"Invalid controller file found" Total Noob - sorry

Hi sorry for the total noob question -

I've ordered a refurb BT Home Hub 5, unlocked, LEDE OpenWRT router, which arrived and I've just been trying to get started setting it up for a VPN connection.

I've stuck at step one, because the install looks like it's not been done right?

I'm getting the following as soon as I try to connect to:

http://192.168.1.1/cgi-bin/luci

I see very briefly "LuCI - Lua Configuration Interface" appear on the screen, then this error:

/usr/lib/lua/luci/dispatcher.lua:518: Invalid controller file found
The file '/usr/lib/lua/luci/controller/openvpn.lua' contains an invalid module line.
Please verify whether the module name is set to 'luci.controller.openvpn' - It must correspond to the file path!
stack traceback:
	[C]: in function 'assert'
	/usr/lib/lua/luci/dispatcher.lua:518: in function 'createindex'
	/usr/lib/lua/luci/dispatcher.lua:544: in function 'createtree'
	/usr/lib/lua/luci/dispatcher.lua:220: in function 'dispatch'
	/usr/lib/lua/luci/dispatcher.lua:141: in function </usr/lib/lua/luci/dispatcher.lua:140>

any one suggest how to resolve this, or connect to the router bypassing the error?

I work in IT, but not done much with linux nor router firmware, and nothing with LEDE / OpenWRT

many thanks

Just sysupgrade to LEDE 17.01.4 (again), to write a known good image to flash.

If you feel comfortable with snapshots and installing luci yourself (the web interface isn't preinstalled in snapshot images), snapshots would enable the second CPU core, which is particularly useful if you need performance for a VPN.

hi. thanks for the reply.

that's a bit beyond me at the moment, although I guess I can look up how to do that.

Does that require the serial interface on the main board , or is that only necessary for the very first time someone flashes the custom firmware?

How do I actually get any access to the HH while it won't get past that error message?

thanks again

No you don't need serial. But if LuCI is refusing to work at all, you will need to use the router command line to flash.

Download the 17.01.4 sysupgrade file to your PC. Then connect your PC to the new router instead of to the Internet.

SSH to the router (ssh root@192.168.1.1.). You will get a warning that a password is not set. Type passwd and set any password like "admin". Type exit to close the SSH session.

SCP the file from your PC to the router: scp path and name of the firmware file on your PC root@192.168.1.1:/tmp

You will be asked for the password, use the one you just set.

SSH to the router again. cd /tmp then sysupgrade -n filename. The router will flash the file and reboot. Allow up to several minutes until the lights stop blinking.

You should now have the LuCI interface. If it does not load properly, clear your browser cache.

thanks mk24

steep learning curve (long time since done real technical stuff).

I've not used PTTY to connect to the router instead, but it's already got a password set, which I don't know.

eBay seller said they've "had a similar problem with a few others, and {their} technical expert is away until saturday, so can't send a guaranteed working replacement before next saturday".

So I'm inclined to try to sort it myself.

so...

options if don't know root password - I've just found this link for failsafe mode:

https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/troubleshooting/failsafe_and_factory_reset

What do you think?

cheers

I'm guessing from a quick search, that this is the way:

https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/troubleshooting/root_password_reset

I'm in failsafe mode now

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Yes, that looks correct to me on how to reset the password in "failsafe" mode.

Getting into failsafe mode can be a challenge, depending on the model. If OpenWRT is running, many (most? all?) let the "reset" button during boot select failsafe mode. On my routers, TP-Link Archer C7, the first-stage bootloader does a "light check", then the power light goes off. It starts flashing quickly when OpenWRT starts loading (I assume that is what's happening). If I click the reset button during those couple of seconds, OpenWRT enters failsafe mode, with the power LED flashing even faster. (If I miss the window, the power light goes solid). Your router might be different.

Congrats! you got it in faster than I could type. Go, go, go :skier:

@jeff

So I got there, but didn't do the mount instructions...

PTTY timed out?

I can't get a connection to the router now, although I've got it back into failsafe mode judging by the flashing led, but PTTY not allowing a connect?

Is it a timing thing - have I got to have ptty running first ?
Interesting (or not!) that win IP is showing me a new IP address for the LEDE router now : 169.254.30.85

:-/

Try 192.168.1.1 -- you'll need to configure an interface on your machine for 192.168.1.x/24
(I'm not familiar with how to do that on Windows.)

it's strange.

So I reset to normal, and let it eventually provide the 192.168.1.1 address again, and then I could connect, but again didn't know the password.
Then I rebooted the router into failsafe, got the prompt again, used the mount command, then passwd, then put too short a password in, then it seemed to terminate the session.

I'll try the process again. Didn't realise there was a minimum password length at this stage...

%-)

right - password changed now...

down the next rabbit hole now!

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Before you plug it into the outside world, might want to make sure you've got a strong password!

lol

yes, 48$07ut3ly

lol

Ok, so I'm logged in via ptty, and can confirm I'm on LEDE Reboot ( 17.01.4 , r3560 - 79f57e422d

Back to the instructions?

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Yep!

Since you seem comfortable with the command line, and I know you won't lose your password :wink:, it's pretty easy to install the GUI over a snapshot once you've got outside connectivity. If I were in your shoes, I'd set up the outside connectivity with the GUI, then make sure you check the "Preserve system settings" (I forget the exact wording) when you flash a new image. After that it's just a couple opkg commands to get LuCI (with TLS, if you've got enough space) up and running.

whoa

You've gone too far there!

baby steps atm

lol

is this the right location for the BT Home Hub 5 type A:

https://downloads.lede-project.org/releases/17.01.4/targets/lantiq/xrx200/

It's not clear what the seller did to (mis)configure the router. I would re-flash with 17.01.4 and not save any settings.

You do not have to connect the router to the Internet to do that, you can download the file to a PC then transfer it to the router with scp.

Completely agree -- only save settings once you've got your own configuration going on a "clean" install.

You can find download urls for any supported device in the Table of Hardware:
https://openwrt.org/toh/views/toh_fwdownload?dataflt[Model*~]=home+hub+5 (filtered for HH5A)