New 1.0.4.6 based custom firmware

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chris Thompson

The wl700ge is set up as a Gateway and I am using USBA. If I was able to access any of my user accounts by telnet I may be able to sort the rest out, but right now I am lost for an answer.

Chris.

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Everything you've said so far seems OK. Can you post the output of 'cat /etc/passwd' to make sure all of the links are OK. XXXX out the password field if necessary.

It should look something like:

root:XXXXX:0:42000:root:/:/bin/sh
kfurge:XXXXX:1001:42000:kfurge:/opt/home/kfurge:/opt/bin/bash

Also, make sure all shells you want to use are listed in /etc/shells. Finally, to help troubleshooting further, please post the last few lines of 'logread' immediately after an invalid login.

- K.C.

Kfurge, i think you did a great job. I still use you mod above openwrt. So my question: Why dont you change more things in the firmware? I dont think asus will do. So we can make a better firmware. I will help.

Sollie.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sollie

So my question: Why dont you change more things in the firmware?

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This thread sums up my thoughts on this topic:

http://wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=8590

So far, there's nothing I've wanted to do that couldn't be done with the existing firmware. In fact, the only thing that currently can't be changed on a running system at boot time via rc.local is the kernel itself.

What I think is missing is the transfer of this know-how so everyone benefits from the collection of tricks that makes all of this magic possible. I think a wiki can help with this communication and keep the information within up-to-date.

- K.C.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kfurge

Everything you've said so far seems OK. Can you post the output of 'cat /etc/passwd' to make sure all of the links are OK. XXXX out the password field if necessary.

It should look something like:

root:XXXXX:0:42000:root:/:/bin/sh
kfurge:XXXXX:1001:42000:kfurge:/opt/home/kfurge:/opt/bin/bash

Also, make sure all shells you want to use are listed in /etc/shells. Finally, to help troubleshooting further, please post the last few lines of 'logread' immediately after an invalid login.

- K.C.

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The passwd file is as follows:

root::0:42000:root:/:/bin/sh
nora:XXXXX:35001:42000:nora:/opt/home/nora:/bin/false
thompsoncm:XXXXX:35002:42000:thompsoncm:/dev/null:/bin/false
test:XXXXX:35000:42000:test:/dev/null:/bin/false

I was unable to find anything in /etc/shells, that does not mean that there is nothing there ;-)

The puty log is as bellow:

=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= PuTTY log 2007.03.17 23:58:03 =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=
(none) login: nora

Password:
warning: cannot change to home directory

The last line might hold the clue! But where should the home directory be and how should it be pointed to?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chris Thompson

The passwd file is as follows:

root::0:42000:root:/:/bin/sh
nora:XXXXX:35001:42000:nora:/opt/home/nora:/bin/false
thompsoncm:XXXXX:35002:42000:thompsoncm:/dev/null:/bin/false
test:XXXXX:35000:42000:test:/dev/null:/bin/false

I was unable to find anything in /etc/shells, that does not mean that there is nothing there ;-)

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OK, three problems:

1) Your home directories, with the exception of nora, all point to /dev/null. Make them all point somewhere real, and make sure they're all owned by the appropriate user.

2) Your shells. All accounts have a shell of /bin/false. This is what is normally put in when you absolutely want to deny a login to an account. Put a valid shell here such as /opt/bin/bash.

3) If you don't have a valid /etc/shells or the shells listed within /etc/shells do not include the shells listed in the password files, then you will also be denied a login. You must fix this too. One of the modifications to the custom firmware was a symlink from /etc/shells to /tmp/shells. Symlink from /opt/etc/shells to /tmp/shells within rc.local. Now make sure /opt/bin/bash is listed in /etc/shells.

- K.C.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kfurge

Sure. From section 12.39.3 of d7k250p_spv1.8.pdf it looks like the timing equations for your HDD are the same as mine. Therefore, the values should work OK for you too. That section contains everything you need to adjust the timing to meet your needs.

I've been running with the 5min/1hr timing for a few months now and it works pretty well for me.

Unfortunately, SMART has to be disabled to allow the drive to enter low power modes. This is because the httpd process (yes, the same one that serves up the web configuration interface) regularly polls the SMART status from the HDD. With my drive, this kept it from entering any of the low power modes.

- K.C.

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Hi KC,

Thanks for the prompt response and advice, appreciate it!

I'm running into another unexpected problem with my 700ge's wireless connection (arrgghh).

