Instructions on connecting an external USB Hard drive to Almond+

[pnichols1776]

Are there any step-by-step instructions on how to connect a USB external Hard Drive to Almond+?
Thank you

[LGNilsson]

It's not complete, but should get you started http://wiki.securifi.com/index.php?title=Network_storage_-_Almond%2B_2014

[RedMax]

I tried following the instructions on the link. The "permissions" option was not present when i enabled the server. I can attach to and see the usb disk, but when I try to write to it I get a message saying that I lack necessary permissions.  How do I change the server permissions now?

[LGNilsson]

The default setting should be read+write, I'm not sure why it was removed from there.
You can go into OpenWRT and click on Services, then FTP/Samba and you'll find it there.
Note that Samba currently doesn't work properly on Mac or Linux machines due to some bug in the code.
Please note that this is far from optimized and we're going to get all of this working properly as soon as we've fixed the more pressing issues, such as Wi-Fi performance and the garbled data issues.

[RedMax]

Thanks Lars, unfortunately that didn't seem to work either. On the page you described I find only two checkboxes - one for FTP which is checked (even though I have only SAMBA checked, and not FTP, on the FTP/SAMBA page), and a second one enabling IPSec. No permissions that I could find on any page or tab in there. I guess it's just a bug. I'll wait for another release of the firmware... (I'm on R069).

[LGNilsson]

No, it's there, trust me, you're looking at a different page if you're just seeing FTP and IPSec. Have a look again and select the right option from the drop down menu.

[RedMax]

Thanks Lars - found it! It's set to read and write, so the permissions setting isn't the problem. Not at all sure where to look next to find out what actually is. Perhaps it's that OS/X bug you referred to in an earlier post...

[LGNilsson]

Yes, that would most likely be it, you didn't say you were using OS X. If you put content on the drive and plug it in, you'll be able to read the data though.

[RedMax]

Yes Lars, I can read previously written content and will await write functionality in an future firmware update.

I have one concern though - I've been testing this using a USB thumb drive, and it gets very hot. Not too hot to hold in the hand, but hot enough to be uncomfortable there. The Almond+ is just sitting on its "bottom" edge on an open shelf with plenty of ventilation. Is the unit intended to run that hot? The flash drive is well within its operating temperature range but I was a bit concerned for the Almond+.

[Amritendu]

@RedMax, being equipped with a heat pipe to dissipate the heat produced might make the equipment hot. But that should be normal as the heat venting mechanism is more or less like that of a laptop which might make it uncomfortably warm at around corners or edges.