting, use tickadj to set the kernel ticks to 10101. You need to do this every time the NSLU2 is turned on. This problem has been reported many times on the nslu2-linux mailing list. Please try to resist the urge to report it again.

• The previous problem with more than one disk, that required mounting disks by label, is fixed in Etch Debian Installer RC2. If you have more than one disk or flash storage device attached to your NSLU2 you are likely to run into trouble. This is a priority for the next release, so if you have multiple disks you might want to wait for a bit. If you can't wait, see MountDisksByLabel for one solution.
• The previous problem with the real time click is also fixed in RC2. Please note that the NSLU2 will not keep time with the 2.6.17 kernel. The problem has been fixed in 2.6.18, which is the current linux kernel image for ixp4xx in testing, but was not in testing when the RC1 debian-installer was released. To permanently fix this problem, update your slug to a 2.6.18 ixp4xx kernel and restart. To temporarily fix the problem without restarting, use tickadj to set the kernel ticks to 10101. You need to do this every time the NSLU2 is turned on. This problem has been reported many times on the nslu2-linux mailing list. Please try to resist the urge to report it again.

• See http://www.us.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/errata for current known issues (not NSLU2-specific).
• The previous problem with more than one disk, that required mounting disks by label, is fixed in Etch Debian Installer RC2?. If you have more than one disk or flash storage device attached to your NSLU2 you are likely to run into trouble. This is a priority for the next release, so if you have multiple disks you might want to wait for a bit. If you can't wait, see MountDisksByLabel for one solution.
• The previous problem with the real time click is also fixed in RC2?. Please note that the NSLU2 will not keep time with the 2.6.17 kernel. The problem has been fixed in 2.6.18, which is the current linux kernel image for ixp4xx in testing, but was not in testing when the RC1 debian-installer was released. To permanently fix this problem, update your slug to a 2.6.18 ixp4xx kernel and restart. To temporarily fix the problem without restarting, use tickadj to set the kernel ticks to 10101. You need to do this every time the NSLU2 is turned on. This problem has been reported many times on the nslu2-linux mailing list. Please try to resist the urge to report it again.

• News

• See http://www.us.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/errata for current known issues (not NSLU2-specific). In particular, note the first point: if you have more than one disk or flash storage device attached to your NSLU2 you are likely to run into trouble. This is a priority for the next release, so if you have multiple disks you might want to wait for a bit. If you can't wait, see MountDisksByLabel for one solution.
• Please note that the NSLU2 will not keep time with the 2.6.17 kernel. The problem has been fixed in 2.6.18, which is the current linux kernel image for ixp4xx in testing, but was not in testing when the RC1 debian-installer was released. To permanently fix this problem, update your slug to a 2.6.18 ixp4xx kernel and restart. To temporarily fix the problem without restarting, use tickadj to set the kernel ticks to 10101. You need to do this every time the NSLU2 is turned on. This problem has been reported many times on the nslu2-linux mailing list. Please try to resist the urge to report it again.

News

• [2007.03.11] Etch Debian Installer Release Candidate 2 available.

Debian fully supports the NSLU2 using the Debian Installer (this is the setup known as Debian/NSLU2). Please visit http://www.cyrius.com/debian/nslu2/ for the recommended way to install Debian on a NSLU2.

1. The current installer for NSLU2 available via http://www.slug-firmware.net (debian-etch-rc1-20061102.zip) seems to repeatedly close SSH during installation, causing the install to restart. This is a symptom of the NSLU2 running out of available memory.

The following details a method for obtaining the NPE-B microcode, which is needed for the ethernet driver in 2.6.18. The procedure is not tested yet, so please provide feedback or update the Wiki if you find errors. Note that, apart from building the microcode from the source, this procedure is currently the only documented legal way to obtain the microcode.

1. http://www.slug-firmware.net reports that "Debian Installer RC1? is currently broken". I downloaded the nightly build (6. march 07) from debain and added the network driver (BuildImage). It installed and runned ok!

1. [http://www.slug-firmware.net/] reports that "Debian Installer RC1? is currently broken". I downloaded the nightly build (6. march 07) from debain and added the network driver ([http://www.nslu2-linux.org/wiki/Debian/BuildImage]). It installed and runned ok!

2. The current installer for NSLU2 available via http://www.slug-firmware.net (debian-etch-rc1-20061102.zip) seems to repeatedly close SSH during installation, causing the install to restart. This is a symptom of the NSLU2 running out of available memory.

If apt-get quits with a 'Segmentation Fault', remove the APT cache files in /var/cache/apt.

Then rerun apt-get again. This problem was caused by a bug in the Debian kernel and has been fixed in the kernel source version 2.6.18.dfsg.1-9. See Debian bug [[http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=401980 | #401980] for more information.

If after performing an apt-get update, then apt-get upgrade, your slug reports a 'Segmentation Fault' - Suggesting to try apt-get -f install, and this doesn't work, try

This problem has been fixed in kernel version 2.6.18-4-ixp4xx (source version 2.6.18.dfsg.1-9). See Debian bug [[http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=401980 | #401980].

See http://www.us.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/errata for current known issues (not NSLU2-specific). In particular, note the first point: if you have more than one disk or flash storage device attached to your NSLU2 you are likely to run into trouble. This is a priority for the next release, so if you have multiple disks you might want to wait for a bit. If you can't wait, see MountDisksByLabel for one solution.

German Version (DebianSlug & DebianInstaller): Debian auf NSLU2 installieren.

Also available is Big Endian DebianSlug (known as OpenDebianSlug, because it uses the big-endian OpenSlug binary image). Since Debian does not provide big endian ARM as a supported Debian architecture, OpenDebianSlug makes use of the unofficial armeb port of Debian. Currently, only parts of debian sarge and sid are available.

German Version (DebianSlug & DebianInstaller?): Debian auf NSLU2 installieren.

