I want to work on a bpalogin package for OpenWRT.

Where is the source code for all of the other GPL packages that are available on openwrt.ksilebo.net/ipkgs/... ?  I want to learn from the patches that you have had to apply to the configure scripts etc. to get them to build.

Please point me to the source changes.  I know where the original packages are, I just need the changes all you guys have made to the GPL packages so I can learn from them and contribute some new packages ...

I also want to see (for instance) what configuration options have been given when compiling Dropbear SSHD.  It's not that I don't trust you guys, but I am a bit wary of putting a security-relelated package on my network to which I don't have the complete source code so I can review and rebuild it to ensure there are no trojans or back-doors.

Please don't take this post as a "Gimme, gimme, GPL" type post.  I am a fellow developer (search for my name on Google or SourceForge to see my contributions to various Open Source packages over the years) looking to learn from you on how best to compile new packages for OpenWRT.

-- Rod

Nothing wrong with that, even if it was only for fulfulling the purposes of the GPL. I'm interested as well (actually for the same reasons as you, I like hacking and checking things over). I built my OpenWRT firmware from source, *very* nice build process by the way, great job guys! I always make sure when I offer GPL based binaries I always provide the source with it.

I'm sure the package source is around here somewhere, I just haven't found it yet. It would be cool if there were a parallel directory to /ipkg (if it doesn't already exist), maybe something like /sipkg where the source bundles can go. I don't know where this site is hosted or who pays for the bandwidth, that's always an issue. If it is an issue in this case maybe we can find some space and bandwidth somewhere (these packages are pretty small and probably not a huge demand for them so it might not take much). I would like to put together a couple packages myself (snort being one of them).

Fully agree on the quality of the OpenWRT build process.  It is the only third-party firmware for WRT54G which has consistently built from source with absolutely no errors for me on *every* release I have tried.

If there is a problem with hosting the source next to the packages, then I have suggested in another thread that the abandoned SourceForge site is the perfect place to put it.

BTW, Void Main, I used your site yesterday to find out how to physically open up my new WRT54GS so I can put in some serial ports.  Thanks for the great instructions and pictures!

-- Rod

How do you like the GS?  What is the going price for one? I got two Gs now, maybe I can cluster them. Also agree about the sourceforge, although is there a way to offer up direct downloads for the ipkg system rather than having to pick a download location like the usual sourceforge downloads?

The packages generally have no source because it's just the stock program available on any number pf gpl mirrors. As we get further along expect to see scripts which download and build the ipkgs much like the current firmware sources.

But for things like the dropbear package, you've configured them in a certain way which is not obvious from the binary (e.g. you might have enabled or disabled RSA or DSS support).  So releasing the *exact* source code (including configuration changes) used to build the package is an easy way to document the *exact* configuration of that package.  A README with the build command line you used is also helpful to document the exact build configuration.

It's not a time-consuming or difficult thing to do - just tar up the directory you actually used to build it and put it up in a parallel directory to the package itself.  Don't even bother cleaning it first - put it up there, warts and all.

What do you think ?  Am I asking too much ?

-- Rod

That would be a perfect solution for the time being. This is one of the things I really like about RPMs. A spec file contains all the information necessary to not only build the binary packages, but the source package as well (SRPM) that when installed has everything necessary to regenerate all the binary/source packages. But for these things a tar/gzip would be just fine. Probably just do a "make clean" after packaging up the binaries and then tar/gzip up the directory as Rod suggested. Might be able to put then in the same dir as the *.ipkg files named something like:

binary:
package-xx.ipkg
source:
package-xx.src.tgz

Again, just thinking out loud. It really only takes just a few more seconds of time.