How-to Guides

CUWiN is always seeking ways to help people use our software and hardware. To that end, we are committed to providing the how-to documents that break things down in the simplest possible manner. We have started this part of the manual with two documents: how-to build a CUWiN Metrix node and how-to PXEboot a Soekris 4526 using NetBSD. These documents are dynamic in that we are constantly changing the way we build wireless networks to take advantage of new technologies, new hardware, and the software that we develop. Therefore, if you having a problem with a particular document, check back to make sure that it has been updated. If it hasn't been updated, email us, giving as much detail as possible about the place in the document where you are having trouble.

Since we have a limited staff and always seem to have about ten more irons in the fire than we can possibly deal with, we encourage you to develop your own how-to guides and submit them to us via email. We are always happy to add new things that can help people do it themselves.

Flashing a Meraki Mini

Flashing the Meraki Mini with NetBSD

NOTE: This process will clobber the load of Linux on this unit. I have not been able to successfully save the original image, but that was probably largely due to my own pilot error -- it turns out that Linux uses the entire flash memory.

First, you must have an image compiled. Redboot prefers to load srecords, and the default kernel builds an srecord file.

% ./build.sh -m evbmips-eb kernel=MERAKI

We're going to use HTTP to load the files. I just put the resulting netbsd.srec file into the root htdocs on my server. You could probably put it somewhere else too.

% cp sys/arch/evbmips/compile/obj/MERAKI/netbsd.srec \
                /var/apache/htdocs

Next we need to connect to the Mini via a serial line. I set up a line called "usb" in /etc/remote, so that I can tip in like this:

% tip -115200 usb

connected

However you connect, its 115200 8N1. Once you power up the unit, you'll see something like this:

        Ethernet eth0: MAC address 00:18:0a:01:06:d1
        IP: 192.168.84.1/255.255.255.0, Gateway: 0.0.0.0
        Default server: 192.168.84.9

        RedBoot(tm) bootstrap and debug environment [ROMRAM]
        Release, version V1.04 - built 12:24:00, Apr 17 2006

        Copyright (C) 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Red Hat, Inc.

        Board: Meraki Mini 
        RAM: 0x80000000-0x82000000, [0x8003d110-0x80fe1000] available
        FLASH: 0xa8000000 - 0xa87e0000, 128 blocks of 0x00010000 bytes each.
        == Executing boot script in 2.000 seconds - enter ^C to abort

Quickly press Control-C to interrupt the boot. Run "fconfig" to update the configuration data flash.

        RedBoot> fconfig

Now it will prompt you for all the flash parameters. You might want to record the old parameters in case you want to restore them. I didn't bother.

The following is what I entered, I have the Mini configured as 192.168.251.93 and I have a HTTP server providing the srecord image on 192.168.251.21. It is possible that BOOTP could be used too, but I've not tested it. Redboot isn't particularly robust.

        Run script at boot: false
        Use BOOTP for network configuration: false
        Gateway IP address: 192.168.251.1
        Local IP address: 192.168.251.93
        Local IP address mask: 255.255.255.0
        Default server IP address: 192.168.251.21
        Console baud rate: 115200
        GDB connection port: 9000
        Force console for special debug messages: false
        Network debug at boot time: false
        Update RedBoot non-volatile configuration - continue (y/n)? y
        ... Erase from 0xa87d0000-0xa87e0000: .
        ... Program from 0x80ff0000-0x81000000 at 0xa87d0000: .

Next we reset the board, so the new parameters will take effect.

        RedBoot> reset

Wait a short bit (~2 secs or less) for the unit to reboot. It will not autoboot this time, instead going right to the prom property.

        Ethernet eth0: MAC address 00:18:0a:01:06:d1
        IP: 192.168.251.93/255.255.255.0, Gateway: 192.168.251.1
        Default server: 192.168.251.21

        RedBoot(tm) bootstrap and debug environment [ROMRAM]
        Release, version V1.04 - built 12:24:00, Apr 17 2006

        Copyright (C) 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Red Hat, Inc.

        Board: Meraki Mini 
        RAM: 0x80000000-0x82000000, [0x8003d110-0x80fe1000] available
        FLASH: 0xa8000000 - 0xa87e0000, 128 blocks of 0x00010000 bytes each.
        RedBoot>

Now we load our netbsd.srec file. The following assumes the path to it on your HTTP server is /netbsd.srec. Adjust accordingly if you need to.

        RedBoot> load -m http /netbsd.srec
        Entry point: 0x80041000, address range: 0x80041000-0x80202350

At this point, if you just type "go", the NetBSD kernel you loaded will boot. This is the safest way to run NetBSD on the Meraki, becuase it never disrupts flash.

                        ===========
                        | WARNING |
                        ===========

        Proceeding from this point will erase the flash on your unit,
        and might leave it unusable.  Proceed at your own risk.

If you're still here, you must want to write NetBSD to flash. It is instructive to look at what is already in flash:

        RedBoot> fis list
        Name              FLASH addr  Mem addr    Length      Entry point
        RedBoot           0xA8000000  0xA8000000  0x00030000  0x00000000
        stage2            0xA8030000  0x80100000  0x00020000  0x80100000
        FIS directory     0xA87D0000  0xA87D0000  0x0000F000  0x00000000
        RedBoot config    0xA87DF000  0xA87DF000  0x00001000  0x00000000

Note that the flash starts at 0xA8000000. Allocation is done in flash sector sizes of 64K at a time. (I.e. except for the RedBoot config, all flash addresses should end in 0000 when displayed in hex.)

