[Was: Re: Firmware Selector Setup]

Rich Brown richb.hanover at gmail.com
Tue Sep 15 09:02:17 EDT 2020



> On Sep 15, 2020, at 1:39 AM, Hannu Nyman <hannu.nyman at iki.fi> wrote:
> 
> The firmware selector's texts regarding "factory" and "sysupgrade" images might be clarified.

Yes. Perhaps the two buttons (Factory & Sysupgrade) could be stacked vertically, with their explanatory text (currently visible when you hover) is permanently displayed to the right of each button.

Suggested tweak to the explanatory text:

- Use a Factory image to flash a router with OpenWrt for the first time. You normally do this via the web interface of the original firmware.

- Use a Sysupgrade image to update a router that already runs OpenWrt. The image can be used with the LuCI web interface or the terminal.

Since I'm suggesting tweaks to the page:

- Change the Heading to "Download OpenWrt Firmware for your Device!" (more caps in the headline)

- Swap the positions of the router model and the dropdown so the router model is the first one

- Change the first line to say something like, "Enter the name/model of your device, then select the Stable version (19.07.4) or the nightly "snapshot" image

Thanks! This is great work!

Rich

> 
> The current versions miss the point that the factory image is used when flashed with OEM flashing tools, either the original OEM firmware or a possible TFTP recovery built into the bootloader. The main point for "factory" is that the image looks valid to the OEM tools.
> 
> And yes, sysupgrade is flashed to a "router already running OpenWrt", but the main point is that the image is compatible with the OpenWrt sysupgrade routine, done either from console or from LuCI web GUI.
> 
> Based on forum discussions, it is a typical novice error that somebody tries a recovery flash using the bootloader TFTP with the sysupgrade image "as the router already runs OpenWrt".
> 
> The selector tool is meant for novices, casual users, so please make the descriptions as clear as possible. Compatibility with the flashing tool to be used is the main factor in the image selction.
> 
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