EA6350v4 - OpenWrt in both partitions

[Seraphin]

Hi everyone

I want to install OpenWrt in both partitions of my Linksys EA6350 v4. If I try it via the Web UI, unless if I try it from the installed OpenWrt or the remaining Linksys firmware, it looks like always flashing the OpenWrt partition. My impression is that the Stock firmware is somehow protected, at least by the way the update process works.

I'm thinking of trying to do it in the terminal/CLI:
https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/installation/sysupgrade.cli

My impression ist, that sysupgrade won't do my job, as it may work the same procedere like using the Web GUI. But mtd looks like i could set the alternate partition to flash?

I'll take a look at it again after work, but as it's my first time, I'd like to ask for any advice in advance I have to care for as I don't like to brick my router and hardware mods are no option to unbrick it.

Or does someone already know how to flash OpenWrt on both partitions in a safe way via the Web UI or Terminal/CLI?

[slh]

Are you sure that the OpenWrt port for this device supported a/b dual-booting? Looking at the source suggests only the first partition slot to be used by OpenWrt (but I have no personal experience with this device and might have missed some details).

[Seraphin]

That would affirm my assumption, which I meant wirh "somehow protected, at least by the process".

When looking into mtd I also realized, that my idea of being able to flash that way was most likely misleading, so I still tried to flash by the Web UI ...

... as a result I broke my OpenWrt and I'm back to the Linksys firmware, trying to reinstall OpenWrt ...

Guess I skip any further attempts to get OpenWrt on both partitions, once I fixed my router again ...

[Seraphin]

Web UI to reboot to another partition (for Linksys/ZyXEL dual-partition routers) and to power off/power down

Just in case, you are waiting for my further test ... I didn't manage to get OpenWrt on both partitions. A look into the source by slh, he thinks it's not possible to flash onto the second partition anyway. The advanced reboot itself worked fine, everytime I used it to switch between Linksys and OpenWrt.

Web UI to reboot to another partition (for Linksys/ZyXEL dual-partition routers) and to power off/power down

Just to be clear here, it would be possible - if someone with the device would spent some time on developing this. Probably 15-40 lines of actual code, but quite a lot of time necessary for the detailed investigation what needs to be done. It is reasonable (and should be done), but can only be accomplished by someone with the device, some experience (or willing to master a medium steep learning curve) and serial console access. -- It's not so much doing new/ unique fundamental development, bu…

[badulesia]

Hi.
I second this opinion. I have experience with the EA7300v2. Apparently both devices use the same method to erase S_ENV partition after boot, due to a tricky bootloader. This means that OpenWrt won't boot from partition B.