Unfortunately, the Linux code doesn't properly allocate everything in RedBoot. It turns out that stage2 is the Linux bootloader. There is a JFFS2 image located at 0xa8050000 thru 0xa8150000. The Linux kernel is located at 0xa8150000 through 0xa8490000. I mistakenly believed the data between 0xa849000 and 0xa87d0000 to be free. But I was wrong. Pretty much the whole flash is used.

I have not tested this theory, but it should be possible to read the flash data that we are going to overwrite, and save it in a file. Then in theory we could restore it. I only had the one unit, and I neglected to perform this step. Doh!

Anyway our kernels are always under 2MB, so we allocate based on that. (If you put an mfs in your kernel, it will be bigger, and you might need to change some parameters appropriately. I recommend leaving the first 320K of flash alone. You _must_ leave the first 192K alone, because it is used by RedBoot, and the 128K after that is useful if you ever want to restore Linux. I'm not sure if the Meraki Linux code drop includes the source for this bit.)

Recall our kernel load from above (if you do it again, its harmless):

        RedBoot> load -m http /netbsd.srec
        Entry point: 0x80041000, address range: 0x80041000-0x80202350

So, lets write it to flash. The fis create command below should all be typed on one line, but to facilitate display, I've broken it up and used a backslash "\" to indicate that the data should continue unbroken. Don't type the backslash.

The results look like this (it will take a while to do this, maybe a couple of minutes, the SPI flash is not fast):

        RedBoot> fis create -b 0x80041000 -l 0x200000 -f 0xa8490000 \
                -e 0x80041000 -r 0x80041000 netbsd
        ... Erase from 0xa8490000-0xa8690000: ................................
        ... Program from 0x80041000-0x80241000 at 0xa8490000: ................................
        ... Erase from 0xa87d0000-0xa87e0000: .
        ... Program from 0x80ff0000-0x81000000 at 0xa87d0000: .
        RedBoot>

Notice that it did two erases/programs. That's because we also updated the RedBoot directory in upper flash. In case you were wondering:
  -b indicates the source address to copy from
  -l indicates the image length (2 MB)
  -f indicates the destination flash address
  -e indicates the entry address when the image is loaded
  -r indicates the image load address when the image is loaded
  netbsd is the image name (you could name it something else!)

If you change the flash destination address and length, you can store a larger kernel. I recommend never starting your flash address lower than 0xa8150000 and you must not let the image extend beyond 0xa87d0000.

Here's the image listing in flash:

        RedBoot> fis list
        Name              FLASH addr  Mem addr    Length      Entry point
        RedBoot           0xA8000000  0xA8000000  0x00030000  0x00000000
        stage2            0xA8030000  0x80100000  0x00020000  0x80100000
        netbsd            0xA8490000  0x80041000  0x00200000  0x80041000
        FIS directory     0xA87D0000  0xA87D0000  0x0000F000  0x00000000
        RedBoot config    0xA87DF000  0xA87DF000  0x00001000  0x00000000

Lets reset and make sure that we can use it.

        RedBoot> reset
        Ethernet eth0: MAC address 00:18:0a:01:06:d1
        IP: 192.168.251.93/255.255.255.0, Gateway: 192.168.251.1
        Default server: 192.168.251.21

        RedBoot(tm) bootstrap and debug environment [ROMRAM]
        Release, version V1.04 - built 12:24:00, Apr 17 2006

        Copyright (C) 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Red Hat, Inc.

        Board: Meraki Mini 
        RAM: 0x80000000-0x82000000, [0x8003d110-0x80fe1000] available
        FLASH: 0xa8000000 - 0xa87e0000, 128 blocks of 0x00010000 bytes each.
        RedBoot>

Now lets try loading the NetBSD image from flash:

RedBoot> fis load netbsd

It will take a few seconds to load the image from flash. Now lets boot!

RedBoot> go


[ netbsd boots... dmesg begins...
MIPS32/64 params: cpu arch: 32
...

That's it. After this, the rest is just normal NetBSD. If you want to set this up automatically, you can setup an automatic boot script using fconfig. The commands you want to setup in the script are just:

fis load netbsd
go

Enjoy.

How-to Build a CUWiN Metrix-based Node

To build a standard CUWiN node you'll need the following components (from left to right) -- patch cable, omni antenna, power-over-ethernet injector, Metrix node, and a pole & pole-mount (not shown):

Antenna

HGV-2409U (8dBi)

Once you gather these supplies, the second step is to fasten the antenna to its antenna mount:

Attach the antenna to it's mounting hardware.

Metrix Box

Metrix Kit Mark I

Third, you'll want to install the components of the Metrix box (soekris board and mini-PCI radio):

Weatherizing Connections:

Next we'll attach and weatherize the patch cable. First, screw the cable onto the antenna:

Next, using electrical tape, cover the connection point:

Then, use weatherizing "goo" and cover the electrical tape. Note that you should knead the goo until it's smooth and work out any major air bubbles:

And then cover the "goo" with a second wrapping of electrical tape -- congrats, you've weatherized the connection!

Now the connection point is weatherized.

Once the connection point is weatherized, you can fasten the antenna assembly onto your mounting pole:

Assembling Metrix Box Mounting Hardware:

The most complicated part of building a CUWiN node is correctly assembling the mounting hardware for the Metrix node. But, a few tips and tricks will make this an easy task. The mounting hardware consists of various and sundry screws, bolts, washers, and nuts, along with two mounting plates (the two long black rectangles) and (my favorite, but not pictured) two clevis hangers:

You will certainly be tempted to put a bunch of the hardware together and mount it onto the back of your Metrix node (as I've done in the left-hand metrix box)... DON'T DO THIS -- it is pretty much impossible to actually attach the clevis hanger (those two funny-looking gray do-hickies in the lower-right quadrant) to that bolt (trust me, I've tried). Instead, put the large bolt through the mounting plate (as shown on the right-hand side of the picture) and disassemble the clevis hangers:

Then hold the bolt steady with a crescent wrench and, using a socket wrench, tighten down the nut:

Once you're done, you'll have a nifty little widget:

Attach this to the back of the Metrix box:

Attaching the mounting plate to the Metrix box.

