EmergencyBox Installation Guide

IMPORTANT UPDATE: For DD-WRT auto-start configuration, see AUTOSTART_SETUP.md which includes the mount --bind fix for read-only filesystem issues.

This guide covers installing EmergencyBox on an ASUS RT-AC68U router running either Asuswrt-Merlin or DD-WRT firmware.

Prerequisites

ASUS RT-AC68U router
SSH access to the router
USB storage device (recommended: 8GB+ for file storage)
Basic knowledge of Linux command line

Option 1: DD-WRT Installation

Step 1: Install DD-WRT Firmware

Download DD-WRT for RT-AC68U: https://dd-wrt.com/support/router-database/
Flash firmware via router web interface
Factory reset after flashing

Step 2: Enable USB Support and Optware

Go to Services > USB
Enable Core USB Support
Enable USB Storage Support
Apply settings

Step 3: Install Optware/Entware

# SSH into router
ssh root@192.168.1.1

# Install Entware (DD-WRT version)
wget http://bin.entware.net/armv7sf-k3.2/installer/generic.sh
sh generic.sh

# Update
opkg update
opkg upgrade

Step 4: Install Packages

DD-WRT typically has better PHP support:

# Install packages
opkg install php7 php7-cgi php7-mod-sqlite3 php7-mod-fileinfo
opkg install lighttpd lighttpd-mod-fastcgi
opkg install sqlite3-cli

# Verify
php -v

Step 5: Deploy EmergencyBox Files

# Create web directory
mkdir -p /opt/share/www
mkdir -p /opt/share/www/uploads/{emergency,media,documents,general}
mkdir -p /opt/share/data

# Copy EmergencyBox files to router
# From your computer, use SCP:
scp -r www/* admin@192.168.1.1:/opt/share/www/
scp -r config/* admin@192.168.1.1:/opt/etc/

# Set permissions
chmod -R 755 /opt/share/www
chmod -R 777 /opt/share/www/uploads
chmod -R 755 /opt/share/data

Step 6: Configure lighttpd

# Backup original config
cp /opt/etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.conf /opt/etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.conf.bak

# Copy EmergencyBox config
cp /opt/etc/lighttpd.conf /opt/etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.conf

# Adjust paths if needed
vi /opt/etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.conf

Step 7: Configure PHP

# Copy PHP configuration
cp /opt/etc/php.ini /opt/etc/php.ini

# Verify max upload settings
grep upload_max_filesize /opt/etc/php.ini
grep post_max_size /opt/etc/php.ini

Step 8: Initialize Database

# Run database initialization
php /opt/share/www/api/init_db.php

# Verify database was created
ls -lh /opt/share/data/emergencybox.db

Step 9: Start Services

# Start lighttpd
/opt/etc/init.d/S80lighttpd start

# Check if running
ps | grep lighttpd

# Check logs
tail -f /opt/var/log/lighttpd/error.log

Step 10: Configure Autostart

Create startup script:

vi /jffs/scripts/post-mount

# Add the following:
#!/bin/sh
sleep 5
/opt/etc/init.d/S80lighttpd start

Make it executable:

chmod +x /jffs/scripts/post-mount

Step 11: Test Installation

Connect to your router's WiFi network
Open browser and navigate to: http://192.168.1.1
You should see the EmergencyBox interface
Test chat functionality
Test file upload (start with small file)
Test large file upload (5GB test)

Troubleshooting

PHP Not Available in Entware

Problem: No PHP packages in opkg list

Solutions:

Use DD-WRT instead - DD-WRT typically has better package support
Compile PHP manually - Advanced users only
Use alternative backend - Consider Python/Flask or Node.js alternatives

Large File Upload Fails

Problem: Uploads fail for files >100MB

Check:

