2.4 Setup 3 - U-NAS | Build Your Own NAS (BYON)

Posted by JTSF at Saturday, July 06, 2013 Read our previous post

Setup 3 - OS: U-NAS OS 2.0

Installing U-NAS
If you are able to read Chinese, you can use these guides:
U-Share Forum - Install Guide 1
U-Share Forum - Install Guide 2
U-Share Forum - Install Guide 3

Else, read on.

U-NAS Setup Pre-requisite
1. Router with DHCP enabled and Internet access.
2. NAS connected to Router.
3. U-NAS 2.0 U-share Edition License key.
4. One HDD or U-Dom for OS installation.
    - It is highly recommended that you install U-NAS 2.0 on a harddisk or U-DOM.
    - The U-NAS OS is separated from your storage pool. For best practices, do not mix them.
    - U-DOM is not equivalent to USB thumbdrive.
    - For testing purposes, I have installed U-NAS 2.0 on a thumbdrive.

U-NAS Setup Guide
1. Purchase U-NAS 2.0 U-share Edition
2. After purchase, a URL is provided to download: u-share-1.2-x86_64-netinst0327.iso.
U-NAS 2.0 U-share Edition License key is also given to you.
3. Write u-share-1.2-x86_64-netinst0327.iso file onto your USB thumbdrive with Win32 Disk Imager.
(Select *.* file extension at Win32 Disk Imager)
4. Do not connect your storage HDDs to the NAS.
5. Only connect your OS drive to the NAS. U-NAS needs to be installed on one HDD / U-DOM.
6. Plug in thumbdrive to your NAS, connect keyboard, mouse, monitor, ethernet.
7. Power on NAS, boot from USB.
8. Debian Setup wizard will run.

9. Setup wizard is in Chinese at initial stage of the installation

10. DHCP is required here. If your router has DHCP enabled, no action needed from you.

11. After the initial setup, you will be greeted by this screen. By now if you are freaked out by the Chinese installation wizard, call Singapore China Embassy for assistance.

12. Press Escape button on your keyboard, Select English.

13. At the Installation menu, browse to Detect Disks

14. Select: Guided - use the largest continuous free space

15. Select: All files in one partition

16. Setup wizard will propose the partitioning for your OS drive. If you are ok with it, enter: Finish partitioning and write changes to disk.

17. The OS drive is being formatted according.

18. Next, Base System is installed.

19. When you get the warning message below, ignore and press Continue.

20. Now at this step, the base image is installed and you will be returned to the Installation menu.
Navigate to Configure the package manager then select the country that is nearest to you.

21. Pick either one of the locations to download additional packages.

Downloading packages

Installing packages

22. After installation of packages, the Setup wizard guides you through the installation of GRUB boot loader.
Press Continue. (If this step fails, your installation is a failure! WTF? At step 22?)

23. After GRUB boot loader is installed, the installation of U-NAS is completed. It proceeds to reboot.
24. Remove the thumbdrive that you use for installation. Always leave the OS boot drive connected to your NAS.
Below shows the status of U-NAS from console.

15. U-NAS is configured to boot with static IP address: 192.168.1.110.
Connect to U-NAS via web browser: https://192.168.1.110.
Username: admin password: password

16. When you click on Login, license activation will be prompted. Enter your serial number.

U-NAS Configuration Snapshot & Info
The following printscreens are captured after I have setup and configured U-NAS.

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