Then do the same steps with the second set of hardware. Once attached, then reassemble the clevis hangers. If you follow these simple directions you should end up with a Metrix box that looks like this:

Finishing Up:

Then mount the box beneath the antenna (just slide the box onto the pole and tighten down the bolts that run through the middle of the clevis hanger). NOTE: a 1" clevis hanger will fit a 1.25" pole -- if you use a 1.25" clevis hanger, better use a 1.5-2" pole... It all makes sense once you know the proper use for a clevis hanger, but I'll just let that one gnaw at your curiousity threshold. You'll then attach the other end of the patch cable to the node:

Finally, you'll want to weatherize the patch cable connection, add your ethernet cable, close up the box (don't forget the desiccant), grab a chimney/eve/wall/etc. mount, and put the node in a high spot:

Congratulations!!! If you've managed to avoid entangling yourself in the CAT5 and ending up hanging upside-down off the side of the roof, you're done!

Upgrading a Node using FreeBSD

Upgrading a Soekris 4526 using FreeBSD

This how-to document is designed to walk people through the process of upgrading the CUWiN software on a Soekris 4526 board using a FreeBSD operating system.

Software Requirements

FreeBSD [OpenBSD and NetBSD commands are similar enough that proficient users should be able to translate the FreeBSD commands offered here. Linux is similar as
well, though the prompts and commands may differ somewhat.)
Wget
ssh client and server

Hardware Requirements

One Ethernet port
One crossover cable
One cat5e cable
One power-over-ethernet injector [POE]

Conventions

Three different command line prompts will be used: # indicates the normal user; $ indicates the root user; and > indicates a prompt from the node. All key strokes (e.g. Shift, Control, Enter, etc...) will use the following syntax: <key> [e.g. <Shift>, <Ctrl>, etc.].

VI Tutorial

For text editing, we use VI, but feel free to use whatever text editor you like. Some useful vi commands:
 - enter the edit mode to change text
<Esc> - to escape the edit mode
:q! - to exit without saving changes
<Shift>zz - to save changes and exit

STEP 1: GETTING THE SOFTWARE IMAGE

The easiest way to get the software for your node is to go to http://cuwireless.net/download#Update and download the upgrade file for your hardware. Download it and place it in your home directory.

Step 2: Start SSHD and login to node [You will need root privileges for this step.]

Start SSH server by entering the following command:
1. $ /etc/rc.d/sshd start
Plug the crossover cable into your computer's Ethernet port and the "Data" port on the POE injector. Make sure that the POE injector has power [there should be a green light on top to indicate that it has power].
To find the node's IP address:
1. $ ifconfig -a
2. Find your ip address. Look for a line similar to:
  inet 10.23.54.27 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 10.23.54.255
3. Record the number following “inet”. Record this a second time, replacing the digits following the last period with “254”. In our example, this would be 10.23.54.254 – this is the ip address of the node.
Login to the node using the following command and the ip address of node, found in the previous step:
1. $ ssh root@10.23.54.254
Update the node
1. Log into the node using the root password. The username is “root” and the default password is “changme”. If you have changed the password, use that password.
This command makes the backspace key work the way we expect it to. Its not required, but prevents many headaches when you make a typo.
1. $ stty <space> erase Control-v <Backspace>

Now, upgrade the node. Replace “blah” with your username on your local machine, and the ip address with the ip address of your machine (from step C.2). The “~” stands for you home directory. If the file is not in your home directory, replace “~/” with the correct path to the upgrade file. Also, replace “upgrade.tgz” with the correct name of the upgrade file that you downloaded from the website. If you wish to erase the current configuraton file on the node and use the default one provided in the upgrade, replace the “-f” with a “-C -f”.

$ upgrade -f blah@10.23.54.27:~/upgrade.tgz

When prompted with the following:

“The authenticity of host '10.23.54.27 (10.23.54.27)' can't be established. 
  DSA key fingerprint is a8:75:fe:7d:46:b7:a8:05:65:77:43:7a:67:e7:a4:fc.
  Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?”

Respond by typing “yes”.

When prompted to enter your password, enter the password you use to login to your local machine (and that corresponds to the username you used when you issued the “upgrade” command).

If that is successful, you should see something like this:

 
  fdisk: DIOCGDEFLABEL: Invalid argument
  fdisk: DIOCGDINFO: Invalid argument
  Disk: /dev/rwd0d
  NetBSD disklabel disk geometry:
cylinders: 977, heads: 4, sectors/track: 32 (128 sectors/cylinder)
  total sectors: 125056

  BIOS disk geometry:
cylinders: 977, heads: 4, sectors/track: 32 (128 sectors/cylinder)
  total sectors: 210453442400

  Partition 0:
  NetBSD (sysid 169)
start 32, size 62512 (31 MB, Cyls 0-488/2/17)
  Making partition 0 active.
  Preparing for upgrade on /dev/wd0e.
  /dev/rwd0e: 30.5MB (62512 sectors) block size 8192, fragment size 1024
  using 4 cylinder groups of 7.63MB, 977 blks, 1920 inodes.
  super-block backups (for fsck_ffs -b #) at:
  32, 15664, 31296, 46928,
  Installing the upgrade.
  The authenticity of host '10.23.54.27 (10.23.54.27)' can't be established.
  DSA key fingerprint is a8:75:fe:7d:46:b7:a8:05:65:77:43:7a:67:e7:a4:fc.
  Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?yes
  Warning: Permanently added '10.23.54.27' (DSA) to the list of known hosts.
  Password:
  100% |*************************************|  4041 KB  237.68 KB/s    --:-- ETA
  Updating etc/fstab
  Updating primary bootstrap
  Updating active partition
  Disk: /dev/rwd0d
  NetBSD disklabel disk geometry:
cylinders: 977, heads: 4, sectors/track: 32 (128 sectors/cylinder)
  total sectors: 125056

