Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 19:45 Post subject: How to install X86_64 with USB stick into Protectli FW2B ?
Hi guys, I've just bought Protectli FW2B baremetal router and I would like to install DD-WRT X86_64 version into it via USB stick. I've been using DD-WRT before for couple of years e.g. in Linksys router, so I'm comfortable using it.
Is it possible to write the DD-WRT image file in bootable format into USB stick and then initiate the installation via USB in Protectli? Or is the only way to install X86_64 version by writing the image directly into Protectli's M2 SSD?
I tried to write the DD-WRT .image file into USB via Rufus, Etcher and Physdiskwrite in Windows and Etcher in Linux, but with no success: Etcher doesn't recognize the file format (.image), Rufus is able to write it, but unable to the write partition table (e.g. MBR) and Physdiskwrite fails to do anything. I guess the .image format is not an ISO file or similar to .img format. I'm going to try to use the dd utility in Linux next. Thanks!
Last edited by Richie79 on Fri Jun 26, 2020 21:11; edited 1 time in total
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 21:42 Post subject: SOLVED
I got it installed! I had to practice bit of out-of-the-box-thinking, but here's how I did it.
First I copied the DD-WRT x86_64 image into a USB stick.
Then with Balena Etcher I wrote what-ever-Linux-live-CD-distro (Ubuntu 20.4 in my case) into another USB stick and booted my Protectli router from that live CD USB stick.
While in Ubuntu I used "lshw -c disk" command to found out the logical path of my Protectli router's disk drive (M2 SSD). It was /dev/sda.
Then I navigated to the folder where the DD-WRT image file was located (the USB stick) and used the "dd" command to write the DD-WRT image directly into my Protectli router's disk drive: dd if=dd-wrt_x64_public_vga.image of=/dev/sda
After that I shutdown my router, removed both USB sticks and re-started my Protectli. Voilà! It worked fine and booted straight into DD-WRT console.
Next step is configuring it. Thanks for reading, I hope this helps someone else too!
