installing Oracle "Java SE for Embedded" on a Synology NAS

• http://missilehugger.com/203/

I think, I will use his description for setting up Java on my Synology NAS (resp. NASs), so that I can run the Hibiscus Server (implemented in Java) on them. My NAS at home has plenty of Internet bandwith available, so that I can get my bank account transactions updated over the Internet quite often each day.

Oracle's description on "Oracle Java SE Embedded Downloads":

• http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/embedded/downloads/javase/index.html

For the DS112+ I chose the "ARMv5 Linux" entry "successfully". The ARMv6/7 and ARMv7 entries did not run at all. 

For the DS213+ I chose the "Power Architecture Linux - … - e500v2" entry "successfully".

Synology DSM 3rd party packages – this list does not show the platforms the packages are available on

http://www.synology.com/dsm/dsm_app.php?lang=enu#dsm_app_content_tabs_by_3rd_party
E.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zarafa_(software) is only available on ARM and x86 based platforms, and the list doesn't say that.

Synology® Releases Its Latest 2-Bay High Performance NAS for Small Business – The DS214+

• http://originwww.synology.com/support/news.php?lang=us&news_id=421
• http://originwww.synology.com/support/news.php?lang=enu&news_id=419
• the DS214+ is faster CPUwise and has double the memory of the DS213+, but it also seems to get sold cheaper – I certainly wouldn't need the 2nd Gigabit LAN plug, but then …
• the DS214+ is my new 2-bay NAS favourite

"Synology unleashes its most affordable 2-bay NAS ever, the DS214se for $160" says 9to5toys

• http://9to5toys.com/2013/11/05/synology-unleashes-its-most-affordable-2-bay-nas-ever-the-ds214se-for-160/
• http://www.synology.com/products/spec.php?product_name=DS214se&lang=enu
• http://www.synology.com/products/spec.php?product_name=DS213%2B&lang=enu

You may want to compare the specs of the DS213+ and the DS214se. I still quite like to own the DS213+.

VirtualBox vs iSCSI

• Richard Horwood on "Virtualbox, iSCSI targets and teleport" (2010) (somebody mentions there, that addiscsidisk got replaced and explains how)
• Johannes Schlüter on "iSCSI devices in VirtualBox" (2010)
• http://www.synology.com/us/solutions/iSCSI/

iSCSI supposes Gigabit LAN, so that's a good reason to replace my last non-Gigabit FRITZ!Box by a Gigabit one.

Somebody will get my last FRITZ!Box 7270 (non-Gigabit), and I will get me a new FRITZ!Box 7490.

running more than 1 blog from one WordPress site …

First I tried to employ WordPress on my Synology NAS for that, but that does not look trivial at the 2nd look.

• http://wordpress.org/tags/multiblog – "WordPress › Support » Tags — multiblog"
• http://wordpress.org/tags/multisite – …
• http://codex.wordpress.org/Create_A_Network – looks like a nice description of how to proceed to "create a network of sites"

Actually … – at the link(s) above they show an RSS feed link for a specific tag – maybe that's good enough for my purposes – maybe not.

My WordPress installation on my NAS:

• Before I start fiddling in the way described for multi-site WordPress installations (patching various PHP files), I am tempted to upgrade to the very latest WordPress release available.
• But of course with Synology DSM, you are a little restricted …
• …

Looks like this is not my last and successful attempt to get going with WordPress.

Facit: It works for simple purposes, but in my situation (blogging at least separately in English and in German) it's not yet for me. With blogger.com it's rather easy to have separate blogs. And if you are cautious enough, particular ones can really be considered as anonymous.

Update …:
I assume, I have more flexibility, if I install WordPress on my web space at shuttle.de rather than on my NAS. It's Debian there.

Update 2013-12-25:

• http://codex.wordpress.org/Create_A_Network
• http://codex.wordpress.org/User:Beltranrubo/BitNami_Multisite – their installer requires to be run as root, that does not work for me on the site, where I intended to make use of it

I am not sure, whether I will go for a "sub-domains" (AKA domain-based) or for "sub-directories" (AKA path-based).

I am using "sub-domains" with blogger.com so far, but certainly only because there was no other option.

I assume, "sub-directory" will cause not as much Apache fiddling. Just "jochen.hayek.name/blog-en" and "jochen.hayek.name/blog-de" and so forth to be set up (more or less) separately …

Update 2013-12-25:

• http://codex.wordpress.org/Create_A_Network
• unpack the tar.gz into subdirectory wordpress
• add the line mentioning WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE as descibed within "Create A Network"
• visit the readme.html of my wordpress subdirectory in a browser and do as described there

FAQ: what USB speakers and DACs do Synology products support?

