🛠 Create a simple NAS with CM3588

Objectives

This tutorial guides you through transforming your CM3588 module into a simple Network Attached Storage (NAS) server. You will learn how to mount an external drive, configure the Samba protocol for file sharing, and access this storage from a computer or smartphone. This is an ideal use case for centralizing your multimedia data or documents.

Required Hardware

• A CM3588 module (with Linux OS installed, such as Ubuntu or Debian).
• A compatible CM3588 Carrier Board.
• An external hard drive or large-capacity USB stick (formatted as ext4 or NTFS).
• A USB cable to connect the drive.
• An Ethernet cable for network connection.
• A computer or smartphone on the same local network.

Steps

1. Physical Connection: Connect the external hard drive to one of the CM3588's USB 3.1 ports. Ensure the module is powered and connected to the network via the 2.5 GbE Ethernet port.

1. Disk Identification: Open a terminal (via SSH or connected screen). Identify your drive with the following command:

lsblk

Note your drive name (e.g., sda1).

1. Mounting the Drive: Create a mount point and mount the drive:

sudo mkdir /mnt/usb_disk
sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/usb_disk

1. Samba Installation: Samba enables file sharing with Windows, macOS, and Linux. Install it:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install samba -y

1. Samba Configuration: Edit the configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

Add these lines at the end of the file to share the folder:

[CM3588Share]
   path = /mnt/usb_disk
   browseable = yes
   read only = no
   guest ok = yes

1. Service Restart: Apply changes:

sudo systemctl restart smbd

Verification

From another computer on your network, open the file explorer. On Windows, type \\CM3588_IP\CM3588Share in the address bar. On macOS, use smb://CM3588_IP/CM3588Share. If you see your drive's contents, the configuration is successful. You can also test by creating a file via the CM3588 terminal and verifying it appears on the remote computer.

Further Reading

To secure access, create a dedicated user with smbpasswd -a username and modify the Samba configuration to disable guest access (guest ok = no). You can also explore the video transcoding capabilities of the Mali-G610 GPU to set up a streaming solution like Jellyfin, leveraging the RK3588's power.