Suggestions for Merlin Add-ons

[dave14305]

With the release of the Add-on API in Merlin and even John’s fork, we have seen existing scripts from @Adamm and @Jack Yaz adapted to the new API, as well as @juched’s stats for Unbound.

What other ideas are out there for things to be developed as UI add-ons? What’s on your Merlin wish list? Do you have a script already, but you aren’t so good with UI? Or an idea for a UI but no idea how to make it work behind the scenes?

Share your ideas below, please.

 

[Xentrk]

@dave14305, I do have two questions regarding UI and hope it is appropriate to ask here.

1. What online resources have other UI coders found to be helpful in trying to learn the asp code?
2. What debugging tools have UI coders found to be helpful in debugging the asp code ?

This may be helpful for those in the future who want to learn how to create a UI. Plus, I have one issue in the OpenVPN Client screen I need to debug and am looking for resources to help me resolve.

https://www.w3schools.com/asp/default.asp does help explan some of the features of asp but I am not clear what applies or does not apply to the way Asus has implemented.

 

[dave14305]

I forced myself to learn how to navigate Firefox’s inspector and debugger while working on my own asp page and some others I was contributing to. For me as a novice, I found it easiest to study existing pages from the router UI, or those of Jack and Adam when it came to doing fancy graphs.

I’m not a good developer of HTML, but I’ve become a mean debugger in the past week.

I spent some time on learn.jquery.com as well. Ultimately, it’s best to ask for help here or on Github since most of us are new to this.

 

[Maverickcdn]

Something I think would be sweet and for everyone might be a summary page similar to Tools-->Sysinfo

A page with all the individual page settings (Current wan/lan ip's - dns ip's - dhcp pool - Wifi SSIDs (channels/bandwidth) - VPN's active, currently active scripts etc. all summarized in plain text

An enhanced Network Map/Tools->Sysinfo page as it were that can be used to see the majority of the router settings 'at a glance'

Not sure if this is within the scope of ideas you were looking for

 

[dave14305]

I’m also imagining a single page for all DNS settings since we often end up asking people with DNS problems to go to 3 different pages to tell us what their relevant DNS settings are.

 

[L&LD]

Mean debugger? Get outta here! You'll always be the knowledgable and charming @dave14305 we know and love!

For the GUI part of the question... I would love to have a 'stats' page, something like pfSense offers that shows every pertinent stat on that single page. I don't need graphs (particularly if they would be replicated elsewhere in the GUI), just the stats!

As an example to get the ideas rolling (just off the top of my head, in the order I feel is most important).

• Router model and if possible/available, revision. The current Time.
• Firmware version, with uptime (possibly/ideally stated as 'router is running from Saturday, July 25, 2019).
• RAM used/free. JFFS used/free, NVRAM used/free. Swap file (if installed) size/usage.
• Entware version/Scripts installed (whether in native amtm scripts or otherwise, again, if possible).
• Cron jobs installed/last time they ran.
• Network LAN stats. IP range, start/stop IP's, router IP, pixelserv-tls' IP (if installed, of course).
• Main network(s). Guest network(s).
• HW acceleration on/off.
• Main features enabled (i.e. AiProtection, etc.).

Okay, I'm being interrupted now, but I think we can see where this is going?

Ty, you mean debugger you, for anything you can throw at us in this way!

 

[crkpot]

How about a graphical syslog with color coded event graphs based on severity levels similar to the Statistics page under Traffic Analyzer? That would be cool

 

[dave14305]

Mean debugger? Get outta here! You'll always be the knowledgable and charming @dave14305 we know and love!

For the GUI part of the question... I would love to have a 'stats' page, something like pfSense offers that shows every pertinent stat on that single page. I don't need graphs (particularly if they would be replicated elsewhere in the GUI), just the stats!

As an example to get the ideas rolling (just off the top of my head, in the order I feel is most important).

• Router model and if possible/available, revision. The current Time.
• Firmware version, with uptime (possibly/ideally stated as 'router is running from Saturday, July 25, 2019).
• RAM used/free. JFFS used/free, NVRAM used/free. Swap file (if installed) size/usage.
• Entware version/Scripts installed (whether in native amtm scripts or otherwise, again, if possible).
• Cron jobs installed/last time they ran.
• Network LAN stats. IP range, start/stop IP's, router IP, pixelserv-tls' IP (if installed, of course).
• Main network(s). Guest network(s).
• HW acceleration on/off.
• Main features enabled (i.e. AiProtection, etc.).

Okay, I'm being interrupted now, but I think we can see where this is going?

Ty, you mean debugger you, for anything you can throw at us in this way!

So, the entire router UI consolidated in one long page?

 

[Kingp1n]

With the release of the Add-on API in Merlin and even John’s fork, we have seen existing scripts from @Adamm and @Jack Yaz adapted to the new API, as well as @juched’s stats for Unbound.

What other ideas are out there for things to be developed as UI add-ons? What’s on your Merlin wish list? Do you have a script already, but you aren’t so good with UI? Or an idea for a UI but no idea how to make it work behind the scenes?

Share your ideas below, please.

@dave14305 Great post, we noticed with the latest Asus stock FWs on some models, they have added additional QoS functions. Would it be possible (of course is possible, is more on commitment thing and alot of smart coders out there) for someone to update FreshJr script and implement the new additions to the API & to include IPV6. I think I am asking for too much and of course this is a big project no one wld be willing to take and/or have the time to commit on their own. Thought I would put that out there!

 

[L&LD]

So, the entire router UI consolidated in one long page?

That would be ideal, except with strictly text formatting (no graphs that a *.txt file can't handle).

 

[dave14305]

A page to schedule, manage and restore router backups to an attached USB drive.

 

[L&LD]

Isn't that already in the GUI?

 

[jsbeddow]

Isn't that already in the GUI?

Yes, but how about a version that outputs a more "transfer friendly" format, similar in spirit to the recently refreshed/revived NVRAM backup/restore script based utility, but in this case directly accessable from the GUI.

 

[L&LD]

Yes , text based!

 

[thelonelycoder]

@dave14305 just make sure your very appreciated venture into this is coordinated when it tangents third parties.

 

[Jack Yaz]

Yes, but how about a version that outputs a more "transfer friendly" format, similar in spirit to the recently refreshed/revived NVRAM backup/restore script based utility, but in this case directly accessable from the GUI.

If @Xentrk doesn't mind, I could take a look at a WebUI addition to his nvram save/restore script...

 

[Jack Yaz]

I forced myself to learn how to navigate Firefox’s inspector and debugger while working on my own asp page and some others I was contributing to. For me as a novice, I found it easiest to study existing pages from the router UI, or those of Jack and Adam when it came to doing fancy graphs.

I’m not a good developer of HTML, but I’ve become a mean debugger in the past week.

I spent some time on learn.jquery.com as well. Ultimately, it’s best to ask for help here or on Github since most of us are new to this.

Your help to resolve issues for Johns fork is much appreciated. I would have been able to sort them myself, but the pesky lockdown landed before my AC56U seller could reach a post office

 

[underdose]

So, the entire router UI consolidated in one long page?

Not necessarily, but might be something like the MyPage of DD-WRT.
https://wiki.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/MyPage#Screenshots

 

[SomeWhereOverTheRainBow]

Your help to resolve issues for Johns fork is much appreciated. I would have been able to sort them myself, but the pesky lockdown landed before my AC56U seller could reach a post office

 

[Sweden]

The only thing i am lacking right now is a WebGUI script to create/edit nat-start file.
A lot of users inlcuding me is forced to run OpenVPN and it would be very nice if there were an easy way to open ports (not requiring putty)