• http://www.synology.com/support/faq_show.php?q_id=392&lang=enu – Synology Knowledge Base: "What USB speakers and DACs does Synology product support?" (bad English)
• http://forum.synology.com/wiki/index.php/User_Reported_Compatible_USB_Speakers – strange wiki, you cannot get a user account there
• http://www.conrad.de/ce/de/product/872300/USB-20-Headset-Adapter – works with my DS213+ under DSM 4.3 – costs just € 10

DVB-C (and DVB-T2/-T) for my Synolgy NAS "diskstations"

• www.heise.de/ct/13/22/links/118.shtml – in German: "Netzwerkspeicher als TV-Server und -Empfänger"

It needs the following software:

• http://dvblogic.com/en/software/synology/
• http://dvblogic.com/en/software/synology-arm-marvel-kirkwood/ – DS112+ (???)
• http://dvblogic.com/en/software/synology-powerpc/ – DS213+

These two mentioned diskstations are compatible with these two DVB-C USB connectable devices:

• http://www.tbsdtv.com/products/tbs-dvb-c-usb-stick.html : TBS USB DVB-C TV Stick
• https://www.tbs-technology.de/shop/product_info.php?products_id=21 for about € 60+5
• at amazon.de [link] for about € 63+5
• at geizhals.net [no link currently]

• http://www.tbsdtv.com/products/tbs5680-dvb-c-tv-tuner-ci-usb.html : TBS5680 DVB-C TV Tuner CI USB
• https://www.tbs-technology.de/shop/product_info.php?products_id=20 for about € 89+5
• at amazon.de [no link currently]
• at geizhals.net [link] for about € 95+…

This DVB-T2 /-T/-C USB connectable device would be my favourite, if it were supported by dvblogic for the NAS-s mentioned above and also for the Raspberry Pi:

• https://www.tbs-technology.de/shop/product_info.php?products_id=34

my new UPS: APC BE700G-GR

• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uninterruptible_power_supply
• de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unterbrechungsfreie_Stromversorgung
• www.apc.com/products/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=BE700G-GR
• www.conrad.de/ce/de/product/973577/APC-Back-UPS-BE700G-USV-700-VA – I purchased it in their Berlin-Schöneberg store [link]

• Now my Synology DS213+ (NAS) gets its power from the UPS, and the UPS also controls USB-wise, when the NAS goes to "Safe Mode". For the USB-connected NAS, this is "local UPS support". This Synology device is now the "Synology UPS server", that controls, the remaining Synology DiskStations powered by the UPS.
• My Synology DS112+ (NAS) uses the DS213+ as "Synology UPS server".

It feels well, to have your NAS-s powered by your UPS.

the "vi" built into busybox-1.16.1 on my Synology DiskStation DS213+ just fooled me

I was trying to find an occurrence of /lib/cpp in a log file, and I wanted to avoid using '/' in a regexp, so I tried 'lib.' instead. But that didn't match the obvious occurrence. I executed a ":set magic"; the command got accepted, but that still didn't change its behaviour. Installed VIM, tried the same, and everything worked as expected. Still a little frustrating. It looked like I am loosing even my basic VI competence.

Expecting Sven G.'s "like it" on FB…

(cross) development toolchain for the Synology DiskStations (DS213+, DS112+, …) – which CPUs do they use?

The gcc supplied by ipkg (for this model) is an ancient 3.4.6, apparently so outdated, that you cannot configure and compile "current" sources, at least neither a current rsync nor a current gcc.

I guess I should go for Synology's own toolchain for the DS213+. Where do they supply that? At www.synology.com > Support > Developers > "Request GPL Source" they point you to sourceforge.net/projects/dsgpl/. Looks like EnvDeploy inside that tarball is the starting point.

According to the "Synology NAS Server 3rd-Party Apps Integration Guide.pdf"

• the DS213+ has a "Freescale QorIQ P1022"; /proc/cpuinfo calls the CPU an e500v2, that's a kind of PowerPC; the toolchain set-up scripts calls it "qoriq";
• and the DS112+ has a "Marvell 6281" or a "Marvell 6282"; /proc/cpuinfo calls the CPU a "Feroceon 88FR131 rev 1 (v5l)", that's an ARM processor; the toolchain set-up script calls it "6281";

To be continued …

modding Synology DiskStations: Ernst Martin Witte on optware/ipkg

Ernst Martin Witte's Homepage - Optware/ipkg (hopefully) right on Synology DS213+ with DSM 4.2

