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Open Source Router Firmware OpenWRT 15.05 Released
aglider writes: The newest stable iteration of the famous and glorious OpenWRT has just been released in the wild for all the supported architectures. The latest version is 15.05, codenamed "Chaos Calmer" after a cocktail drink, just like all previous ones. Major changes from the official announcements: "Linux kernel updated to version 3.18. Improved Security Features. Rewritten package signing architecture based on ed25519. Added support for jails. Added support for hardened builds. Improved Networking Support. Platform and Driver Support." For the full details you are welcome on the forums while the firmware itself and extra packages are available from the distribution servers.
Does OpenWRT have strace? Without strace, it is nearly impossible to track down problems when using systemd since it, as you noted, disregards so many of the UNIX standards.
There has been a lot of misinformation being spread by certain technical news publications about proposed rule changes. The FCC has passed rules and is proposing new rules that are *resulting in* manufacturers locking down there devices so that users can't flash OpenWRT and other third party firmware. See www.savewifi.org for more information on how you can help stop the *proposed rule changes* NOW. The rules which have already passed are also a problem and there will be further efforts to get them overturned.
We are already seeing manufacturers add signature checking (locks) to the stock firmware they ship on *older routers* as a result of the re-certification process. Manufacturers are asked "How are you preventing the loading of third party firmware such as DD-WRT?". The FCC has been quoted saying that they don't care how its achieved, but the reality is the quick and easy way and really only way for most/all manufactures to comply with these rule changes *in practice* is to lock the devices down. The FCC quotes are misleading to those who don't understand this and at least two articles have used this to imply it is not an issue despite *many* people saying it is an important issue (even within these articles).
There have been quotes from Qualcomm employees as well to add "clout" to the stories. These quotes were BS. The people at Qualcomm involved in the campaign, knowledgeable, and fully informed were not the people quoted. There is one current employee and actual ex-Qualcomm developers who worked on the software defined radio wifi chips now being impacted participating in the Save Wifi campaign. Adrian Chadd has reviewed the rule changes and is *working on the Save Wifi campaign*. Don't trust my words- go look at the PUBLIC mailing list archive yourself.
Lawyers, activists, and technologists from a variety of groups who have worked on FCC rule changes in the past are also involved in the campaign. They're not agreeing with the assessment that this is a non-issue or being blown out of proportion. The Electronic Frontier Foundation AND the Free Software Foundation are both involved and *big* participants in deciphering the rule changes. They are both coming out with statements as part of the Save Wifi campaign. The Save Wifi coalition is preparing letters and setting up a campaign similar to Dear FCC, SOPA, and similar campaigns to fight this.
The current proposed rules are what are currently at issue for the campaign, but there will be efforts to overturn rules already passed, and stop similar rules from going through in both Europe and Canada. It's no surprise that there is so much confusion as it's taken a month and participation by a dozen *highly involved* participants from different areas to grasp the significance of the problem and are still figuring out a road map on fighting it.
You're confusing "not open source" with "sloppy mess". From the same link you sent:
DD-WRT is a third party developed firmware released under the terms of the GPL for many IEEE 802.11a/b/g/h/n wireless routers based on a Broadcom or Atheros chip reference design.
Here is a tutorial on compiling DD-WRT from source: http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=269372
The business model doesn't change the GPL nature. Brainslayer arranged professional versions with customization for commercial applications. (Note: Stock, GPL DD-WRT works find on the Buffalo WZR-1750, so it isn't a matter of close-source tweaks.)
I'm interested in OpenWRT because it *is* a cleaner code base and more modular in nature. I like the idea of the packages vs a monolithic system. But that doesn't address the question of why one GPL project has working code for a particular system and another can't use it for their own GPL implementation.
Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.