openwrt README

The project's README from github.com/openwrt/openwrt. As one markdown file: README.md.

OpenWrt logo

OpenWrt Project is a Linux operating system targeting embedded devices. Instead of trying to create a single, static firmware, OpenWrt provides a fully writable filesystem with package management. This frees you from the application selection and configuration provided by the vendor and allows you to customize the device through the use of packages to suit any application. For developers, OpenWrt is the framework to build an application without having to build a complete firmware around it; for users this means the ability for full customization, to use the device in ways never envisioned.

Sunshine!

Download

Built firmware images are available for many architectures and come with a package selection to be used as WiFi home router. To quickly find a factory image usable to migrate from a vendor stock firmware to OpenWrt, try the Firmware Selector.

If your device is supported, please follow the Info link to see install instructions or consult the support resources listed below.

An advanced user may require additional or specific package. (Toolchain, SDK, ...) For everything else than simple firmware download, try the wiki download page:

Development

To build your own firmware you need a GNU/Linux, BSD or macOS system (case sensitive filesystem required). Cygwin is unsupported because of the lack of a case sensitive file system.

Requirements

You need the following tools to compile OpenWrt, the package names vary between distributions. A complete list with distribution specific packages is found in the Build System Setup documentation.

binutils bzip2 diff find flex gawk gcc-6+ getopt grep install libc-dev libz-dev
make4.1+ perl python3.8+ rsync subversion unzip which

Quickstart

  1. Run ./scripts/feeds update -a to obtain all the latest package definitions defined in feeds.conf / feeds.conf.default

  2. Run ./scripts/feeds install -a to install symlinks for all obtained packages into package/feeds/

  3. Run make menuconfig to select your preferred configuration for the toolchain, target system & firmware packages.

  4. Run make to build your firmware. This will download all sources, build the cross-compile toolchain and then cross-compile the GNU/Linux kernel & all chosen applications for your target system.

The main repository uses multiple sub-repositories to manage packages of different categories. All packages are installed via the OpenWrt package manager called opkg. If you're looking to develop the web interface or port packages to OpenWrt, please find the fitting repository below.

Support Information

For a list of supported devices see the OpenWrt Hardware Database

Documentation

Support Community

Developer Community

License

OpenWrt is licensed under GPL-2.0

openwrt (openwrt/openwrt)

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28.8K ·GitHub
Openwrt
What is this?OpenWrt is a Linux-based operating system built for embedded devices, mostly routers, that replaces a single static vendor firmware with a fully writable filesystem and its own package manager so you can customize the device however you want.
How do I get OpenWrt onto my router?Find your device on the OpenWrt Firmware Selector or Hardware Database and flash the factory image following its Info link's install instructions; to build your own image instead, run './scripts/feeds update -a', './scripts/feeds install -a', then 'make menuconfig' and 'make'.
Will OpenWrt work on any router I already own?Only on devices listed in the OpenWrt Hardware Database — you should check that your specific model and version is supported before attempting to flash it, since there's no universal image for all hardware.
How does package management work on OpenWrt?OpenWrt ships with its own package manager called opkg, which lets you install, remove, and update individual software packages on the writable filesystem after the base firmware is flashed, instead of being stuck with whatever the vendor preloaded.
What is LuCI?LuCI is OpenWrt's modern, modular web interface, maintained in a separate repository, that lets you configure and control the router from a browser instead of only through the command line.
Why use OpenWrt instead of a router's stock firmware?Stock firmware locks you into the vendor's app selection and settings, while OpenWrt's writable filesystem and package manager let you install new software and reconfigure the device for uses it was never designed for.
Are there other repositories besides the main OpenWrt source tree?Yes, packages are split across sibling repos by category, including OpenWrt Packages (community-ported software), OpenWrt Routing (mesh/routing packages), and OpenWrt Video (Xorg/Wayland display packages).
What are similar projects?mu300-linux, lede, immortalwrt, linux, rt-thread, muse-gadget-sdk, w1700k-sdr, BLEhound
Which topics is it in?linux-kernel, openwrt, router, embedded-systems, gpl, operating-system, kernel, firmware, iot, package-manager, embedded, hardware
Creator
openwrt
Size
308.8 MB
Stars
28.8K
Updated
CommitOct 16Releasev25.12.5Jul 01
Age
10y
Commits · 90 Days