Maybe it has valuable hints for more difficult compilation issues.

the IPKG optware development toolchain for Synology DiskStations

http://forum.synology.com/wiki/index.php/Overview_on_modifying_the_Synology_Server,_bootstrap,_ipkg_etc

Recently I found IPKG actually got abandoned, and the IPKG Perl on one of my Synology DiskStations wasn't really functional at all (some broken dependency on a library to be loaded dynamically).
That really frustrated me for a short period. Now I installed the IPKG optware-devel (compilation toolchain) and esp. gcc. Downloaded rsync sources, proceeded "as usually" with GNU sources, and it simply works. That's phantastic. I have really been worried for quite a while with that restricted Synology provided rsync, and the IPKG rsync didn't really comfort me there, so having "my own" rsync is really a nice thing. Next thing will be compiling my own Perl; and I will even be able to install CPAN modules with C sources, as I even have a C compiler.

Actually I should consider bootstrapping gcc, the GNU C compiler, because gcc-4.2.3 is a little outdated. gcc for my other DiskStation is even older, it's a gcc-3.x. But than those gcc-s create code, that runs on these DiskStations, and not really bad.

Looks like my Synology DiskStations even work well as development systems.

forum.synology.com: Overview on modifying the Synology Server, bootstrap, ipkg etc (modding …)

Overview on modifying the Synology Server, bootstrap, ipkg etc - SynologyWiki

my new "mobile NAS": Synology DS112+

DS112+ Products - Synology Inc. Network Attached Storage

Installation procedure from CD-ROM:

• you are starting with a DiskStation with a bare disk, i.e. no DSM (the DS Management system)
• mount the supplied CD-ROM
• mount DSAssistant-SYNOLOGY_….dmg from the CD-ROM
• run the assistant App from there
• the assistant App helps you installing the DSM, either from a  DSM_DS112+_….pat file (around 40 MB large) on the CD-ROM (it comes with DSM-4.1) or from a file you download from the Synology website (bleeding edge: DSM-4.3)
• that includes formatting the hard disk

Installation procedure following following the quick set up leaflet:

• surf to find.synology.com
• it is meant to discover all reachable Synology DiskStations
• in this situation it does not find the DiskStation in question (running a DSM)
• it points you to DSAssistant-SYNOLOGY_….dmg, to be downloaded from the Synology website
• mount the downloaded DSAssistant-SYNOLOGY_….dmg
• run the assistant App from there
• …

Because I had temporary trouble accessing the supplied CD-ROM, I had to download the DSAssistant…, but I used the DSM-4.1 on the CD-ROM. That decision was unreasonable and done a little too fast, as I seriously intended to operate using DSM-4.3. So in the meantime I downloaded DSM-4.3, and after having set up DSM-4.1 entirely and properly, I set up DSM-4.3.

Further steps:

• setting up a personal user account
• allowing SSH access
• SSH log-in in using the root account
• modifying /etc/passwd to allow shell login for the user accounts in question (the resp. record has a "nologin" instead of a proper shell path)

Further steps:

• I followed the instructions listed in my own "my new NAS (…): Synology DS213+" (taken from somewhere else and my own experience)
• install the ipkg installation system
• install a proper rsync through ipkg; I will have to call this rsync as /opt/bin/rsync from now on
• "standard standard" installation is broken for the DS112+, but the wiki page describes the actual standard procedure including a fix in some bootstrap.sh
• commenting out the standard PATH setting in ~root/.profile and ~MY_ACCOUNT/.profile
• my first personal rsync-s to the DiskStation

NFS mount behind NAT (virtualbox)

NFS mount behind NAT (virtualbox) | The GNULinux Community Portal

The situation and trouble described there is rather similar to my set-up (VirtualBox + NAT + Linux guest), just that my NFS server is a Synology DiskStation.

I added "insecure" to the options of this share, switched off "Enable NFS" on the DiskStation, made sure the option is still there, enabled NFS on the DiskStation again, finally mounted the share again, and it was there – what a surprise!!!

I still have a UID mapping problem with this set-up.

disk back-ups sorted, new scanning computer sorted – happily looking forward

Integrated my "new" Synology NAS into my back-up concept in practice; I can of course back up at home on the LAN, but I can also back up over WAN (which is the more crucial variant) – rsync-wise "of course", i.e. sort of "differentially". And for the time being rsync-ing to my NAS seems to work as well again. I can talk to the NAS Mac-wise ("AFS"), and through SSH / RSYNC / SMB, but I have not accessed it successfully through NFS yet – which would be nice for accessing it from (openSUSE) Linux.