  BIOS disk geometry:
cylinders: 977, heads: 4, sectors/track: 32 (128 sectors/cylinder)
  total sectors: 210453442400

  Partition 1:
  NetBSD (sysid 169)
start 62544, size 62512 (31 MB, Cyls 488/2/17-977)
  Making partition 1 active.
  Copying existing /etc/cuw_config.
  Upgrade complete (/dev/wd0e).
#

After that runs, type the following at the command line to reboot the node:
1. $ reboot
The node begins to reboot and you are disconnected from the ssh session. Wait a couple minutes and verify that the node is back up and operational. If it is not, please consult our troubleshooting section.

Flashing a Soekris 4526 Node using FreeBSD: Introduction

This how-to document is designed to walk people through the process of installing the software on a Soekris 4526 board using a PXE boot on a FreeBSD operating system. This is the kind of board you might buy from Metrix.net.

Software Requirements

FreeBSD [OpenBSD and NetBSD commands are similar enough that proficient users should be able to translate the FreeBSD commands offered here.
wget or links
Cu [installed by default with Tip in FreeBSD]
lrzsz

Hardware Requirements

One Ethernet port
One serial port [We found that a USB-RS232 Serial Connector worked as well.]
One crossover cable
One cat5e cable
One null-modem cable
One power-over-ethernet injector [POE]

Conventions

Three different command line prompts will be used:

$ indicates the normal user;
# indicates the root user; and

<key>

<Shift>

<Ctrl>

VI Tutorial

For text editing, we use VI, but feel free to use whatever text editor you like. Some useful vi commands:

- enter the edit mode to change text
<Esc> - to escape the edit mode
:q! - to exit without saving changes
<Shift>zz - to save changes and exit

Proceed to Step 1

Flashing Your 4526 Soekris Node: Step 1

You need to make a "tftpboot" directory then move to the new directory

$ mkdir /tftpboot
$ cd /tftpboot

Download the files you need for the initial flash.
- $ wget http://cuwireless.net/files/netbsd.gz
- $ wget http://cuwireless.net/files/pxeboot_ia32_com0_19200.bin
You are almost there. You just need to make the files readable by everyone. [You must be root to do this.)
- $ chmod -R 744 /tftpboot

Proceed to Step 2

Flashing Your 4526 Soekris Node: Step 2

Step 2: Setup the Network for PXE Booting

DHCP Server [You will need root privileges for this step.]
1. # pkg_add -r ics-dhcp3-server
2. Now we need to change the configuration file. We do that with vi.
 - # vi /usr/local/etc/dhcpd.conf
 - Make the file look like this:
 [Remember to type to edit the text, <Esc> to stop editing, and <Shift>ZZ to exit.]
 
 ddns-update-style ad-hoc;
 
 subnet 192.168.1.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
 option routers 192.168.1.101;
 option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;
 range 192.168.1.1 192.168.1.100;
 }
 
 class "pxe-clients-ia32" {
 match if substring(option vendor-class-identifier, 0, 9) = "PXEClient";
 next-server 192.168.1.101;
 filename "pxeboot_ia32_com0_19200.bin";
 }
 
 class "netbsd-pxe-clients-ia32" {
 match if substring(option vendor-class-identifier, 0, 17) =
 "NetBSD:i386:libsa";
 next-server 192.168.1.101;
 filename "tftp:netbsd.gz";
 }
3. Restart the dhcp server and make sure that the dhcp server is running by entering:
 - # dhcpd &
 - # pgrep dhcpd
 - Entering the last code should give you a number. If it doesn't, your dhcpd.conf file needs to be reviewed.
TFTP Server [You will need root privileges for this step.]
1. Now you need to edit the TFTP Server Configuration. TFTPD requires the INETD service. You will need to edit "/etc/inetd.conf"
  1. # vi /etc/inetd.conf
  2. Move to the line below and put the cursor on the "#". Press DEL to remove the "#" mark.
    
    tftp dgram udp wait root /usr/libexec/tftpd tftpd -l -U 777 -s /tftpboot
  3. Exit VI
We also need to edit the /etc/remote file as follows.
- # vi /etc/remote
- Add the following lines at the end of the file:
  
  #cuwin node stuff
  cuw0:dv=/dev/cuad0:br#19200:pa-none:dc:
Reboot and Check
1. Reboot the computer: $ shutdown -r now
2. When the computer reboots, you will want to run the following commands:
  - # dhcpd &
  - # pgrep inetd
    Entering the last code should give you another number. If it doesn't, you tftp service is not running and you should revisit step 2B.
  - # pgrep dhcpd
    Entering the last code should give you a number. If it doesn't, your dhcpd.conf file needs to be reviewed.

Proceed to Step 3

Flashing Your 4526 Soekris Node: Step 3

Step 3: PXE Boot the Node
[You will need root privileges for this step.]

Plug the crossover cable into your computer's Ethernet port and the "Data" port on the POE injector. Make sure that the POE injector has power [there should be a green light on top to indicate that it has power]. Now plug the null-modem cable into the serial port on your computer and the serial port on the Soekris board.

Now you will need to run the tip program as root in order to update the BIOS of the node.