French Version (DebianSlug): Debian GNU/Linux sur le NSLU2.

 if [ ! -e  /dev/ixp4xx_ucode ]; then
  mknod /dev/ixp4xx_ucode c 10 184
 fi

 for f in ixp4xx_mac ixp4xx_qmgr ixp4xx_npe; do modprobe $f;done
 cat /lib/firmware/NPE-B > /dev/ixp4xx_ucode
 ifup eth0

Loading the NPE-B microcode

debian-etch-rc1-20061102 will not load the microcode for you. Instead you will have to do it yourself:

if [ ! -e /dev/ixp4xx_ucode ]; then

 mknod /dev/ixp4xx_ucode c 10 184

fi

for f in ixp4xx_mac ixp4xx_qmgr ixp4xx_npe; do modprobe $f;done cat /lib/firmware/NPE-B > /dev/ixp4xx_ucode ifup eth0

Upgrade from manual bootstrap to unstable ("sid")

If you have previously bootstraped your NSLU2 to Debian unstable ("sid"), you will have to adjust your /etc/apt/sources.list file in order to install the correct packages for kernel 2.6.18. Before you start the upgrade procedure, add a line to /etc/apt/sources.list for testing (remember to use your favorite Debian mirror):

 deb http://ftp.XX.debian.org/debian testing main non-free contrib

Now follow the same steps mentioned above for etch: create the /etc/kernel-img.conf and follow the upgrade guide. However, during the upgrade procedure, at the point you have to install the kernel packages, use this command to get the correct packages for kernel 2.6.18:

 apt-get -t testing install linux-image-2.6-ixp4xx

-- This bug is fixed with tasksel 2.6.3 which is now in etch. Meaning this bug should no longer exist.

1. The current installer for NSLU2 available via http://www.slug-firmware.net (debian-etch-rc1-20061102.zip) seems to repeatedly close SSH during installation, causing the install to restart. This is a symptom of the NSLU2 running out of available memory.

Another option is to create and format the ext3 partition on a normal PC as described in the FAQ.

2. There is a tasksel bug in the debian-etch-rc1-20061102.zip installer reported here: http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=406630 The "Desktop Task" is not displayed and you cannot deselect it. This leads to the installation of all desktop packages which takes many many hours on the NSLU2.

My Old/default Debian Etch RC1 /etc/network/interfaces

Also available is Big Endian DebianSlug (known as OpenDebianSlug, because it uses the big-endian OpenSlug binary image). Since Debian does not provide big endian ARM as a supported Debian architecture, OpenDebianSlug? makes use of the unofficial armeb port of Debian. Currently, only parts of debian sarge and sid are available.

• Installation errata

Installation errata

The current installer for NSLU2 available via http://www.slug-firmware.net (debian-etch-rc1-20061102.zip) seems to repeatedly close SSH during installation, causing the install to restart. This is a symptom of the NSLU2 running out of available memory.

Check DebianInstallerDisconnectsSSH.

The Debian/NSLU2 FAQ.

The slug fails to reboot with 2 drives connected

If you connect a second drive after you have installed Debian, for example to store your data files, the order of the drives will be random after rebooting, i.e. the new drive could become /dev/sda with your root filesystem being /dev/sdb. If that happens the slug will fail to boot because it will be looking for its root filesystem on the wrong disk. To recover, you'll have to boot with only the root drive connected and only after Debian is running connect the second drive and mount it (or auto-mount). Changing the physical ports that the drives are connected to won't help.

The fix is quite complex, and is described on this page: MountDisksByLabel. It will get simpler when APEX has an easier way of setting the kernel command line and a bug has been fixed in the Debian initramfs.

(The following instructions were added to this page by someone, but they won't work: adding LABEL= to /etc/fstab is not sufficient as the root filesystem is mounted before /etc/fstab is read. Please see MountDisksByLabel for instructions that will work. I propose to remove these instructions.)

{-The fix is to properly label the filesystems and swap on the drives so that debian can boot correctly even if the drives names have changed.

Then you can connect any number of drives using one usb hub in any order and get your system boot properly.-}

If you plug to the slug one other drive after you have installed debian, for example to put your data files, that new drive could as well become /dev/sda or stay /dev/sdb upon reboot or even become /dev/sdc. If that happen the slug wont reboot with the two drives connected and you have to boot with system drive and only after debian is running connect the second drive and mount it ( or auto-mount ). Changing the ports of the drives wont help ! The fix is to properly label the filesystems and swap on the drives so that debian can boot correctly even if the drives names have changed.

 NSLU2:~# tune2fs -L root /dev/sda1 
 NSLU2:~# tune2fs -L home /dev/sda9 
 ...
 NSLU2:~# tune2fs -L data /dev/sdc1

 >>bgcolor=#eeffee<<
 NSLU2:~# swapoff -a
 NSLU2:~# mkswap /dev/sda7 -L swap1
 NSLU2:~# swapon LABEL=swap1
 >><<

 >>bgcolor=#eeffee<<
 # /etc/fstab: static file system information.
 #
 # <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
 proc            /proc           proc    defaults        0       0
 LABEL=root       /               ext3    defaults,errors=remount-ro 0       1
 LABEL=home       /home           ext3    defaults        0       2
 LABEL=tmp       /tmp            ext3    defaults        0       2
 LABEL=usr       /usr            ext3    defaults        0       2
 LABEL=var       /var            ext3    defaults        0       2
 LABEL=swap1       none            swap    sw              0       0
 # Disk externe
 LABEL=data      /mnt/nas        ext3    defaults        0       0
 >><<

The slug dont reboot with 2 drives connected

If you plug to the slug one other drive after you installed debian, for example to put your data files, that new drive could as well become /dev/sda or stay /dev/sdb upon reboot or even become sdc. If that happen the slug wont reboot with the two drives connected and you have to boot with system drive and only after debian is running connect the second drive and mount it ( or auto-mount ). Changing the port of the drives wont help ! The fix is to properly label the filesystems and swap on the drives so that debian can boot correctly with the drives names changed.

So you have to enter :

NSLU2:~# tune2fs -L root /dev/sda1 NSLU2:~# tune2fs -L home /dev/sda9 ... NSLU2:~# tune2fs -L data /dev/sdc1

and so on for all your filesystems and then :

NSLU2:~# swapoff -a NSLU2:~# mkswap /dev/sda7 -L swap1 NSLU2:~# swapon LABEL=swap1

and modify your /etc/fstab so the system mount the filesystems with the labels your entered :

1. /etc/fstab: static file system information.
3. <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>

proc /proc proc defaults 0 0 LABEL=root / ext3 defaults,errors=remount-ro 0 1 LABEL=home /home ext3 defaults 0 2 LABEL=tmp /tmp ext3 defaults 0 2 LABEL=usr /usr ext3 defaults 0 2 LABEL=var /var ext3 defaults 0 2 LABEL=swap1 none swap sw 0 0

1. Disk externe

LABEL=data /mnt/nas ext3 defaults 0 0

Then you can connect any number of drives using one usb hub in any order and get your system boot properly.