PHP settings in /opt/etc/php.ini:
- upload_max_filesize = 5G
- post_max_size = 5G
- max_execution_time = 600
- max_input_time = 600
- memory_limit = 256M
lighttpd settings in /opt/etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.conf:
- server.max-request-size = 5368709120
- server.max-write-idle = 600
Restart services:
```
/opt/etc/init.d/S80lighttpd restart
```

Database Errors

Problem: SQLite errors or missing database

Solution:

# Recreate database
rm /opt/share/data/emergencybox.db
php /opt/share/www/api/init_db.php

# Check permissions
chmod 755 /opt/share/data
chmod 644 /opt/share/data/emergencybox.db

Option 2: Asuswrt-Merlin Installation

Step 1: Install Asuswrt-Merlin Firmware

Download the latest Asuswrt-Merlin firmware for RT-AC68U from: [https://www.asuswrt-merlin.net/download]
Flash the firmware through the router's web interface:
- Login to router admin panel (usually http://192.168.1.1)
- Go to Administration > Firmware Upgrade
- Upload the .trx or .w file
- Wait for reboot (5-10 minutes)

Step 2: Enable SSH and JFFS

Login to router web interface
Go to Administration > System
Enable SSH: Set to "LAN only"
Enable JFFS custom scripts and configs
Apply settings

Step 3: Install Entware

SSH into your router:

ssh admin@192.168.1.1

Install Entware:

# Mount USB drive (if not already mounted)
# The USB drive should be formatted as ext4 for best compatibility

# Download and run Entware installer
wget -O - http://bin.entware.net/armv7sf-k3.2/installer/generic.sh | sh

# Update package list
opkg update

Step 4: Install Required Packages

CRITICAL: PHP Version Compatibility

The RT-AC68U runs on an ARM architecture. You need to verify which PHP version is available for your kernel:

# Check your kernel version
uname -r

# List available PHP packages
opkg list | grep php

For Asuswrt-Merlin (kernel 2.6.36.4):

If PHP 7.x or 8.x is not available in Entware, you have two options:

Option A: Use available PHP version

# Install whatever PHP version is available
opkg install php7-cli php7-cgi php7-mod-sqlite3 php7-mod-fileinfo

# OR if PHP 8 is available
opkg install php8-cli php8-cgi php8-mod-sqlite3 php8-mod-fileinfo

Option B: Manual PHP Installation

If Entware has no PHP packages, you'll need to compile PHP manually or use a pre-compiled binary:

# This is complex and not recommended unless necessary
# Consider switching to DD-WRT instead (see Option 1)

Install web server and other dependencies:

# Install lighttpd
opkg install lighttpd lighttpd-mod-fastcgi

# Install SQLite3
opkg install sqlite3-cli

# Verify installations
php -v
lighttpd -v
sqlite3 -version

Step 5: Deploy EmergencyBox Files

# Create web directory
mkdir -p /opt/share/www
mkdir -p /opt/share/www/uploads/{emergency,media,documents,general}
mkdir -p /opt/share/data

# Copy EmergencyBox files to router
# From your computer, use SCP:
scp -r www/* admin@192.168.1.1:/opt/share/www/
scp -r config/* admin@192.168.1.1:/opt/etc/

# Set permissions
chmod -R 755 /opt/share/www
chmod -R 777 /opt/share/www/uploads
chmod -R 755 /opt/share/data

Step 6: Configure lighttpd

# Backup original config
cp /opt/etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.conf /opt/etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.conf.bak