Enter su and the root password when prompted.
Now you will need to access the node console. At the command prompt, enter: # tip cuw0
You will need to reboot your node.

A successful PXEboot looks like this:

Pre-boot eXecution Environment  PXE-2.0 (build 082)
Copyright (C) 1997-2000  Intel Corporation
 
 
CLIENT MAC ADDR: 00 00 24 C3 A8 40
CLIENT IP: 192.168.1.9  MASK: 255.255.255.0  DHCP IP: 192.168.1.101
GATEWAY IP: 192.168.1.101
 
 
>> NetBSD/i386 PXE Boot, Revision 1.1
>> (rgmussel@cuw.ojctech.com, Sun Apr 23 07:50:45 CDT 2006)
>> Memory: 582/64512 k
Press return to boot now, any other key for boot menu
Starting in 0
PXE BIOS Version 2.1
Using PCI device at bus 0 device 6 function 0
Ethernet address 00:00:24:c3:a8:40
net_open: client addr: 192.168.1.9
net_open: subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
net_open: net gateway: 192.168.1.101
net_open: server addr: 192.168.1.101
net_open: file name: tftp:netbsd.gz
2159776+33612688-

Proceed to Step 4

Flashing Your 4526 Soekris Node: Step 4

Step 4: Upgrade the node

Log into the node using the root password. [usually "changeme"]
You need to change a few variables to enable the upgrade.
- > stty <space> erase Control-v <Backspace>
- > ifconfig sip0
 Find a line that looks something like this:
 inet 10.168.64.254 netmask 0xffffff00
- > ifconfig sip0 inet 10.168.64.254 netmask 0xffffff00 -alias
- > ifconfig sip0
 You should now see a line that looks something like this:
 inet 192.168.1.7 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.1.255.
- Ping the server to verify your connection:
 > ping 192.168.1.101 -c 5
 You should see lines like this:
 64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.656 m

Let's upgrade the node:

> upgrade -f -C blah@192.168.1.101:/tftpboot/upgrade.tgz
[where blah is your user name.]
If that is successful, you should see something like this:

 
fdisk: DIOCGDEFLABEL: Invalid argument
fdisk: DIOCGDINFO: Invalid argument
Disk: /dev/rwd0d
NetBSD disklabel disk geometry:
cylinders: 977, heads: 4, sectors/track: 32 (128 sectors/cylinder)
total sectors: 125056

BIOS disk geometry:
cylinders: 977, heads: 4, sectors/track: 32 (128 sectors/cylinder)
total sectors: 210453442400

Partition 0:
NetBSD (sysid 169)
     start 32, size 62512 (31 MB, Cyls 0-488/2/17)
Making partition 0 active.
Preparing for upgrade on /dev/wd0e.
/dev/rwd0e: 30.5MB (62512 sectors) block size 8192, fragment size 1024
using 4 cylinder groups of 7.63MB, 977 blks, 1920 inodes.
super-block backups (for fsck_ffs -b #) at:
32, 15664, 31296, 46928,
Installing the upgrade.

Because you won't be an authenticated user, you will be prompted to verify that you want to continue. Answer yes.

The authenticity of host '192.168.1.101 (192.168.1.101)' can't be established.
DSA key fingerprint is a8:75:fe:7d:46:b7:a8:05:65:77:43:7a:67:e7:a4:fc.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?yes

You will also need to enter your password on the freebsd computer.

Warning: Permanently added '192.168.1.101' (DSA) to the list of known hosts.
Password:
100% |*************************************|  4041 KB  237.68 KB/s    --:-- ETA
Updating etc/fstab
Updating primary bootstrap
Updating active partition
Disk: /dev/rwd0d
NetBSD disklabel disk geometry:
cylinders: 977, heads: 4, sectors/track: 32 (128 sectors/cylinder)
total sectors: 125056

BIOS disk geometry:
cylinders: 977, heads: 4, sectors/track: 32 (128 sectors/cylinder)
total sectors: 210453442400

Partition 1:
NetBSD (sysid 169)
     start 62544, size 62512 (31 MB, Cyls 488/2/17-977)
Making partition 1 active.
Copying existing /etc/cuw_config.
Upgrade complete (/dev/wd0e).
 #

After that runs, type the following at the command line to reboot the node:
$ reboot

You will want to exit Tip now. Do that, you should first unplug the serial cable, then enter the following command: <Ctrl>~D [i.e. <Ctrl>-<Shift>-~, release the keys, and then <Ctrl>-<Shift>-d].

Congratulations! If you made it this far, you are ready to put the node on the roof and get to work!

Build and Install on a Soekris 4526 using Arch Linux

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PXEBOOT OF 4526 SOEKRIS BOARD WITH ARCH LINUX

*NOTE* Some of these instructions are specific to Arch Linux. If you would like to contribute instructions for other Linux distributions, please email them to us.

A text version of this document is available here: pxeboot4526archlinux.txt

SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS:

A current Linux distribution (This tutorial was devised and tested on ArchLinux (http://www.archlinux.org)
GCC 3-4 and G++ 3-4 (and their dependencies)
Subversion (and its dependencies)
Wget
Minicom
Bunzip2

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

One Ethernet port
One serial port [We found that a USB-RS232 Serial Connector worked as well.]
One crossover cable
One cat5e cable
One null-modem cable
One power-over-ethernet injector [POE]

CONVENTIONS

Three different command line prompts will be used: # indicates the normal user; $ indicates the root user; and > indicates a prompt from the node. The end of all command line entries are signaled by the following notation: <enter>. All key strokes (e.g. Shift, Control, Enter, etc...) will use the following syntax: <key> [e.g. <Shift>, <Ctrl>, etc.].