If you have previously bootstraped your NSLU2 to Debian unstable ("sid"), you will have to adjust your /etc/apt/sources.list file in order to install the correct packages for kernel 2.6.18. Before you start the upgrade procedure, add a line to /etc/apt/sources.list for testing (remember to use your favorite Debian mirror):

Now follow the same steps mentioned above for etch: create the /etc/kernel-img.conf and follow the upgrade guide. However, during the upgrade procedure, at the point you have to install the kernel packages, use this command to get the correct packages for kernel 2.6.18:

 apt-get -t testing install linux-image-2.6-ixp4xx

 [s]cp NPE-B.01000201 [user@hostname:]/lib/firmware/
 [ssh user@hostname]
 cd /lib/firmware; sudo ln -s NPE-B.01000201 NPE-B

 deb http://ftp.XX.debian.org/debian testing main non-free contrib

Case in point is that I had been successfully running my new Debian Slug for a couple of days, booting and rebooting a number of times. At some point, I noticed that I couldn't reach the slug on the network. I don't remember exactly what I had done last, but to bring it back, I just unplugged and re-plugged the power. As it booted back up, everything looked normal. The LEDs flashed, the disk clicked and all seemed right with the world. But when the boot finished, the NSLU2 was again nowhere to be found on my network.

The only way I could see what was happening was to add debug statements to the boot, building my own boot log. This was a tedious process of adding statements, unplugging the drive from my MacBook, plugging it back into my NSLU2, rebooting the NSLU2, putting the disk back on my MacBook, examining the logs, etc. What I finally found is that everything was normal except that the interfaces file, which tells the Debian boot which network interfaces to bring up, was missing the one line that told it to automatically configure the internal Ethernet device. Once I added this line, I rebooted and was back to normal.

• Troubleshooting

Known Problems

Installation instructions

Instructions to set up Debian/NSLU2 are available at Debian on NSLU2.

Upgrade from previous versions

Upgrade from debian-installer beta2

If you are already running Debian/NSLU2 as installed by debian-installer beta2, you can upgrade to the latest version following the guide for Upgrading Debian on the NSLU2. Please note that this manual procedure is necessary due to changes in the way the kernel is loaded at boot time.

Upgrade from manual bootstrap to testing ("etch")

If you have previously installed SlugOS/LE (formerly know as DebianSlug) using the manual bootstrap procedure with Debian testing ("etch") and your root partition is /dev/sda1, you can upgrade to Debian/NSLU2 according to this message from the mailing list. To do this, first create the file /etc/kernel-img.conf with the following contents:

 do_symlinks = yes
 relative_links = yes
 do_bootloader = no
 do_bootfloppy = no
 do_initrd = yes
 link_in_boot = yes

Ethernet driver issue: If your /etc/network/interfaces looks like this, it may happen, that eth0 isn't brought up.

 auto eth0
 iface eth0 inet static
         pre-up modprobe -f ixp400
         pre-up modprobe -f ixp400_eth
         address 10.0.0.201
         netmask 255.255.255.0
         gateway 10.0.0.138

If this is the case try this:

 allow-hotplug eth0
 iface eth0 inet static
         address 10.0.0.201
         netmask 255.255.255.0
         gateway 10.0.0.138

After that, follow the guide to Upgrading Debian on the Linksys NSLU2. When you get to the step, "You need to obtain Intel's proprietary NPE-B microcode so built-in Ethernet will work.", follow the procedure documented below in the next few paragraphs.

Obtaining the NPE-B microcode

The following details a method for obtaining the NPE-B microcode, which is needed for the ethernet driver in 2.6.18. The procedure is not tested yet, so please provide feedback or update the wiki if you find errors. Note that, apart from building the microcode from the source, this procedure is currently the only documented legal way to obtain the microcode.

Download the debian-installer image from slug-firmware.net and unpack the image using slugimage (you need a recent version of slugimage that includes second-stage bootloader support (the -L switch).

 apt-get install slugimage
 slugimage -u -i di-nslu2.bin

Endian swap the initramfs (ramdisk.gz).

 apt-get install devio
 devio '<< ramdisk.gz; xp $ 4' > ramdisk-swap.gz

Unpack the initramfs into a directory e.g. initrd.

 mkdir initrd; cd initrd
 zcat ../ramdisk-swap.gz | cpio -i

The NPE microcode firmware will be in the initrd directory. It is called NPE-B.01000201. Copy this file to /lib/firmware on the slug, and then create a symbolic link in /lib/firmware called NPE-B which points to NPE-B.01000201.

Upgrade from manual bootstrap to unstable ("sid")

If you have previously bootstraped your NSLU2 to Debian unstable ("sid"), you will have to adjust your /etc/apt/sources.list file in order to install the correct packages for kernel 2.6.17. Before you start the upgrade procedure, add a line to /etc/apt/sources.list for testing (remember to use your favorite Debian mirror):

 deb http://ftp.XX.debian.org/debian testing main non-free contrib

Now follow the same steps mentioned above for etch: create the /etc/kernel-img.conf and follow the upgrade guide. However, during the upgrade procedure, at the point you have to install the kernel packages, use this command to get the correct packages for kernel 2.6.17:

 apt-get -t testing install linux-image-2.6-ixp4xx linux-image-2.6.17-2-ixp4xx

Links to more Debian/NSLU2 documentation

To learn how to build a Debian/NSLU2 image, see BuildImage.

See ChangeKernelCommandLine for how to change the command line passed to the kernel by the second-stage bootloader, APEX, in a Debian/NSLU2 system.

If you want to free up some space in your internal flash, see NoInitramfs.

To use the Debian Installer with a FatSlug, follow the instructions here.

Troubleshooting

Segmentation Fault on Upgrade

If after preforming an apt-get update, then apt-get upgrade, your slug reports a 'Segmentation Fault' - Suggesting to try apt-get -f install, and this doesn't work, try

 rm -rf /var/cache/apt/*.bin

This will remove the APT cache files, as they are possibly corrupt. Then try apt-get update and then apt-get upgrade again

Jim Buzbee reported here

Case in point is that I had been successfully running my new Debian Slug for a couple of days, booting and rebooting a number of times. At some point, I noticed that I couldn't reach the slug on the network. I don't remember exactly what I had done last, but to bring it back, I just unplugged and re-plugged the power. As it booted back up, everything looked normal. The LEDs? flashed, the disk clicked and all seemed right with the world. But when the boot finished, the NSLU2 was again nowhere to be found on my network.

The only way I could see what was happening was to add debug statements to the boot, building my own boot log. This was a tedious process of adding statements, unplugging the drive from my MacBook?, plugging it back into my NSLU2, rebooting the NSLU2, putting the disk back on my MacBook?, examining the logs, etc. What I finally found is that everything was normal except that the interfaces file, which tells the Debian boot which network interfaces to bring up, was missing the one line that told it to automatically configure the internal Ethernet device. Once I added this line, I rebooted and was back to normal.

