SSD / HDD for RasPi 4 PLUS MQTT / Syslog Server

In this video I install an old laptop Hard Drive in my Raspberry Pi 4 and remove the SD card completely. This can also be done with Solid State Drives or other storage mediums. I then use it to make an MQTT / Syslog Server

I (had) an old 386 server running to save my syslog messages and run an independent MQTT server. That server had a hard-drive failure, and I decides a giant dual processor 386 based Xenon server running just for that was a bit ridiculous. So I’m used an old Laptop Hard-drive, a tiny drive enclosure, and a Pi4 with a fan-less case to replace it.

Follow along and maybe we can both learn something.

Build SD card for initial boot

On a small SD card (to be used for install only) load RasPi Lite

Edit boot folder

Touch ssh

create wpa.supplicant.conf (if using WIFI)

Boot RasPi to update firmware

Insert SD

Boot it and log in

run: raspi-config

interface options

• make SSH server perm

advanced options

• bootloader version

• • update to latest

• boot order

• • usb then sd card

Build HDD

Build USB drive with one of the RasPi official installations. You can try others but not all have the tweaks to allow USB drive as Bootable OS.

Touch SSH file like above.

Reboot with SD card installed and USB installed in one of the blue connectors (Should boot the SD card and switch over to the USB Drive as it boots.)

Allow the new SSH fingerprint by following instructions on screen.

run: raspi-config

interface options

• make SSH server perm

Change the boot order:

sudo echo program_usb_boot_mode=1 | sudo tee -a /boot/config.txt

Wait until the USB drive appears to be done with expansion and disk check. (Might be 10 > minutes on a slower drive.) Drive activity will become less active.

Power down:

sudo shutdown -now

Remove SD card, leaving USB drive attached, power up to reboot without SD card.

Update the OS:

sudo apt update; sudo apt upgrade -y

Install Rsyslog

Pull down the files

sudo apt install rsyslog

Configure syslog as the server

sudo nano /etc/rsyslog.conf

Remove the hashtag from these lines and save the file:

#module(load="imudp")
#input(type="imudp" port="514")

#module(load="imtcp")
#input(type="imtcp" port="514")

OPTIONAL Create a new template for receiving remote messages. Add the template just before GLOBAL DIRECTIVES section:

$template remote-incoming-logs,"/var/log/%HOSTNAME%/%PROGRAMNAME%.log" 
*.* ?remote-incoming-logs
& ~

Restart rsyslog:

sudo systemctl restart rsyslog

Install MQTT

Install Mosquitto:

sudo apt install mosquitto

Verify it is running:

sudo systemctl status mosquitto

Setup Password: Create a simple text file, for example /etc/mosquitto/password_file_sample

username:password1
otherusername:password2

etc…

This is the last you will see these usernames and passwords, so REMEMBER them.

Now encrypt it:

mosquitto_passwd -U password_file_sample

Add a local config file:

sudo nano /etc/mosquitto/conf.d/local.conf

SAMPLE local.conf file. Adjust as needed:

# Turn off anonymous access
allow_anonymous false

# Point to the password file
password_file  /etc/mosquitto/password_file_sample

# Connect Mosquitto to the syslog server
log_dest syslog

# Set what information is to be logged
log_type error
log_type warning
#log_type notice
#log_type information
#log_type all

# Turn logging off
#log_dest none