VI TUTORIAL

For text editing, we use VI, but feel free to use whatever text editor you like. Some useful vi commands:
i - enter the edit mode to change text
<Esc> - to escape the edit mode
:q! - to exit without saving changes
<Shift>zz - to save changes and exit

STEP 1: GETTING THE SOFTWARE IMAGE

The easiest way to get the software for your node is to go to http://cuwireless.net/node/208. You will need to download the pxeboot_ia32_com0.bin, netbsd.gz, and the update files. Download them and place them in your /var/tftpboot directory. [Directions for making the /var/tftpboot directory are in step 1B10.] Skip to step 1B12.
The best way to get the software is to compile it yourself. This is why we include GCC as a required package. These steps will help you compile the software from scratch. Be sure that you follow these directions as yourself, not as root.
1. In this step, you will make a directory named "cuwin" in your home directory directory. At the command line, enter the following:
 # mkdir ~/cuwin
2. Place the latest version of the CUWiN software in your home directory by typing:
 # svn co http://svn.cuwireless.net/svn/cuw/trunk
3. Now we need to place the latest version of the NetBSD sources in your home directory. Enter:
 # wget http://superb-west.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/wireless/cuwin-0.6.0-netbsd-src.tar.bz2
4. Decompress the NetBSD files by entering the following at the command prompt:
 # tar -jxvf cuwin-0.6.0-netbsd-src.tar.bz2
5. Move these directories and their contents to the directories you just created in 1.B.1:
 1. # mv trunk cuwin/cuw-trunk
 2. # mv cuwin-0.6.0-netbsd-src cuwin/scratch
6. Make your .mkstabootrc file in your home directory and edit it:
 1. # vi .mkstabootrc
 2. Type 
 3. Enter the following, where MACHINE_ARCH equals the processor architecture of your computer(i386 should be fine for most people):
```
 BUILDDIR=$HOME/cuwin/scratch
 SRC=$HOME/cuwin/scratch/src
 LOWER_FAT=yes
 MACHINE_ARCH=i386
```
 4. When you have typed the above information into the file, press <Esc>.
 5. Exit the text editor by using the following command:
 :wq
7. To fix a difference in syntax between Linux and *BSD, you may have to do the following:
 1. Edit the build.sh file in the NetBSD "src" directory
 # vi ~/cuwin/scratch/src/build.sh
 2. Find the line that reads "TOP=$(/bin/pwd -P 2>/dev/null)" by typing /pwd followed by pressing <Enter>
 3. Type 
 4. Edit the line to read "TOP=$(/bin/pwd 2>/dev/null)"
 5. Edit the text editor by typing :wq
8. Move to the bootimage directory in the CUWiN source files by entering the following at the command line:
 # cd ~/cuwin/cuw-trunk/src/boot-image
9. Start the compile process [This step takes a couple of hours to complete, so feel free to make other plans for about three hours.]:
 # ./buildmd
10. Type "ls" at the command line. You should be able to find a file that has something similar to the following name:
```
 23-April-staboot.md 
```
 If you do, you have successfully compiled the software. If not, don't be discouraged, that happens. We are working on a Troubleshooting Guide, but that may not be available for a few months. In the mean time, you should just use the sources provided on the website listed in 2.A.
11. Assuming that you have successfully compiled the software, copy two files to the /var/tftpboot directory. The first command will create the /var/tftpboot directory. The next two commands will copy the required files.
 1. # mkdir /var/tftpboot
 2. # cp ~/cuwin/cuw-trunk/src/boot-image/23-April-staboot.img /var/tftpboot/netbsd
 3. [Because this command line is so long, it has been placed on the next line.]
 # cp ~/cuwin/scratch/O/sys/arch/i386/stand/pxeboot_com0_19200/pxeboot_ia32_com0.bin /var/tftpboot/pxeboot_ia32_com0_19200.bin
12. Before we build the update file, we need to change the user accounts. To do this, we are going to need to move into the boot-image directory and change the passwords for root. Then we can add other users. Before you begin this step, be sure that you know what you want to make the root password and which new users you will want to add.
 1. # cd ~/cuwin/cuw-trunk/src/boot-image
 2. # ./cw_passwd ./pwds root
 3. The previous command prompts you for the new root password.
 4. # ./cw_passwd ./pwds newusername
 5. The previous command prompts you to enter the password for the account "newusername".
13. Now we need to build an update file. First, you will return to the /boot-image directory. Then you will build the upgrade. Then you will copy the upgrade to the /var/tftpboot directory.
 1. # cd ~/cuwin/cuw-trunk/src/boot-image
 2. # ./buildelanup install
 3. # cp upgrade.tgz /var/tftpboot/.
14. Change directories to the /var/tftpboot directory by entering
 # cd /var/tftpboot
15. Compress the netbsd file by entering the following:
 # gzip netbsd
16. Change the ownership and permissions of the /var/tftpboot directory and the files you just copied into /var/tftpboot by entering the following commands:
 1. # chown -R nobody:nobody /var/tftpboot
 2. # chmod -R 777 /var/tftpboot

