Persistence Question - How is my ethernet still working ?

[MTCAT]

Hi everyone,

With a ton of help from Rich and curaga, I was able to get ethernet working and install a driver for an analog-digital-converter on TinyCore3 (2.6.33.3).

I'm now taking "baby-steps" towards automating the module insertion so I don't have to download all the packages every time (pciutlis.tcz, coreutils.tcz, compiletc, linux-headers-2.6.33.3-tinycore.tcz,, perl5, bash, etc., etc.)

I have a question regarding my ethernet though, it works fine every time I boot up, w/o me having to do anything, but, I'm not sure how this is working.....

The first thing Rich instructed me to do after we got the ethernet going was to look for a file in /opt called "bootlocal.sh", and in it there should be a line like "/opt/eth0.sh".

However, my bootlocal.sh file is completely empty, except for two comments.

#!/bin/sh
#put other system startup commands here

And there's no "eth0.sh" file in /opt either.

When Rich and I setup the ethernet, we "copied" the settings from Lubuntu which was 10.0.0.40 for my TinyCore SBC, and my router (Gateway) is 10.0.0.1, and applied these settings in the "Network" app, with "save configuration" marked as "yes", awesome, it worked.

But now, after many on-off cycles, my ethernet still works (great !), but it seems that TinyCOre is using a different IP address every time, it's almost as though dhcp is unknowingly running (even though it's turned off in Network app), for example, right now, ifconfig -a reveals an IP address of 10.0.0.151 for the VortexDX3 SBC ?

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to make sense of how things are retained/lost on boot/re-boot cycles..

Thanks,

David

[Rich]

Hi MTCAT
When you shut down, you are supposed to use the  Exit  icon (all the way to the left). When the  Exit  app comes
up,  Backup Options  should be set to  Backup.  That will backup your  /opt  and  /home  directories so changes don't
get lost.

If you haven't already, I highly recommend you read the book found here:
http://tinycorelinux.net/book.html

[MTCAT]

Hi Rich,

Thanks, I haven't been using the "Backup" option yet when I shut down, yet somehow/someway, my ethernet is still working !

Maybe I'll set it back to what we had before with the Network App, and then do the backup when I shut down.

Right now I don't have any .filetool.lst in /opt either.

Are you able to comment on this; this sounds really easy but I don't have a "Set" button in my Apps, is that because I'm using an old version of TinyCore ?

"In Appbrowser, simply use the Set button to tell tcl where you want to store your stuff, and automatically all your stuff becomes persistent."

"When you use Appbrowser to download extensions, the target location for downloaded extensions is shown in the Appbrowser's status bar, bottom right. When that location is the /tmp/tce/optional directory, there is also a Set button available, so that you can easily select a persistent location. When you specify a location for a /tce directory on a storage medium, then that directory will be created there (if it doesn't already exist) and all extensions will be stored there permanently, in a subdirectory called /tce/optional, instead of in the volatile /tmp/tce/optional. "

[Rich]

Hi MTCAT
I want you to download the  TCscan.sh  script attached here:
http://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php/topic,23936.msg150689.html#msg150689

Then:

Code: [Select]

chmod 775 TCscan.sh
./TCscan.sh
When it finishes, it will print  Results written to TCscanDATETIME.txt.  Attach that file to your next post.

[MTCAT]

Hi Rich,

I copied the script into the / directory, hopefully that's okay to run it from there ?

I had to go super-user though for the following;

sudo chmod 775 TCscan.sh
sudo ./TCscan.sh

Hopefully that's okay ?, here's the .txt file.

After running chmod (to change permissions ?) I ran just "./TCscan.sh" and I got a bunch of errors, couldn't write out the file I think, so I ran "sudo ./TCscan.sh" and that seemed to work.

Hope that doesn't mess up the test.

Thanks,

David

[MTCAT]

Hi Rich,

I notice that the .txt file I attached to previous post didn't have a lot of information in it, I re-looked in the directory where I ran the script and found a identically named file, except with a ".tmp" extension, attached that here, has a lot of information in it, hopefully this is what you were looking for.

Thanks,

David

[Rich]

Hi MTCAT

... I copied the script into the / directory, hopefully that's okay to run it from there ? ...

No, you should have copied it to  /home/tc.  You don't use  sudo  for any of the steps.

... Right now I don't have any .filetool.lst in /opt either. ...

Sure you do. File names and directory names that begin with a period are hidden. Try this:

Code: [Select]

ls -la /opt
You do appear to be missing your  /opt/bootsync.sh  file. The last line in that file launches  /opt/bootlocal.sh.