I can connect wirelessly fine if i do not setup any encryption. The connection is stable as well.

Once i setup WEP, the performance is erratic. Often i cannot even associate (though i can see the SSID with full signal strength when i View Wireless Network from XP). When i attempt to "Connect", it waits at "Waiting for network" for very long or "Detecting network type"... and nothing happens after that. For the times when I am able to connect, i run continuous ping to see how stable the connection is -- it gets disconnected after about 3 minutes, then back on again.. very erratic.

I've reflashed back to the original ASUS 1.0.4.6 rom to try it out with the same results. I've performed resets many times (by holding down reset > 5s)
with no improvements.

Also, I'm also not able to complete EZSetup successfully. It was always stop at the 3rd box, and it says there's a problem with the EZSetup connection. Tried with box LAN and wireless connection. I figured it wasn't a big deal to use EZSetup since i can set it up manually but with the above problem i described, it worries me :-(

I've used 2 laptops and my PDA to verify. Looks like a hardware problem?

Thanks for any advice in advance.

cheers,
Patrick
Thanks.

@patrick

my settings are:
Authentication Method: wpa-psk
WPA Encryption: TKIP
WEP Encryption: 128bits

and everything works fine. maybe this works also for you.

grat182

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gratitude182

@patrick

my settings are:
Authentication Method: wpa-psk
WPA Encryption: TKIP
WEP Encryption: 128bits

and everything works fine. maybe this works also for you.

grat182

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Hi grat182,

Thanks for helping. I tried that and it worked for a while, after that the same problem like I described happen. Really weird huh.

Tried all the permutations (64 bit, AEP/TKIP etc) but no good. I guess if the simplest WEP encryption didn't work than something aint' right :-(

Any thing else I could have missed?

cheers,
Patrick

Quote:

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Originally Posted by patrickquek

I've used 2 laptops and my PDA to verify. Looks like a hardware problem?

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Yes, I'd suspect you've got a dud. I'm sure there's HW acceleration for encryption/decryption in the SoC device. This block is probably flakey.

- K.C.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kfurge

OK, three problems:

1) Your home directories, with the exception of nora, all point to /dev/null. Make them all point somewhere real, and make sure they're all owned by the appropriate user.

2) Your shells. All accounts have a shell of /bin/false. This is what is normally put in when you absolutely want to deny a login to an account. Put a valid shell here such as /opt/bin/bash.

3) If you don't have a valid /etc/shells or the shells listed within /etc/shells do not include the shells listed in the password files, then you will also be denied a login. You must fix this too. One of the modifications to the custom firmware was a symlink from /etc/shells to /tmp/shells. Symlink from /opt/etc/shells to /tmp/shells within rc.local. Now make sure /opt/bin/bash is listed in /etc/shells.

- K.C.

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Thank you very much. I have done as you said and now it works.
I did not realise that some of the steps, i.e. file modifications had to be done manually.
I carried out the following steps:

1&2/ The passwd file was edited to give all users a path to their home directory;
(nora:XXXXX:35003:42000:nora:/opt/home/nora:/opt/bin/bash).
The relevant directories were created, (mkdir -p /opt/home/nora) and given ownership by the respective user (chown nora /opt/home/nora)

3/ The path opt/bin/bash was added to shells (echo "opt/bin/bash">> /etc/shells). The symlink was already in rc.local.

There is no way I would of fixed those three snags myself, thank you again.

What I did manage to do was to get putty working with SSH and dropbear.
Was really quite easy compared to the above.

Use Puttygen to create the public and private keys.
Copy the private one to the PC hard drive.
Create a hidden directory SSH in the user folder (mkdir /opt/home/nora/.ssh)
Copy & Past the public key, all of it with no additions, from Puttygen into a new file authorized_keys into this directory (echo ((right click past)) > /opt/home/nora/.ssh/authorized_keys)
And that is it just configure Putty to use the private key you saved on the PC hard drive. At the login prompt enter your user name and it should connect.

I hope this may be of some help to any others with problems connected with SSH on dropbear.

Chris.

Hi,

After installing KFurge's image, is it possible to hook the router to a pc with an usb cable and access the hard disk as if it were a usb hard disk? Combined with the methods to mount such a disk, it would give us the possibility to get a better grip on the internal disk.
But I don't know if this a hardware feature or a software feature. In the latter case, with some knowledge, it would be feasable, I guess.

Greetz,
Marc

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mumsoft

But I don't know if this a hardware feature or a software feature.

