Tools for Installing Debian Linux on Intel-based Terastations (TS5000,QVL etc)

[1000001101000]

I've been using a few Intel-based Terastations (TS5800 and TS-8VHL) as my main backup devices for the past year or so running Debian Linux and have been pleased with their reliability and performance. Though they've worked great there are a few features that don't work out of the box such as the buttons LEDs and the LCD display. Over the past few weeks I've finally gotten around to creating the necessary scripts/patches/etc necessary to enable all of the missing functionality.

I've written up as much detail as possible about how everything works and packaged everything up in a custom Debian installer image to make it easy to get started. I've also published all the source code to everything.

The technical details and documentation can be found at:
https://buffalonas.miraheze.org/wiki/Installing_Debian_on_Intel_Terastations

The installer image and source code can be found at:
https://github.com/1000001101000/Debian_on_Intel_Terastations

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

[JoeAsheville]

Necroposting for the win...(edited)

Since you have experience with the exact unit I'm attempting to resurrect (TS-8VHL), I was hoping you'd have experience with the maximum drive size installable in the unit. According to your page on the TS-8VHL https://buffalonas.miraheze.org/wiki/Terastation_TS-8VHL the processor appears to be an Intel Atom D510, which harbors 64-bit architecture.

I've been informed that the TS-8VHL has a volume limit of 16TB, which suggests it's a 32-bit processor...but to my understanding there were versions of the TS-8VHL available from Buffalo that were 24TB...8 disks of 3TB per disk.

Further complicating matters with this particular NAS is the fact that its default RAID implementation is RAID6. As I'm sure you're aware RAID6 is very fault tolerant, but very expensive on the hardware side as compared to RAID5. All these different RAID implementations affect the potential volume size.

So, for this particular unit, the TS-8VHL...is the real answer 16TB per volume, with each volume being the size of the chosen RAID array type, or does this volume limit apply to all arrays contained within the entire unit?

If the volume limitation refers to the total capacity of each RAID implementation within the unit, then I have some real homework ahead of me to choose the most appropriate RAID implementation for my requirements...

[1000001101000]

You are correct, this is a 64-bit device and should not have the 32-bit/16TB.

I'm reasonably sure I've created a volume > 16TB on that model/series running Debian, I don't think I have with the stock firmware. My understanding is that it uses XFS which has supported >16TB for a long time and is likely fine.

The 16TB limit on 32-bit devices is basically a capacity limit, theoretically you could put 4x 16TB drives in a RAID1 and it would work since the resulting RAID device still only has 2^32 4K blocks.

[jefftse]

very interested in this project.  I see that you have 3 different versions of the imager.   What are the differences?

I have ws-qv8.0tl/r5. 

Thanks!

[1000001101000]

I have installers out there for Debian 9 (Stretch), Debian 10 (Buster) and Debian 11 (Bullseye).

I typically maintain installers for each release once they reach "Stable" until Debian ends support for them. Unless you have a specific reason not to I recommend using the latest version I have out there.

I don't think I made an announcement on the Forum but I have recently added some additional models:

WSH5010
WS5020
TS6000
TS7000/TS-2RZ