How to put embedded Nas4Free on CF card through W7 PC?

[jistme]

I would think I've a quite common setup here, but after lots of efforts and searching I am now at the point I think I am either some kind of stupid idiot, or else documentation and information on this is very seriously lacking.

I have a server that has been running FreeNAS perfectly for a while, running FreeNAS from a CF card from a CF to ide convertor. (it has no cd-rom)
To my current regret I decided to erase the CF card, and try to install Nas4Free on it, thinking that would be not to difficult or with much risk.

My guess was that I could just download the embedded version of NAS4free on my Windows 7 PC, put the CF card in the CF card reader, and just copy the file on it.
Wow, bad estimation.

The downloaded img file seems not to be ready for this sort of use.
After some searching and googling it seems I should use a program called physdiskwrite to accomplish this.
Running this however (yes, adminstrator's rights) it will run, saying 'completed' but the CF card remains empty.

Somewhere else I read you'll have to extract the embedded .img file first. Doing this through 7zip results in a file without an extension.
Using that with physdiskwrite also results in an empty CF card.

Just copying the the file-without-an-extension to the CF card gives "Invalid MS-Dos function"

I'm sure I am missing something obvious here, but at the moment I feel there is some serious lack of availability of clear info or tutorial on this matter?

TIA, jistme

[armandh]

this works for me

find a desktop that is 32 or 64 bit as is the target NAS hardware
most 64 will do the 32
boot the NAS4Free embedded disk [burned from the .iso file]
install to the boot medium
UNPLUG OR BE EXCEPTIONALLY CAREFUL NOT TO WIPE THE C:\ OR ANY INCORRECT DRIVE

but I have also used the electronics from a USB PATA drive case and a spare optical drive
to do the target hardware directly if it boots usb
or let an optical drive hang out the side while I load a PATA flash

I prefer to load the OS to the boot medium with the live disk as it is, to me, the most sure

[jistme]

Thnx armandh,

I assume 32/64 bits might be the culprit why it is not working here.
So I understand now that my assumption that it was easy (and intended) to just copy some files to the cf card and then put it in the NAS is wrong.

I'll follow your advice, and try to borrow an optical drive to install embedded to cf card on a 'live' system.

[al562]

Hi Jistme,

Sorry you are having difficulties.

So I understand now that my assumption that it was easy (and intended) to just copy some files to the cf card and then put it in the NAS is wrong.

No, it is correct, it is either something odd/incompatible about your hardware or your execution that is faulty.

To my current regret I decided to erase the CF card, and try to install Nas4Free on it, thinking that would be not to difficult or with much risk.

We recommend you follow the process from Q: How can I upgrade my NAS4Free OS ?. It is very easy to backup or clone a CF drive as shown in Q: How do I upgrade/replace/clone my USB Flash drive/CF card running Embedded platform?. It was not necessary to overwrite your CF, you could have used almost any media and had a way to recover your original system.

I assume 32/64 bits might be the culprit why it is not working here.

Naturally, the file you download and copy to your CF should match the hardware you intend to run it on.

How did you get your original OS on the CF? It should work exactly the same way for NAS4Free. If you did it once I am not sure why the process you used originally fails now. The instructions you've read on using physdiskwrite have not changed substantially in years.

I'm sure I am missing something obvious here, but at the moment I feel there is some serious lack of availability of clear info or tutorial on this matter?

I don't know, I think the HOWTO's we have in the forum are pretty good, there are also plenty of other tutorials on the Internet. If you find something is incorrect or missing either here or in the wiki, please let me know so we can update/improve the documentation.

Regards,
Al

[jistme]

Thnx al562,
Great support and interest!

I have had running FreeNAS for a many years already. For as far I can recall in the beginning I used cd-rom, and at a later time a tool to extract to CF.
This was quite a while ago, and I had several changes in hardware and OS, so that's different.
Also in those days I had more fun in exploring, troubleshooting, and trying over and over again. Currently I'm probably a little less patient and persevering with this stuff. Also threw out most of my of older hardware (and optical drives...) which I used for experimenting.
Also English is not my native, making it sometimes a little more complicated to really understand all terminologies and advices given. So you'll often assume you understand things correctly, and later on find you got it quite wrong or just misread.

Thnx again for the concerns and reply, I'll borrow an optical drive, and if you don't here from me again soon consider it solved.

[al562]

Yes, with all the original hardware gone it can be difficult, I know.

Currently I'm probably a little less patient and persevering with this stuff.

Aren't we all??

English is not my native language either, don't feel bad, you are doing good.

If you need more help, just ask.

Best of luck,
Al

[armandh]

you are correct that a simple copy "drag n drop" will NOT correctly install the OS to the flash or drive
there is 3rd party software that will burn an image on to the boot medium correctly
I only use the live NAS4Free disk to do it so I can not offer help with that other method.

I prefer the live disk method because it first demonstrates the hardware will boot the OS
BUT when setting up my Dell "cold stand by" after installing the OS to the PATA flash
I had to then remove the PATA optical disk drive
and move the flash to the primary PATA line as the secondary would not boot.
the secondary was then used for the two 320Gb PATA drives.

booting is always best as the MOBO was intended to operate
IMHO some early USB booting was grafted to the bios
with less than stellar results. newer hardware seems A-OK

[jistme]

I don't know, I think the HOWTO's we have in the forum are pretty good, there are also plenty of other tutorials on the Internet. If you find something is incorrect or missing either here or in the wiki, please let me know so we can update/improve the documentation.
Regards,
Al

Back again...
I used a CD-rom to install, and I'm a happy camper again. Nas4Free is running beautifully.
(only hoping someday for a Logitech Media Server addon...)


Reading back where I went wrong with my previous assumptions it would be easy to extract the image to a cf card, maybe there could be a little extra explanation/warning about physdiskwrite, and the importance of matching 32/64bits images and used OS on this page? :
http://wiki.nas4free.org/doku.php?id=faq:0037

Cheers!

[al562]

Hi Jistme,

I've made some changes to the FAQ, hopefully it's better.
Thanks,
Al

[jistme]

Great, thnx again.

[fsbruva]

(only hoping someday for a Logitech Media Server addon...)

I am working on it!!!

[jistme]

(only hoping someday for a Logitech Media Server addon...)

I am working on it!!!

I know
(stop wasting your precious time on reading these other topics