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It's both. Only USB OTG (On The Go) is able to flip flop between a host and device endpoint. The USB ports on this box are host only. There's no chance.

- K.C.

Hey i just got a wl-700ge been using it for about 2 weeks. seems that download master does not work...lol but can someone send me a step by step guide on how to load the custom firmware. because my understanding is that after i can load another bittorrent client. sorry for the stupid question! thank you. P.S i also have suse 10.2 installed and can use it is fairly okay. Thank you

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fullback

can someone send me a step by step guide on how to load the custom firmware.

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http://home.comcast.net/~kfurge/wl700g.html

Linux experience (which you have) is required.

- K.C.

Hey, thank you for responding on my previous forum. But i am looking at your guide and i can't seem to understand it to much.. My questions are first do i just Download the 18M file from http://home.comcast.net/~kfurge/WL70...4.6_kc_02a.nas.
and upload it to to my router using the router firmware upgrade tool. and the Second question is, i don't clearly understand the next step. I am trying and i would like to learn how so i can help some people around me that have the same router as well. In addition to i don't even know what to do after i flash the firmware. Thank you !! for you help!!! :)
THANK YOU!:confused:

See...
http://wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=8237

It has pictures.

LK

Hey thank you so much for the picture tutorial i am going to give it a try after school! Thanks aging man this will help many! :)

I can't get ipkg update, i added the ipkg.conf file in to the correct directory and all. this is the problem i am having can someone please help me out, thank you!
" # Add the following line to /opt/etc/ipkg.conf with the newly installed busybox version of vi: "src optware http://ipkg.nslu2-linux.org/feeds/optware/oleg/cross/stable". Here's a copy of mine.
# Run "ipkg update"
# For completeness, re-run "ipkg install" for uclibc, busybox, ipkg, and wget to fully install them. You may have to use the -force-overwrite flag."
i followed these steps and also "mv /shares/MYVOLUME1/MYSHARE1/web/ipkg.conf /shares/MYVOLUME1/opt/etc/ipkg.conf" and then after that i tired to type
ipkg update and that's when i get the error """""" ipkg update
ipkg: not found
#
# ipkg install
ipkg: not found
#
#
# # ipkg Update
# ipkg: not found
ipkg:: not found
# #
# # ipkgupdate
# ipkgupdate: not found
ipkgupdate:: not found
# #
# # ipkg update
# ipkg: not found
ipkg:: not found
# #
# # ipkg install
# ipkg: not found
ipkg:: not found""
can someone please help me i have no idea what i might be doing wrong. Thank you!

It seems that you have not set the path, so the OS doesn't know which commands you want to execute.

So, either include the full path:

/opt/bin/ipkg

or, copy & paste the following lines to your telnet session:

export PATH=/opt/bin:/opt/sbin:${PATH}
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/lib:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}

as you can see, the directory "/opt/bin" is added to your path (so it knows to look thee for the ipkg command.

Thank you that fixed the problem

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fullback

Thank you that fixed the problem

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now you can run

ipkg install uclibc-opt busybox ipkg-opt wget

hey thanks for the help Basic2Basic but i am having problems install the second command. i Got u "uclibic" to install just fine, but i can't get "ipkg opt" to install
this is the error i am getting also i am running the Terminal on puttytel :

Downloading: not found
# Installing busybox-links (1.5.0-1) to root...
syntax error
# Downloading http://ipkg.nslu2-linux.org/feeds/op...0-1_mipsel.ipk
Downloading: not found
# Package ipkg-opt (0.99.163-9) installed in root is up to date.
syntax error
# Package wget (1.10.2-3) installed in root is up to date.
syntax error
# Successfully terminated.
Successfully: not found
# Collected errors:
Collected: not found
# Package busybox-links wants to install file /opt/bin/reset
Package: not found
# But that file is already provided by package ncurses
But: not found
# Package busybox-links wants to install file /opt/bin/clear
Package: not found
# But that file is already provided by package ncurses
But: not found
Thanks for the help bro!

Hi,

export PATH=/opt/bin:/opt/sbin:${PATH}
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/lib:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}
(every time you log in until you set up a .profile see the tutorials on how to install the custom firmware on various pages)

ipkg install uclibc-opt busybox ipkg-opt wget

tutorials:

http://wl500g.info/attachment.php?at...0&d=1170263169
http://home.comcast.net/~kfurge/wl700ge.html
http://wl700g.homelinux.net

Hi,

Can anyone help me please?

