Voxel Custom firmware build for R7800 v. 1.0.2.106SF

[Voxel]

Continuation of

. . .
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/custom-firmware-build-for-r7800-v-1-0-2-104sf.86319/
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/custom-firmware-build-for-r7800-v-1-0-2-105sf.87142/

New version of my custom firmware build: 1.0.2.106SF.

Changes (vs 1.0.2.105SF):
1. Toolchain: Go is upgraded 1.21.3->1.21.5.
2. Toolchain: gdb is upgraded to 13.2.
3. Toolchain: enable 'XATTR' for uClibc (needed to compile 'libcap-ng').
4. samba36: add patches to fix CVE:

CVE-2015-5330, CVE-2017-11103, CVE-2017-2619, CVE-2018-14629, CVE-2018-16841,​

CVE-2018-16851, CVE-2018-16860, CVE-2019-10218, CVE-2019-3880, CVE-2020-10745,​

CVE-2020-14303​

5. jq package is upgraded 1.7->1.7.1 (fixing CVE-2023-50246, CVE-2023-50268).

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-50246​

(score 5.5, Medium)​

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-50268​

(score 5.5, Medium)​

6. OpenVPN is upgraded 2.5.9->2.6.8.
7. Add 'libcap-ng' package (needed to compile OpenVPN 2.6.x).
8. OpenVPN server: set default cipher to 'CHACHA20-POLY1305' for client config ('download' script).
9. net-cgi: change messages 'OpenVPN 2.5.x'->'OpenVPN 2.6.x'.
10. proftpd package is upgraded 1.3.8a->1.3.8b.
11. ethtool package is upgraded 6.5->6.6.
12. curl package is upgraded 8.4.0->8.5.0.
13. sysstat package is upgraded 12.7.4->12.7.5.
14. iperf3 package is upgraded 3.15->3.16.
15. ubus package is upgraded 2023-06-05->2023-11-28.
16. libubox package is upgraded 2023-05-23->2023-12-04.1.
17. unbound package (used in stubby) is upgraded 1.18.0->1.19.0.
18. libgcrypt package is upgraded 1.10.2->1.10.3.
19. libxml2 package is upgraded 2.11.5->2.11.6.
20. ffmpeg (minidlna) package is upgraded 6.0->6.1.
21. libid3tag (minidlna) package is upgraded 0.16.2->0.16.3.
22. iproute2: change the 'ip' utility from 'full' to 'tiny' to save space.
23. Several packages: '-Os' optimization to avoid oversize.
24. Remove 'dni-openvpn-client' package (unused).
25. Host tools: upgrade mkimage/u-boot to 2023.10.
26. Host tools: upgrade xz to 5.4.5.
27. Host tools: upgrade UPX to 4.2.1.

The link is:

https://www.voxel-firmware.com (thanks to vladlenas for his help with hosting).

Merry Xmas,
Voxel.

 

[L&LD]

Merry Christmas Voxel, wishing you and yours all the best for 2024.

 

[danlat1415]

Thank you very much for still taking the time to maintain and upgrade these firmwares.
We all greatly appreciate it!
Thank you

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

 

[IAMP373R]

Merry Christmas Voxel, and a happy new year too.

 

[shs9]

Thank you for pushing this update out
Hope you have an amazing Xmas and happy to year to you mate
Downloading fw now will flash it later on

 

[danlat1415]

Installed and updated - no issues.

Only slight thing, updating from 1.0.2.105.1SF (snapshot) to 1.0.2.106SF says the firmware is older and asks if I'm sure I want to flash anyway

 

[danlat1415]

Does anyone know how to backup the QoS customisations?

Each time I update it saves all my router settings and QoS device names that I've renamed - however, it always resets my device priority settings.

For example; there are some devices on my network that I want to set as low, high or highest, but after a system upgrade, they get reset back to whatever QoS had them at default, like medium - so I have to go through and re-prioritise. them again.

I'm using Voxel and Kamoj add-on

 

[Rouvax]

Thank you Voxel, Merry Christmas!

 

[HELLO_wORLD]

As always, many thanks for your loyalty in making these firmwares!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas, full of Health, Hope and Joy!

 

[scooter2765]

Thank you and have a great Xmas as well!

 

[Luizk]

happy holydays and thank you!

 

[Remy561]

Updated and running smoothly again!
Thank you so much for another year of keeping our routers alive!

 

[Armitage]

Hey Voxel. Firmware runs smooth as usual , for the most part. Firstly a minor issue I've noticed with 104SF onwards - Access Control under security settings will turn itself off if the router is rebooted, which didn't used to happen. As I say I noticed it in 104SF but it may have started happening prior to that release, I don't update my router every time you release a new firmware so it may have appeared before then (prior to 104SF I was using one from early 2023 I believe couldn't say which one though).

A second and perhaps somewhat major issue I've just found is that Readyshare doesn't seem to be working right either. Trying to access it via Basic or Advanced now chucks out a "The CGI script took too long to produce a response" error on a black screen when I have drives connected (the GUI works fine if I haven't got anything connected to the router). When I plugged in my drives (I use three with both USB and the eSATA ports) at first they seemed to be accessible but then quickly stopped working at all. I downgraded to 105SF and this time plugging my drives in seemed to cause the whole GUI to freeze until I unplugged them. I then downgraded back to 104SF and readyshare started working normally again, so seems to be an issue with 105 onwards.

Anyway, thanks.

 

[cliffman]

Thanks Voxel, I'm new to this forum. I flashed the 106sf firmware, it's really good at speed.

