Specs: Linksys EA4500 (Viper), Feroceon 88FR131 rev 1 (v5l), OpenWrt 23.0.5
I attempted upgrading the aforementioned router to the 24.10.0 release. Upon doing so, I get this message:
"Sun Mar 23 20:53:09 MST 2025 upgrade: The device is supported, but this image is incompatible for sysupgrade based on the image version (2.0->3.0). Sun Mar 23 20:53:09 MST 2025 upgrade: !The partitioning of the router has changed! Partition design has changed compared to older versions (up to 23.05) due to kernel size restrictions. Upgrade via sysupgrade mechanism is not possible, so u-boot args adjustment and new installation via factory style image is required. Upgrade instructions: 2. Run folowing commands in console (ssh or serial): fw_printenv fw_setenv nandboot "$(fw_printenv nandboot | awk -F= '{sub(/^nandboot=/, "");print}' | sed 's/0x300000/0x400000/g')" fw_setenv altnandboot "$(fw_printenv altnandboot | awk -F= '{sub(/^altnandboot=/, "");print}' | sed 's/0x300000/0x400000/g')" 3. Test if envs are ok by 'fw_printenv'. It should be the same except last argument of 'nand read.e' in 'nandboot' and 'altnandboot'. 4. If envs are ok, please apply FACTORY image with command: sysupgrade -F -n OPENWRT_FACTORY_IMAGE.bin 5. System should start normally. If not, serial console will be required. Image check failed.
The uploaded image file does not contain a supported format. Make sure that you choose the generic image format for your platform."
So basically, yes, I understand the kernel partition size is different with v6 versus 5. But even as an "intermediate" user, this message is all gibberish and confusing - especially if these are commands, if there's an "enter" between each one, etc.
So I'll make my questions as simple as possible.
Background: I'm familiar with doing TFTP flashes
1-I want to upgrade from OpenWRT v23 to v24 obviously
2-Is there a away to do this without SSH?
3-Is it possible to just revert it to stock, and then just reflash OpenWRT v24? [I think my router may have a way to revert to stock with that double partition if I reboot it three times or something]
All I want to do is flash v24 with the least amount of risk possible, and ideally not having to deal with SSH
However, if you insist that SSH is the safest, could you outline ways to do it without Serial, i.e. via Ethernet, and how to parse that message for each command on each line. i.e
I did this, and it went bad, I did recover it tho
but had to fix up the env entries in the uboot console
for it to boot
I think you were ment to install the software in openwrt
to access the uboot ENV stuff to was not there by default
as I broke it, I had to struggle to do this in uboot console
my recommendation is to save your current output of printenv or fw_printenv
with a note to "nandboot" & "altnandboot"
these are the entries of my working unit
I see i'm running a snapshot this may complicate things
OpenWrt SNAPSHOT r28119-0da743db69 / LuCI Master 25.022.53582~31fec23
sorry I can't help more as it was mounths ago and a bad experance
more readable break down of message
The device is supported, but this image is incompatible for sysupgrade based on the image version (2.0->3.0).
!The partitioning of the router has changed! Partition design has changed compared to older versions (up to 23.05) due to kernel size restrictions.
Upgrade via sysupgrade mechanism is not possible,
so u-boot args adjustment and
new installation via factory style image is required.
Upgrade instructions:
2. Run folowing commands in console (ssh or serial):
fw_printenv
fw_setenv nandboot "$(fw_printenv nandboot | awk -F= '{sub(/^nandboot=/, "");print}' | sed 's/0x300000/0x400000/g')"
fw_setenv altnandboot "$(fw_printenv altnandboot | awk -F= '{sub(/^altnandboot=/, "");print}' | sed 's/0x300000/0x400000/g')"
3. Test if envs are ok by 'fw_printenv'.
It should be the same except last argument of 'nand read.e' in 'nandboot' and 'altnandboot'.
4. If envs are ok, please apply FACTORY image with command:
sysupgrade -F -n OPENWRT_FACTORY_IMAGE.bin
5. System should start normally. If not, serial console will be required. Image check failed.