I also manage again backing up to USB disks from my VirtualBox openSUSE guest OS.
But occasionally I install openSUSE updates, and they enforce OS restarts, which I usually delay for far too long, so in the meantime no back ups and no access at all to my "Encrypted Big Disk" outside my computer, where I keep all sorts of long-term data.

I got me a Mac Mini, that stays of course in the office room, and it talks to the printers and the scanner, and of course it talks to the NAS. So I can take, whatever comes in from wherever (I am referring to the letters in my mailbox, that I am supposed to take out on Fridays on my arrivals at home), and take that stuff to my "scanning facility" and get them scanned, move the files to the NAS, so I can pick them up from there from wherever. Even from outside over the WAN. If there's enough time, I can even name the files properly.

All this doesn't really do the work to be done itself, but it facilitates achieving things. It makes me look forward a little happier and more optimistic. I do know now, how to achieve certain things within my rather limited time.

How to access files on Synology NAS NFS-wise ...

How to access files on Synology NAS ... - Synology Inc. Network Attached Storage - NEW NAS Experience

Maybe I will have to play a little with the "Root squashing" next time, I have LAN access to the NAS. Remember: NFS goes over LAN, not WAN (AFAIRC).

my 1st concurrent backups from my Mac and my openSUSE Linux VM to the Synology DS213+

With the "alternative rsync" (see my older article on rsync and Synology!) things started looking a little more successful.

Apparently a lot of files by the name "@eaDir" get created "automagically" in various subdirectories. And as I usually start rsync with "--delete-after", they all get removed in the end. I am not sure, whether the DiskStation OS ("DSM") likes that, so for the time being I will do w/o that command line option. I will investigate the "@eaDir" issue "in the near future" (TBD).

Another issue: lots of messages like "cannot chgrp …". Apparently that's because the group identifier on the source system does not exist on the target system. I definitely don't want to see that message, so something must be done in that area (TBD).

It really is a relief to have a regular backup procedure in place again.

"rsync over ssh" to a Synology NAS – IPKG, opkg

Nota Bene / before:

• This is the text, that helps me personally re-installing rsync, whenever it magically disappears, maybe caused by an DSM update.
• True, I should bring a little structure into this article.
• I never ever care about rsyncd, as I am doing "rsync over ssh";  any activity suggested regarding rsyncd does not concern me. (But then sometimes I am misled, and I erroneously do invest time in false paths, and I do get into problems that are actually rsyncd-related.)
• I have my own ways of backing up data.
• I have my own ideas of keeping data long term outside my computer's built-in disks.

The Synology system provided rsync is not for me. It's somehow modified and spoilt.

backup - Rsync over ssh: "ERROR: module is read only" suddenly appeared - Server Fault

Well, it's not only me experiencing weird effects with the "built-in" rsync. And I think, quite a few of the answers to that forum article do not quite fit at all.

The details of the case:

• "rsync over ssh" does not use the remote rsync daemon at all, i.e. no rsyncd.conf applies
• it's not unlikely, that these rsync problems have to do with a Synology special version of rsync
• after this: "DiskStation> /usr/syno/etc.defaults/rc.d/S84rsyncd.sh stop", the error message does not change, so it's really not an "rsync daemon" issue, as that one is no longer running
• …

I fixed this problem by installing an rsync package provided on an Unslung Project repository for the CPU used within my Synology NAS. This brings dependencies on the Unslung Project, their IPKG installer, their Optware, their specific Synology repository. This kills me a little, to be honest.

I mainly followed the "German Synology wiki" on IPKG. (Anxiously as I am, I do keep a backup of that article at …/com/synology-wiki.de/ . Yes, I do have an idea, that this step alone is rather in vain.)
So, well 1st I had to install IPKG itself.
My CPU on the DS213+ is an e500 (actually: e500v2), so I went the e500 way in their description.
My CPU on the DS112+ is a "Feroceon 88FR131 rev 1 (v5l)", there is a note on how to deal with the DS112+, pls follow that one.

Then I installed the rsync package provided by IPKG.

An entry for /etc/rc.optware got created in /etc/rc.local, and they suggest to remove it, and I did that.
I am not sure, it concerns me at all, as I mention "my" rsync on the NAS by full path on my command lines outside the NAS.

Now my only minor problem with the "alternative rsync" is, that I have to specify the remote rsync on my local rsync command lines like this: "--rsync-path=/opt/bin/rsync". That's a PITA, but that's not too hard.

Update 2013-08-31: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipkg says IPKG was discontinued. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opkg is the follower, code.google.com/p/opkg/, but it hasn't really taken off.