Entware Installation on DD-WRT: Difference between revisions

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*Flash the router with DD-WRT firmware (see, I wasn't kidding about not providing granular instructions), make sure it has internet access and that you have command line access via telnet or SSH.

*Plug in a USB Flash Drive or USB mechanical disk drive or SSD. I prefer a Flash Drive. I also prefer formatting the drive with two primary partitions, a small one for the Entware OS and a large one for general file storage. Formatting with NTFS means that the drive can be plugged into a Windows computer to retrieve anything stored there (Windows has no built in method of reading EXT2 partitions). The other smaller partition I prefer to format as an EXT2 partition. It's simple, fast, and EXT3 doesn't provide any advantages in this instance. The Entware partition can be small, but I like to think about future expansion so on a large disk or flash drive I allocate 8 GB to it. And remember, you can't partition and format with any built in DD-WRT commands. Most websites that note that end the conversation there, which I find depressing as there is no satisfactory conclusion. I discovered several tutorials about a minimal size version of Entware that can be installed on a JFFS partition (if your router supports that) which will then in turn allow you to download the tools needed to partition and format. Still looking for where I found it as of the writing of this, but haven't located it. Try a Google search with: entware minimal install jffs.

Special Note in regards to the above bullet point: Make sure Entware is installed on an EXT2 partition. Installing it on an NTFS partition doesn't allow things to work correctly (mount points, etc.)

*To make things easier, make sure the stock DD-WRT firmware has the drive mounted as /opt via the GUI interface. Quick Tip: If you do as I do with the multiple partition setup, put the EXT2 partition first and the NTFS partition last. The reason is that DD-WRT only mounts the first partition via the GUI interface. This is important, which is why I wrote it twice.

*Download the Entware installer (use WGET or share out the /opt directory to a Windows computer and copy it there) from their repository for the hardware your router is based on (look for a file named "generic.sh" in a sub-directory named "installer": http://bin.entware.net/

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 *Flash the router with DD-WRT firmware (see, I wasn't kidding about not providing granular instructions), make sure it has internet access and that you have command line access via telnet or SSH.
 *Plug in a USB Flash Drive or USB mechanical disk drive or SSD.  I prefer a Flash Drive.  I also prefer formatting the drive with two primary partitions, a small one for the Entware OS and a large one for general file storage.  Formatting with NTFS means that the drive can be plugged into a Windows computer to retrieve anything stored there (Windows has no built in method of reading EXT2 partitions).  The other smaller partition I prefer to format as an EXT2 partition.  It's simple, fast, and EXT3 doesn't provide any advantages in this instance.  The Entware partition can be small, but I like to think about future expansion so on a large disk or flash drive I allocate 8 GB to it.   And remember, you can't partition and format with any built in DD-WRT commands.  Most websites that note that end the conversation there, which I find depressing as there is no satisfactory conclusion.  I discovered several tutorials about a minimal size version of Entware that can be installed on a JFFS partition (if your router supports that) which will then in turn allow you to download the tools needed to partition and format.  Still looking for where I found it as of the writing of this, but haven't located it.  Try a Google search with: entware minimal install jffs.
 Special Note in regards to the above bullet point: Make sure Entware is installed on an EXT2 partition.  Installing it on an NTFS partition doesn't allow things to work correctly (mount points, etc.)
 *To make things easier, make sure the stock DD-WRT firmware has the drive mounted as /opt via the GUI interface.  Quick Tip: If you do as I do with the multiple partition setup, put the EXT2 partition first and the NTFS partition last.  The reason is that DD-WRT only mounts the first partition via the GUI interface.  This is important, which is why I wrote it twice.
 *Download the Entware installer (use WGET or share out the /opt directory to a Windows computer and copy it there) from their repository for the hardware your router is based on (look for a file named "generic.sh" in a sub-directory named "installer": http://bin.entware.net/