New Custom Firwmare...

[fireflash]

I managed to create password protected utelnetd shell witch uses web UI credentials. If I'll have enought time I'll add ssh daemon and ipkg and release an image.

I have an older version of ipkg running right now (the old script-based version). Took a few tweaks to dance around the router's limitations and cramfs problems, but it's working. Unfortunately the one pkg I tried, the enhanced-ctorrent client compiled for the WL500g refused to run after it was unpacked. Installed great, but I think what it was compiled for and what I'm trying to run it on are too different and not compatible enough.

Why couldn't ASUS just take the 500g and slap a HD and BT client in it and call it a day?

[kfurge]

I'm thinking to incude only:
1) enable password protected telnet from web UI
2) boot script and tutorial how to enable ipkg.

By implementing that all other things can be set up by ipkg (including dropbear).


but any suggestions are welcome.

That's a good idea. I initially thought to do the same thing.

Unfortunately, after manually unpacking and installing a few ipkgs, I was unable to get the mipsel binaries (i.e. from the unslung project) to execute on my box. I only get a "not found" message when trying to execute them.

The libs are OK. I can compile against them and the resulting binaries work. I think it's because the pre-compiled binaries are linked against uClibc and the routers toolset is gcc.

If you find a repository of working binary packages, please let us know where they are.

- K.C.

[MoD]

I was unable to get the mipsel binaries (i.e. from the unslung project) to execute on my box. I only get a "not found" message when trying to execute them.

that's why I arised a question about shell: http://wl500g.info/showthread.php?t=6990

[MoD]

Openmss runs ipkg packages. I doubt that they recompiled a lot. However we should as them hod did they manage to implement it?!

[oleo]

Packages from http://ipkg.nslu2-linux.org/feeds/op.../cross/stable/ should run on wl700ge. Install uclibc package first, then wget and ipkg.

[MoD]

Packages from http://ipkg.nslu2-linux.org/feeds/op.../cross/stable/ should run on wl700ge. Install uclibc package first, then wget and ipkg.

Thanks, I'll try this aproach. However I do not see that Oleg's firmware adds this package. Is it inculded in wl500g GPL source already?

[hal2k1]

If you find a repository of working binary packages, please let us know where they are.

- K.C.

According to the first post on this thread on OpenWRT froum ...

http://forum.openwrt.org/viewtopic.php?id=4883

"As far as I can tell, the firmware contains 3 sections, kernel, mini root, real root. kernel and mini root will be written to flash (2MB) real root system will be written to the HD. It looks very like what is described here http://www.openmss.org/Hardware/MssExtractFirmware (as they have the same CPU and design)."

... the WL 700gE has the same hardware & firmware structure as the Maxtor Shared Storage device.

Like this: http://www.openmss.org/Hardware/HomePage

Hardware

    * CPU: BCM4780 300 MHz MIPS32 Network-Attached Storage Processor
    * Memory: 32MB (2 x MT 46V8M16 - 8Mx16)
    * Flash: 2MB (ST M29W160EB - 16Mb)
    * USB Controller: VT6212 4-port USB 2.0 Host Controller
    * IDE Controller: ATP865 PCI Ultra ATA133 IDE Chip
    * PHY: BCM5241 - 10/100BASE-TX Single-Channel Tranceiver
    * Fan: Sunon MagLev Fan KDE503PEV3-8 - 30×30×6mm 5V Fan

TTL level serial port (J10):
 1 - +3v
 2 - RX
 3 - TX
 4 - GND

If all of this is in fact the case, then that suggests that working packages might be obtained from here:

http://www.openmss.org/Packages/Packages

Current experimental packages on ipkg server:

 683066 Jan  7  2006 busybox_1.0-8_mipsel.ipk
 297270 Oct 29  2005 ctorrent_1.3.4-dnh1-1_mipsel.ipk
1910958 Jul 24  2005 dropbear_0.46-4_mipsel.ipk
 278442 Sep 28  2005 hddtemp_0.3-beta14_mipsel.ipk
 222426 Oct  2 19:00 kissd_0.12-1_mipsel.ipk
1014728 Oct 17 09:18 kissd_0.9-1_mipsel.ipk
 313788 Jul 24  2005 lsof_4.75-1_mipsel.ipk
 351948 Jul 24  2005 ncftp_3.1.8-1_mipsel.ipk
  17880 Jan  8  2006 noip_2.1.1-1_mipsel.ipk
 424984 Sep 28  2005 rsync_2.6.6_mipsel.ipk
 308934 Jul 24  2005 strace_4.5.11-1_mipsel.ipk
 328226 Oct 16  2005 unrar_3.51-1_mipsel.ipk
 260538 Dec  7  2005 vsftpd_2.0.3-2_mipsel.ipk

busybox, ctorrent, dropbear & ncftp at least look interesting.

