Skip to content
Router.Homes

Which OpenWrt is this: official, ImmortalWrt, iStoreOS or vendor firmware?

Outcome

Section titled “Outcome”
  • Tell whether the device runs official OpenWrt, ImmortalWrt, iStoreOS or vendor firmware.
  • Read the distribution, version, revision, target, architecture and hardware model.
  • Know whether the package manager is apk or opkg, and which feeds belong to it.
  • Choose the right sysupgrade/vendor image instead of flashing the wrong one.

Start with three read-only commands

Section titled “Start with three read-only commands”
Router shellRead the system board data
Terminal window
ubus call system board
cat /etc/openwrt_release

The four key fields are release.distribution, release.version, release.target and model.

ExpectedYou can see distribution, version, target and model.

Router shellRead the package manager and architecture
Terminal window
command -v apk
command -v opkg
cat /etc/apk/arch 2>/dev/null
opkg print-architecture 2>/dev/null
uname -a

Do not guess the package manager from the version number: official 25.12 usually uses apk, 24.10 uses opkg, but forks/vendor images may differ. Trust the command that exists.

ExpectedYou know whether it is apk or opkg, and the CPU architecture.

Router shellRead model and hardware revision

x86:

Terminal window
cat /sys/class/dmi/id/sys_vendor
cat /sys/class/dmi/id/product_name
cat /sys/class/dmi/id/board_name
cat /sys/class/dmi/id/board_version
cat /sys/class/dmi/id/bios_version

ARM/router:

Terminal window
cat /tmp/sysinfo/model
cat /tmp/sysinfo/board_name

model is not the hardware revision; one model can have multiple revisions. Use the label, board_name and the vendor download page before flashing.

ExpectedThe model and board name match the device label.

Decision table

Section titled “Decision table”
Field/sign Official OpenWrt ImmortalWrt iStoreOS Vendor firmware
release.distribution OpenWrt usually ImmortalWrt usually iStoreOS/vendor vendor
Feeds downloads.openwrt.org ImmortalWrt feeds iStoreOS feeds vendor store
Package manager apk (25.12) or opkg (24.10) check the command usually opkg may be absent/restricted
Web UI LuCI LuCI + custom iStoreOS UI vendor UI
Upgrade image OpenWrt sysupgrade ImmortalWrt image iStoreOS image vendor firmware
Support OpenWrt community ImmortalWrt community iStoreOS community vendor

Do not mix OpenWrt official feeds into ImmortalWrt/iStoreOS, or flash another model’s sysupgrade; ABI, kernel and partition layouts may not match.

Why the “About” page is not enough

Section titled “Why the “About” page is not enough”
  • Some vendor images reskin LuCI but are not official OpenWrt underneath.
  • DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION can be customized and is not sufficient by itself.
  • The same version number does not imply the same target/profile.
  • The package manager and feeds are what actually matter when installing plugins.

Cross-check ubus call system board, /etc/openwrt_release and the package manager.

Choose the upgrade image

Section titled “Choose the upgrade image”
Router shellRecord target and board_name
Terminal window
ubus call system board

Focus on:

  • release.target (e.g. x86/64, mediatek/filogic);
  • board_name;
  • model;
  • current version/revision.

For official devices, use the OpenWrt Firmware Selector with the exact target/model. ImmortalWrt/iStoreOS/vendor devices use their own download pages. Never cross-flash a sysupgrade from another model or target.

ExpectedYou can find an exact match in the firmware selector/vendor page.

Router shellConfirm the image type
  • Upgrading an existing OpenWrt usually uses sysupgrade.
  • First install from vendor firmware usually uses a factory/vendor transition image.
  • x86 may use combined/ext4 images written differently.
  • If unsure, read the device page; do not guess from the filename.

ExpectedYou know whether this is sysupgrade or a factory/vendor image.

Failure branches and recovery

Section titled “Failure branches and recovery”

ubus is missing or fails

Section titled “ubus is missing or fails”

It may be vendor firmware or a non-OpenWrt system. Check the web UI “About/System” and the device label; do not flash OpenWrt blindly.

Web UI only, no SSH

Section titled “Web UI only, no SSH”

Vendor firmware may disable SSH. Check the vendor documentation/warranty first; do not flash just to get root. If you need vendor features, use the vendor upgrade path.

Packages will not install

Section titled “Packages will not install”
  • Package manager does not match the firmware (apk vs opkg);
  • feed architecture/version mismatch;
  • kernel module ABI mismatch;
  • feeds from another fork are mixed in.

Go back to ubus call system board and the package manager, confirm the source, then debug.

Wrong image / bricked device

Section titled “Wrong image / bricked device”

Stop flashing. Use the device’s failsafe, TFTP or vendor recovery procedure. If you have no recovery path, do not try “one more image”.

E1 status and sources

Section titled “E1 status and sources”
  • This is E1: fields, decision table and image-selection method are based on public documentation; no device was captured in this environment.
  • Forks/vendor outputs may differ; run tests/recipes/which-openwrt.md on a real device, record the fields and screenshots, then promote to E2.
  • This page only identifies firmware; it does not provide cross-model flashing or vendor-restriction bypasses.

Sources

Router.Homes

Independent OpenWrt notes. Every page states the firmware, device, package manager and way back.

Icons: Solar by 480 Design, CC BY 4.0