Using USB storage as rootfs (using pivot-overlay)

[Enrico Bermudez]

I followed the instructions on how to use USB storage as rootfs, using the pivot-overlay approach.
(Here's the link to the instructions: [https://wiki.onion.io/Tutorials/Using-USB-Storage-as-Rootfs])

I used an 8GB Verbatim USB stick.

All the commands worked without errors. The device rebooted just fine, and presumably, is using the USB storage as rootfs.

But when I execute this command: df -hT
Here is what I get:

Any idea why I'm not seeing the expected 8GB or so in that list?

Thanks in advance for the help!

[Boken Lin]

@Enrico-Bermudez Can you show us the content of /etc/config/fstab?

[Enrico Bermudez]

Here you go:

[Boken Lin]

@Enrico-Bermudez Hmmm, that's quite strange, I've never seen such a short disk uuid before. That might be why it's not mounting the disk.

Can you copy and paste the output of block detect? Just want to make sure the uuid for your disk is correct.

[Enrico Bermudez]

@Boken-Lin, here's what 'block detect' gives me:

[Boken Lin]

@Enrico-Bermudez They are the same. Ok that's not the issue.

can you mount the drive on /mnt/sda1 and show the output of df -h?

[Enrico Bermudez]

It says device is busy:

[Boken Lin]

@Enrico-Bermudez Try restarting the Omega without the USB drive. Plug it in after the Omega has started and try again.

[Enrico Bermudez]

1. pulled out the USB stick.
2. power cycled the Omega.
3. logged back into the Omega.
4. inserted the USB stick.
5. then executed 'mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/sda1' -- no errors

I changed into the /mnt/sda1 directory and saw old files I used to have there.

[Enrico Bermudez]

And this is what 'df -hT' gives me:

This confirms, at least, that the USB stick can be detected (and has 7.5GB).

[Boken Lin]

@Enrico-Bermudez Hmm, it was saying resource busy perhaps because it was loaded as the overlay? Can you reboot with the USB key in the Omega again, and paste the output of df again?

[Enrico Bermudez]

1. ran 'reboot' while the USB stick is inserted in the MiniDock.
2. ssh'd back in
3. ran 'df -hT'. Here is the output:

Should I try to format the USB stick and start all over again?

[Boken Lin]

@Enrico-Bermudez Yes. Try that please. Let me know how it goes.

[Enrico Bermudez]

Success!!!
So the main problem was me: I didn't make sure that the USB stick is in ext4 format.

Here's what I did:

1. Formatted my USB stick with my Ubuntu 14.04 LTS machine (command: 'umount /dev/sdb1 ; sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb1' )

2. Then followed the instructions on using pivot-overlay: https://wiki.onion.io/Tutorials/Using-USB-Storage-as-Rootfs

3. After rebooting the Omega, the logging back into it, I ran 'df -hT'.
   The result clearly shows that rootfs is now near the size of the USB storage (7.3GB).

Thanks for your help, @Boken-Lin !

[Boken Lin]

@Enrico-Bermudez Nice!