Updating to latest Merlin Build for RT-AC68U

[Preskitt.man]

I have been on the alternate fork for Merlin for over a year now, primarily so I could preserve the TX power settings that went away some time ago. Now that I have an Amped Range Extender, making the need for that notably less, decided to go back do Merlin's latest build.

I download the build, went to the router's firmware page, pointed to the RT-AC68U_378.56_2.trx file and all seemed to proceed normally. No error messages of any sort, but after the reboot, I was still on the fork build 3.0.0.4.374.43_2-13E1j9527. I did a manual reboot as well at this point to no avail.

What dumb mistake am I making.

 

[L&LD]

First, unplug all USB devices and leave them unplugged while you reboot the router.

Second, (if the above by itself doesn't work or is applicable) you may need to flash an intermediate firmware first as the bootloader and / or partition size might need to be updated or increased first.

The firmware to try is the 3.0.0.4.376.3626 version.

After that, upgrade to the version you want and reset the router to factory defaults and do a manual and minimal configuration too.

http://www.snbforums.com/threads/no...l-and-manual-configuration.27115/#post-205573

 

[joegreat]

No error messages of any sort, but after the reboot, I was still on the fork build 3.0.0.4.374.43_2-13E1j9527.

You are coming from an very old version and the jump from 43_2 to 56_2 is to big: Install Merlin's version 50 as intermediate step to re-partition the flash memory - should also work with the latest firmware, but it does not anymore.

 

[john9527]

You are coming from an very old version and the jump from 43_2 to 56_2 is to big: Install Merlin's version 50 as intermediate step to re-partition the flash memory - should also work with the latest firmware, but it does not anymore.

I think there is something else going on here......I flip over to Merlin builds occasionally from my fork and had trouble starting with 378.56 even with my CFE already being updated. Using 378.55 as a stepping stone worked to allow the 378.56 update.

One thing I noticed is that .56 is getting awfully close to that 32M mark....

 

[RMerlin]

I think there is something else going on here......I flip over to Merlin builds occasionally from my fork and had trouble starting with 378.56 even with my CFE already being updated. Using 378.55 as a stepping stone worked to allow the 378.56 update.

One thing I noticed is that .56 is getting awfully close to that 32M mark....

To be able to update, the previous firmware currently on the router must be compiled with ROOTFS set to 64 MB, otherwise it will refuse any firmware that's too close to 32 MB. Just having an up-to-date CFE isn't enough, not with the firmware now being so close to the 32 MB limit (which is in reality closer to 30 or 31 MB).

 

[john9527]

To be able to update, the previous firmware currently on the router must be compiled with ROOTFS set to 64 MB, otherwise it will refuse any firmware that's too close to 32 MB. Just having an up-to-date CFE isn't enough, not with the firmware now being so close to the 32 MB limit (which is in reality closer to 30 or 31 MB).

Knew there must be a logical answer Thanks for the explanation.

 

[Preskitt.man]

Thanks all. The only thing I tried & what worked for me, was what L&LD suggested - applied ASIS build 376.3626 (to get the new boot loader I suppose) and then reset the box and then actually let the ASUS software upgrade me to their latest & greatest & then I applied the latest Merlin build. All is good now.