The NSLU2, Technical Specs, Tweaks, Gentoo on NSLU2

Technical Specs

General
• Manufacturer: Linksys Inc.
• Part Number: NSLU2
• Host Connectivity: Ethernet 10/100
• Width: 0.8 in
• Depth: 3.6 in
• Height: 5.1 in
• Weight: 0.4 lbs
• Built-in Devices: LED panel
• Miscellaneous compliant standards: EN55022, UPnP, EN55024, EMC, ICES-003 Class B, VCCI, CE, FCC Part 15 B

Storage Controller
• Type: Hi-Speed USB (Integrated)
• Storage controller interface type: Fast Ethernet
• Controller interface type: Hi-Speed USB
• Storage Controller / Supported Device Type: Hard drive
• Max Storage Devices Qty: 2

Networking
• Type: Network adapter (Integrated)
• Data link protocol: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet
• Transport protocol: TCP/IP
• Remote management protocol: HTTP
• Networking standards: IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3U
• Interfaces: 1 x 10/100 RJ-45, Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45


Environmental Parameters
• Min operating temperature: 41 F
• Max operating temperature: 104 F
• Operating humidity range: 10 - 80%





Gentoo on the NSLU2

SlugOS provides the basis for the Gentoo installation, this installs a 2.6 kernel and a very basic, but fully useable, root filesystem in flash. When you first flash an SlugOS image to your NSLU2 you log into this rootfs.
Included on this rootfs are some boot scripts which will then chainload another rootfs (either on an attached hard disk, NFS, ...), by chrooting and execing init. The turnup script, when run, writes some configuration information to /linuxrc on the flash rootfs which instructs the boot script how and what to actually boot.
With an ordinary SlugOS installation you create a rootfs on your attached hard disk that is very similar to the flash rootfs -- just without the space restriction. The flash rootfs then loads the disk rootfs on every boot. We are going to completely replace the disk rootfs with a Gentoo installation (with a few important modifications).





Tweaks

OC your Slug!


There appear to be two models around one of 266MHz and one that comes underclocked at 133MHz, please verify that you are running at 133 before doing anything else.


Instrutions:
1. Open the case
2. Remove the red marked Resistor


Before (this command war run on a 'virgin' NSLU2)
# cat /proc/cpuinfo Processor : XScale-IXP425/IXC1100 rev 1 (v5b) BogoMIPS : 131.48 Features : swp half thumb fastmult edsp Hardware : Intel IXDP425 Development Platform Revision : 0000 Serial : 0000000000000000
After (this is the output on my NSLU2 after deunderclock)
# cat /proc/cpuinfo Processor : XScale-IXP42x Family rev 1 (v5l) BogoMIPS : 266.24 Features : swp half fastmult edsp Hardware : Linksys NSLU2 Revision : 0000 Serial : 0000000000000000



Extra Stuff

The Linksys NSLU2 (aka "slug") is sold as a NAS device but in reality it is much more useful than that. It is a complete, cheap, embedded Linux system. Best of all is the fact that the official Linksys firmware uses the Linux kernel, and so Linksys released the source code. This led to some excellent custom firmware projects like Unslung and OpenSlug.