Re: How I got apt update and install to work (with Debian Jessie retired)

StephenB · ‎2024-02-01

@XtheUnknown wrote:

I have a VM which (as a test) I upgraded from 6.10.8 to 6.10.10. Not only did it remove the ability to upload apps by file browser and the "available apps" tab, it also removed existing installed apps, including SMBPLUS. I didn't have Plex installed on the VM, but I assume it would do that too - and lose all my Plex configuration data...

I am not seeing that on my RN102 (a test NAS which does have 6.10.10 on it). SMBPlus and Plex were both installed (though plex was turned off, and probably quite old).

SMBPlus launched correctly from the apps page. I was also able to turn Plex on, and launch it (going to the sign-on page) - but I didn't proceed any further with it.

John____ · ‎2024-03-02

Thank you.

This let me update Plex Media Server after I let the 6.10.10 update install.on my RN 516.

I'm now back on 6.10.9.with the current Plex Media Server running.

Langzik_NAS · ‎2024-03-13

So, @John____ , just to clarify [because I'm in the same boat you were in], you're back in 6.10.9 and able to do app updates via the web interface? Or are you doing it over SSH?

I've managed to revert back to 6.10.9 after foolishly upgrading without checking what was being changed (honestly, never in my wildest dreams did I think they were going to purposefully wreck their users this hard), but everything is still broken on my end insofar as updating apps via the web interface is concerned.

StephenB · ‎2024-03-14

@Langzik_NAS wrote:

I've managed to revert back to 6.10.9 ... but everything is still broken on my end insofar as updating apps via the web interface is concerned.

Did you re-apply the mods in this thread? They are needed to get most installs to work.

Langzik_NAS · ‎2024-03-14

Hey @StephenB

I only braved the 6.10.9 install last night 😨; after all the unsolicited excitement from the 6.10.10 update ☠️, I was too afraid of things getting worse; it was enough for one evening (😅).

After my cooldown period, I took the plunge today & went through the mods posted by sensei @Sandshark (which you referred people to as a solution in the forums):
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Using-your-ReadyNAS-in-Business/How-I-got-apt-update-and-install-to...

& I took some pointers (ex. renaming the original file) from @Astra03 's post:
https://community.netgear.com/t5/New-ReadyNAS-Users-General/ReadyNAS-OS-6-10-10-released/m-p/2365563...

It worked on one NAS device ("NAS 01") ✊, but I already had PLEX updated on my other NAS ("NAS 02"), so I couldn't test it there 😞. Installing Nano was a great idea, but I needed to use the -f flag to force the install:

apt-get install nano -f

Having said that, given that I was able to install Nano [on "NAS 02"] after applying the mods, I'm confident I'll be able to update PLEX on that device as well.

Thanks again @StephenB , @Sandshark , @Astra03 & anyone/everyone else that banded together to find a solution to this [frankly, ridiculous & unnecessary] problem; this should've been rectified by Netgear, but since they obviously couldn't be bothered to set things right, thanks for stepping up & being the heroes our community needed today ✊.

Sandshark · ‎2024-03-15

I'm glad it worked for you. I have no idea why you need the -f option to install nano, but thanks for sharing in case somebody else has an issue with it.

But while I don't like making excuses for Netgear, they are actually doing the right thing not making this a part of an OS update. Setting it to allow unauthenticated sources is a (small, and IMHO acceptable for home use) potential security hole. Users need to choose for themselves whether or not it's acceptable to them.

Of course, with 6.10.10, they decided to go the other direction and prevent users from deciding to allow it, which is unacceptable.

Of course, they should have upgraded ReadyNAS OS to a newer Linux base a long time ago, but now I wonder if they haven't been planning this exit from the NAS business for a while, and that's the reason they didn't do it.

Langzik_NAS · ‎2024-03-18

@Sandshark

I have no idea why you need the -f option to install nano

One NAS device in particular is a problem-child for me (I can't even get SMB to work on it anymore; not sure how or why, but it's a major pain-point). This was probably the first device I applied to patch to, so it likely gave me issues, after which point I'll have simply opted to apply the -f flag by default when installing it on the other NAS device.

[as for the rest...]

I agree with everything you said; I understand the motive, but disagree with the outcome/execution they opted for. It would've been better for them to inform the user via disclaimer and create a switch of sorts to turn off app functionality based on the user's preference & risk appetite. Moreover, it's crazy that they didn't even give a warning window prior to the user applying the update. Most of us assume updates are here to fix bugs & issues, but rarely do we consider a situation where a core function is simply torn out of OS... Anyway, I could go on forever, but I know I'm preaching to the choir here lol. My point is simply that the update's outcome was wildly unacceptable in my view; it should never have happened, and they should've restored what they broke immediately after, when users became confused, alarmed, and steeped in regret. Now they'll have a chunk of users who are either:

cursing their product [not knowing the situation, but knowing the outcome],
frustrated [because they realize what's happened, but don't have the technical confidence/competence to fix it], or
feeling distrust towards Netgear/ReadyNAS [knowing what happened, having reverse-engineered the outcome, and having turned off all update-related activity].

All of these outcomes are damaging for not only the users & ReadyNAS, but also Netgear [in regard to reputation & reliability]. For example, every time I think about Netgear now, I'll be thinking about this issue; how can I recommend Netgear's products as a solution to anything/anyone in the future? They'd REALLY have to do something special to woo me... and even then, I'd [unfortunately] have a very hard time trusting them now.

makkistyle · ‎2024-03-21

I loged in and this what shows me :

but the file you mentioned ( apt.conf )

where.i should copy it ?

here is a look in the folder apt.conf.d :

Sandshark · ‎2024-03-21

As stated in the very first message of the thread "Then you need to create /etc/apt/apt.conf with the following content:" So you put it in /etc/apt.

makkistyle · ‎2024-03-21

My apologies

as I was directed to the above post without going through the whole post

so as I understand I just have to replace the file I downloaded ( sources.list ) over existing on NAS version?

and Create a folder (apt)

to copy the file apt.conf in it

then the ability to upload app will work ?

nothing els to do ?

