Overview

Readers will learn how to add other/custom Debian packages to EdgeOS using the Debian repositories.

Table of Contents

1. Debian Release Compatibility and Package Behavior
2. Add Debian Packages to EdgeOS v2.0.0
3. Add Debian Packages to older EdgeOS versions
4. Related Articles

Debian Release Compatibility and Package Behavior

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The underlying Debian distribution has been upgraded from Wheezy to Stretch in the v2.0.0 EdgeOS firmware release. This means that the Debian repository used between EdgeOS v2.0.0 and older firmware versions is different.

• EdgeOS v2.0.0 Release Uses Debian 9 (Stretch).
• Older EdgeOS Releases Uses Debian 7 (Wheezy).

There are size and compatibility limitations to which packages can be added to EdgeOS. Most small utility packages can be installed, but there are limitations that need to be considered:

• Packages that require kernel features that are not supported by EdgeOS.
• Packages that need more storage space than the router can offer.
• Packages that use a lot of CPU or RAM resources.
• Packages that are not compatible with BusyBox can cause issues with packages that rely on BusyBox.
• Installed packages are lost on firmware upgrades.

Add Debian Packages to EdgeOS v2.0.0 and Newer Versions

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1. Enter configuration mode.

configure

2. Add a Debian repository.

set system package repository stretch components 'main contrib non-free' 
set system package repository stretch distribution stretch
set system package repository stretch url http://archive.debian.org/debian

3. Commit the changes and save the configuration.

commit ; save

4. Update the local cache.

sudo apt-get update

5. Search for the package you wish to install. In this example, the dnsutils utility is added to EdgeOS.

sudo apt-cache search dnsutils

6. Install the package.

sudo apt-get install dnsutils

7. Test out the newly installed package.

sudo dig @8.8.8.8 google.com

Add Debian Packages to Older EdgeOS Versions

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1. Enter configuration mode.

configure

2. Add a Debian repository.

set system package repository wheezy components 'main contrib non-free' 
set system package repository wheezy distribution wheezy 
set system package repository wheezy url http://archive.debian.org/debian

3. Commit the changes and save the configuration.

commit ; save

4. Update the local cache.

sudo apt-get update

5. Search for the package you wish to install. In this example, the dnsutils utility is added to EdgeOS.

sudo apt-cache search dnsutils

6. Install the package.

sudo apt-get install dnsutils

7. Test out the newly installed package.

sudo dig @8.8.8.8 google.com

Related Articles

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EdgeRouter - Upgrading EdgeOS Firmware

Intro to Networking - How to Establish a Connection Using SSH