Step 2: Setup the Network Boot

Get the most recent BIOS update from Soekris.
1. Open your web browser and go to the following page: http://www.soekris.com/downloads.htm
2. Save the most recent version of the BIOS to the /var/tftpboot directory.
DHCP Server [You will need root privileges for this step.]
1. To find out if you have a DHCP Server running, type
 # ps wuax | grep dhcp
 If there is something on the next line (e.g. /etc/init.d/dhcpd or /usr/sbin/dhcpd), you have a DHCP Server already installed and running and you should proceed to Step 2.B.4.
2. To find out if you have a DHCP Server installed, type
 # find /etc /usr/local/etc -name '*dhcp*' print
 If you see a file named "dhcpd.conf", you have a DHCP Server installed and should skip to Step 2.B.4.
3. Install the DHCP Server by entering the appropriate installation command for your distribution:
 1. For ArchLinux:
 # pacman -Sy dhcp
4. At this point, you will need to configure your DHCP server. NOTE: MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE DISCONNECTED FROM YOUR NETWORK! RUNNING THIS SERVICE MAY DESTROY YOUR NETWORK. Enter the following commands:
 1. # vi /etc/dhcpd.conf
 2. 
 3. Enter the following:
```
 subnet 192.168.1.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
 option routers 192.168.1.101;
 option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;
 range 192.168.1.1 192.168.1.15
 }
 class "pxe-clients-ia32" {
 match if substring(option vendor-class-identifier, 0, 9) = "PXEClient";
 next-server 192.168.1.101;
 filename "pxeboot_ia32_com0_19200.bin";
 }
 class "netbsd-pxe-clients-ia32" {
 match if substring(option vendor-class-identifier, 0, 17) = "NetBSD:i386:libsa";
 next-server 192.168.1.101;
 filename "tftp:netbsd.gz";
 }
```
 4. <Shift>zz
5. Configure your Ethernet Device.
 1. Determine your Ethernet. When you use the following command, the item that says, "Link encap: Ethernet" is the Ethernet device [from here on, the Ethernet device will be indicated by dev0:
 # ifconfig -a
 2. Find out your IP address and subnet mask. The important line should look something like: inet 10.0.0.103 netmask 255.255.255.0 broadcast
 # ifconfig dev0
 3. Release and reset the current IP address by entering the following:
 1. # ifconfig dev0 down
 2. # ifconfig dev0 inet 192.168.1.101 netmask 255.255.255.0
 3. Now, if you enter "ifconfig dev0", you should see a line that reads:
```
 inet 192.168.1.101 netmask 255.255.255.0 broadcast 192.168.1.255 
```
TFTP Server: There are two different ways to do this. The first is to use either inetd or xinetd, and the second is to start the tftpd daemon standalone, either manually or with a script [You will need root privileges for this step.]
1. Now you need to edit the TFTP Server Configuration. TFTPD requires the INETD service. If you have inetd, you will need to edit /etc/inetd.conf.
 1. # vi /etc/inetd.conf
 2. Move to the line below and put the cursor on the "#". Press DEL to remove the comment mark.
```
 tftp dgram udp wait root /usr/libexec/tftpd tftpd -l -U 777 -s /var/tftpboot 
```
 3. <Shift> zz
2. If you are using xinetd, you will have to create a file in your /etc/xinetd.d entitled "tftp"
 1. # vi /etc/xinetd.d/tftp
 2. Type 
 3. Insert the following in the file:
```
 service tftp
 {
 socket_type = dgram
 protocol = udp
 wait = yes
 user = root
 server = /usr/sbin/in.tftpd
 disable = yes
 }
```
3. The other method is to start tftpd manually:
 1. # ls /etc/rc.d/
 Where /etc/rc.d is your init scripts directory. (Possibly /etc/init.d/) If you see a file entitled in.tftpd, tftpd, tftp, or similar, then you can most likely start the daemon by typing at the prompt:
 # /etc/rc.d/tftpd start
 2. Otherwise, you can most likely start tftp manually
 # /usr/sbin/in.tftpd -l -U 777 -s /var/tftpboot
 or
 # /usr/libexec/tftpd -l -U 777 -s /var/tftpboot
Allow the system to run TFTP and DHCP daemons. [You will need root privileges for this step.]
1. Edit your /etc/hosts.allow file
  1. # vi /etc/hosts.allow
  2. Add the line in.tftpd:all
  3. Type :wq

Step 3: Update the BIOS and flash the node [You will need root privileges for this step.]

Restart network services by entering the following commands (Depending on your distribution, your initscripts directory may be something different from /etc/rc.d/, like /etc/init.d/ or /usr/local/etc/rc.d/):
1. # /etc/rc.d/dhcpd start
2. # /etc/rc.d/tftpd start
3. # /etc/rc.d/sshd start
Plug the null-modem cable into the serial port on your computer and the serial port on the Soekris board. If you do not have a serial port on your computer, you may need to use a USB-to-serial adapter cable. Now, plug the Crossover Cable into your computer's Ethernet port and the "Data" port on the POE injector. Make sure that the POE injector has power [there should be a green light on top to indicate that it has power].
Now you will need to run Minicom in order to connect to the node over the serial line
1. Enter su and the root password when prompted.
2. Now you will need to access the node console. At the command prompt, enter: # minicom
3. Hit the key combination Ctrl-A Z to bring up the options screen, and select "Serial Port Setup." The correct settings BP/Par/Bits settings are 19200 8N1, and all flow control should be turned off. The serial device is the device file of your serial port. If you're using USB-to-serial, it will most likely be something like /dev/tts/USB0.
4. Break into the comBIOS monitor with <Ctrl>-P at the beginning of the boot process. [This may happen quickly when the node is started, so be prepared.]
5. At the > prompt, enter the following commands:
 > download <enter> ~C lsx b4501_xxx.bin
 [where xxx is the number of the Soekris BIOS upgrade; note: the ~C can be a bit tricky. Think of it as follows: Press and hold the <Shift> key, then press <~> and then <c>]
6. When you are returned to the > prompt, enter: > flashupdate
7. When the update is complete, you will need to reboot. Do that by entering: > reboot
Set the node to PXE boot.
1. Break into the comBIOS monitor again with <Ctrl>-P.
2. At the prompt, enter: > set bootdrive=f0 80 81 ff
3. Enter: > reboot

