A Completely Headless Raspbian Install Over Wifi!

[simplesi]

Well I just plugged my wireless keyboard in instead of a wifi dongle and did cat /etc/network/interfaces and the prog had added my open SSID but with a wpa-psk ="" which is not what an open network needs I think
Going to see if I can get it setup to access my password protected home Sky router instead

Simon

[simplesi]

I'm getting hopeful but just going through whole procedure from the start JUST to make sure I don't fool myself again

[simplesi]

again :phew:

I re-ran the prog on a clean image and IT DOES WORK if your WiFi uses a PSK password

(I use Sky as my ISP as home but run a separate open access point for all my RPi work - switching to use my SKY SSID/Password worked fine )

I SSH'ed in (had to use IP address as my router thinks that raspberrypi maps to another pi)

I then raspi-config and did the usual stuff - rebooted - re SSH'ed back in and ran my X11VNC installer
http://cymplecy.wordpress.com/2014/02/0 ... ll-x11vnc/
and rebooted and I'm up and running and VNCing into a Model A without having to find an HDMI monitor or hub/keyboard/mouse - just a WiFI dongle and a working PC

Simon

[pjadl]

simplesi, I forgot to mention, if you don't touch the /etc/network/interfaces file, you can run this program on the same image over and over again.

[simplesi]

But not once the image has been booted I'm assuming
Simon

[pjadl]

But not once the image has been booted I'm assuming
Simon

As long as you don't physically go into the /etc/network/interfaces file and change it, or have a native Linux program change it (I don't know what the GUI network manager might change), it should be re-writable.

I will also test it tonight to see if you can just edit the image on an SD card (but I assume you can if you give the full path to the file). Then there would be no reason to burn the image over and over again.

[simplesi]

I'm getting a bit confused here (nothing new)
Your prog does something to the img file not to a bootable SD card paritioned up.

But once the SD card image is created - then it would require a compeletly separate process to get at /etc/network/interface surely

If your prog can change data on ext4 partition on a bootable SD card then its a whole new tool

Simon

[pjadl]

I'm getting a bit confused here (nothing new)
Your prog does something to the img file not to a bootable SD card paritioned up.

But once the SD card image is created - then it would require a compeletly separate process to get at /etc/network/interface surely

If your prog can change data on ext4 partition on a bootable SD card then its a whole new tool

Simon

You are right, I'm wrong. I forgot it turns into a ext4 partition once written.

[simplesi]

Ref using open network with no encryption it seems that replacing wpa-psk line with

Code: Select all

wpa-key-mgmt NONE

lets it work on my open network

So if your prog could detect empty password string and then write that line instead that would be one situation covered

Simon

[simplesi]

Well as an experiment - I just used HxD Portable Hex Editor and loaded in the 2013-07-01 image and searched for eth0 until I found where the /etc/network/interfaces file was and then edited it manually to put in my WiFi Settings.

Win32DiskImaged it to SD Card and booted it up and all works Hunky Dory

I think this opens up more that just setting WiFi - we may be able to completely pre-stage a Raspbian image with LOTS of things - just need pjadl to open source their code or knock up a functional equivalent ourselves

Simon

Took me back to early days when fixing BBC Micro disc-sector errors

[mikerr]

Well as an experiment - I just used HxD Portable Hex Editor and loaded in the 2013-07-01 image and searched for eth0 until I found where the /etc/network/interfaces file was and then edited it manually to put in my WiFi

Doesn't that only work if you replace/overwrite the same amount of characters? (Or is there slack space)
If you were adding to it I think you'd have to rewrite the img (which probably what the program does)

[simplesi]

I've just got into this and I don't know what all the implications are but there is enough slack space to certainly alter the /etc/network/interfaces text

If you look here there is definelty a bit of "20" e.g space char available

Whether or not all the 00 space is available or whether the file system thinks the file ends at the OA I've no idea at present

Simon

[pjadl]

simplesi, let me know how the new program works out. I wasn't sure if you still needed the wpa-ssid line before the one you provided for me.

Just realized that I forgot to change the wording regarding the path.

I was also thinking about checking the computers currently connected ssid, and letting that be the default (press enter to select).

[abishur]

[Mod Edit] Removed/edited several off topic and rather insulting posts from what is otherwise a thread about a very useful program. Please see my signature for what is basically the only rule we have on the forum and do your best to follow it regardless of what anyone else does. It is my hope that development on this program can continue without the nastiness that has crept in at this time.

[pjadl]

[Mod Edit] Removed/edited several off topic and rather insulting posts from what is otherwise a thread about a very useful program. Please see my signature for what is basically the only rule we have on the forum and do your best to follow it regardless of what anyone else does. It is my hope that development on this program can continue without the nastiness that has crept in at this time.

How can anybody think the solution to that problem can be solved by censoring everything, like it didn't happen?

Also, you deleted my apology to DougieLawson, which I don't know if he got to view before your censorship trip.

And finally, as per your PM to me... I was unaware that you guys banned me. But you say you lifted the ban, because of my program being useful?

It just keeps getting better.

Anyway, development will continue, as it never stopped. Simplesi has expressed interest in this, and I believe him to be deserving of this program. But after everything that the mods have done, does it make sense that I forget about the way I have been treated, and let the same people giving me flack benefit it from my work?

It will be interesting to see if I am able to get a response from this, or a reissued ban!

