Release [FORK][DSL] GNUton's Merlin builds for DSL Router 386.1_2 released.

[GNUton]

Hi there,
Today I wanted to finally make available to a big audience the 386 builds for DSL-AC68U and DSL-AX82U.
The build is based on tha latest stable upstream Merlin code.
As always I wanna thank a lot to the @RMerlin and a kudos also to all people who have contibuted to test the DSL-AC68U builds.

I hope to see the same enthusiams for the DSL-AX82U as soon as it gets on the shelves.

Instruction for flashing the firmware.
1. Download the latest image for your model from here. Please download the .trx for DSL-AC68U or the .w for DSL-AX82U.
2. Open http://router.asus.com/Advanced_FirmwareUpgrade_Content.asp in your browser and upload the image
3. Please reset to factory if you are upgrading from stock.

In case you want to revert back to stock firmware. Please download the .trx or .w image from the asus website/support page/your router
And repeat the points 2 and 3.

Enjoy!

PS:
To directly download that firmware for your model - chose from one of the following links ...
DSL-AC68U - https://github.com/gnuton/asuswrt-m...n1/DSL-AC68U_386.01_2-gnuton1_DSL_1.0.5.2.trx
DSL-AX82U - https://github.com/gnuton/asuswrt-m...1/DSL-AX82U_386.01_2-gnuton1_cferom_pureubi.w

 

[Osman Elitok]

congratulations !

 

[GNUton]

Thanks a lot for all the testing @Osman Elitok !!!

 

[Osman Elitok]

I thank you. @GNUton @RMerlin

 

[inakaya]

Link to GNUton pages on GitHub where the firmware can be found (in case you haven't already got it bookmarked!)

Thanks v. much. @GNUton @RMerlin for your hard work.

 

[Zendilar]

I am sure that very soon Gnuton will add the ability for coffee making onto the firmware (Thank you mate for all the grate updates and upgrades)

 

[Mr Tvardovsky]

Thank you, Gnuton! And a quick question: When going from your previous stable build (384.17), will the dirty (direct) upgrade be sufficient, or would you recommend a factory reset following the installation?

 

[Zendilar]

Thank you, Gnuton! And a quick question: When going from your previous stable build (384.17), will the dirty (direct) upgrade be sufficient, or would you recommend a factory reset following the installation?

Just flash the new firmware, I have never reset to factory since 384.10 and never had a problem.

 

[julezman]

Just flash the new firmware, I have never reset to factory since 384.10 and never had a problem.

@Mr Tvardovsky - I found that the webui would not display for about an hour after I had upgraded from 384.17_0-gnuton1. The login page would appear and accept credentials OK but then that would be it; the main web UI would not load or display. The router was otherwise working OK. However it was showing very heavy CPU usage after the upgrade initially. Once CPU usage had calmed down, the webui worked fine and seems really quick. Maybe there are some post upgrade scripts\migration that take run initially.

Thanks @GNUton for another great release!

 

[Zendilar]

@Mr Tvardovsky - I found that the webui would not display for about an hour after I had upgraded from 384.17_0-gnuton1. The login page would appear and accept credentials OK but then that would be it; the main web UI would not load or display. The router was otherwise working OK. However it was showing very heavy CPU usage after the upgrade initially. Once CPU usage had calmed down, the webui worked fine and seems really quick. Maybe there are some post upgrade scripts\migration that take run initially.

Thanks @GNUton for another great release!

That procedure was normal read my post here https://www.snbforums.com/threads/d...8u-are-now-available.68295/page-3#post-652386

 

[Mr Tvardovsky]

Thanks, @julezman and @Zendilar for your comments. I guess this is the same story as in case of the Merlin main branch:

http://www.snbforums.com/threads/asuswrt-merlin-386-1-is-now-available.69783/post-657230

I’m mentally prepared for this, will flash the new version through the weekend

 

[patsio]

Today, i took the plunge and installed it over the rock solid 384.17! No issues so far, @GNUton could you make this thread sticky?
Thanks!

 

[JGrana]

A quick note for users of @GNUton 's DSL builds - he has been added to the Developers Donation link page:

Asuswrt-Merlin AddOn Developers Donation Links

AddOn developers create many useful scripts, WebUI addon pages, system extensions and useful utilities to enhance Asuswrt-Merlin supported routers. These "devs", like RMerlin, do this all voluntarily. This requires lots of time, effort, support of users, upkeep and maintenance. They do it for...

www.snbforums.com

If you want to thank GNUton and make a donation, you will find his donation link on that page.

 

[GNUton]

Today, i took the plunge and installed it over the rock solid 384.17! No issues so far, @GNUton could you make this thread sticky?