If these packages don't work, at least this project might have sources which could potentially be made to work.

If people who (unlike me) know what they are doing can get this to compile, then it might be prudent to run packages under an emulator first, rather than trying them for the first time on your router and possibly bricking it.

Programming help:
http://www.broadcom.com/products/Ent...utions/BCM4780

Emulators:
http://nenya.ms.mff.cuni.cz/~holub/msim/
http://gavare.se/gxemul/
http://www.niksula.hut.fi/~buenos/yams.html

I hope this is of some help to those who are more capable than I and who have an interest in opening and improving this device.

[oleo]

Thanks, I'll try this aproach. However I do not see that Oleg's firmware adds this package. Is it inculded in wl500g GPL source already?

It is just called "Oleg" As it is tailored with "Oleg" kernel headers. Otherwise it is system independent with its own uclibc library and dynamic loader. It runs also on dd-wrt firmware!

[MoD]

It is just called "Oleg" As it is tailored with "Oleg" kernel headers. Otherwise it is system independent with its own uclibc library and dynamic loader. It runs also on dd-wrt firmware!

I just dont understand why uclibc is not included in wl700ge original gpl firmware. I see that all those wrt54g cloned custom firmwares and oleg's maintained asus firmware do not change anything but enables telnet and can execute the shell scripts.

Can you explain me?

[kfurge]

I hope this is of some help to those who are more capable than I and who have an interest in opening and improving this device.

Thanks for the info. Looks promising.

- K.C.

[hal2k1]

Thanks for the info. Looks promising.

- K.C.

I have looked a bit further in to this topic.

The BCM4780 NASoC as (apparently) used on the WL 700ge is listed on this page: http://www.linux-mips.org/wiki/Broadcom_SOCs

That listing implies that programming help can be obtained from this extensive resource: http://www.linux-mips.org/wiki/Main_Page

There are a great many possibilities here, but the information that might be of interest regarding uClibc is here:

http://www.linux-mips.org/wiki/Toolc..._and_Buildroot

which in turn refers to here:

http://www.uclibc.org/

More information on emulators is here:

http://www.linux-mips.org/wiki/Emulators

For anyone who has added the serial port per these instructions: http://www.tiedyedfreaks.org/eric/WL-700gE/

Then the process described on this series of pages might be partially relevant:

http://www.nomis52.net/?section=proj...tgear&page=cfe

This process appears to make it possible to boot the router from test software on your main PC without having to flash the router.

[kfurge]

Thanks for the additional info. I bookmarked some of them to digest later.

It has taken quite some time to unravel the build environment. It's one of the most convoluted messes I've ever witnessed. Fortunately, I've made some significant progress. So far, I've done the following:

1. Rebuild the 1.0.4.6 release (thanks to the tutorials) and flashed my box.

2. Permamently modified the rcex startup script to run a user script (rc.local) located in a convenient location. It took a while to find because the rcex file used during the firmware build actually resides in the exinstall.tar.gz tarball!

3. Permanently added an /etc/fstab symlink link to /tmp/fstab. This was also fun to find because a script actually builds the entire /etc filesystem!

Via my rc.local script, I now do the following:

1. Get the HDD to spin down (and stay that way!)

2. Kill all uninteresting processes (especially the steaming pile of crap that is "watchdog").

3. Enable utelnetd on the local lan interface only.

4. Kill thttpd and restart it to point to my content.

Additionally, I've confirmed that openmss.org packages actually work out of the box (this makes upgrading ctorrent, busybox, and dropbear easy). I've worked some updated busybox binaries into my startup script.

Tonight and tomorrow night I'll be working on a quick webpage to describe in detail the above items and post a binary built off of 1.0.4.6 along with some sample scripts that can be dropped onto the box to do various things.

- K.C.

[hal2k1]

Tonight and tomorrow night I'll be working on a quick webpage to describe in detail the above items and post a binary built off of 1.0.4.6 along with some sample scripts that can be dropped onto the box to do various things.

- K.C.

This is very exciting. I am quite hopeful for a very good outcome from this, and I would like to thank you for your efforts so far. Even if it doesn't quite work, it appears like you have made very significant progress here.

I'm looking forward to it.

[Perkouw]

looking forward to see it

[kfurge]

As promised, I've posted my custom 1.0.4.6 based firmware image, instructions, and commentary at:

http://home.comcast.net/~kfurge/wl700ge.html

Future images to come as significant progress is made. Hope some of you find it useful.

- K.C.