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OPKG (short for Open PacKaGe Management) is a leightweight package management system for embedded systems such as the Dreambox. OPKG is a fork of IPKG and was introduced in the Deambox world since OE 1.6. (For dreamboxes with OE 2.2, APT is used.)

The package management in the shell is a powerful tool for the Dreambox, and offers far more possibilities compared to the package management with the remote control. Of course, using the remote control is easy and most of the time adequate. But maybe this article can convince you to give it a try via Telnet or SSH.

This article explains how to search / install / remove packages and some more interesting commands which offers OPKG. If you want to learn all options of OPKG, enter following command in the Terminal:

opkg

Install packages via internet

To be able to install a package, the feed defined in the /etc/opkg, should be updated. If this is not done, the installation will be terminated with the error message: Unknown package ..... Always enter the following command before installing:

opkg update

Be careful when integrating 3rd party package feeds. If the feed is not available, or not maintained correctly, upgrading the firmware or installing packages will fail!

Installation

The installation of a package is done with the following command:

opkg install $package_name

$package_name should be replaced by the correct name. E.g. when installing webadmin, the command is:

root@dm8000:~# opkg install enigma2-plugin-extensions-webadmin
Installing enigma2-plugin-extensions-webadmin (4.0) to root...
Downloading http://dreamboxupdate.com/opendreambox/2.0.3/ipk/mips32el/enigma2-plugin-extensions-webadmin_4.0_mips32el.ipk.
Configuring enigma2-plugin-extensions-webadmin.

The question is, how can you know the correct package name. The name can be found here in the wiki, or in the board. Or you can search with the package management system, as described below.

If the installation results in an error message, this means the package is not on the feed (Unknown package...), or there are some dependencies to other required packages missing (Cannot satisfy the following dependencies...).

Search package

There are different ways to search a package. First of all the package management offers the option search, but unfortunately this option doesn't work quite well. Better results are obtained with the option list. The following command shows how to use grep to search for any string.

opkg list | grep search_term

E.g. when searching for webadmin, the search result is as follows. The name of the package, which is needed for the installation, is on the left side. The correct package name for the webadmin is enigma2-plugin-extensions-webadmin.

root@dm8000:~# opkg list | grep webadmin
enigma2-plugin-extensions-webadmin - 4.0 - Additional plugins for Enigma2

It's also possible to use an Asterisk symbol as wildcard in the search term. The search for *webadmin*, results iin:

root@dm8000:~# opkg list *webadmin*
enigma2-plugin-extensions-webadmin - 4.0 - Additional plugins for Enigma2
Extension for enigma2 webinterface to install Ipkgs telnet client

Constrain the package search

Once you know the naming convention for packages (plugins, skin etc.), the search can be optimized to find faster the desired package. With the following search terms it's easy to filter the package names from the available feeds.

• gemini → shows the different GP3 Addons
• gp-skin → shows all the available GP3 Skins
• gp-icons → shows all the different GP3 Icon Packages
• enigma2-plugin-systemplugins → shows the Enigma2 System Plugins
• enigma2-plugin-extensions → shows Enigma2 extentions

Deinstallation

Removing a package is done like this:

opkg remove $package_name

For $package_name the correct name must be used. E.g. for removing the webadmin, use the following command:

root@dm8000:~# opkg remove enigma2-plugin-extensions-webadmin
Removing package enigma2-plugin-extensions-webadmin from root...

Install local packages

Packages (e.g. skins, plugin, ets.) which are offered in the IhaD board, but which are not on a feed, can be installed easily by the package management. Of course we don't use the software management, the GP3 File Browser or the eCommander, but we use telnet or SSH.

Download the package and use FTP to copy the file in the directory /tmp of the Dreambox. Now update the package lists, this way the dependencies (if required) for the package will be resolved and installed. The command is:

opkg update

Please keep in mind, packages from external sources can damage the system!

Use the correct package architecture, for the different Dreamboxes and used OpenEmbedded versions!

