Running Your Own Application at Startup

Applicable Products:

• All NAS series

Some advanced uses of your NAS may require you to run custom applications at boot-time. Even though QNAP NAS are Linux-based, you cannot use the usual Linux methods for launching an application at startup: default config files are reset on every startup.

• Skills required

• MTD-based method

  • Manual edit of autorun.sh
  • Edit autorun.sh: script to ease autorun.sh edit
  • Using "init" script to mount the flash
  • Allow running autorun.sh during startup

Skills required

• must be able to remote login via SSH (e.g. use SSH PuTTY)
• must know how to edit files using nano, vi, or edit via SFTP (e.g. use WinSCP)

MTD-based method

Autorun.sh is a script which will be executed on every startup of the TS-x09, TS-x19 and TS-x39. Editing this file allows you to start your own programs or overwrite config files with your own copies.

Manual edit of autorun.sh

1. Log into your QNAP device using SSH, for instance by using Putty

2. Optional: install nano; use ipkg install nano & edit with nano instead of vi

3. Mount config ramblock by finding your specific model below:

   • All HAL-based Intel and AMD NAS:

     Note: Starting from QTS 4.3.3 it's required to enable the autorun.sh processing in the Control Panel -> Hardware -> General: Run user defined startup processes (autorun.sh)

     • QTS 5.x

       sudo -i
mount $(/sbin/hal_app --get_boot_pd port_id=0)6 /tmp/config

     • QTS 4.x
       mount $(/sbin/hal_app --get_boot_pd port_id=0)6 /tmp/config

   • TS-212P3, TS-230:Mount the config ramblock /dev/mmcblk0p5:
     mount -t ext2 /dev/mmcblk0p5 /tmp/config

   • TS-269L:Mount the config ramblock /dev/sdc6:
     mount -t ext2 /dev/sdc6 /tmp/config

   • TS-439, TS-509, TS-639, TS-809, TS-809U (x86):Mount the config ramblock /dev/sdx6:
     mount -t ext2 /dev/sdx6 /tmp/config

   • TS-109, TS-109P, TS-110, TS-119,TS-209, TS-209P, TS-212, TS-219, TS-409 (Marvell ARM), TS-412, TS-419P:Mount the config ramblock /dev/mtdblock5:

     Note: On TS-219P II, you may have to use ext4 instead of ext2

     mount -t ext2 /dev/mtdblock5 /tmp/config

   • TS-201:Mount the config ramblock /dev/mtdblock4:
     mount -t ext2 /dev/mtdblock4 /tmp/config

Create/Edit /tmp/config/autorun.sh.

1. Edit autorun.sh by vi using this command # vi /tmp/config/autorun.sh then enter edit mode by pressing a

   1. Edit whatever you need to
   2. Exit edit mode: press ESC
   3. Save and exit: x

2. Or editing autorun.sh using a desktop PC and e.g. SFTP

3. Ensure that /tmp/config/autorun.sh is executable using this command # chmod +x /tmp/config/autorun.sh

4. IMPORTANT: Unmount the mounted flash partition using this command # umount /tmp/config

editautorun.sh: script to ease autorun.sh edit

If you edit this file regularly you can save some time by creating a shell script (e.g. editautorun.sh) to automate the process. You can call the script by either putting it in the environment path, or add its folder to the path or call it by an alias.

The script contents are:

All HAL-based Intel and AMD NAS use ...

mount $(/sbin/hal_app --get_boot_pd port_id=0)6 /tmp/config
touch /tmp/config/autorun.sh
chmod +x /tmp/config/autorun.sh
$EDITOR /tmp/config/autorun.sh
umount /tmp/config

All AL-based NAS(TS-x31+ and TS-x31X) and TS-x31 use ...

ubiattach -m 6 -d 2
/bin/mount -t ubifs ubi2:config /tmp/config
vi /tmp/config/autorun.sh
chmod +x /tmp/config/autorun.sh
echo .
echo "unmounting /tmp/config..."
umount /tmp/config
ubidetach -m 6

TS-230 use ...

mount -t ext2 /dev/mmcblk0p5 /tmp/config
vi /tmp/config/autorun.sh
chmod +x /tmp/config/autorun.sh
echo .
echo "unmounting /tmp/config..."
umount /tmp/config

TAS-x68, TS-x28 use ...

/bin/mount -t ext4 /dev/mmcblk0p7 /tmp/config
vi /tmp/config/autorun.sh
chmod +x /tmp/config/autorun.sh
echo .
echo "unmounting /tmp/config..."
umount /tmp/config

TS-439, TS-509, TS-639, TS-809, TS-809U (x86) use ...

mount -t ext2 /dev/sdx6 /tmp/config
vi /tmp/config/autorun.sh
chmod +x /tmp/config/autorun.sh
echo .
echo "unmounting /tmp/config..."

For TS-109, TS-109P, TS-119, TS-209, TS-209P, TS-219, TS-412, TS-409 (Marvell ARM) use ...

mount -t ext2 /dev/mtdblock5 /tmp/config
vi /tmp/config/autorun.sh
chmod +x /tmp/config/autorun.sh
echo .
echo "unmounting /tmp/config..."
umount /tmp/config

For TS-201 use ...

mount -t ext2 /dev/mtdblock4 /tmp/config
vi /tmp/config/autorun.sh
chmod +x /tmp/config/autorun.sh
echo .
echo "unmounting /tmp/config..."
umount /tmp/config

Using "init" script to mount the flash

The QNAP GUI has the ability to view the autorun.sh content. As at V4.5.1.1540 on a TS-831XU-RP this is how the GUI does that:

/etc/init.d/init_disk.sh mount_flash_config
(displays /tmp/nasconfig_tmp/autorun.sh)
/etc/init.d/init_disk.sh umount_flash_config

Using these commands, you can create/edit the "autorun.sh" in the location given.

Allow running autorun.sh during startup

After completing the autorun.sh, please don't forget to enable the option to allow running autorun.sh during the system startup.