I have followed the windows based instructions for updating to KC's firmware and the firmware is successfully uploaded to the router. I then get a minute or two of IDE activity. Whenever I run EZSetup after that though it fails and doesn't tell me why!?

The router then works absolutely fine, as if I hadn't done anything to it. My share is still there with data on it. Some settings have returned to default but other than that it's as it was before.

Is there a way to tell if I have the custom firmware on it now?

Thanks for your help.

the rc.local isn't being executed when the router reboots. Any ideas why not?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by glenmaroney

the rc.local isn't being executed when the router reboots. Any ideas why not?

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I will ask the obvious question: Did you rc.local move it to /shares/MYVOLUME1 and chmod the file to 775?

I guess I should ask the other question: How do you know it is not getting executed? :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hacksaw

I will ask the obvious question: Did you rc.local move it to /shares/MYVOLUME1 and chmod the file to 775?

I guess I should ask the other question: How do you know it is not getting executed? :D

---

Unfortunately, I have got it in the right place and I chmod ed it to 755...should it be 775?

I know it's not being executed because after a reboot I have to modify the path and mount /opt again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by glenmaroney

Unfortunately, I have got it in the right place and I chmod ed it to 755...should it be 775?

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Sorry, typo on my part. It should be 755.

Have you tried executing the operations in the rc.local file separately to determine if they are valid? I am wondering if the if statements are not getting through properly.

Hacksaw.

The two lines in rc.local assume the pre-existence of two exports: PATH and LD_LIBRARY_PATH. After some fiddling, I found that PATH existed on my system, but LD_LIBRARY_PATH did not. This seemed to break the second export in my system, so I changed it from

Quote:

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export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/lib:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}

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to a simpler

Quote:

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export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/lib:/shares/lib

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This was done in both rc.local and .profile. After that, ipkg and other things behaved more to expectation.

Dropbear never starts automatically for me. Anyone have an idea why

Quote:

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if [ \! -a /var/run/dropbear.pid ]; then

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is not working for me?:confused:

--Brian

BTB: Here's to you, kfurge, for all your work and continued support. Thank you! :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BrianKDav

This was done in both rc.local and .profile. After that, ipkg and other things behaved more to expectation.

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Same for my .profile. I agree rc.local should match.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BrianKDav

Dropbear never starts automatically for me. Anyone have an idea why

if [ \! -a /var/run/dropbear.pid ]; then

is not working for me?

---

Does this it work OK when executed under a standard login shell? If so, you might be seeing a busybox shell quirk. If not, please post more of your rc.local file. Maybe the shell is terminating prior to executing the if statement?

An interesting quirk I found is that the busybox /bin/shell, when executing a script under a login shell, properly sets $VAR in the following:

VAR=`/bin/pwd`

but when the same script is executed directly from the kernel as a replacement for /bin/miscio_input_change (which is called whenever one of the buttons is pressed) $VAR remains empty. Writing to syslog indicated that /bin/pwd executed OK. However, the shell refused to set the variable regardless of what I tried.

- K.C.

Here's the entire rc.local

Quote:

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#!/bin/sh

pool=`nvram get apps_pool`
share=`nvram get apps_share`
internal_hdd=/dev/ide/host2/bus0/target0/lun0/disc

if [ \! -f /tmp/rc.local.done ]; then

# Indicate we've already done this
touch /tmp/rc.local.done

#
# Mount /opt and connect in various system files
#
if [ -e /shares/${pool}/opt ]; then
mount -o bind /shares/${pool}/opt /opt

cat /proc/mounts > /opt/etc/fstab

ln -s /opt/etc/shells /tmp/shells
ln -s /opt/etc/fstab /tmp/fstab

export PATH=/opt/bin:/opt/sbin:${PATH}
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/lib:/shares/lib
fi

# Start utelnetd on local interface only!
/apps/bin/utelnetd -i br0 &

# Test for and start dropbear
echo "dropbear?" | logger -p local0.notice
if [ \! -a /var/run/dropbear.pid ]; then
echo "dropbear!" | logger -p local0.notice
/opt/etc/init.d/S51dropbear
echo "dropbear started" | logger -p local0.notice
fi

# Stop & Start web server
echo "thttpd" | logger -p local0.notice
killall thttpd
/apps/bin/thttpd -dd /shares/webbase -p 8081 -i /var/run/thttpd.pid -v

# Add confirmation that rc.local was executed
echo "rc.local executed" | logger -p local0.notice

fi

---

Not much different from your samples...

