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Linksys switches to VxWorks, keeps Linux hackers happy with WRT54GL

“Linksys last month switched the standard model of its ubiquitous WRT54G wireless router from Linux to VxWorks, starting with the “series 5” version. Now, LinkSys is shipping a Linux-based WRT54GL model that it says it created specially for Linux hobbyists, hackers, and aficianados. The L version is identical to the “series 4″ WRT54G units that Linux hobbyists have long enjoyed hacking, according to the company.”

This is an interesting move by Cisco/Linksys. The new versions of the WRT54G, dubbed “series 5”, will run VxWorks and have half the RAM and flash of previous versions (going from 4Mb of flash and 16Mb of RAM, to 2Mb of Flash and 8Mb of RAM). VxWorks is a slimmed down OS intended for embedded devices and Linksys says this will offer come speed improvements. This is very different from the WRT54GL model, which runs Linux and is intended to be hacked and the last remaining 54g to run Linux. Some sites I’ve read say, “stock up now”. I think I will do just that right now…

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Paul Asadoorian

Paul Asadoorian is the founder of Security Weekly, which was acquired by CyberRisk Alliance. Paul spent time “in the trenches” implementing security programs for a lottery company and then a large university. Paul is offensive, having spent several years as a penetration tester. As Product Evangelist for Tenable Network Security, Paul built a library of materials on the topic of vulnerability management. When not hacking together embedded systems (or just plain hacking them) or coding silly projects in Python, Paul can be found researching his next set of headphones.

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