At this point, your node should PXEboot from your computer. A successful PXEboot looks like this:

       Pre-boot eXecution Environment  PXE-2.0 (build 082)
       Copyright (C) 1997-2000  Intel Corporation


       CLIENT MAC ADDR: 00 00 24 C3 A8 40
       CLIENT IP: 192.168.1.9  MASK: 255.255.255.0  DHCP IP: 192.168.1.101
       GATEWAY IP: 192.168.1.101


       >> NetBSD/i386 PXE Boot, Revision 1.1
       >> (rgmussel@cuw.ojctech.com, Sun Apr 23 07:50:45 CDT 2006)
       >> Memory: 582/64512 k
       Press return to boot now, any other key for boot menu
       Starting in 0
       PXE BIOS Version 2.1
       Using PCI device at bus 0 device 6 function 0
       Ethernet address 00:00:24:c3:a8:40
       net_open: client addr: 192.168.1.9
       net_open: subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
       net_open: net gateway: 192.168.1.101
       net_open: server addr: 192.168.1.101
       net_open: file name: tftp:netbsd.gz
       2159776+33612688-

Update the node

Log into the node using the root password: changeme
Enter: # stty <space> erase Control-v <bksp>
Enter: # fixlabel
Enter: # ifconfig sip0
Find a line that looks something like this:
```
 inet 10.168.64.254 netmask 0xffffff00 
```
Enter:
# ifconfig sip0 inet 10.168.64.254 netmask 0xffffff00 -alias
Enter: # ifconfig sip0
You should see a line that looks something like this:
```
 inet 192.168.1.7 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.1.255 
```
Ping the server to verify your connection:
# ping 192.168.1.101 -c 5
You should see lines like this:
```
 64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.656 m 
```

Enter:
# upgrade -f blah@192.168.1.101:/var/tftpboot/upgrade.tgz
where blah is your user name. If that is successful, you should see something like this:

       fdisk: DIOCGDEFLABEL: Invalid argument
       fdisk: DIOCGDINFO: Invalid argument
       Disk: /dev/rwd0d
       NetBSD disklabel disk geometry:
       cylinders: 977, heads: 4, sectors/track: 32 (128 sectors/cylinder)
       total sectors: 125056

       BIOS disk geometry:
       cylinders: 977, heads: 4, sectors/track: 32 (128 sectors/cylinder)
       total sectors: 210453442400

       Partition 0:
       NetBSD (sysid 169)
            start 32, size 62512 (31 MB, Cyls 0-488/2/17)
       Making partition 0 active.
       Preparing for upgrade on /dev/wd0e.
       /dev/rwd0e: 30.5MB (62512 sectors) block size 8192, fragment size 1024
        using 4 cylinder groups of 7.63MB, 977 blks, 1920 inodes.
       super-block backups (for fsck_ffs -b #) at:
       32, 15664, 31296, 46928,
       Installing the upgrade.
       The authenticity of host '192.168.1.101 (192.168.1.101)' can't be established.
       DSA key fingerprint is a8:75:fe:7d:46:b7:a8:05:65:77:43:7a:67:e7:a4:fc.
       Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?yes
       Warning: Permanently added '192.168.1.101' (DSA) to the list of known hosts.
       Password:
       100% |*************************************|  4041 KB  237.68 KB/s    --:-- ETA
       Updating etc/fstab
       Updating primary bootstrap
       Updating active partition
       Disk: /dev/rwd0d
       NetBSD disklabel disk geometry:
       cylinders: 977, heads: 4, sectors/track: 32 (128 sectors/cylinder)
       total sectors: 125056

       BIOS disk geometry:
       cylinders: 977, heads: 4, sectors/track: 32 (128 sectors/cylinder)
       total sectors: 210453442400

       Partition 1:
       NetBSD (sysid 169)
            start 62544, size 62512 (31 MB, Cyls 488/2/17-977)
       Making partition 1 active.
       Copying existing /etc/cuw_config.
       Upgrade complete (/dev/wd0e).
        #

After that runs, type the following at the command line to reboot the node: shutdown -r now

When you are finished, you will want to exit Minicom. Do that by typing Shift-Q.

How-to Guides

Flashing a Meraki Mini

Flashing the Meraki Mini with NetBSD

How-to Build a CUWiN Metrix-based Node

Antenna

Metrix Box

Weatherizing Connections:

Assembling Metrix Box Mounting Hardware:

Finishing Up:

Upgrading a Node using FreeBSD

Upgrading a Soekris 4526 using FreeBSD

Software Requirements

Hardware Requirements

Conventions

VI Tutorial

STEP 1: GETTING THE SOFTWARE IMAGE

Step 2: Start SSHD and login to node [You will need root privileges for this step.]

Flashing a Soekris 4526 Node using FreeBSD: Introduction

Software Requirements

Hardware Requirements

Conventions

VI Tutorial

Flashing Your 4526 Soekris Node: Step 1

Flashing Your 4526 Soekris Node: Step 2

Step 2: Setup the Network for PXE Booting

Flashing Your 4526 Soekris Node: Step 3

Step 3: PXE Boot the Node[You will need root privileges for this step.]

Flashing Your 4526 Soekris Node: Step 4

Step 4: Upgrade the node

Build and Install on a Soekris 4526 using Arch Linux

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PXEBOOT OF 4526 SOEKRIS BOARD WITH ARCH LINUX

SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS:

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

CONVENTIONS

VI TUTORIAL

STEP 1: GETTING THE SOFTWARE IMAGE

Step 2: Setup the Network Boot

Step 3: Update the BIOS and flash the node [You will need root privileges for this step.]

Step 3: PXE Boot the Node
[You will need root privileges for this step.]