OpenWrt’s latest update adds a piece of Alpine Linux

posted by Rianne Schestowitz on Mar 07, 2026,
updated Mar 07, 2026

Quoting: OpenWrt’s latest update adds a piece of Alpine Linux —

Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:

The popular open-source firmware for routers and other networking equipment, OpenWrt, just released a new major update. OpenWrt 25.12 is now available after “over one year” of development, with new features and more supported devices.

If you’ve never used it, OpenWrt is an alternative firmware for wireless routers, access points, network switches, and other embedded devices, powered by the Linux kernel. It can be an excellent option for reviving and repurposing old networking hardware, or just a way to turn a Raspberry Pi or regular PC into a high-end router.

OpenWrt 25.12 is switching the package manager from opkg to apk, the Alpine Package Keeper. That’s the same software used for installing and updating packages on Alpine Linux, postmarketOS, and various other Linux projects. The reason for the switch is simple—apk is an active software project, but opkg is a fork only used by OpenWrt and no longer maintained.

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LWN:

• OpenWrt 25.12.0 released

  Version 25.12.0 of the OpenWrt router distribution is available; this release has been dedicated to the memory of Dave Täht. Changes include a switch to the apk package manager, the integration of the attended sysupgrade method, and support for a long list of new targets.