Linksys AC Series Router Configuration Tips for OpenWRT: Difference between revisions

Additional Information: https://restic.readthedocs.io/en/stable/ (Note: In some of their examples a tilde ( ~ ) is used, which is a user's home directory)

Webmin can be successfully installed on OpenWRT, '''AND IT IS USEFUL'''.  The end of the previous sentence is in all CAPS and '''BOLD''' because of the large number websites and posts that do nothing more than question why anyone would want to install Webmin on OpenWRT instead of just answering the original question of how to install it.  Sometimes it is just nice to have a GUI.  The editor for config files alone is worth it.

There is however a word of caution to address: Do NOT use Webmin for any OpenWRT services that have an associated LuCI GUI or /etc/config/WhatEverConfigurationFile because modifications made by Webmin will be wiped out by changes made via LuCI or the /etc/config/Files...  There are many, many services such as BIND / NAMED, Apache / HTTPD, ProFTPD, OpenSSL for OpenVPN Certificate generation that have no LuCI GUI, nor are they "controlled" or configured via the /etc/config/ Files.  That means these services are safe to configure via text or by GUI.

Download the Webmin ...tar.gz file: wget https://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/webadmin/webmin-1.953.tar.gz

Unzip and UnTAR the file;

*gunzip webmin-1.955.tar.gz and tar xvf webmin-1.955.tar

(be patient, there are a LOT of files, even on a fast USB 3.0 flash drive it takes a couple of minutes.

During installation, Webmin states the Net::SSLeay Perl Module is necessary for HTTPS to work.  If not, the Webmin site is only accessible via HTTP.

*

Run the setup and configuration questions during setup (Note: OpenWRT does not provide the NET::SSLeay Perl Module, so SSL will not be available for Webmin);

*Detailed instructions to install "The Old Fashion Way..." can be found here: https://doxfer.webmin.com/Webmin/Installation_-_the_old_fashioned_way

**Config Directory: /etc/webmin

**Full path to perl: /usr/bin/perl

**MiniServe Configuration (the web process for webmin): /etc/webmin/miniserv.conf

   1) Pardus Linux          2) SmartOS                3) Sun Solaris           

   4) Lycoris Desktop/LX    5) Caldera OpenLinux eS  6) Caldera OpenLinux     

  109) Synology DSM          110) Generic Linux        111) Windows

</syntaxhighlight>

Original Line: os_support=solaris generic-linux hpux freebsd osf1 irix unixware openserver macos aix netbsd openbsd windows

</syntaxhighlight>

os_type=linux

os_version=4

real_os_type=OpenWRT

real_os_version=19.07.03

Before any modules are moved from the Unused-Modules Category, they must be properly configured for Webmin to detect.

The LuCI GUI does not provide a method to manually change the date or time (see https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/services/ntp/client-server).  The reason appears to be that the AC Series of routers, among many other router models, lacks the hardware capability to maintain an internal clock when the router is off or unplugged.  Instead, it syncronizes with a known NTP (Network Time Protocol) server after booting up.  This seems to be confirmed, in that during booting, part of the boot process is to set the clock to midnight January 1, 1970 (see https://openwrt.org/toh/linksys/linksys_wrt3200acm).

Once booted, the the Webmin interface provides a relatively easy method to configure the date and time when the module is properly configured properly.  In the default Webmin Dashboard, Time on System;

System, Users and Groups, Settings;

Group file: /etc/group

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:400px; overflow:auto;">

<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;">Code Block</div>

</syntaxhighlight></div></div>

The below Code Block contains the settings to customize the Webmin interface for BIND / NAMED;

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:400px; overflow:auto;">

Sadly, for the BIND / NAMED module, it didn't seem that OpenWRT included the ''named-compilezone'' command.  However, after some quick research with a major hint (from here: http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/view/svn/server/bind.html) which included a notation that the ''named-compilezone'' command was a symbolic link, then a quick check on a CentOS system which showed the /usr/sbin/named-compilezone pointing to /usr/sbin/named-checkzone, which confirmed the utility as a standalone file does NOT exist, but is simply a softlink to another file.  The solution is to add this line to the rc.local file: ln /usr/sbin/named-checkzone /usr/sbin/named-compilezone  That way the command is available to Webmin.

As noted in the main DHCPC section, there is no LuCI GUI, nor is there any good reason to stay within the OpenWRT managment paradigm (at least for DHCPD).  Unlike some other instances like Samba Server where it makes sense to maintain the "OpenWRT management style" of services, with DHCPD every aspect of Webmin can be utilized.  Below are the configuration settings for the DHCPD Webmin Module;<syntaxhighlight lang="text">

lease_file=/tmp/dhcpd.leases

</syntaxhighlight>Items such as dhcpd_version can be modified to reflect whatever version of DHCPD is available in the future.  No modifications need to be made to the /overlay/webmin/dhcpd/module.info (assuming the root path of Webmin is /overlay) file as this Module seems to be compatible with every version of DHCPD on every Linux distribution.

First, if it hasn't already been stated, a LuCI GUI (Services, Network Shares) for Samba exists.  AND it makes sense to stay within the OpenWRT management / configuration paradigm for services (/etc/config/samba3 or samba4).  Having noted that, the LuCI GUI does not have all the bells and whistles of Webmin, but what is there looks a whole lot better.  So for this one, a hybrid approach is best.

Making so Webmin recognizes the Samba Module as an active module requires editing the /overlay/webmin/samba/module file (assuming /overlay is the root of the Wemin installation path chosen).  For some reason the wildcard version of Linux (*-linux) setting is not respected with OpenWRT / Webmin.  That makes it necessary to add the full name of the os_type setting in the /etc/webmin/config file (which should be ''generic_linux'') into the /overlay/webmin/samba/module file os_support setting.  See below;

The below configuration for the Samba Webmin Module allows for management of Samba features not included in the LuCI GUI.  The Webmin GUI for Samba also provides a path to overstep what should be configured with Samba via Webmin, so use the "restraint" items noted below the configuration section;<syntaxhighlight lang="text">

Additional information can be found here: https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/services/nas/samba  It also illustrates the limits of the what the LuCI GUI interface can and can't do.  And it demonstrates at which point editing of the smb.conf.template via a text editor (available within the LuCI GUI on the Edit Template Tab) or in this case Webmin is necessary.

Install via the Webmin GUI and remember to configure the module.info file if necessary and settings

</syntaxhighlight></div></div>

Start: /etc/webmin/start

Additonally, /etc/webmin/start can be added to the /etc/rc.local file to automatically start Webmin at boot.

https://forum.openwrt.org/t/script-mount-alternate-nand-firmware-linksys/33588

https://forum.openwrt.org/t/solved-how-to-mount-ubifs-in-openwrt-kirkwood/32443/4

/etc/rc.local

LuCI, System, Startup, Local Startup

==Console Connectivity==