OpenWrt: Version 25.12.0 brings package manager change

The OpenWrt venture has launched model 25.12.0 of its open-source router firmware. Particularly noteworthy are the quite a few supported units and the change to a brand new package administration system.

In the release notes, OpenWrt provides an summary of the modifications. The builders spotlight that upgrading from OpenWrt 24.10 to 25.12 is supported by the sysupgrade instrument in lots of instances, which makes an attempt emigrate the configuration. Nevertheless, these wishing to improve ought to again up their configuration beforehand, advise the OpenWrt programmers. The builders have labored on OpenWrt 25.12.0 for over a yr, with greater than 4700 supply code commits since model 24.10. The codename “Dave’s Guitar” is meant to honor Dave Täht, who handed away in April 2025.

OpenWrt: Changes below the hood

The package manager is switching from the outdated opkg to apk (Alpine Package Keeper). The essential motive for that is that OpenWrt-opkg is now not supported, whereas apk continues to be maintained. Only a couple of package names have modified. A cheatsheet aims to provide useful info for the transition. Additionally, OpenWrt now features a web-based “attended.sysupgrade” LuCI app (ASU). On units with bigger flash reminiscence, OpenWrt additionally installs the command-line instrument “owut” (OpenWrt Upgrade Tool) by default. ASU is designed to replace to new OpenWrt variations and might robotically construct firmware photos with all at present put in packages. It retains the system configuration and permits the mixing of moreover put in packages straight into the SquashFS file system. This is meant to considerably simplify upgrades: with just some clicks in LuCI and after a brief ready interval, a personalized firmware picture is prepared for set up with out additional handbook intervention.

Furthermore, OpenWrt shops the shell command historical past in a RAM-based file system. This historical past stays accessible even after new logins. This avoids pointless write operations to the flash reminiscence, which has a restricted variety of write cycles. However, this may be reconfigured to permit persistent storage on the flash reminiscence. This will increase write cycles and impacts flash lifespan, warn the builders.

Hardware and Software Support

On the {hardware} aspect, there’s elevated assist for Realtek targets, notably extra change SoCs with 10-GBit assist. The qualcommax goal helps two extra SoCs. A siflower construct goal and new sub-targets for Allwinner F1C100/200s SoCs are newly included. The Microchip LAN969x change chipset can also be new. In whole, OpenWrt now helps over 2200 units. 180 new units have been added since OpenWrt 24.10.

The software program can also be extra up-to-date: Linux kernel 6.12.71 is used for all construct targets, together with glibc 2.41, gcc 14.3.0, and binutils 2.44. Key parts now embody busybox 1.37.0, dropbear 2025.89, and dnsmasq 2.91. OpenWrt 24.10 will attain its finish of assist six months after the discharge of OpenWrt 25.12.0, that means there will likely be no extra safety updates after September 2026. Users ought to due to this fact use this time to replace to the brand new model promptly.

At the top of October, the OpenWrt project had to close security vulnerabilities that allowed attackers to inject and execute malicious code or escalate their privileges throughout the system.

(dmk)