Hi!
I do not think I can make it sticky, or I dunno how to do that if possible.

 

[kernol]

Hi!
I do not think I can make it sticky, or I dunno how to do that if possible.

Only way to achieve that is to make an appeal to @RMerlin to remove the old sticky thread for your DSL firmware and make the latest Release thread sticky.

I recall that Eric is not keen on sticky threads because clearly many folk don't bother to read them ... however it makes sense to me that John's Fork and your Fork should be in the sticky spot ... because otherwise they get buried in the proliferation of individual threads and so many first time potential users will never even know there is Merlinware for their Routers models.

Good luck - and SO pleased you have not only continued to provide DSL-AC68U firmware - but have also added another DSL model to the mix .

 

[GNUton]

If the policy of the forum is not to have sticy threads, that's fine for me.
For each new release I am going to have two threads, release and pre-release:

 

[Mr Tvardovsky]

Hi @GNUton and All, here is a short recap of my experience:
- I dirty-flashed the latest 386.1_2 on my DSL-AC68U on Thursday. I was able to access GUI and SSH into the router immediately, without any interruption.
- It worked perfectly in my setup (see my signature - not updated yet) for 2 days.
- Then I decided that since all my devices are now on the latest 386.1_2 firmware, I would combine them all in one AiMesh setup (with the DSL-AC68U as the AiMesh router and the Ac66U_B1s as nodes).

Unfortunately, this plan failed:
- At the first attempt, I managed to add all 3 nodes. The setup worked normally for about an hour and then out of the sudden the nodes got disconnected from the main DSL router. I tried to log in to the router to re-connect them, but at this point this the GUI became unavailable (I tried also SSH and the iOS ASUS router app - nothing). But the LAN ports and WiFi on the main router worked.
- I performed a (WPS) factory reset on the DSL, did some M&M config, and tried to setup the AiMesh again. This time things crashed after adding the second node - with the same symptoms as by the first attempt.

Not sure what is the root cause of my failure. Anyway, I am reporting it in the hope it may help to fine-tune this great fork.

 

[RMerlin]

If the policy of the forum is not to have sticy threads, that's fine for me.
For each new release I am going to have two threads, release and pre-release:

I suggest you create a new "generic" post like John did that I can make sticky. That post could then point to whatever are the latest beta/release threads, you will just have to edit the new sticky when you start new beta/release threads.

 

[GNUton]

Hi @GNUton and All, here is a short recap of my experience:
- I dirty-flashed the latest 386.1_2 on my DSL-AC68U on Thursday. I was able to access GUI and SSH into the router immediately, without any interruption.
- It worked perfectly in my setup (see my signature - not updated yet) for 2 days.
- Then I decided that since all my devices are now on the latest 386.1_2 firmware, I would combine them all in one AiMesh setup (with the DSL-AC68U as the AiMesh router and the Ac66U_B1s as nodes).

Unfortunately, this plan failed:
- At the first attempt, I was managed to add all 3 nodes. The setup worked normally for about an hour and then out of the sudden the nodes got disconnected from the main DSL router. I tried to log in to the router to re-connect them, but at this point this the GUI became unavailable (I tried also SSH and the iOS ASUS router app - nothing). But the LAN ports and WiFi on the main router worked.
- I performed a (WPS) factory reset on the DSL, did some M&M config, and tried to setup the AiMesh again. This time things crashed after adding the second node - with the same symptoms as by the first attempt.

Not sure what is the root cause of my failure. Anyway, I am reporting it in the hope it may help to fine-tune this great fork.

Hi,
Sad to the hear that.
I have tested AiMesh only with two devices and it worked out for me.
Other people have been running AiMesh with DSL-AC68U and several RT routers for all time we had alphas and betas and as far as I know they just got some issues with guest network that have been partially fixed. But AiMesh is supposed to work.
Do you get any issue also when running two nodes only?
Has anybody else experienced this also?

 

[Mr Tvardovsky]

Hi,
Sad to the hear that.
I have tested AiMesh only with two devices and it worked out for me.
Other people have been running AiMesh with DSL-AC68U and several RT routers for all time we had alphas and betas and as far as I know they just got some issues with guest network that have been partially fixed. But AiMesh is supposed to work.
Do you get any issue also when running two nodes only?
Has anybody else experienced this also?

By the second attempt the issue appeared after adding the second node. I am clear that many alpha- and beta-testers had no problems with AiMesh, so I tend to think it may be faulty hardware of my DSL-AC68U. Anyway, it continues working well as a wireless node with a RT-AC66U_B1 as an AiMesh router