[pjadl]

I would need to have communication with the person in charge if this program were released to your customers. Because too many cooks spoil the broth, and there are too many mods doing what they like when they like.

[simplesi]

@pjadl
The foundation don't allow what they don't allow - its their forum and they make the rules and if you don't like it then your are free to leave.

What you are not free to do is use the forum to express negative comments that they deem to be inappropriate.

its not an open court - it isn't a democracy.

I have run into this myself in the past and chose to stay and I just try and ignore any perceived personal negativity and use the forum as a great technical discussion place.

Its up to you how you choose to proceed - you will not get any change in forum management by complaining.

Simon

[abishur]

How can anybody think the solution to that problem can be solved by censoring everything, like it didn't happen?

Because people are being overly hot headed and cleaning out offending posts that contribute nothing to the thread and only fester up an argument go along way to diffuse the situation provided people actually want the situation to be defused. And because several people took the time to PM me thanking me for editing the thread so that it could continue withing the angst you're bringing to the table.

And finally, as per your PM to me... I was unaware that you guys banned me. But you say you lifted the ban, because of my program being useful?

It just keeps getting better.

Well two things, one it's a faux pas to mention things that were said privately publicly, if it was for the world at large to know I would have said them here on this thread.

Two, no you have once again grossly misunderstood the situation. You were not unbanned because your closed source program was useful. Since you've drug a private conversation into the public, what I said was

t is my *hope* that you can maturely deal with [James telling you to look up information yourself and then telling you how to look it up which wasn't at all insulting] which is why I had your ban lifted. Now maybe I'm over estimating you, but I suspect you were well aware of everything I've said and were simply playing the knave for some reason.

The fact that you have a nice little program is a motivation for *you* to drop this and let what would be an otherwise nice thread continue.

Anyway, development will continue, as it never stopped. Simplesi has expressed interest in this, and I believe him to be deserving of this program.

Sorry, I suppose I misunderstood your comment on the github project page were you said you were "pulling the project".

But after everything that the mods have done, does it make sense that I forget about the way I have been treated, and let the same people giving me flack benefit it from my work?

Everything we've done? You mean patiently put up with your continued petulance from your first post to this one? Or do you mean patiently baring your continued Ad Hominem attacks against the mods who are trying to help you? Or do you mean telling you how to use the resources available to you to tap into the technical support this site offers? Perhaps you mean me taking the time to repeatedly explain that you need to chill and re-read James' first post, that there is no one giving you flack, that you are the only person victimizing yourself? And no, none of us mods are benefiting from your work, sorry, I wrote a basic program that did this kind of thing over 7 months ago, only you had to write the image to the SD card first. Then I had a kid and left it at the ugly command line stage

[pjadl]

Well two things, one it's a faux pas to mention things that were said privately publicly, if it was for the world at large to know I would have said them here on this thread.

The 'faux pas', as you put it, was actually you thinking that I have something to hide or to keep private. If you had more contact with me other than being the mod who censors me, I might have been willing to have a private conversation. But just because you sent me a PM doesn't entitle you to any privacy. Please see my new signature (until they change it on me again).

But after everything that the mods have done, does it make sense that I forget about the way I have been treated, and let the same people giving me flack benefit it from my work?

Everything we've done? You mean patiently put up with your continued petulance from your first post to this one?

No, I mean changing my signature without an explanation first (you told me to remove it, I asked for an explanation, and instead, you just removed it on me). Also, the censoring of my posts. And finally the banning. Thanx for the help?

[abishur]

*sigh* you just don't get anything do you? The PM was for *your* privacy not mine. It was done to be polite to you. Instead of going on your thread and publicly embarrassing you by going "yeah you should have listened to those guys who told you you were being rude, too bad you're too much of an idiot listening to the sound of your one hand clapping to pay attention to sound advice", I privately contacted you. Also I didn't remove your signature. And you got yourself banned man up in life and take responsibility for what is a direct result of your own actions, shesh. I just stood up for you saying, hey let's give the guy a chance to fix the errors of his ways, which for some inexplicable reason has resulted in you being *REALLY* pissed off at me.

Ho hum

[simplesi]

Well - this adventure is now over.(Based on an email I received from pjadl)

To respect the original author and to avoid any further issues I'm deleting all my copies of his .exe file

However, pjadl has shown how it is possible to edit an .img file before it gets expanded into a boot-able SD card and I don't think its going to be too hard to replicate this functionality

If I had a vote (and I don't) I'd close this thread and we can start another one on how to move forward

Simon

[abishur]

If I had a vote (and I don't) I'd close this thread and we can start another one on how to move forward

Simon

Fair enough (because you know you and everyone here get's a vote, we may not always see eye to eye, but at least we can respectfully engage in dialog), sadly the kid never could figure out that the only person who did anything to him was himself

And in case you visit this thread again, even to the end you got all your facts wrong. In your little hissy fit full of ethnic bigotry on your project page the least of your many of errors is my user name is abishur, not abishru

Come on kid, can't you get one thing right?

However, pjadl has shown how it is possible to edit an .img file before it gets expanded into a boot-able SD card and I don't think its going to be too hard to replicate this functionality

Yeah, I didn't mess around with it (like I said, I didn't need the functionality), but I suspect it mounts the image, makes the change, and unmounts on the fly. That or possibly expands the image to a temp folder, makes the change, and re-images it... but my money is on the first one.