OPKG Package Manager
OPKG (Open Package Management) is the default package manager for OpenWRT. This is an efficient package management system, best for resource-constrained devices and crucial for managing software packages on devices running OpenWRT. It relies on package repositories to fetch and install software packages.
This documentation provides instructions on how to update, locate, and install OpenWRT packages for Omega2 devices, followed by some advanced topics like adding custom package repositories and installing packages that are not in the package repository.
Update the Package Lists
Before using OPKG to find the packages, list the packages, and install them, it is crucial to update OPKG's package lists first.
Run the following command to update OPKG's package lists:
opkg update
This command fetches the latest list of packages from the configured package repositories. When this command runs, OPKG will connect to the configured package repositories and find out which packages are available for installation.
Users must run the opkg update command after each reboot of the device in order to find or install a package.
Find Packages to Install
View the list of all available packages with their descriptions and find the particular package of your interest. Follow the steps outlined below to search for packages using OPKG.
Step 1: Display Available Packages
Run the following command to view all the available packages using OPKG:
opkg list
Step 2: Find Packages
To find a particular package from the repository, use the grep command. Narrow down your search operation using a specific keyword alongside this command.
opkg list | grep keyword
To find the packages related to kmod-usb, run the command
opkg list | grep kmod-usb
Use grep command with the -i command to make your query case-independent (no discrimination between uppercase and lowercase letters).
opkg list | grep -i kmod-usb
This will show all the available packages with kmod-usb in their name or description as follows:
root@Omega-539F:/# opkg list | grep -i kmod-usb
kmod-usb-acm - 5.10.176-1 - Kernel support for USB ACM devices (modems/isdn controllers)
kmod-usb-atm - 5.10.176-1 - Kernel support for USB DSL modems
kmod-usb-atm-cxacru - 5.10.176-1 - Kernel support for cxacru based USB ADSL modems
kmod-usb-atm-speedtouch - 5.10.176-1 - Kernel support for SpeedTouch USB ADSL modems
kmod-usb-atm-ueagle - 5.10.176-1 - Kernel support for Eagle 8051 based USB ADSL modems
kmod-usb-audio - 5.10.176-1 - Kernel support for USB audio devices
kmod-usb-cm109 - 5.10.176-1 - Kernel support for CM109 VOIP phone
kmod-usb-core - 5.10.176-1 - Kernel support for USB
kmod-usb-dwc2 - 5.10.176-1 - This driver provides USB Device Controller support for the Synopsys DesignWare USB OTG Core
kmod-usb-dwc3 - 5.10.176-1 - This driver provides support for the Dual Role SuperSpeed USB Controller based on the Synopsys DesignWaree
kmod-usb-ehci - 5.10.176-1 - EHCI controller support
kmod-usb-hid - 5.10.176-1 - Kernel support for USB HID devices such as keyboards and mice
List Installed Packages
To fetch all installed packages on Omega2 or specific packages, use the OPKG package manager. Follow these instructions for getting the package list.
List all Installed Packages
Run the following command to list all the installed packages:
opkg list-installed
List Specific Installed Packages
To display the list of specific installed packages, use the grep command. Narrow down the search operation using a specific keyword alongside this command.
opkg list-installed | grep keyword
To locate all installed packages with onion in the package directory, execute the following command
opkg list-installed | grep onion
Use grep command with the -i command to make your query case-independent(no discrimination between uppercase and lowercase letters).
opkg list-installed | grep -i onion
This will open all the installed packages related to Onion:
root@Omega-539F:/# opkg list-installed | grep -i onion
onion-dt-overlay - 1.0-1
onion-repo-keys - 22.03.2-1
root@Omega-f195:/# opkg list-installed | grep -i omega2
omega2-base - 22.03.5-20230922
omega2-base-files - 22.03.5-20230922
omega2-base-passwd - 22.03.5-20230922
omega2-ctrl - 0.3-1
Install Packages
To install a specific package, add the package name to the following command:
opkg install <PACKAGE NAME>
To install the curl package using OPKG, run the following command:
opkg install curl
The installation and downloading of the package will begin.
root@Omega-539F:~# opkg install curl
Installing curl (7.60.0-3) to root...
Downloading http://repo.onioniot.com/omega2/packages/base/curl_7.60.0-3_mipsel_24kc.ipk
Configuring curl.
Don't forget to run opkg update beforehand to retrieve all the latest packages before installing any package.
Remove Packages
Uninstall or remove a previously installed package from Omega2 using the remove command. From the available list of packages, choose the package from the list intended to be removed. Copy the package name to be removed in the following command:
opkg remove <PACKAGE NAME>
To remove the curl package using OPKG, run the following command:
opkg remove curl
The output should look like this:
root@Omega-2757:/# opkg remove curl
Removing package curl from root...
Add Package Repo
This topic can be considered advanced, and outside of the everyday use of OPKG.
OPKG can be configured to access additional package repositories beyond its default configuration, enabling the installation of any packages in those repos. This is useful if there are key packages in repos that are not included in the standard list of package repos.
The package feed configuration is stored in the distfeeds.conf file.
Step 1: Open /etc/opkg/distfeeds.conf file in the editor to add a repository link.
Step 2: Edit distfeeds.conf file and add a package repository link which is supported by Omega devices and OPKG package manager.
src/gz openwrt_core <repository_name> <repository_url>
Replace <repository_name> and <repository_url> with the URL based on Omega2 device architecture and supported by OpenWRT release version
Only use package repos that are compatible with the mipsel_24kc architecture used by the Omega2 family. The architecture is generally included in the package repository URL.
Step 3: Now save the changed distfeeds.conf file and exit.
Step 4: Open the Omega2 terminal and run the opkg update command to install the added package.
Install a Package that's Not in a Package Repo
This topic can be considered advanced, and outside of the everyday use of OPKG.
It's sometimes useful to quickly install a package that's not in any of OPKG's configured package repos. This is especially true in early development, when the user may want to install a package that's still in development or quickly try out a particular package from a package repo.
Only install packages that are compatible with the mipsel_24kc architecture of the Omega2. The package name will usually end with the architecture, so only installed packages ending with mipsel_24kc.ipk; ignore incompatible ones.
Method 1: Copy the IPK File to the Omega2 and Use OPKG
Download the IPK file from the package source URL and copy the IPK package file to the /tmp directory on the Omega2 device.
Now, navigate to the /tmp directory containing the downloaded IPK file and run the following command in Omega2 terminal to install the package:
opkg install /tmp/<package-file.ipk>
Replace <package-file.ipk> with the actual filename.
This method is suitable for installing packages that are not available in standard repositories and useful for testing packages during development.
Method 2: Install a Package from the Web Based on its URL
Locate the URL of the package and execute the following command to install it directly from the URL.
opkg install <PACKAGE_URL>
Replace <PACKAGE_URL> with the actual URL of the package.
This method is useful for installing a package from an online source without adding the entire repository to OPKG configuration.
Be cautious when installing packages from external sources, and ensure they are from trusted and secure locations.