# Copy EmergencyBox config
cp /opt/etc/lighttpd.conf /opt/etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.conf

# Adjust paths if needed
vi /opt/etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.conf

Step 7: Configure PHP

# Copy PHP configuration
cp /opt/etc/php.ini /opt/etc/php.ini

# Verify max upload settings
grep upload_max_filesize /opt/etc/php.ini
grep post_max_size /opt/etc/php.ini

Step 8: Initialize Database

# Run database initialization
php /opt/share/www/api/init_db.php

# Verify database was created
ls -lh /opt/share/data/emergencybox.db

Step 9: Start Services

# Start lighttpd
/opt/etc/init.d/S80lighttpd start

# Check if running
ps | grep lighttpd

# Check logs
tail -f /opt/var/log/lighttpd/error.log

Step 10: Configure Autostart

Create startup script:

vi /jffs/scripts/post-mount

# Add the following:
#!/bin/sh
sleep 5
/opt/etc/init.d/S80lighttpd start

Make it executable:

chmod +x /jffs/scripts/post-mount

Step 11: Test Installation

Connect to your router's WiFi network
Open browser and navigate to: http://192.168.1.1
You should see the EmergencyBox interface
Test chat functionality
Test file upload (start with small file)
Test large file upload (5GB test)

Out of Memory

Problem: Router crashes or services stop during large uploads

Solutions:

Increase swap space on USB drive
Reduce PHP memory_limit
Limit concurrent uploads
Use a larger USB drive

Services Don't Start on Boot

Problem: EmergencyBox not available after router reboot

Solution:

# Check post-mount script
cat /jffs/scripts/post-mount

# Ensure it's executable
chmod +x /jffs/scripts/post-mount

# Test manually
/jffs/scripts/post-mount

Performance Optimization

For Better Upload Speed

Use USB 3.0 drive if supported
Format USB as ext4 (not FAT32)
Enable jumbo frames if all devices support it
Disable unnecessary services on router

For More Concurrent Users

Edit /opt/etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.conf:

server.max-connections = 100  # Increase from 50
server.max-fds = 512           # Increase from 256

Edit /opt/etc/php.ini:

PHP_FCGI_CHILDREN = 4          # Increase from 2

Security Considerations

Since EmergencyBox is designed for offline disaster scenarios:

Change default router password - Always use a strong password
Disable WAN access - Only allow LAN connections
Use WPA2 encryption - Secure the WiFi network
Regular backups - Backup the SQLite database periodically
File scanning - Be aware that uploaded files are not scanned for malware

Maintenance

Backup Database

# Copy database to USB
cp /opt/share/data/emergencybox.db /mnt/usb/backups/

# Or download via SCP
scp admin@192.168.1.1:/opt/share/data/emergencybox.db ./backup.db

Clear Old Files

# Find files older than 30 days
find /opt/share/www/uploads -type f -mtime +30

# Delete if needed
find /opt/share/www/uploads -type f -mtime +30 -delete

Monitor Storage

# Check disk usage
df -h

# Check upload folder size
du -sh /opt/share/www/uploads

Next Steps

See USAGE.md for user guide
See DEVELOPMENT.md for customization
See BACKUP.md for backup strategies

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INSTALLATION.md

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INSTALLATION.md

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EmergencyBox Installation Guide

Prerequisites

Option 1: DD-WRT Installation

Step 1: Install DD-WRT Firmware

Step 2: Enable USB Support and Optware

Step 3: Install Optware/Entware

Step 4: Install Packages

Step 5: Deploy EmergencyBox Files

Step 6: Configure lighttpd

Step 7: Configure PHP

Step 8: Initialize Database

Step 9: Start Services

Step 10: Configure Autostart

Step 11: Test Installation

Troubleshooting

PHP Not Available in Entware

Large File Upload Fails

Database Errors

Option 2: Asuswrt-Merlin Installation

Step 1: Install Asuswrt-Merlin Firmware

Step 2: Enable SSH and JFFS

Step 3: Install Entware

Step 4: Install Required Packages

Step 5: Deploy EmergencyBox Files

Step 6: Configure lighttpd

Step 7: Configure PHP

Step 8: Initialize Database

Step 9: Start Services

Step 10: Configure Autostart

Step 11: Test Installation

Out of Memory

Services Don't Start on Boot

Performance Optimization

For Better Upload Speed

For More Concurrent Users

Security Considerations

Maintenance

Backup Database

Clear Old Files

Monitor Storage

Next Steps