From my experience, this was the file was missing an auto eth0 line.

If you know what you are doing, you only need to add auto eth0 to /etc/network/interfaces, using vi, Nano, or what ever other text editor you are fimiliar with.

My Old/default Debian Etch RC1? /etc/network/interfaces

 # This file describes the network interfaces available on your system
 # and how to activate them. For more information, see interfaces(5).

 # The loopback network interface
 auto lo
 iface lo inet loopback

 # The primary network interface
 allow-hotplug eth0
 iface eth0 inet static
         address 192.168.0.70
         netmask 255.255.255.0
         network 192.168.0.0
         broadcast 192.168.0.255
         gateway 192.168.0.1
         # dns-* options are implemented by the resolvconf package, if installed
         dns-nameservers 212.159.13.49 212.159.13.50 212.159.6.9
         dns-search example.org

Fixed /etc/network/interfaces

 # This file describes the network interfaces available on your system
 # and how to activate them. For more information, see interfaces(5).

 # The loopback network interface
 auto lo
 iface lo inet loopback

 # The primary network interface
 #allow-hotplug eth0
 auto eth0
 iface eth0 inet static
         address 192.168.0.70
         netmask 255.255.255.0
         network 192.168.0.0
         broadcast 192.168.0.255
         gateway 192.168.0.1
         # dns-* options are implemented by the resolvconf package, if installed
         dns-nameservers 212.159.13.49 212.159.13.50 212.159.6.9
         dns-search example.org

I also commented #allow-hotplug eth0 out upon suggestion in NSLU2-General IRC Channel.

After changing this, on reboot, i was able to ping during boot, ARP -a was reporting correctly, and when start up was complete - i had SSH. I have reported this on the debian-arm mailing list, as my config was like the top one from installation.

(:toc:)

If you know what you are doing, you only need to add auto eth0 to /etc/network/interfaces, using vi, Nano, or what ever other text editor you are fimiliar with.

Method for Editing file on another PC or NSLU2 My other NSLU2 was already unslung to a USB, so that device took SDA, and the usb drive from the debian slug was mounted at sdb

Verified by: fdisk -l /dev/sdb

Which showed 2 partitions, one being swap, and it was around the 7GB mark of my drive

Next Enter mount -o rw /dev/sdb1 /mnt

To mount the drive to /mnt.

If you do not currently have a text editor installed, i am going to use nano (to install on unslung ipkg install nano)

You may need to type export TERM='linux'

Next nano -w /mnt/etc/network/interfaces

You may have to use /opt/bin/nano -w /mnt/etc/network/interfaces

This will open the interfaces file for you to write to

Using your client, browse to relevant point, add a new line, and put auto eth0

Press Ctrl + o, then press enter, and then ctrl + x to take you back to the prompt.

You can then unmount the drive using umount /mnt

If you get an error saying drive is in use, type cd / and then try the unmount command again

(Most of that method should work fine

Case in point is that I had been successfully running my new Debian Slug for a couple of days, booting and rebooting a number of times. At some point, I noticed that I couldn't reach the slug on the network. I don't remember exactly what I had done last, but to bring it back, I just unplugged and re-plugged the power. As it booted back up, everything looked normal. The LEDs? flashed, the disk clicked and all seemed right with the world. But when the boot finished, the NSLU2 was again nowhere to be found on my network.

The only way I could see what was happening was to add debug statements to the boot, building my own boot log. This was a tedious process of adding statements, unplugging the drive from my MacBook?, plugging it back into my NSLU2, rebooting the NSLU2, putting the disk back on my MacBook?, examining the logs, etc. What I finally found is that everything was normal except that the "interfaces" file, which tells the Debian boot which network interfaces to bring up, was missing the one line that told it to automatically configure the internal Ethernet device. Once I added this line, I rebooted and was back to normal.

Loss of Network Connectivity

Jim Buzbee Reported here

(:table border=0 width=80% bgcolor=#ffeeee:)

Case in point is that I had been successfully running my new Debian Slug for a couple of days, booting and rebooting a number of times. At some point, I noticed that I couldn't reach the slug on the network. I don't remember exactly what I had done last, but to bring it back, I just unplugged and re-plugged the power. As it booted back up, everything looked normal. The LEDs? flashed, the disk clicked and all seemed right with the world. But when the boot finished, the NSLU2 was again nowhere to be found on my network.

And the Fix: (:table border=0 width=80% bgcolor=#eeffee:)

The only way I could see what was happening was to add debug statements to the boot, building my own boot log. This was a tedious process of adding statements, unplugging the drive from my MacBook?, plugging it back into my NSLU2, rebooting the NSLU2, putting the disk back on my MacBook?, examining the logs, etc. What I finally found is that everything was normal except that the "interfaces" file, which tells the Debian boot which network interfaces to bring up, was missing the one line that told it to automatically configure the internal Ethernet device. Once I added this line, I rebooted and was back to normal.

From my experience, this was the file was missing an auto eth0 line.

In windows arp -a reported the NSLU2 IP Address with a MAC Address of 00-00-00-00-00-00 and that it was Invalid. I was unable to ping it, and therefore no SSH

If you know what you are doing, you only need to add auto eth0 to /etc/network/interfaces

My Old/default Debian Etch RC1? /etc/network/interfaces (:table border=0 width=80% bgcolor=#ffeeee:)

1. This file describes the network interfaces available on your system
2. and how to activate them. For more information, see interfaces(5).
3. The loopback network interface

auto lo iface lo inet loopback

1. The primary network interface

        address 192.168.0.70

        network 192.168.0.0
        broadcast 192.168.0.255
        gateway 192.168.0.1
        # dns-* options are implemented by the resolvconf package, if installed
        dns-nameservers 212.159.13.49 212.159.13.50 212.159.6.9
        dns-search example.org

Fixed /etc/network/interfaces

1. This file describes the network interfaces available on your system
2. and how to activate them. For more information, see interfaces(5).
3. The loopback network interface

auto lo iface lo inet loopback

1. The primary network interface
2. allow-hotplug eth0

auto eth0 iface eth0 inet static

        address 192.168.0.70
        netmask 255.255.255.0
        network 192.168.0.0
        broadcast 192.168.0.255
        gateway 192.168.0.1
        # dns-* options are implemented by the resolvconf package, if installed
        dns-nameservers 212.159.13.49 212.159.13.50 212.159.6.9
        dns-search example.org

I also commented #allow-hotplug eth0 out the upon suggestion in NSLU2-General IRC Channel

After changing this, on reboot, i was able to ping during boot, ARP -a was reporting correctly, and when start up was complete - i had SSH

I have reported this on the debian-arm mailing list, as my config was like the top one from installation

I fixed the file by mounting the drive on my Unslung NSLU2, and then using nano to edit the files.