I'll try rebooting if necessary to review the log messages.

--Brian

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BrianKDav

Not much different from your samples...

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Yep, that should work OK. Any chance that the dropbear startup script is not set as executable?

- K.C.

Quick question as I am slightly confused. I have just gone throught he instructions for building the 1.0.4.6 based firmware and am now up to applying K.C.'s modifications.

http://home.comcast.net/~kfurge/wl700ge.html indicates in step 2.3 to "cd to ./exinstall/apps/bin" but I don't have an apps directory under exinstall. Here is the path I found rcex under: /opt/WL700g/nasoc/src/apps/tarfiles/exinstall/bin

Is this the file I should be looking for?

Here is another one. Step 6.1 states:

Quote:

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# Disable the config rewrite nonsense in $(apps)/Makefile by commenting out the line immediately under the "busybox:" target label.

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I assume then that this line would be the one that starts with "cd busybox"?

Code:

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busybox:
        cd busybox && rm -f .config && ln -s NASoC_config .config
        $(MAKE) -C busybox dep
        $(MAKE) -C busybox STRIPTOOL=$(STRIP)

---

I guess I leave the "cd busybox" command in and remove the rest?

Thanks,
Hacksaw.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hacksaw

Here is the path I found rcex under: /opt/WL700g/nasoc/src/apps/tarfiles/exinstall/bin

Is this the file I should be looking for?

---

It's been a while since I posted the instructions, and I've modified my build environment since, but I believe you're right. The makefile uses exinstall.tar to build the image so you'll have to tar up any of your changes in the exinstall directory back to exinstall.tar to make them stick.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hacksaw

I guess I leave the "cd busybox" command in and remove the rest?

---

Comment out the whole line.

- K.C.

Thanks K.C.!

I have rebuilt the image using your instructions and attempted to apply the iptables recent module support. I have applied the patches to the kernel and rebuilt it, but am having issues getting the libipt_recent.so built. I might not need it, so i am going to flash the load I have and see what happens.

Hacksaw.

I locked myself out of my shell (no telnet, no valid shell for ssh), so cannot get into my WL700.

Although I have tried various approaches described on the forum, I cannot prevent the rc.local in /MYVOLUME1/ from being executed (and preventing me from logging in). The telnet hack described, does not work for me (see my other post http://wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=8858).

Therefore I was wondering if a previous version of Kfurge's firmware might do the trick. Especially the one that expects an rc.local in /MYVOLUME1/MYSHARE1/. This location I can reach (by nfs) and can modify files in.

I'm thinking that downgrading to that custom firmware might force the WL700 to use the rc.local in /MYSHARE1/ which I could make to enable telnet. Right?

Only problem, Kfurge doesnt offer this version for download, and I do not know which version of Kfurge's firmware it should be. Can anybody help me with this? Thanks.


Downgrading to the previous version worked like a charm...

To get previous version of Kfurge's firmware, go to post 36 of this thread!:p

LK

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LeperKing

To get previous version of Kfurge's firmware, go to post 36 of this thread!:p
LK

---

Right... that was the one thing I didn't search the whole forum for... *oops*
Thanks!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by oclee

I locked myself out of my shell (no telnet, no valid shell for ssh), so cannot get into my WL700.

---

Did that myself once, and had to resort to the hack where you put the telnet startup in one of the cgi scripts. Only problem was that I couldn't mark as executable the script I wanted to use to start telnet. (This I could see by failures to execute, and a directory command in FTP access.) I got around the inability to mark it executable it by putting the script, with the executable properties already set, on a USB drive. This was done from my Ubuntu system - not sure how to do it with Windows. I then plugged the USB drive in and hit copy. Once the script was in the USBCOPY folder, I used FTP to copy it to a location accessible in a browser session. Invoking the cgi via a browser started telnet (on br0, of course).

I hope this helps! :o

--Brian

Here's the link to telnet / cgi hack. My only problem is that, as mentioned above, I couldn't make the CHMOD command work.
http://www.wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=7434

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kfurge

Yep, that should work OK. Any chance that the dropbear startup script is not set as executable?

- K.C.

---

Nope, it's set executable. If the ASUS box is starting due to a power failure, do you think it could be actually finding the dropbear.pid file? I thought the /var/run folder got rebuilt and/or cleared on a restart. Sometimes these computers frustrate us by doing exactly what we tell them to do!

--Brian

As I get moments here and there, I want to improve the message logging on this system.