How to change the FriendlyARM firmware to OpenWRT (Nano R2S)

tom1995 · January 9, 2025, 1:27pm

Hello everyone.

Please tell me how to change the default firmware that is installed on the NanoPi R2S to the OpenWrt firmware?

If I'm not mistaken, then FriendlyARM is a fork of OpenWrt.

I also see an inaccuracy in the wiki, since when downloading from the OpenWrt repository, I see two "sysupgrade" files. This can be misleading for the user, so you need to specify exactly which of the files needs to be downloaded using the graphical update method, this is

friendlyarm_nanopi-r2s-ext4-sysupgrade.img.gz

or

friendlyarm_nanopi-r2s-squashfs-sysupgrade.img.gz

https://openwrt.org/toh/friendlyarm/nanopi_r2s

frollic · January 9, 2025, 1:34pm

https://openwrt.org/toh/friendlyarm/nanopi_r2s#installation

it is

not really, end result will be the same, only rootfs type will change.

you're not upgrading OpenWRT.

rockla · January 9, 2025, 1:39pm

The NanoPi R2S has sufficient storage to handle either SquashFS or Ext4 images, but SquashFS is generally preferred due to its space-saving benefits.
For typical OpenWrt router/firewall purposes, go with SquashFS. For custom development or non-router uses, consider Ext4.

github.com

ShareCat/openwrt_notes/blob/main/Ext4 vs SquashFS.md

### Ext4 vs SquashFS

```text
https://openwrt.org/docs/techref/filesystems
http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7357/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ext4
```

The main difference is that you must used a compressed file system on most embedded devices, because they do not have enough space to hold the file system uncompressed.

#### SquashFS
SquashFS is a read only compressed filesystem. While gzip is available, at OpenWrt it uses LZMA for the compression. Since SquashFS is a read only filesystem, it doesn't need to align the data, allowing it to pack the files tighter thus taking up significantly less space than JFFS2 (20-30% savings over a JFFS2 filesystem)!

(+) taking up as little space as possible
(+) allowing the implementation of an idiot proof FailSafe for recovery, since it is not possible to write to it
(-) read only
(-) waste space, since each time a file contained on it is modified, actually a copy of it is being copied to the second (JFFS2) partition
Kernel documentation on SquashFS
SquashFs Performance Comparisons
There is a generic problem when running SquashFS on NAND: The issue is that SquashFS has no bad block management at all and requires all blocks on order; but for proper NAND bad block management you also need to be able to skip bad blocks and occasionally relocate blocks (see squashfs and NAND flash). That's why raw SquashFS is a bad idea on NAND (it works if you use a FTL like UBIFS).

This file has been truncated. show original

The webpage could provide a clearer explanation of the differences.

tom1995 · January 9, 2025, 1:40pm

Thank you very much for your answer.

That is, there is no point in updating the firmware, since it will not give anything globally, did I understand you correctly?

I meant the firmware, not OpenWRT.

For example, I had a WNDR-3800 and the stock firmware was installed there, I downloaded the file ".......squashfs-sysupgrade.img.gz" installed it using the graphical method through the browser and got WNDR-3800 + OpenWRT.

I mean this method in this case.

frollic · January 9, 2025, 1:43pm

not sure I understand the question ...

if you're referring to FriendlyARM, we have no idea.

FriendlyARM <> OpenWRT

no, can't install OpenWRT through the FriendlyARM webUI.

tom1995 · January 9, 2025, 1:43pm

Thank you for your answer.

I would like to have only OpenWRT and remove FriendlyARM.

So I would like to know how to do it. The simpler the clearer))

frollic · January 9, 2025, 1:44pm

its described on the page you and me linked to ?
only one line, still there, nevertheless ...

diff squashfs / ext4 - https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/installation/openwrt_x86

tom1995 · January 9, 2025, 1:49pm

You've confused me a bit with your answers)

You write that: no, you can't install OpenWRT through the FriendlyARM webUI.

But the wiki says that you can https://openwrt.org/toh/friendlyarm/nanopi_r2s#installation:

LuCI Web Upgrade Process

Browse to http://192.168.1.1/cgi-bin/luci/mini/system/upgrade/ LuCI Upgrade URL 
Upload image file for sysupgrade to LuCI 
Wait for reboot

The explanation is as simple as possible) I have a NanoPi R2S in which FriendlyARM is installed by default, I want to delete FriendlyARM and install OpenWRT.

My question is, is it possible to do it this way?

Browse to http://192.168.1.1/cgi-bin/luci/mini/system/upgrade/ LuCI Upgrade URL 
Upload image file for sysupgrade to LuCI 
Wait for reboot

frollic · January 9, 2025, 1:51pm

correct.

it doesn't.
as I wrote previously, you're not upgrading an already existing OpenWRT installation, which is the chapter you're interpreting as the installation procedure.

how many times do we have to say "no" ?

tom1995 · January 9, 2025, 1:59pm

)) That is, after purchasing NanoPi R2S I don’t need to change anything since I will use OpenWrt the same as in the repository?

Don't be offended, but you confused me when you answered (confirmed) that FriendlyARM is a fork of OpenWRT. I thought that I would like to install a non-fork in OpenWRT, that's why I wrote you clarifying questions.

frollic · January 9, 2025, 2:01pm

nope, still FriendlyARM <> OpenWRT.

if you'd ask for support here, running FriendlyARM, we'd just tell you to ask them, not us.

tom1995 · January 9, 2025, 2:03pm

Thank you very much for your detailed answers!

mk24 · January 9, 2025, 2:05pm

The wiki makes no mention of whether OpenWrt can be installed from FriendlyWrt. The only verified install process is to remove the SD card and write OpenWrt to it using another machine. If you try sysupgrade from FriendlyWrt it may or may not work. If it does brick, the worst case there is you would need to remove the SD card and write OpenWrt to it using another machine.

rockla · January 9, 2025, 2:07pm

To be honest the documentation is not so great and can be confusing as well especially the firmware selector tool which just says that you can only use the image in existing Openwrt install

waynea · January 10, 2025, 4:43pm

I have the R4S rather than the R2S but the principle is i think the same

get a new, high quality SD card
download OpenWRT to your PC and burn that to the new SD card
disconnect the router, swap SD cards. Power it up and it should boot to OpenWRT

That is how I did it anyway

tom1995 · January 10, 2025, 5:36pm

Hello. Thank you very much for your answer.

I made a new topic How to install OpenWRT on NanoPi R2S? - #5 by tom1995 where I described my actions and problems with the installation. You are right, I read that a lot depends on the quality of the SD card. I have a good SD card "Sandisk" class 10 and the installation process looks very strange, since FriendlyWRT loads without problems, as soon as I write OpenWRT to the same card, I can't load ...

I have more SD cards, I'll try...