Is DD-WRT committed to having a supported Linux Kernel?

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AndrewL733
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 05 May 2021
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2021 16:06    Post subject: Is DD-WRT committed to having a supported Linux Kernel? Reply with quote
Hi DD-WRT,

From what I can tell, DD-WRT seems to be using a Linux 4.4.x longterm-supported kernel, but support for this kernel from kernel.org basically ends in February, 2022! No more security patches after then, except if you backport them yourself.

Is DD-WRT committed to upgrading to a supported kernel before support for this one ends?

I looked around on the WIKI/Forums and didn't see any sort of policy that addressed this issue!

Regards,
Andrew
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Alozaros
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 16 Nov 2015
Posts: 6410
Location: UK, London, just across the river..

PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2021 16:21    Post subject: Reply with quote
DDWRT is also using 3.10, 3.18, 4.9, 4.14...all custom..
consider ddwrt, as the most updated/patched kernel/dnsmasq on the 3rd party firmware market...
i would 've be worried if i had to use any ISP provided routers, most of them running old kernels with lack of adequate firmware support at all...even some of the top brands like tp-link, D-link, Asus still using old kernels...

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TP-Link WR740Nv1 ---DD-WRT 55179 WAP
TP-Link WR1043NDv2 -DD-WRT 55303 Gateway/DoT,Forced DNS,Ad-Block,Firewall,x4VLAN,VPN
TP-Link WR1043NDv2 -Gargoyle OS 1.15.x AP,DNS,QoS,Quotas
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tedm
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 13 Mar 2009
Posts: 554

PostPosted: Sat May 08, 2021 22:49    Post subject: Re: Is DD-WRT committed to having a supported Linux Kernel? Reply with quote
AndrewL733 wrote:
Hi DD-WRT,

From what I can tell, DD-WRT seems to be using a Linux 4.4.x longterm-supported kernel, but support for this kernel from kernel.org basically ends in February, 2022!

Regards,
Andrew


The lead developer is Brainslayer BTW.

Remember that these routers are designed as Least-Cost devices. The original one that kicked all this off, the Linksys WRT54g, went from a total of 4MB of flash ram to 2MB of flash ram during it's 6 or so hardware versions just to shave probably 50 cents off the cost of the device. Linksys had to throw away all their code and start over but even forking out $50k in development fees to their developers was probably cheaper than paying the extra 50 cents due to the number of devices they were making.

Also due to cost-shaving, the companies that sell these devices FREQUENTLY drop "official" support for them. For example I have a Buffalo WHR-G300N V2 here that is like a 10 year old device (at least) Buffalo hasn't released firmware for years for it and dd-wrt just did.

Lastly some companies modify the radio and they make changes in the radio driver for those mods and do not publish source. All we have is a binary radio driver that runs on a particular kernel version.

Anyway, every time a new kernel is released it gets larger. You can only drop so many things from it before it exceeds the flash chip the maker put on the device. And if the radio driver is special you have to use that driver and if the company does not release a newer one - you are stuck on that kernel.

Lastly understand that companies like Linksys and Buffalo have a love/hate relationship with dd-wrt. On one hand they love the customers that dd-wrt brings them on the other hand they hate that dd-wrt allows 10 year old wifi routers to still keep running to this day. They would far far rather have dd-wrt abandon "old" devices - so they can sell you a new device. The Openwrt project has that attitude - they drop old devices all the time - and it's not appreciated by most users.
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