What else has changed in the most popular free firmware for routers?
OpenWrt is preparing a new stable release of the 25.12 branch. The first test version of OpenWrt 25.12.0 has appeared on the project's website, although the final version has not yet been released. The developers encourage users to install the firmware and report any bugs before the final release.
During the development of the 25.12 branch, the OpenWrt team made over 4,600 changes compared to the previous stable OpenWrt 24.10 release. Work on the new version lasted over a year. The developers note that hardware requirements have remained virtually unchanged, so most devices that supported 24.10 will be able to run the new system.
One of the major changes is the transition to a new apk package manager (Alpine Package Keeper). OpenWrt previously used opkg, but its own branch of this tool has virtually ceased development. The new manager is actively maintained and provides a comparable feature set. However, some package names and command line arguments have changed, so a special cheat sheet has been prepared for the migration.
The system also features built-in support for Attended Sysupgrade. The LuCI app for automatic updates is now installed by default. This service allows you to build new firmware based on existing packages, automatically save the configuration, and update the device in just a few clicks. The system automatically creates a custom image and installs it without manual assembly.
Another change concerns the command shell. Command history is now preserved between sessions and stored in a file system located in RAM. This approach prevents loss of login history while simultaneously reducing the number of writes to flash memory, extending the life of the drive.
The release also includes an OpenWrt video repository with Qt5 applications, and the Wi-Fi control scripts have been rewritten in ucode. Furthermore, the developers have expanded support for hardware platforms. The system now includes new build targets for Microchip LAN969x switches, Siflower SoCs, and additional Qualcomm and Realtek platforms.
The list of supported devices has grown significantly. OpenWrt 25.12 supports over 2,240 device models, with over 220 new devices added since the release of version 24.10.
Key system components have also been updated. The firmware uses Linux 6.12.71, the GCC 14.3 compiler, the glibc 2.41 library, musl 1.2.5, as well as updated versions of dnsmasq, BusyBox, Dropbear, and other core packages.
The developers note that upgrading from OpenWrt 24.10 to 25.12 is generally trouble-free and preserves configurations. However, upgrading directly from version 23.05 is not officially supported.
OpenWrt is preparing a new stable release of the 25.12 branch. The first test version of OpenWrt 25.12.0 has appeared on the project's website, although the final version has not yet been released. The developers encourage users to install the firmware and report any bugs before the final release.
During the development of the 25.12 branch, the OpenWrt team made over 4,600 changes compared to the previous stable OpenWrt 24.10 release. Work on the new version lasted over a year. The developers note that hardware requirements have remained virtually unchanged, so most devices that supported 24.10 will be able to run the new system.
One of the major changes is the transition to a new apk package manager (Alpine Package Keeper). OpenWrt previously used opkg, but its own branch of this tool has virtually ceased development. The new manager is actively maintained and provides a comparable feature set. However, some package names and command line arguments have changed, so a special cheat sheet has been prepared for the migration.
The system also features built-in support for Attended Sysupgrade. The LuCI app for automatic updates is now installed by default. This service allows you to build new firmware based on existing packages, automatically save the configuration, and update the device in just a few clicks. The system automatically creates a custom image and installs it without manual assembly.
Another change concerns the command shell. Command history is now preserved between sessions and stored in a file system located in RAM. This approach prevents loss of login history while simultaneously reducing the number of writes to flash memory, extending the life of the drive.
The release also includes an OpenWrt video repository with Qt5 applications, and the Wi-Fi control scripts have been rewritten in ucode. Furthermore, the developers have expanded support for hardware platforms. The system now includes new build targets for Microchip LAN969x switches, Siflower SoCs, and additional Qualcomm and Realtek platforms.
The list of supported devices has grown significantly. OpenWrt 25.12 supports over 2,240 device models, with over 220 new devices added since the release of version 24.10.
Key system components have also been updated. The firmware uses Linux 6.12.71, the GCC 14.3 compiler, the glibc 2.41 library, musl 1.2.5, as well as updated versions of dnsmasq, BusyBox, Dropbear, and other core packages.
The developers note that upgrading from OpenWrt 24.10 to 25.12 is generally trouble-free and preserves configurations. However, upgrading directly from version 23.05 is not officially supported.