Installation instructions

Instructions to set up Debian/NSLU2 are available at Debian on NSLU2.

Upgrade from previous versions

Upgrade from debian-installer beta2

If you are already running Debian/NSLU2 as installed by debian-installer beta2, you can upgrade to the latest version following the guide for Upgrading Debian on the NSLU2. Please note that this manual procedure is necessary due to changes in the way the kernel is loaded at boot time.

Upgrade from manual bootstrap to testing ("etch")

If you have previously installed SlugOS/LE (formerly know as DebianSlug) using the manual bootstrap procedure with Debian testing ("etch") and your root partition is /dev/sda1, you can upgrade to Debian/NSLU2 according to this message from the mailing list. To do this, first create the file /etc/kernel-img.conf with the following contents:

(:table border=0 width=80% bgcolor=#ffeeee:)

do_symlinks = yes relative_links = yes do_bootloader = no do_bootfloppy = no do_initrd = yes link_in_boot = yes

Ethernet driver issue: If you followed the same guide/help I did, you may have a static ip address as folows in /etc/interfaces. (The following does not work; eth0 will not be brought up).

(:table border=0 width=80% bgcolor=#ffeeee:)

auto eth0 iface eth0 inet static

        pre-up modprobe -f ixp400
        pre-up modprobe -f ixp400_eth
        address 10.0.0.201
        netmask 255.255.255.0
        gateway 10.0.0.138

This didn't work, the slug's eth0 was not brought up. So I spent 2.5 hours running the debian installer on a 2Gb memory stick to find out that you need:

allow-hotplug eth0 iface eth0 inet static

        address 10.0.0.201
        netmask 255.255.255.0
        gateway 10.0.0.138

I suspect that the same is valid for dhcp. Sorry for interrupting this tour, please carry on...

After that, just follow the guide to Upgrading Debian on the Linksys NSLU2. Update (2006-12-11) When you get to the step, "You need to obtain Intel's proprietary NPE-B microcode so built-in Ethernet will work.", follow the procedure documented below in the next few paragraphs.

The following details a method for obtaining the NPE-B microcode, which is needed for the ethernet driver in 2.6.18. The procedure is not tested yet, so please provide feedback or update the wiki if you find errors. Note that, apart from building the microcode from the source, this procedure is currently the only documented legal way to obtain the microcode.

Download the debian-installer image from slug-firmware.net and unpack the image using slugimage (you need a recent version of slugimage that includes second-stage bootloader support (the -L switch).

apt-get install slugimage slugimage -u -i di-nslu2.bin

Endian swap the initramfs (ramdisk.gz).

apt-get install devio
devio '<< ramdisk.gz; xp $ 4' > ramdisk-swap.gz

Unpack the initramfs into a directory e.g. initrd. (:table border=0 width=80% bgcolor=#eeffee:) (:cell:)

mkdir initrd; cd initrd
zcat ../ramdisk-swap.gz | cpio -i

(:tableend:)

The NPE microcode firmware will be in the initrd directory. It is called NPE-B.01000201. Copy this file to /lib/firmware on the slug, and then create a symbolic link in /lib/firmware called NPE-B which points to NPE-B.01000201. (:table border=0 width=80% bgcolor=#eeffee:) (:cell:)

[s]cp NPE-B.01000201 [user@hostname:]/lib/firmware/
[ssh user@hostname]
cd /lib/firmware; sudo ln -s NPE-B.01000201 NPE-B

(:tableend:)

Upgrade from manual bootstrap to unstable ("sid")

If you have previously bootstraped your NSLU2 to Debian unstable ("sid"), you will have to adjust your /etc/apt/sources.list file in order to install the correct packages for kernel 2.6.17. Before you start the upgrade procedure, add a line to /etc/apt/sources.list for testing (remember to use your favorite Debian mirror): (:table border=0 width=80% bgcolor=#eeffee:) (:cell:)

deb http://ftp.XX.debian.org/debian testing main non-free contrib

(:tableend:)

Now follow the same steps mentioned above for etch: create the /etc/kernel-img.conf and follow the upgrade guide. However, during the upgrade procedure, at the point you have to install the kernel packages, use this command to get the correct packages for kernel 2.6.17: (:table border=0 width=80% bgcolor=#eeffee:) (:cell:) apt-get -t testing install linux-image-2.6-ixp4xx linux-image-2.6.17-2-ixp4xx (:tableend:)

Useful Information

Segmentation Fault

If after preforming an apt-get update, then apt-get upgrade, your slug reports a 'Segmentation Fault' - Suggesting to try apt-get -f install , and this doesnt work

Try typing (:table border=0 width=80% :) (:cell:)

rm -rf /var/cache/apt/*.bin

(:tableend:)

This will remove the APT cache files, as they are possibly corrupt.

Try apt-get update and then apt-get upgrade again

<<<<<<<

(The following does not work; eth0 will not be brought up). ======= Ethernet driver issue: If you followed the same guide/help I did, you may have a static ip address as folows in /etc/interfaces.

>>>>>>>

This didn't work, the slug's eth0 was not brought up.

Ethernet driver issue: If you followed the same guide/help I did, you may have a static ip address as folows in /etc/interfaces. The following does not work; eth0 will not be brought up:

(:table border=2 width=80% bgcolor=#cacaca:) (:cell:) [@

@] (:tableend:)

Ethernet driver issue: If you followed the same guide/help I did, you may have a static ip address as folows in /etc/interfaces. This does not work. eth0 will not be brought up.

(:table border=0 width=80% bgcolor=#ffeeee:)

auto eth0 iface eth0 inet static

        pre-up modprobe -f ixp400
        pre-up modprobe -f ixp400_eth
        address 10.0.0.201
        netmask 255.255.255.0
        gateway 10.0.0.138

So I spent 2.5 hours running the debian installer on a 2Gb memory stick to find out that you need:

allow-hotplug eth0 iface eth0 inet static

        address 10.0.0.201
        netmask 255.255.255.0
        gateway 10.0.0.138

I suspect that the same is valid for dhcp. Sorry for interrupting this tour, please carry on...

