Installation advice on AX86U

[kannanni]

Hello there,

I’m planning to install Skynet,Diversion and Yazfi possibly unbound too on my AX86U running latest merlin.


I have a 16gb Kingston USB key. Do I need to create a swap for these, if yes what size do you recommend me?

ps: I already have pi-hole and unbound running fine from an old Debian server and would like to test which solution is the best- trying to save on electricity if possible?

 

[thelonelycoder]

I have a 16gb Kingston USB key. Do I need to create a swap for these, if yes what size do you recommend me?

Yes, Skynet requires a swap file. Do it with amtm.

 

[bbunge]

Another option is to use a swap partition. Format the thumb drive on a Linux device, I use Gparted, and create a 2048 MB Linux swap partition at the beginning of the FS then the rest EXT4.
Mount the swap partition with a post-mount file in /jffs/scripts with the following content:

#!/bin/sh
swapon /dev/sda1

Make sure the post-mount file can be executed (chmod 755 /jffs/scripts/post-mount).
I prefer a swap partition over a swap file as I have had issues with corruption with swap files. I also use a USB2 drive with the router set to USB2 operation.

 

[L&LD]

A swap partition is not recommended for use with amtm and related scripts.

I suggest you use the 2GB, 5GB, or, 10GB (my suggestion) swap size (note it will take a very long time to be created on a USB stick).

Be sure to format the USB drive in amtm. With Ext4 w/journaling format. And after the swap file is created, enable the DC (disk checking) script too.

The following link may be a useful guide for you. Just remember to ignore the steps to 'install' amtm. In current firmware, amtm is pre-installed already.

amtm Step-by-Step https://www.snbforums.com/threads/amtm-step-by-step-install-guide-l-ld.56237/#post-483421

 

[ColinTaylor]

I have a 16gb Kingston USB key. Do I need to create a swap for these, if yes what size do you recommend me?

2GB.

 

[kannanni]

Thanks for all your replies.

so do you recommend installing all these programs on my 16gb stick swap sized to 2 gb? Or shall I get more usb sticks?

 

[ColinTaylor]

Thanks for all your replies.

so do you recommend installing all these programs on my 16gb stick swap sized to 2 gb?

I recommend that you install only the things you need. It's a router not a server. If you do install stuff I suggest you don't install Unbound for the time being. Keep it simple.

Or shall I get more usb sticks?

No.

 

[bbunge]

Thanks for all your replies.

so do you recommend installing all these programs on my 16gb stick swap sized to 2 gb? Or shall I get more usb sticks?

16 GB thumb drive is plenty. And, AMTM does not "require" a swap file. It will format the drive and create a swap file but works just as well with and will detect a swap partition.

 

[L&LD]

Required? No, but it is recommended to use a swap file vs. a swap partition.

amtm doesn't need either of the above. The scripts you decide to install will though.

 

[Tech9]

2GB created with AMTM tools. Larger file is not needed. Swap partition is not needed.

 

[L&LD]

It has been shown in the forums that some scripts need a bigger than 2GB file today.

Use 5GB or 10GB. May as well use 10GB and not worry about it for a while.

 

[ColinTaylor]

If you don't understand how Linux memory management works stick with a 2GB swap file, especially if you're putting it on a slow 16GB USB flash drive. Only make it bigger as a last resort.

 

[L&LD]

That doesn't work for some scripts.

They simply need to have a bigger than 2GB swap file to work properly.

 

[thelonelycoder]

They simply need to have a bigger than 2GB swap file to work properly.

The only addon that needs a larger than 2GB swap is Unbound, and then only if a certain configuration is used.
In 99% of the cases 2GB - or smaller - is sufficient.

 

[Tech9]

Unbound, and then only if a certain configuration is used

Configurations like this shouldn't be running on a home AIO router hardware anyway. Your own Diversion with 2mil entries blocklist as well, as an example. When you give a real knife to kids to play with some may chop their fingers off.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Configurations like this shouldn't be running on a home AIO router hardware anyway. Your own Diversion with 2mil entries blocklist as well, as an example. When you give a real knife to kids to play with some may chop their fingers off.

You‘d be surprised what users throw at Diversion - and still have a perfectly fine running router. I am such a user.

 

[Tech9]

I am such a user.

I don't think you're an average Diversion user.

 

[ColinTaylor]

You‘d be surprised what users throw at Diversion - and still have a perfectly fine running router. I am such a user.

In my own ad-blocking solution I'm only blocking 122,000 domains and dnsmasq consumes less than 14MB of memory (leaving >55% of my router's memory free). So memory consumption isn't really an issue there. Running another application on the router that requires 5 or 10 times more memory than the router has in total is a whole different scenario.

 

[L&LD]

Thank you for confirming it is only Unbound @thelonelycoder, that needs the larger swap file. I thought it was more than one script (at least Skynet also?).