AC Series Recommended Software and Utilities: Difference between revisions

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The best method of owning, managing, having, using, ...whatever, an OpenWRT based router it to have the OpenWRT OS stored on some type of USB Flash drive, mSATA, NVME, NGFF, or other type of external drive / SSD etc that utilizes the OpenWRT /overlay functionality (look it up, it's quite useful).

The best method of owning, managing, having, using, ...whatever, an OpenWRT based router it to have the OpenWRT OS stored on some type of USB Flash drive, mSATA, NVME, NGFF, or other type of external drive / SSD etc that utilizes the OpenWRT /overlay functionality (look it up, it's quite useful). Oh, and AC Series as in the Linksys WRT1900 series, WRT32X, etc.

...but, when the router is turned on, it's still booting from code stored on the built in "Disk Drive", AKA NAND. So an interesting question comes up: If the external drive fails, what should be installed on the NAND 'Drive'. Well, to start with, anything that is necessary for the "Overlay Functionality" (look it up on the OpenWRT site). But if it's booting to an external drive that's using the /overlay functionality, then it's already installed. Beyond that?

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opkg install blkid block-mount cfdisk dosfstools dumpe2fs e2fsprogs f2fs-tools f2fsck fdisk file fstools gdisk hdparm kmod-fs-exfat kmod-fs-ext4 kmod-fs-f2fs kmod-fs-vfat kmod-usb-storage kmod-usb2 kmod-usb3 lsblk mkf2fs mtd ntfs-3g ntfs-3g-utils sfdisk tune2fs usbutils wipefs

For minimal installs, to just get enough installed to recognize a USB device and boot from an Overlay Partition on a USB Flash Drive: opkg install block-mount kmod-fs-ext4 kmod-usb-storage e2fsprogs kmod-usb-ohci kmod-usb-uhci

For minimal installs, to just get enough installed to recognize a USB device and boot from an Overlay Partition on a USB Flash Drive: opkg install block-mount kmod-fs-ext4 kmod-usb-storage e2fsprogs kmod-usb-ohci kmod-usb-uhci wipefs mk2fs ntfs-3g ntfs-3g-utils

And if there's a bit more space: opkg install ntfs-3g ntfs-3g-utils tune2fs wipefs cfdisk

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!!!WARNING: Do NOT install install the full version of the GREP Utility!!! (yet). See GREP Gripe section at the end.

opkg install ar attr bash bzip2 gzip htop luci-app-advanced-reboot luci-app-uhttpd nano netcat swconfig tar ubi-utils uboot-envtools wget ca-certificates whereis

opkg install ar attr bash bzip2 gzip htop luci-app-advanced-reboot luci-app-uhttpd nano netcat swconfig tar ubi-utils uboot-envtools wget ca-certificates whereis pciutils

This is on a separate line because the version number may change: opkg install libustream-mbedtls20150806 (REMEMBER, the "WOLFSSL" package will need to be removed first, but don't do it yet. First manually download the file for libustream-mbedtlsXYZversion, then after that file has been downloaded, remove the "WOLFSSL" package, then install the "BMEDTLS" version, because if you remove the "WOLFSSL" package first, it will 'CrapCan' the OPKG utility and prevent it from downloading anything.)

NOTE: LSPCI (in PCIUTILS) is really only useful on x86_64 installs of OpenWRT. For most routers it's fairly boring.

If GREP is desired, then download and install the 21.02.1 version: https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/21.02.1/packages/arm_cortex-a9_vfpv3-d16/packages/grep_3.6-1_arm_cortex-a9_vfpv3-d16.ipk, or newer (as of early 2023): https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/21.02.5/packages/arm_cortex-a9_vfpv3-d16/packages/grep_3.6-1_arm_cortex-a9_vfpv3-d16.ipk, but not too new, as the OpenWRT 23.xx.y versions of GREP won't work on OpenWRT 19.xx.y or 21.xx.y: https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/22.03.3/packages/arm_cortex-a9_vfpv3-d16/packages/grep_3.7-2_arm_cortex-a9_vfpv3-d16.ipk (only download the last one in the 22.xx.y series of OpenWRT if running 22.xx.y, which isn't recommended because of busted Marvell Switch Drivers)

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One will have to make a choice on this one between Samba and Restic if a WRT3200ACM is being used.

====Additional Utilities (if there's storage space available)====

opkg install iftop ipset losetup lsof nmap pciutils resolveip ss tcpdump wget

opkg install iftop ipset losetup lsof nmap pciutils resolveip ss tcpdump wget iperf

Remember, some of these utilities are the ''full'' version of the utility. A smaller / 'neutered' version of the command / utility may be included within the BusyBox software (again, look it up).