After that, just follow the guide to Upgrading Debian on the Linksys NSLU2. Update (2006-12-11) When you get to the step, "You need to obtain Intel's proprietary NPE-B microcode so built-in Ethernet will work.", follow the procedure documented below in the next few paragraphs.

The following details a method for obtaining the NPE-B microcode, which is needed for the ethernet driver in 2.6.18. The procedure is not tested yet, so please provide feedback or update the wiki if you find errors. Note that, apart from building the microcode from the source, this procedure is currently the only documented legal way to obtain the microcode.

Download the debian-installer image from slug-firmware.net and unpack the image using slugimage (you need a recent version of slugimage that includes second-stage bootloader support (the -L switch).

apt-get install slugimage slugimage -u -i di-nslu2.bin

Endian swap the initramfs (ramdisk.gz).

apt-get install devio devio '<< ramdisk.gz; xp $ 4' > ramdisk-swap.gz

Unpack the initramfs into a directory e.g. initrd.

mkdir initrd; cd initrd zcat ../ramdisk-swap.gz | cpio -i

The NPE microcode firmware will be in the initrd directory. It is called NPE-B.01000201. Copy this file to /lib/firmware on the slug, and then create a symbolic link in /lib/firmware called NPE-B which points to NPE-B.01000201.

[s]cp NPE-B.01000201 [user@hostname:]/lib/firmware/
[ssh user@hostname]
cd /lib/firmware; sudo ln -s NPE-B.01000201 NPE-B

Upgrade from manual bootstrap to unstable ("sid")

If you have previously bootstraped your NSLU2 to Debian unstable ("sid"), you will have to adjust your /etc/apt/sources.list file in order to install the correct packages for kernel 2.6.17. Before you start the upgrade procedure, add a line to /etc/apt/sources.list for testing (remember to use your favorite Debian mirror): (:table border=0 width=80% bgcolor=#eeffee:) (:cell:)

deb http://ftp.XX.debian.org/debian testing main non-free contrib

(:tableend:)

Now follow the same steps mentioned above for etch: create the /etc/kernel-img.conf and follow the upgrade guide. However, during the upgrade procedure, at the point you have to install the kernel packages, use this command to get the correct packages for kernel 2.6.17: (:table border=0 width=80% bgcolor=#eeffee:) (:cell:) apt-get -t testing install linux-image-2.6-ixp4xx linux-image-2.6.17-2-ixp4xx (:tableend:)

To use the Debian Installer with a FatSlug, follow the instructions here.

Please note that the NSLU2 will not keep time with the 2.6.17 kernel. The problem has been fixed in 2.6.18, which is the current linux kernel image for ixp4xx in testing, but was not in testing when the RC1 debian-installer was released. To permanently fix this problem, update your slug to a 2.6.18 ixp4xx kernel and restart. To temporarily fix the problem without restarting, use tickadj to set the kernel ticks to 10101. You need to do this every time the NSLU2 is turned on. This problem has been reported many times on the nslu2-linux mailing list. Please try to resist the urge to report it again.

Download the debian-installer image from slug-firmware.net and unpack the image using slugimage (you need a recent version of slugimage that includes second-stage bootloader support (the -L switch).

Download the debian-installer image from slug-firmware.net and unpack the image using slugimage.

Help:: this does't work for me.

• If i start from the RC1? download, 'slugimage -u -i di-nslu2.bin' tells me "Unexpected partition <Loader> (expecting <Kernel>)"
• If i use the older Beta2 download, slugimage can extract a ramdisk.gz, but after swapping according to below instructions 'zcat ../ramdisk-swap.gz | cpio -i' comes back with "cpio: warning: skipped 16908 bytes of junk

cpio: <junk>" <junk> = weird characters and i need to reset the terminal afterwards.

Download the debian-installer image from slug-firmware.net and unpack the image using slugimage. NOTE: Unpacking the installer with slugimage did not work with the latest release, so I used debian-etch-beta2-20060311.zip instead. I haven't yet done the full procedure yet, but at least that one can be unpacked.

The following details a method for obtaining the NPE-B microcode, which is needed for the ethernet driver in 2.6.18. The procedure is not tested yet, so please provide feedback or update the wiki if you find errors. Note that, apart from building the microcode from the source, this procedure is currently the only documented legal way to obtain the microcode.

After that, just follow the guide to Upgrading Debian on the Linksys NSLU2. Update (2006-12-11) When you get to the step, "You need to obtain Intel's proprietary NPE-B microcode so built-in Ethernet will work.", follow the procedure documented below in the next few paragraphs.

The following details a method for obtaining the NPE-B microcode, which is needed for the ethernet driver in 2.6.18. The procedure is not tested yet, but apart from building the microcode from the source, it is the only documented legal procedure at the moment.

Update (2006-12-11) After that, just follow the guide to Upgrading Debian on the Linksys NSLU2. When you get to the step, "You need to obtain Intel's proprietary NPE-B microcode so built-in Ethernet will work.", follow the procedure documented below in the next few paragraphs.

Important: The following details a method for obtaining the NPE-B microcode, which is needed for the ethernet driver in 2.6.18. The procedure is not tested yet, but apart from building the microcode from the source, it is the only documented legal procedure at the moment.

Upgrade from debian-installer beta2

If you are already running Debian/NSLU2 as installed by debian-installer beta2, you can upgrade to the latest version following the guide for Upgrading Debian on the NSLU2. Please note that this manual procedure is necessary due to changes in the way the kernel is loaded at boot time.

Upgrade from manual bootstrap to testing ("etch")

If you have previously installed SlugOS/LE (formerly know as DebianSlug) using the manual bootstrap procedure with Debian testing ("etch") and your root partition is /dev/sda1, you can upgrade to Debian/NSLU2 according to this message from the mailing list. To do this, first create the file /etc/kernel-img.conf with the following contents:

do_symlinks = yes relative_links = yes do_bootloader = no do_bootfloppy = no do_initrd = yes link_in_boot = yes

Need to make sure that the procedure referenced here is not out of date now that 2.6.18 has migrated to testing. After that, just follow the guide to Upgrading Debian on the Linksys NSLU2.

Important note: The following details a method for obtaining the NPE-B microcode, which is needed for the ethernet driver in 2.6.18. The procedure is not tested yet, but apart from building the microcode from the source, it is the only documented legal procedure at the moment.

