玄箱 “Kuro Box”

Category : hardware + review + updates

There has also been a new addition to my network with a recent purchase of a 玄箱 “Kuro Box” and a small redetermination to learn Linux from scratch. While I probably still couldn’t build a kernel if my life depended upon it, I did manage to get Debian (Sarge) setup and running fairly easily with a little help and guidance from the users I encountered on IRC over the past few weeks. Hat tip to TampaKuro for most of the ideas and suggestions.

Kuro Box initiations generally begin with these three steps. One, figuring out how the hell to actually open the case so you can further disassemble it and mount a proper hard drive. Two, remembering how you took it apart so you can put it all back together again. Three, familiarizing yourself with the default (fresh out of the box) operational states. It sounds simple, sure. But oh yeah, did I mention that all the documentation in the box is written in Japanese? No? Oh yeah, all the written documentation is in Japanese. Don’t worry though, after you’ve either cracked the case or a couple of finger nails you’ll be well on your way.

Consider it a small right of passage, because after all this you’ll be more determined to hack the hell out of it even more. Once your initiation is complete, head over to the ever-helpful wiki pages and get your read on. Here is where you will find just about everything known and even some unknowns documented thoroughly based upon what works and even how to turn your Kuro into a $150 paper-weight if things go terribly wrong. If you’ve skipped ahead and are still trying to crack your box open, you’ve come to the wrong place. The first rule of Kuro Box, nobody talks about how to crack open a Kuro Box.

In the end, this little “network appliance” gets my full approval for being a fully capable power-toy. While not nearly as exotic and robust as a mini or micro ITX system, it fits the bill for most needs and so far is putting up with my minor amount of stress and abuse. But if this all seems a bit daunting, then I would recommend it’s close sibling the Buffalo LinkStation which comes fully assembled with your choice of storage and then some.

Stupid CLI Tricks I’ve accidently learned so far: Blindly typing “Yes” is NOT funny.

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