JCGI Return: error, Installing on Linksys EA8300

[offtrailish]

Hello everyone, I keep getting a JCGI Return: error when trying to do an installation on a Linksys EA8300. Here are my details including a screenshot of the error. Anyone have any advice?

• Model: Linksys EA8300 v1.1
• Stock firmware: 1.1.6.209797
• OpenWrt version: 22.03.7, factory (same error with 22.03.0)

What I've read:

• There are some reports this is related to the admin password containing special characters, but there is no way to set a password without special characters in the GUI.

What I haven't tried:

• Installing a kernel image, because I don't understand the next steps after doing so.
• I factory reset the device prior to trying the first installation, but haven't factory reset it since. The first image I tried to install was 23.05.5, before I read the partition size needed to be increased. I got the same error.

[knacht]

Did you resize the boot partition as per the installation instructions?

https://openwrt.org/toh/linksys/ea8300

[offtrailish]

I have read that page very closely and I don't see those instructions. It appears to me that

• increasing the partition size requires ssh access which I don't have because the router is still running stock Linksys
• a bigger partition size isn't necessary for 22.XX, and only became necessary for 23.XX

I may be missing something

[badulesia]

@offtrailish

there is no way to set a password without special characters in the GUI.

Did you try to change it afterward?

@offtrailish

a bigger partition size isn't necessary for 22.XX, and only became necessary for 23.XX

I confirm. I was part of the test team 2y ago.

Try to switch to the alternate partition using the power button trick, than flash OpenWrt from it. Other possibilities are using TFTP or serial linking.

What is happenning if you flash Linksys OEM?
Have tried an older Linksys firmware? Here is 1.1.4 http://downloads.linksys.com/downloads/firmware/FW_EA8300_1.1.4.191539_prod.img

[offtrailish]

Thank you. I switched boot partititions using the power button trick. I'm certain it worked because the stock firmware changed to 1.1.5.X. I was able to flash 22.03.7.

Later I'll increase the partition size and move to the latest stable release. Thanks again for your help.

[badulesia]

Glad you succeed.
It may be possible that 1.1.6 doesn't allow flashing OpenWrt anymore. In the MR8300 wiki, I wrote to deactive auto-updating Linksys firmware in order to avoid such case.

You now have two possibilites:

1. you want to keep Linksys on a partition. Disconnect WAN. return to Linksys, and deactivate auto-updating just in case. Of course keep 1.1.5 partition.
2. flash OpenWrt on both partitions, and get rid of Linksys. Since 22.03.3 you can still flash Linksys if you want. I have a MR8300 running smoothly OpenWrt on both partitions.

Installing 23.05.5 means that the device will run with DSA. It has pros and cons about routing performance. It has been discussed in another thread. Do not keep settings while updating. Also install luci-app-advanced-reboot to easily switch from one partion to another.