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-The best method of owning, managing, having, using, ...whatever, an OpenWRT based router it to have the OpenWRT OS stored on some type of USB Flash drive, mSATA, NVME, NGFF, or other type of external drive / SSD etc that utilizes the OpenWRT /overlay functionality (look it up, it's quite useful).
+The best method of owning, managing, having, using, ...whatever, an OpenWRT based router it to have the OpenWRT OS stored on some type of USB Flash drive, mSATA, NVME, NGFF, or other type of external drive / SSD etc that utilizes the OpenWRT /overlay functionality (look it up, it's quite useful). Oh, and AC Series as in the Linksys WRT1900 series, WRT32X, etc.
 ...but, when the router is turned on, it's still booting from code stored on the built in "Disk Drive", AKA NAND.  So an interesting question comes up: If the external drive fails, what should be installed on the NAND 'Drive'.  Well, to start with, anything that is necessary for the "Overlay Functionality" (look it up on the OpenWRT site).  But if it's booting to an external drive that's using the /overlay functionality, then it's already installed.  Beyond that?
@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 opkg install blkid block-mount cfdisk dosfstools dumpe2fs e2fsprogs f2fs-tools f2fsck fdisk file fstools gdisk hdparm kmod-fs-exfat kmod-fs-ext4 kmod-fs-f2fs kmod-fs-vfat kmod-usb-storage kmod-usb2 kmod-usb3 lsblk mkf2fs mtd ntfs-3g ntfs-3g-utils sfdisk tune2fs usbutils wipefs
-For minimal installs, to just get enough installed to recognize a USB device and boot from an Overlay Partition on a USB Flash Drive: opkg install block-mount kmod-fs-ext4 kmod-usb-storage e2fsprogs kmod-usb-ohci kmod-usb-uhci
+For minimal installs, to just get enough installed to recognize a USB device and boot from an Overlay Partition on a USB Flash Drive: opkg install block-mount kmod-fs-ext4 kmod-usb-storage e2fsprogs kmod-usb-ohci kmod-usb-uhci wipefs mk2fs ntfs-3g ntfs-3g-utils
 And if there's a bit more space: opkg install ntfs-3g ntfs-3g-utils tune2fs wipefs cfdisk
@@ Line 82: / Line 82: @@
 !!!WARNING: Do NOT install install the full version of the GREP Utility!!! (yet).  See GREP Gripe section at the end.
-opkg install ar attr bash bzip2 gzip htop luci-app-advanced-reboot luci-app-uhttpd nano netcat swconfig tar ubi-utils uboot-envtools wget ca-certificates whereis
+opkg install ar attr bash bzip2 gzip htop luci-app-advanced-reboot luci-app-uhttpd nano netcat swconfig tar ubi-utils uboot-envtools wget ca-certificates whereis pciutils
 This is on a separate line because the version number may change: opkg install libustream-mbedtls20150806 (REMEMBER, the "WOLFSSL" package will need to be removed first, but don't do it yet.  First manually download the file for libustream-mbedtlsXYZversion, then after that file has been downloaded, remove the "WOLFSSL" package, then install the "BMEDTLS" version, because if you remove the "WOLFSSL" package first, it will 'CrapCan' the OPKG utility and prevent it from downloading anything.)
+NOTE: LSPCI (in PCIUTILS) is really only useful on x86_64 installs of OpenWRT.  For most routers it's fairly boring.
 If GREP is desired, then download and install the 21.02.1 version: https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/21.02.1/packages/arm_cortex-a9_vfpv3-d16/packages/grep_3.6-1_arm_cortex-a9_vfpv3-d16.ipk, or newer (as of early 2023): https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/21.02.5/packages/arm_cortex-a9_vfpv3-d16/packages/grep_3.6-1_arm_cortex-a9_vfpv3-d16.ipk, but not too new, as the OpenWRT 23.xx.y versions of GREP won't work on OpenWRT 19.xx.y or 21.xx.y: https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/22.03.3/packages/arm_cortex-a9_vfpv3-d16/packages/grep_3.7-2_arm_cortex-a9_vfpv3-d16.ipk (only download the last one in the 22.xx.y series of OpenWRT if running 22.xx.y, which isn't recommended because of busted Marvell Switch Drivers)
@@ Line 149: / Line 151: @@
 One will have to make a choice on this one between Samba and Restic if a WRT3200ACM is being used.
 ====Additional Utilities (if there's storage space available)====
-opkg install iftop ipset losetup lsof nmap pciutils resolveip ss tcpdump wget
+opkg install iftop ipset losetup lsof nmap pciutils resolveip ss tcpdump wget iperf
 Remember, some of these utilities are the ''full'' version of the utility.  A smaller / 'neutered' version of the command / utility may be included within the BusyBox software (again, look it up).