Click on the  Control Panel  icon at the bottom of the screen. Then click the  Mount Tool  button. When the  Mount Tool
comes up, click each of the  sdaX  buttons. Provide me with a list of which  sdaX  buttons are present and which ones
did not turn green.
Then run  TCscan.sh  again (from  /home/tc/).
Then click any buttons you turned green so they turn red again.
Post the new  TCscanDATETIME.txt  file.

[MTCAT]

Hi Rich,

Sorry for the delay, I was having problems posting this morning....

Oh, hidden files, okay, thanks, the files are indeed there, as you said they would be, when using "ls -la"

I followed your instructions and mounted "sda5" (128 GByte CF-card I think), "sdb1" (16 GByte pen drive I boot from), "sdb3" (not sure), "sdb4" (not sure).

I ran ./TSscan.sh in my ~ directory and attached the results here.

[Rich]

Hi MTCAT
It doesn't look like you actually installed Tinycore.  So how exactly are you booting Tinycore.

Are you booting the  .iso  file?
Did you use some 3rd party installer?
What bootloader are you using?

[MTCAT]

Hi Rich,

How embarrassing, I downloaded the ISO file from your "Downloads" section and then I used "YUMI" to copy the iso file onto a USB stick, when I power up my little board, I'm given the choice of a bunch of different distro's from which I can choose Tinycore_3. I'm not sure what bootloader is being used, I do have a choice on booting up TinyCore3 to enter boot options (F2 or F3), or just hit enter to continue on with defaults.

Sorry for the "drama", seems I did something oddball right from the "get-go".

Thanks,

David

[PDP-8]

@MTCAT - I suggest a simplification because further support is aggravated by the use of not only 3rd-party burners, but ALSO because of non-standard directory structures that "multi-booters" like YUMI provide.  And YUMI-UEFI also munges the boot directory config lines, which can catch unaware users off-guard just so you know.

Ie, if you use YUMI, or most any other "multibooter", which changes or adds unknown directory structures, and adds mistakes to configurations, you own it.  Ie, it is best to already be familiar with how TC works in the first place to make the most use of it - and to be able to correct glaring mistakes in YUMI itself.  Even as a YUMI user myself, I do NOT recommend it's use for those new to TC.

Simplification plan:
Generally, working with TC is best done as a *two part* process for the new user.

1) Get a downloadable iso to boot.  Ok, you've done it already despite my warnings.   (You could have also used the DD command from your other linux install too) These iso's are meant for actual read-only CD's, or read-only sticks emulating cd's, providing no inherent persistence by themselves.

2) Then use TC itself to download and install temporarily the TC-Install gui and make *another* bootable stick from that.  This new burn using TC tools, rather than 3rd party burners or multibooters, easily provides the persistence and makes the necessary changes to the cd type of iso operation that often trips up the new user.

Can one handle only using the 1st step with 3rd party stuff and do persistence their own way?

Yes, but usually that is after one has already become familiar with how TC works in the first place, but then you wouldn't be asking questions.

It's just a matter of support of us all being on the same page together.

[MTCAT]

Hi PDP-8,

Thanks for the advice, I will try that tomorrow, I'm really stumbling through this so I'm very happy to have the help of this forum. My next steps are to figure out "persistence" (installing my own packages I think - for my ADC driver), or, I was thinking, perhaps just install TC3 onto my CF-card (my hard-drive as it were) directly. But anyway, would be good to set things straight first with a proper installation/starting point.

I've enjoyed my "play time" with TinyCore3 (2.6.33.3), but, would you be able to offer an opinion as to whether or not you think it would be advantageous to use a newer kernel, what would I gain basically ? I tend to resist doing "updates" if I don't need too, it looks like TinyCore3 will do everything I need, so I'm not sure....

Thanks,

David

[Rich]

Hi MTCAT
I recommend doing a proper install so you can have a persistent /home and /opt directory, as well as a  tce  directory
for storing extensions so you don't need to keep re-downloading them.

I suggest installing to a USB thumb drive.

I'm guessing you want to stick with TC3. Then you might as well use the latest which was 3.8.4:
http://tinycorelinux.net/3.x/release/tinycore_3.8.4.iso

Boot up your current TC3.

Follow the instructions in the attached file.

When you finished, try to boot the thumb drive. When it comes up, copy TCscan.sh to the home directory.
Click the  Control Panel  icon and select  Backup/Restore.  Select  Action:Backup  and click  Go.
Then run  TCscan.sh  and attach the results.

[curaga]

If that kernel version supports the hw you want to use, and it's not acting as an internet server for example or otherwise exposed, there is little point in upgrading to newer versions.

[MTCAT]

Thanks everyone, I'll give that a try here this morning !