StephenB · ‎2024-03-21

@makkistyle wrote:

so as I understand I just have to replace the file I downloaded ( sources.list ) over existing on NAS version?

and Create a folder (apt)

to copy the file apt.conf in it

I suggest renaming the sources.list that is already in the folder to sources.list.orig

Also rename apt.conf.d to apt.conf.d.orig - as that was added in 6.10.10.

Then copy the modified sources.list and apt.conf into the folder.

After that, I'd reboot the NAS.

@makkistyle wrote:

then the ability to upload app will work ?

You also need to downgrade back to 6.10.9 to restore the upload function in the web ui. If you haven't done that yet, do it before you apply these modifications.

makkistyle · ‎2024-03-25

I would like to thank both StephenB and Sandshark

for their solutions and effort they put in this forum your contributions are tremendous

I solved the upload issue and I manage to upload the Plex app

I hope there is a button in setting to turn off the update OS for good and for now on

it must not be updated for good .because it keeps popping up when you log in to admin page .

Regards

StephenB · ‎2024-03-25

@makkistyle wrote:

I hope there is a button in setting to turn off the update OS for good and for now on

it must not be updated for good .because it keeps popping up when you log in to admin page .

Look on system->settings in the update section

Dankel2 · ‎2024-03-29

For Plex app (probably any other app also) if anyone has a ReadyNAS 312 like I do you may want to try and downgrade from 6.10.10 to 6.10.9, reboot and then install/update Plex app from the GUI. This is what I did and I'm working again. All my Available Apps and Installed Apps are back. Worth a try.....

Sandshark · ‎2024-03-30

Just downgrading the OS is sufficient for a Plex update because it needs no new dependencies from the Debian archive. Updates to others likely will be the same, since Debian 8 hasn't been updated in some time. But for most new installations, it's going to need access to the Debian archive to download dependencies, so the changes listed here are required.

ChunkySocks · ‎2024-04-06

Thanks for all contribuors and especially thanks to both StephenB and Sandshark for their continued posting in these forums to help others.

I SSH'd into my ReadyNAS and successfully managed to follow Sandshark's instructions.

This was after installing 6.10.10 and now that installing/upgrading apps via the GUI is disabled, I can't use that method to update my Plex server plus I also wanted to upgrade my Logitech Media Server to the most recent stable version.

~~If I download a deb file, where does it need to be put on the NAS and what commands do I need to run when I SSH into the NAS in order to upgrade these programs? Thank you~~.

Think I've worked it out:

find the correct .deb file, in this case plexmediaserver_1.40.1.8227-c0dd5a73e_amd64.deb
download to local machine then copy it to a folder on the NAS
navigate to the directory containing the file
run sudo dpkg -i plexmediaserver_1.40.1.8227-c0dd5a73e_amd64.deb

StephenB · ‎2024-04-06

@ChunkySocks wrote:

Think I've worked it out:

find the correct .deb file, in this case plexmediaserver_1.40.1.8227-c0dd5a73e_amd64.deb

For Plex, go to https://www.plex.tv/media-server-downloads/?cat=computer&plat=windows#plex-media-server and select "Netgear". Then choose the correct distribution for your NAS.

( @ChunkySocks did get the correct download, I'm just adding this for the benefit of future readers).

ChunkySocks · ‎2024-04-08

Adding more detailed instructions, incorporating what StephenB posted above and mainly for my own benefit as my memory isn't great and do it too infrequently! These are for updating Plex manually now that doing it via Netgear's GUI has been disabled in 6.10.10 but should work for other apps as long as you have the correct file.

get the latest Plex download from here, choosing the correct distribution for your NAS
copy it from your local machine into a folder on your NAS using your file manager GUI
open your CLI (Command Line Interface), SSH into your NAS and navigate to the folder containing the file
run sudo dpkg -i <filename>.deb
file can now be deleted if you wish

StephenB · ‎2024-04-08

@ChunkySocks wrote:

run sudo dpkg -i <filename>.deb

If you log into the NAS using root (with the NAS admin password), then you don't need the sudo.

Laserbait · ‎2024-04-11

Thanks @Sandshark ! I got all 4 of my arrays back to 6.10.9, and updated their repos with your info. I appreciate you blazing that trail for us! 🙂

DanielEnochsson · ‎2024-09-20

Edit - Looks like I failed to quote the post I responded to, but it was in reply to this:
"every time I think about Netgear now, I'll be thinking about this issue; how can I recommend Netgear's products as a solution to anything/anyone in the future? They'd REALLY have to do something special to woo me... and even then, I'd [unfortunately] have a very hard time trusting them now."

Myself, I will always think of Netgear with great appreciation after they spent weeks on my out-of-support NAS, helping me recover almost all of my unbacked-up data (yes, I know...) after a dual-disk failure showed up. Initial state was completely bricked and in the end, I lost maybe 50 files, but I knew which ones they were. I think my disks may even have been outside of the recommended hardware list...

The problem in this thread is indeed a disappointment, but at least I managed to recover apt functionality with the good advice from @Sandshark and others. I'll see if I want to downgrade to 6.10.9 later, but I'll leave my two NASes on 6.10.10 for now.