I installed entware and moved entware to Nand. And add some scripts to /etc/rc.local and /etc/profile.
Netdata and opkg have been tested so far and appear to work without the need for a USB dongle attached to the r7800.

Q1: Will this cause entware to stop working sometime? Or affect anything else? How to check the working status of entware? I don't know much about entware.
Q2: I make a backup of ubi0_5 with dd if..., is it enough to backup the entware in NAND? Any more ubis should be backup?
Q3: Where to get Kamoj Addon? I can't find it in the download site.

​

 

[cliffman]

lines added to /etc/rc.local:
/opt/sbin/netdata
# copy from entware/autorun
# Start optware services if /opt is linked
if [ -x /opt/etc/init.d/rc.unslung ]; then
# Start optware services
/opt/etc/init.d/rc.unslung start
fi

/etc/profile:
export PATH=/opt/bin:/opt/sbin:/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin
export TERMINFO=/opt/share/terminfo
export TERM=vt100

 

[HELLO_wORLD]

Thanks Voxel, I'm new to this forum. I flashed the 106sf firmware, it's really good at speed.

I installed entware and moved entware to Nand. And add some scripts to /etc/rc.local and /etc/profile.
Netdata and opkg have been tested so far and appear to work without the need for a USB dongle attached to the r7800.

Q1: Will this cause entware to stop working sometime? Or affect anything else? How to check the working status of entware? I don't know much about entware.
Q2: I make a backup of ubi0_5 with dd if..., is it enough to backup the entware in NAND? Any more ubis should be backup?
Q3: Where to get Kamoj Addon? I can't find it in the download site.

​

Regarding Q1: next time you upgrade your firmware, you will likely lose all your entware.
Moreover, it is not advised to use the NAND too much, as it is fragile and can get easily and irreversibly corrupted (well know problem on some R7800).
So the best practice is to keep permanently an external drive (USB stick or other) for entware.

This way, when you upgrade the firmware, you keep your ssh credentials, your entware setup, etc…

Regarding this:

lines added to /etc/rc.local:
/opt/sbin/netdata
# copy from entware/autorun
# Start optware services if /opt is linked
if [ -x /opt/etc/init.d/rc.unslung ]; then
# Start optware services
/opt/etc/init.d/rc.unslung start
fi

You should not need the line /opt/sbin/netdata, as netdata should be started from /opt/etc/init.d/S60netdata that is called thanks to /opt/etc/init.d/rc.unslung start.

 

[luxorr]

So the best practice is to keep permanently an external drive (USB stick or other) for entware.

This way, when you upgrade the firmware, you keep your ssh credentials, your entware setup, etc…

hi
what format USB stick you recomendete? FAT32 , EXT4 or NTSF
what is max- min size ?
Please advise

thank you

 

[HELLO_wORLD]

hi
what format USB stick you recomendete? FAT32 , EXT4 or NTSF
what is max- min size ?
Please advise

thank you

I personally have a 128 Gb SSD with a SATA <=> USB3 converter attached to the router for years now (5/6 years) with ext4 file format, but any decent thumb drive should do.
Size wise, you don’t need a lot (my drive is only 3% used…).

@Voxel does not recommend to use the eSata port, he had unreliable experience with it.

 

[cliffman]

Regarding Q1: next time you upgrade your firmware, you will likely lose all your entware.
Moreover, it is not advised to use the NAND too much, as it is fragile and can get easily and irreversibly corrupted (well know problem on some R7800).
So the best practice is to keep permanently an external drive (USB stick or other) for entware.

This way, when you upgrade the firmware, you keep your ssh credentials, your entware setup, etc…

Regarding this:

You should not need the line /opt/sbin/netdata, as netdata should be started from /opt/etc/init.d/S60netdata that is called thanks to /opt/etc/init.d/rc.unslung start.

Thanks for your input,
/opt/sbin/netdata. Removed and tested, netdata works as good as you say.

About entware in NAND, these are my thoughs:
1. After firmware is updated, just restore the overlayfs backup. Then entware, other package installed before, and ssh credentials, modifyed scripts etc, all could come back,
no opkg or more needed.
2. After restore the netgear_r7800.cfg, the router can work as before firmware update.
Never try this before, don't kown if this will work on r7800 or not. If the new FW changes too much, things may get ugly.
If FW update performed, the NAND would be erase anyway.
For me, the USB is only for entware and nothing else, and I prefer a device works as neat as possible, that's why try to get USB away.

 

[HELLO_wORLD]

Thanks for your input,
/opt/sbin/netdata. Removed and tested, netdata works as good as you say.

About entware in NAND, these are my thoughs:
1. After firmware is updated, just restore the overlayfs backup. Then entware, other package installed before, and ssh credentials, modifyed scripts etc, all could come back,
no opkg or more needed.
2. After restore the netgear_r7800.cfg, the router can work as before firmware update.
Never try this before, don't kown if this will work on r7800 or not. If the new FW changes too much, things may get ugly.
If FW update performed, the NAND would be erase anyway.
For me, the USB is only for entware and nothing else, and I prefer a device works as neat as possible, that's why try to get USB away.

Restoring the overlays back might work. Not 100% sure though, as I believe certain things on overlay are changing between upgrades.
Moreover, this would be writing the NAND twice for each upgrade, wearing it twice as fast.

The advantage of USB is that thanks to the auto mount script, you don't have to think about anything after an upgrade (ssh credentials, etc…), and the upgrade process is as simple as It can get.
Also, the extra disk gives you a working partition that is not on the NAND.