Download the debian-installer image from slug-firmware.net and unpack the image using slugimage.

apt-get install slugimage slugimage -u -i di-nslu2.bin

Endian swap the initramfs (ramdisk.gz).

apt-get install devio devio '<< ramdisk.gz; xp $ 4' > ramdisk-swap.gz

Unpack the initramfs into a directory e.g. initrd.

mkdir initrd; cd initrd zcat ../ramdisk-swap.gz | cpio -i

The NPE microcode firmware will be in the initrd directory. It is called NPE-B.01000201. Copy this file to /lib/firmware on the slug, and then create a symbolic link in /lib/firmware called NPE-B which points to NPE-B.01000201.

[s]cp NPE-B.01000201 [user@hostname:]/lib/firmware/ [ssh user@hostname] cd /lib/firmware; sudo ln -s NPE-B.01000201 NPE-B

Important note: This procedure is not tested yet, but it is the only legal procedure at the moment. The following procedures will be invalid soon!

Download the debian-installer image from slug-firmware.net and unpack the image using slugimage.

apt-get install slugimage slugimage -u -i di-nslu2.bin

Endian swap the initramfs (ramdisk.gz).

apt-get install devio devio '<< ramdisk.gz; xp $ 4' > ramdisk-swap.gz

Unpack the initramfs into a directory e.g. initrd.

mkdir initrd; cd initrd
zcat ../ramdisk-swap.gz | cpio -i

The NPE microcode firmware will be in the initrd directory. It is called NPE-B.01000201. Copy this file to /lib/firmware on the slug, and then create a symbolic link in /lib/firmware called NPE-B which points to NPE-B.01000201. (:table border=0 width=80% bgcolor=#eeffee:) (:cell:)

[s]cp NPE-B.01000201 [user@hostname:]/lib/firmware/
[ssh user@hostname]
cd /lib/firmware; sudo ln -s NPE-B.01000201 NPE-B

(:tableend:)

Upgrade from debian-installer beta2

If you are already running Debian/NSLU2 as installed by debian-installer beta2, you can upgrade to the latest version following the guide for Upgrading Debian on the NSLU2. Please note that this manual procedure is necessary due to changes in the way the kernel is loaded at boot time.

Upgrade from manual bootstrap to testing ("etch")

If you have previously installed SlugOS/LE (formerly know as DebianSlug) using the manual bootstrap procedure with Debian testing ("etch") and your root partition is /dev/sda1, you can upgrade to Debian/NSLU2 according to this message from the mailing list. To do this, first create the file /etc/kernel-img.conf with the following contents:

(:table border=0 width=80% bgcolor=#eeffee:) (:cell:)

do_symlinks = yes
relative_links = yes
do_bootloader = no
do_bootfloppy = no
do_initrd = yes
link_in_boot = yes

(:tableend:)

After that, just follow the guide to Upgrading Debian on the Linksys NSLU2.

Upgrade from manual bootstrap to unstable ("sid")

If you have previously bootstraped your NSLU2 to Debian unstable ("sid"), you will have to adjust your /etc/apt/sources.list file in order to install the correct packages for kernel 2.6.17. Before you start the upgrade procedure, add a line to /etc/apt/sources.list for testing (remember to use your favorite Debian mirror): (:table border=0 width=80% bgcolor=#eeffee:) (:cell:)

deb http://ftp.XX.debian.org/debian testing main non-free contrib

(:tableend:)

Now follow the same steps mentioned above for etch: create the /etc/kernel-img.conf and follow the upgrade guide. However, during the upgrade procedure, at the point you have to install the kernel packages, use this command to get the correct packages for kernel 2.6.17: (:table border=0 width=80% bgcolor=#eeffee:) (:cell:) apt-get -t testing install linux-image-2.6-ixp4xx linux-image-2.6.17-2-ixp4xx (:tableend:)

1. Download the debian-installer image from slug-firmware.net
2. Unpack the image using slugimage (available via apt)
3. devio '<< ramdisk.gz; xp $ 4' > ramdisk-swap.gz. (devio available via apt)
4. mkdir initrd; cd initrd
5. su -c 'zcat ../ramdisk-swap.gz | cpio -i'. the su is not really necessary - it just keeps the files owned by root, but since you won't be modifying the initramfs, it isn't a problem if they are not owned by root
6. cp NPE-B.01000201 /lib/firmware/
7. cd /lib/firmware; ln -s NPE-B.01000201 NPE-B

1. Download the debian-installer image from slug-firmware.net 2. Unpack the image using slugimage (available via apt) 3. devio '<< ramdisk.gz; xp $ 4' > ramdisk-swap.gz. (devio available via apt) 4. mkdir initrd; cd initrd 5. su -c 'zcat ../ramdisk-swap.gz | cpio -i'. the su is not really necessary - it just keeps the files owned by root, but since you won't be modifying the initramfs, it isn't a problem if they are not owned by root 6. cp NPE-B.01000201 /lib/firmware/ 7. cd /lib/firmware; ln -s NPE-B.01000201 NPE-B

Thanks to dumfrac at #nslu2-linux (freenode).

Important note: This procedure is not tested yet, but it is the only legal procedure at the moment. The following procedures will be invalid soon!

If you want to free up some space in your internal flash, see NoInitramfs.

Please note that the NSLU2 will not keep time with the RC1 release of the Debian Installer because this version of the installer uses the 2.6.17 kernel. The problem has been fixed in 2.6.18, which currently (as of 2006.11.28) has not transitioned from unstable to testing. To temporarily fix the problem, use tickadj to set the kernel ticks to 10101. You need to do this every time the NSLU2 is turned on. This problem has been reported many times on the nslu2-linux mailing list. Please try to resist the urge to report it again.

Please note that the NSLU2 will not keep time with the RC1 release of the Debian Installer because this version of the installer uses the 2.6.17 kernel. The problem has been fixed in 2.6.18, which currently (as of 2006.11.28) has not transitioned from unstable to testing. This problem has been reported many times on the nslu2-linux mailing list. Please try to resist the urge to report it again.

Please note that the NSLU2 will not keep time with the Debian Installer RC1? as this version of the installer uses the 2.6.17 kernel. The problem has been fixed in 2.6.18, which currently (as of 2006.11.28) has not transitioned from unstable to testing. This problem has been reported many times on the nslu2-linux mailing list. Please try to resist the urge to report it again.

See http://www.us.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/errata for current known issues (not NSLU2-specific). In particular, note the first point: if you have more than one disk or flash storage device attached to your NSLU2 you are likely to run into trouble. This is a priority for the next release, so if you have multiple disks you might want to wait for a bit. If you can't wait, see MountDisksByLabel for one solution.

• Links to more documentation

Links to more Debian/NSLU2 documentation

To learn how to build a Debian/NSLU2 image, see BuildImage.

