Remove non-empty directory on QNAP or Linux

You may try to use rm -rf [directory] to delete given directory along with all its content (including all subdirectiories and all files). Use this with caution, to not end up deleting all files on your root! :>

Note, that on QNAP (but not on regular Linux) you have to start your session as admin user, as you cannot use su command to become root. If you try this, you’ll end up with error su: user root does not exist.

Introduction to bash scripts

While playing with some extra features on my newly purchased QNAP TS-210 at some point I was forced to finally write some bash script to be able to control things, that are uncontrollable via administration panel. For this reason I had to learn myself at least basics of bash, that is installed on my QNAP. I used floppix page and linuxconfig.org Wiki as a base for my learning process (and source for this article), however I had to write down my own memo-list to be able to quickly find, what I’m looking for.

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No Samba access after password change

Let us understand it. Windows is stupid and idiotic system. Suppose, you store (remember) your NAS’s Samba username and password, so you don’t have to provide it, each time you access your local network share. If you thenchange your user password, Windows either won’t detect the fact that password has changed or, even if it detect it, it won’t show you login/password dialog box to provide new one. Instead, it continue to provide NAS with wrong (outdated) password.

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Incorrectly formatted external disk on QNAP TS-210

After using QNAP’s web-panel to format external disk, it suddenly turned out that formatting to any partition type ends with extremely small free disk size. For example, completely empty (as should be after format) 1,5 TB disk, formatted to any Windows type (FAT32 / NTFS) has only 1,9 GB free space. Formatting it to any Linux type (Ext3, Ext4) ends with 1,84 GB free space and formatting to HPS+ with 1,89 GB. In all attempts disk has less then 0,2% free space right after format. Here is the solution, that I came up with after a lot of digging.

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Patching some security problems in Samba

QNAP is built upon Debian, created and designed by a bunch of wise guys, constantly being improved and used around the world, sometimes in very important solutions. Thus, it is generally a safe and secured solution. On the other hand, there isn’t (there never was and there never will be) any thing, done by a human, that another human wouldn’t be able to breke, change, alter or destroy. So, there is always a good idea to improve security, whenever you’re possible to do so. This article discusses some smaller or bigger security holes in Samba on board QNAP with a possible solution or workaround.

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