SIX months since Merlin included updated Asus GPL - what's cooking at Asus ???

[Donga120]

Think everyone needs their latest GPL fix. Jokes aside.

We are all impatient. We all want a new GPL release. It’s not ideal but it is what it is. ASUS havent been the most transparent then, but I fully expected that.

It will release when it releases, no amount of arguing and questioning will speed anything up.

 

[ImpalerV]

@ImpalerV I rechecked the account deletion email and it was NOT from you. I sincerely apologize for accidentally deleting your account.

Thanks @thiggins , I appreciate the clarification. I also noticed that a banner would appear for two posts prior to deletion that my posts were under review and no one can see them before approval (or something along those lines) then I was deleted. I never saw that banner before. The timing and circumstance were just a bit odd, I thought someone may have wanted me gone as @dave14305 said as well. Anyway, thanks for clearing it up.

There were legal concerns for the previous GPL and we were asked to remove them.
We build a new process to solve the legal issues in the past months. The new GPL for AX and AC models are under review.
If there are no other new issues, we will release the new GPL.

@ASUSWRT_2020 Thank you for making a public statement. I think a lot of us just wanted an official update on the status since there hasn't been a release in ~6 months. I also appreciate Asus continued support of GPL releases and happy to hear you are close to resolving the issues that prevented previous releases.

 

[thiggins]

Thanks @thiggins , I appreciate the clarification. I also noticed that a banner would appear for two posts prior to deletion that my posts were under review and no one can see them before approval (or something along those lines) then I was deleted. I never saw that banner before. The timing and circumstance were just a bit odd, I thought someone may have wanted me gone as @dave14305 said as well. Anyway, thanks for clearing it up.

Posts are scanned for keywords and held for moderation if any are detected. The holds for moderation had nothing to do with the accidental deletion. Totally my error. Sorry again for the hassle.

 

[jsbeddow]

10/6 Asus firmware release:
Version 3.0.0.4.386.45898
2021/10/06 71.51 MBytes
ASUS RT-AX88U Firmware version 3.0.0.4.386.45898
1.Fixed AiMesh web page multi-language issues.
2.Fixed Let's encrypt issues.
3.Fixed Stored XSS vulnerability.
4.Fixed CVE-2021-41435, CVE-2021-41436.
Thanks to Efstratios Chatzoglou, University of the Aegean
Georgios Kambourakis, European Commission at the European Joint Research Centre
Constantinos Kolias, University of Idaho.
5.Fixed Stack overflow vulnerability. Thanks to Jixing Wang (@chamd5) contribution.
6.Fixed information disclosure vulnerability .Thanks to CataLpa from DBappSecurity Co.,Ltd Hatlab and 360 Alpha Lab contribution.

Please unzip the firmware file first then check the MD5 code.
MD5: 41ddf19e04b4749ff8c1cea00cb5777d

Just an FYI to @stargazer, there is no need to post information about new compiled releases from Asus here, as this discussion is specifically regarding the release of GPL files (which don't always come out at the same time as compiled new releases). In addition, @RMerlin always receives the newest GPL releases directly from Asus (sometimes before they are even visible to the general public). Discussions of new compiled firmware take place in the "stock" (ASUSWRT-Official) subsection of this forum, not in the RMerlin section.

 

[Morris]

All this energy in a thread that Asus will never see. Why? Take it directly to them! Eric provided the email to use.

 

[RMerlin]

All this energy in a thread that Asus will never see. Why? Take it directly to them! Eric provided the email to use.

Asus already answered just here, there`s no need to contact them.

 

[Morris]

Asus already answered just here, there`s no need to contact them.

Thank you Eric,

I guess I missed that post.

Morris

 

[Paliv]

Open source licensing is complex and often used improperly. Lawyers like to do due diligence to shield their companies from litigation.

Here’s a great podcast episode that sheds some light, also a great podcast in general:
Brad & Will Made a Tech Pod

 

[bradbort]

What is odd to me is how much better RMerlin's code is then even the latest ASUS build. I just switched back and forth between the latest asus build for the AX88U, and the latest RMerlin's build. One of my harder to reach devices (a smart doorbell on 2.4 network), went from -74db on ASUS to -65 on Merlin. I have no idea why, but things just seem to work better with RMerlin.

 

[RMerlin]

What is odd to me is how much better RMerlin's code is then even the latest ASUS build. I just switched back and forth between the latest asus build for the AX88U, and the latest RMerlin's build. One of my harder to reach devices (a smart doorbell on 2.4 network), went from -74db on ASUS to -65 on Merlin. I have no idea why, but things just seem to work better with RMerlin.

Wifi code is 100% identical to stock firmware since it's closed source. So either you are comparing different versions, or it's a placebo.

 

[bradbort]

That is what I thought. Strangely enough, though, the db change still remains about 5 better. Maybe its timing/weather, whatever. I‘d say it could be the reset, but both versions required a reset after installing. Maybe the ASUS iphone app is not that reliable at reading signal strengths.

 

[bradbort]

Is there any difference between asus firmware version for ax88u 45898, and RMERLYIN 386.4alpha 1 thatwould explaina signal strength difference?

 

[ugandy]

this is a very intense thread

 

[RMerlin]

Is there any difference between asus firmware version for ax88u 45898, and RMERLYIN 386.4alpha 1 thatwould explaina signal strength difference?

Yes, different wireless driver. 386.4 alpha 1 is based on 386_42095.

 

[sbsnb]

I know they won't do it, but for future router development it might be an interesting idea to have different models from Asus differentiated by open source content. Meaning having some models with no closed source components at all. It would at least relieve Asus of trying to honor their legal obligations for GPL or other open source licenses while also trying to honor their closed source obligations.

 

[Tech9]

different models from Asus differentiated by open source content

Unlikely - more work for limited single % market share group of people. I don't know who pays who in Asus/Trend relationship. It could be Trend paying for user data. If that's the case - it stays there forever, wanted or not. Full open source may not be even possible - SoC firmware and drivers, we need them.

 

[dave14305]

Just need to work with Broadcom's Open Source department...oh wait.

 

[RMerlin]

I know they won't do it, but for future router development it might be an interesting idea to have different models from Asus differentiated by open source content. Meaning having some models with no closed source components at all. It would at least relieve Asus of trying to honor their legal obligations for GPL or other open source licenses while also trying to honor their closed source obligations.

So Asuswrt without Wifi, AiMesh, AiProtection, Adaptive QoS, Tuxera HFS and NTFS support...

Just run OpenWRT.

 

[RMerlin]

It could be Trend paying for user data.

Trend Micro is not Google... Their core business is security, not advertising.

 

[Tech9]

What Trend Micro use the collected data for? My guess is business. What’s the business about? Profits. As I said, I don’t know who pays who in this relationship. The attached EULA gives them the rights to collect basically everything they can.