See ChangeKernelCommandLine for how to change the command line passed to the kernel by the second-stage bootloader, APEX, in a Debian/NSLU2 system.

See http://www.us.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/errata for current known issues (not NSLU2-specific). In particular, note the first point: if you have more than one disk or flash storage device attached to your NSLU2 you are likely to run into trouble. This is a priority for the next release, so if you have multiple disks you might want to wait for a bit.

See BuildImage.

Building a Debian/NSLU2 image

+ Install Debian etch on a desktop machine

• Building a Debian/NSLU2 image

Building a NSLU2 image

Also available is Big Endian DebianSlug (known as OpenDebianSlug?, because it uses the big-endian OpenSlug binary image). Since Debian does not provide big endian ARM as a supported Debian architecture, OpenDebianSlug? makes use of the unofficial armeb port of Debian. Currently, only parts of debian sarge and sid are available.

If you have previously installed SlugOS/LE (formerly know as DebianSlug) using the manual bootstrap procedure with Debian testing ("etch") and your root partition is /dev/sda1, you can upgrade to Debian/NSLU2 according to this message from the mailing list. To do this, first create the file /etc/kernel-img.conf with the following contents:

If you have previously installed SlugOS/LE (formerly know as DebianSlug) using the manual bootstrap procedure with Debian testing ("etch") and your root partition is /dev/sda1, you can upgrade to Debian/NSLU2 according to [http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/nslu2-linux/message/15925|this message]] from the mailing list. To do this, first create the file /etc/kernel-img.conf with the following contents:

If you have previously bootstraped your NSLU2 to Debian unstable ("sid"), you will have to adjust your /etc/apt/sources.list file in order to install the correct packages for kernel 2.6.17. Before you start the upgrade procedure, add a line to /etc/apt/sources.list for testing (remember to use your favorite Debian mirror):

deb http://ftp.XX.debian.org/debian testing main non-free contrib

See http://www.us.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/errata for current known issues, not NSLU2-specific.

Upgrade from debian-installer beta2

Upgrade from manual bootstrap to testing ("etch")

Upgrade from manual bootstrap to unstable ("sid")

If you have previously bootstraped your NSLU2 to unstable ("sid"), you will have to adjust your /etc/apt/sources.list file in order to install the correct packages for kernel 2.6.17. Before you start the upgrade procedure, add a line to /etc/apt/sources.list for testing (remember to use your favorite Debian mirror): (:table border=0 width=80% bgcolor=#eeffee:) (:cell:) deb http://ftp.XX.debian.org/debian testing main non-free contrib (:tableend:)

Now follow the same steps mentioned above for etch: create the /etc/kernel-img.conf and follow the upgrade guide. However, during the upgrade procedure, at the point you have to install the kernel packages, use this command to get the correct packages for kernel 2.6.17: (:table border=0 width=80% bgcolor=#eeffee:) (:cell:) apt-get -t testing install linux-image-2.6-ixp4xx linux-image-2.6.17-2-ixp4xx (:tableend:)

See http://www.us.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/errata for current known issues, not NSLU2-specific.

Contents

• What is Debian/NSLU2?
• Goals
• State of the project
• Installation instructions
• Upgrade from previous versions
• Other solutions

Goals

The goal is to add full support for the NSLU2 and similar devices into the official Linux kernel and the Debian GNU/Linux distribution, so users can benefit of the full Debian package repository and also have slug-specific packages and patches for hardware devices such as the built-in Ethernet port, LEDs, etc.

Debian fully supports the NSLU2 using the debian-installer (this is the setup known as Debian/NSLU2). This was first supported with the beta2 installer for etch but support got broken with beta3 because of an incompatibility between the proprietary Ethernet module and the Debian kernel. This has been fixed as of debian-installer rc1 which supports the NSLU2 again. Please visit http://www.cyrius.com/debian/nslu2/. This is the current recommended way to install Debian on a slug.

Installation instructions

Instructions to set up Debian/NSLU2 are available at Debian on NSLU2.

Upgrade from previous versions

If you are already running Debian/NSLU2 as installed by debian-installer beta2, you can upgrade to the latest version following the guide for Upgrading Debian on the NSLU2. Please note that this manual procedure is necessary due to changes in the way the kernel is loaded at boot time.

If you have previously installed SlugOS/LE (formerly know as DebianSlug) using the manual bootstrap procedure and your root partition is /dev/sda1, you can upgrade to Debian/NSLU2 according to this message from the mailing list. To do this, first create the file /etc/kernel-img.conf with the following contents:

(:table border=0 width=80% bgcolor=#eeffee:) (:cell:)

do_symlinks = yes
relative_links = yes
do_bootloader = no
do_bootfloppy = no
do_initrd = yes
link_in_boot = yes
postinst_hook = flash-kernel

(:tableend:)

After that, just follow the guide to Upgrading Debian on the Linksys NSLU2.

Other Solutions

The old solution to run Debian packages in the NSLU2 is SlugOS/LE, previously known as DebianSlug. This solution uses the SlugOS kernel in little-endian mode, in a way that is compatible with the Debian arm distribution. This setup requires a manual bootstrap procedure and is no longer the recommended solution to run Debian in the slug.

Also available is Big Endian DebianSlug (known as OpenDebianSlug?, because it uses the big-endian OpenSlug binary image). Since Debian does not provide big endian ARM as a supported Debian architecture, OpenDebianSlug? makes use of the unofficial armeb port of Debian. Currently, only parts debian sarge and sid are available.

Debian fully supports the NSLU2 using the debian-installer (this is the setup known as Debian/NSLU2). This was first supported with the beta2 installer for etch but support got broken with beta3 because of an incompatibility between the proprietary Ethernet module and the Debian kernel. This has been fixed as of debian-installer rc1 which supports the NSLU2 again. Please visit http://www.cyrius.com/debian/nslu2. This is the current recommended way to install Debian on a slug.

What is Debian/NSLU2?

Debian/NSLU2 is the name given to the official Debian distribution for ARM that runs on the NSLU2, thanks to the efforts of the nslu2-linux developers to get the necessary kernel patches and utilities accepted upstream by the kernel maintainers and by the Debian Project.

State of the project

Debian fully supports the NSLU2 using debian-installer (this is the setup known as Debian/NSLU2). This was first supported with beta2 but support got broken as of beta3 because of an incompatibility between the proprietary Ethernet module and the Debian kernel. This has been fixed as of debian-installer rc1 which supports the NSLU2 again. Please visit http://www.cyrius.com/debian/nslu2. This is the current recommended way to install Debian on a slug.