![ASUS RT-AC68U router](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="313" height="400"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
![ASUS RT-AC68U router](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="188" height="240"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg> "ASUS RT-AC68U router")
Optware is a package manager to allow you to easily install and uninstall cross-compiled Linux applications on your device (router, NAS, etc.) over the internet.
An alternative to Optware is Entware, but despite being newer and more modern, Entware is not compatible yet with ARM-based devices so please check compatibility before trying to install.
The router ASUS RT-AC68U is compatible, for the moment, only with Optware.
Prerequisites:
- [Optional but highly recommended] custom firmware like asuswrt merlin build, dd-wrt, tomatousb; (I prefer the asuswrt-merlin because is closer to the original firmware and it has hardware acceleration)
- An USB mounted disk (USB stick, HDD, SSD, etc.) formatted as ext4 for the best compatibility. You can use GParted for linux or MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition for Windows.
To install Optware on your RT-AC68U you have to follow three simple steps:
- Mount the ext4 formatted disk;
- Go to router’s web interface (router.asus.com) -> USB Application and install Download Master;
- Once successfully installed, uninstall it (not disable). The Optware package will remain installed, but just the Download Master will be removed.
You have to uninstall the Download Master because it is incompatible with transmission for Optware, a better alternative for the torrent client.
As you might run multiple applications on Optware, it is recommended that you activate SWAP on your Asus RT-AC68U router.
This is my list of useful Optware applications that I run on my ASUS RT-AC68U.
Info source:
https://github.com/RMerl/asuswrt-merlin/wiki/Initialize-OPTWARE
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Hello,
Thanks for the tutorial.
Would you please also share the way we can remove optware completely !
I would like to do so without re-flashing or formating the disk.
Thanks,
One way would be to shut down the router, disconnect the HDD from the router and connect it to a computer and delete the optware folder. Connect it back to the router and start it up.
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I just changed disk for bigger in my Asus RT-AC68U. I have ext4 and NTFS, same as on the old HDD. Router firmware Asuswrt-Merlin 380.69_2. On my existing (old) disk I have installed optware and transmission (years ago, don’t remember how I did that). On new disk, after installing Download Master there is no optware-ng.arm folder on ext4 partition like on the old disk so I assume there is no optware. ipkg is not installed so I can’t install transmission. Can you help?