I’d like to build the OpenWrt firmware that Vera2 uses. Partly because I want to tweak it with my own custom builds (e.g., enable IPv6), partly because I want to exercise my GPL rights.
I know perfectly well where to get the source for generic OpenWrt. In particular I’m looking for the .config file, binary copies of the proprietary stuff that MCV builds into the firmware, and the scripts that MCV use to build the firmware.
MCV could create a whole new wave of interest by figuring out a way to allow deployment on custom platforms (at user’s own risk) while preserving the licensed parts.
Something like encrypted USB module containing only the closed source stuff… SheevaPlug, Alix and Soekris boards, even x86.
Mikrotik routers can run their own virtual machines (MetaRouter) supporting OpenWRT - now that would be interesting to try
[quote=“325xi, post:4, topic:167274”]Gotta love Ubiquiti
MCV could create a whole new wave of interest by figuring out a way to allow deployment on custom platforms (at user’s own risk) while preserving the licensed parts.
Something like encrypted USB module containing only the closed source stuff… SheevaPlug, Alix and Soekris boards, even x86.
Mikrotik routers can run their own virtual machines (MetaRouter) supporting OpenWRT - now that would be interesting to try[/quote]
I’m interested in this too. I’d like to setup a build environment so I can deploy native binaries - and I’d love to avoid the hassle of setting up the build-chain myself
I’m not sure about the status of the MCV specific source, but I’ve had success building kernel modules and binaries using the OpenWrt development tools:
You can find the svn version number corresponding to a Vera release via the banner when you login via SSH:
[tt]
| |.-----.-----.-----.| | | |.----.| |_
| - || _ | -| || | | || || |
|_____|| |||||___||| |____|
|| W I R E L E S S F R E E D O M
Backfire (10.03, r21639) --------------------------
[/tt]
The above is from my 1.1.1183 Vera2, which as indicated above, corresponds to an r21639 OpenWrt backfire svn release. I downloaded this release with:
[tt]
svn co svn://svn.openwrt.org/openwrt/branches/backfire@21639
[/tt]
You can check for dependencies with
[tt]
make defconfig
[/tt]
and configure the build with
[tt]
make menuconfig
[/tt]
You should be building for a “Broadcom BCM947xx/953xx [2.4]” target – the default options should be fine. Finally,
[tt]
make
[/tt]
Note that if you’re building on Mac OS X, you’ll need to create a case sensitive disk image within which to do the building. BTW, this is all outlined in the HOWTO linked above. After the building the above, you’ll have a cross building toolchain installed in
[tt]
staging_dir/toolchain-mipsel_gcc-3.4.6_uClibc-0.9.30.1/usr/mipsel-openwrt-linux
[/tt]
and a target directory in which to build and test software intended for the Vera at
[tt]
staging_dir/target-mipsel_uClibc-0.9.30.1
[/tt]
The version numbers in the above directory names are current at the time of this writing. There’s actually quite a bit of neat stuff you can do with the OpenWrt tools. The above was gleaned just from a weekend of messing around with it. One last thing: you’ll find package info under the package/ subdirectory, and you can update these by using the scripts/feed mechanism (see the HOWTO).
I discovered a few bugs when trying to build some missing modules, so if something doesn’t work as expected, it may not be you :).
[quote=“obot, post:8, topic:167274”]Backfire (10.03, r21639) --------------------------
…
You should be building for a “Broadcom BCM947xx/953xx [2.4]” target[/quote]
Thanks obot, it’s good to know this works. r21639 isn’t an official Backfire point release, so my guess is that it was the head at the time when MCV grabbed the code about nine months ago.
It’s also easy to see what packages MCV has enabled in the build:
[tt]
opkg list_installed
[/tt]
What’s harder to know is which kernel options MCV turned on or off. Very probably they are just the defaults but it would be nice to have an authoritative answer from MCV.
I’m now thinking of compiling my own Lua plugins for cryptographic signatures, so that I can get back to the Growl client that I was working on a couple of months ago. Life’s too short to be coding MD5 from first principles.
Legally under the GPL, MCV has to make the OpenWRT sources or at least tell us which version they are using. I have written them 2 emails and still have heard nothing. We should demand MCV answer this thread!
You can demand anything you want ... I want a million dollars!
But putting it in this forum will not make it happen!
If you want to pursue this ... you need to go through the official communication channels.
[quote=“RichardTSchaefer, post:12, topic:167274”]You can demand anything you want … I want a million dollars!
But putting it in this forum will not make it happen!
If you want to pursue this … you need to go through the official communication channels.[/quote]
Only a million? That won’t get you very far these days - better demand more!
I’ve already sent them 2 support requests via the “official channels” … guess I will call them.
I have a Vera Lite and they removed the revision from the banner. I know it’s OpenWRT 10.03.1 (/etc/openwrt_version) but they used different gcc and uClibc versions than the one distributed with the Backfire Buildroot.
Be careful what you ask for. When my Vera got all hosed up last week and they had to repair it, my root password no longer worked. When I asked for the password to be restored, they wrote: “Please know that any changes made to the system without the guidance from MiOS support that will cause your unit to stop working will VOID your future Support requests.” Now I’m afraid to even look at it, even though I’m not changing anything.
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