Initial enabling of SSH on an RT-AC68U running Merlin 384.19 (Fixed!)

[learning_curve]

I'm a new user of the Asuswrt-Merlin firmware. It's clearly documented here: https://github.com/RMerl/asuswrt-merlin.ng/wiki/SSHD The mentioned DropBear package is here: https://matt.ucc.asn.au/dropbear/dropbear.html There's even a very 'simple guide' here: https://www.htpcguides.com/enable-ssh-asus-routers-without-ssh-keys/

However... currently, the "Enable SSH to Yes" option and all of the subsequent SSH sub-options are not available on my 384.19 firmware** just as they all were not available anyway, on the default Asus firmware. I haven't been able to search, then find a post on here / elsewhere, on how to "Add the Dropbear package onto an RT-AC68U" which I am assuming / guessing... is what's required, in order to make the SSH option and all of the subsequent SSH sub-options become accessible...

 

[ColinTaylor]

You don't/can't add a dropbear package because dropbear is built into the firmware.

I don't know how you cannot be seeing the SSH option in the GUI because it has been their forever in Merlin's firmware, and is there in recent Asus firmwares.

Did you do a factory reset after installing Merlin's firmware?

 

[learning_curve]

You don't/can't add a dropbear package because dropbear is built into the firmware.

Hahaha Okay, that's easy then.

I don't know how you cannot be seeing the SSH option in the GUI because it has been their forever in Merlin's firmware, and is there in recent Asus firmwares.

I can see it clearly in the Merlin GUI menu yes, just like I could see it in the default Asuswrt firmware before the swap. It's posted elsewhere though, that whilst it's in the GUI menu, it's inoperative in this router's Asuswrt firmware, hence one of my reasons for switching to Merlin.

In Merlin, currently, it's the exactly same, meaning, that whilst it's clearly visible in the GUI Menu, it's inoperative. Whatever values you add, are ignored & cannot be saved. That's why, I had (wrongly) assumed that DropBear had to be added to enable it, because until you added your post, obviously I didn't know it was already there.

Did you do a factory reset after installing Merlin's firmware?

No. Rightly or wrongly, I had assumed that a router firmware upgrade (and nothing else...) overwrote all of the previous operational functions / added new ones / removed old ones etc. The existing values retained, being all of the standard options & setting selections, record sets etc. Like nearly all other non-router devices. Maybe not then?

 

[ColinTaylor]

It's posted elsewhere though, that whilst it's in the GUI menu, it's inoperative in this router's Asuswrt firmware, hence one of my reasons for switching to Merlin. Are you saying that it should have worked in the Asuswrt firmware anyway?

I've not used stock firmware for a very long time, but if the option is there in the GUI it should work. If it doesn't then it's a bug that I'm not aware of. Do you have a link to the post that says it doesn't work?

Of course it's possible that the reason it doesn't work is because there's something wrong with your router's configuration (corrupted nvram, no space in jffs, etc.). Doing a hard factory reset might fix that.

No. Rightly or wrongly, I had assumed that a router firmware upgrade (and nothing else...) overwrote all of the previous operational functions / added new ones / removed old ones etc. The existing values retained, being all of the standard options & setting selections, record sets etc. Like nearly all other non-router devices. Maybe not then?

Normally you wouldn't need to do a factory reset when going from Asus to Merlin's firmware unless there is a big version change (e.g. 380 to 384) or it's specifically mentioned in the release notes of the new firmware. That said, the general installation instructions say...

If something looks weird, don't waste too much time: save your settings, reset to factory default, reconfigure the basics, and see if the issue is resolved. If not, you can always restore your saved settings and do some more advanced troubleshooting.

 

[Ronald Schwerer]

... whilst it's clearly visible in the GUI Menu, it's inoperative. Whatever values you add, are ignored & cannot be saved.

The Adminstration/System menu is notoriously finicky. I suspect it won't let you save any changes due to some required field it doesn't like. This has nothing to do with enabling ssh.
for exmple, the last time I had this it was caused by the order of authorized Samba users. Other times it didn't like my TZ/DST settings. I'm sure there are others.
What happens when you click "Apply"? Does the cursor land in some field?
Edit: Sometimes I can get around it by re-entering the admin user ID and password(s) at the top.

 

[learning_curve]

The Adminstration/System menu is notoriously finicky. I suspect it won't let you save any changes due to some required field it doesn't like. This has nothing to do with enabling ssh.
for exmple, the last time I had this it was caused by the order of authorized Samba users. Other times it didn't like my TZ/DST settings. I'm sure there are others.
What happens when you click "Apply"? Does the cursor land in some field?
Edit: Sometimes I can get around it by re-entering the admin user ID and password(s) at the top.

Epic! You've nailed it in this post Having read it, then revisited the router again, just, upon closer examination, yes it did move the cursor into another field and yes I've made an alteration to that field now (staggeringly - it's a complex login name and one character wasn't acceptable as part of this option change, yet that hasn't been the case anywhere else... in the router's operation or setup) So, now SSH access works properly and it's all good.
Thanks! @Ronald Schwerer Much appreciated!