Installation of one package

Use the following command for the installation.

opkg install /tmp/$file_name_of_the_package

Keep in mind, the complete file name must be specified. E.g. if installing the skin gp-skin-ln.hd_gp32-20130903_all.ipk, the command is as follows. Use the TAB to complete the file name automatically.

opkg install /tmp/gp-skin-ln.hd_gp32-20130903_all.ipk

Of course it's also possible to use an asterisk as wildcard, this way you don't need to write the complete name. E.g:

opkg install /tmp/gp-skin*

Installation of multiple packages

The installation of multiple packages is also easy, once all files are copied with FTP in the directory /tmp on the Dreambox. Use the following command to install all packages. By the way, this works also for the installation of one package ;)

opkg install /tmp/*.ipk

Deinstallation

The removal of a package is also done with the package name (without the version and the extention ipk) and the following command:

opkg remove $package_name

Of course the $package_name needs to be replaced by the correct name. If you want to remove the ln.hd skin, use the command:

root@dm8000:~# opkg remove gp-skin-ln.hd
Removing package gp-skin-ln.hd from root...

Other interesting commands

Update sources

Allways update the sources before any package manipulation (e.g. installation, search, download of packages), with the command:

 opkg update

Upgrade Firmware

With the following command it's possible to install all available updates for your Dreambox.

opkg upgrade

Chain commands

With two "and" symbols (&&) it's possible to chain commands. This way the second command is executed, as soon as the first is succesfully performed. The following command is very often used, to update the sources and the firmware.

opkg update && opkg upgrade

Install multiple packages from the feeds

opkg install $package_name $package_name $package_name $package_name

Deinstall multiplpe packages

opkg remove $package_name $package_name $package_name $package_name

Show all available packages from the feeds

opkg list

Show all installed packages

opkg list-installed

Show installed package

The following command can be used to search for an installed package. If the package is installed the name is shown with the version number. If no output is displayed, the package is not installed ot the name of the package is wrong.

opkg list-installed $package_name

Show upgradable packages

opkg list-upgradable

Show packages page by page

Packages can be shown with the command more. Use the space or ↵ Enter to continue.

opkg list | more
opkg list-installed | more
opkg list-upgradable | more

Install packages from a website

Packages can be installed directly from a web adress, e.g. with following command.

opkg install http://www.yyy.com/zzzz/$package_name.ipk

Download package from the feed

opkg download $package_name

Show package information

opkg info $package_name

Show package dependencies

Lists packages which are mandatory for an installation.

opkg depends $package_name

Show packages which require the package as dependency

Shows the packages which have the $package_name as required dependency.

opkg whatdepends $package_name

Simulate package installation

Loads the package and simulates the installation. Ideal to check if an installation would be performed succesfully.

opkg --noaction $package_name

Deinstall package with all dependencies

Removes a package and all installed dependencies.

opkg --autoremove $package_name

Set package on hold

Prevent an update of a package (using the flag hold).

opkg flag hold $package_name

Release package

Release a package which is on hold.

opkg flag user $package_name

List the compatible package architectures

Shows the content of the file /etc/opkg/arch.conf.

opkg print-architecture

Tips and Tricks

Proxy Server

When using a Proxy Server to install packages, edit the configuration file /etc/opkg/opkg.conf. The entries should be self explaining ;)

Package architecture for local installations

Keep in mind, for each Enigma2 Dreambox type and used Openembedded Version (OE 1.6 / OE 2.0), the corresponding packages for a manual installation are required. If not, the installation will be aborted with an error message - ....incompatible with the architectures configured. When downloading packages from the board, read the thread and pay attention to the file extention as listet below.

Packages for all architectures

• *.all.ipk

OE 1.6

• *.mipsel.ipk packages

OE 2.0

• *.mips32el.ipk for all Box types, except the DM 800HD PVR.
• *.mips32el-nf.ipk only for DM 800HD PVR

Unpack IPK packages

Packages can be unpacked on a home computer. With Linux no extra tools are required, for Windows users the programm 7-Zip can be used. And for MAC users BetterZIP.

Write text file with list of installed packages

With following command it's possible to create a list of installed packages, and write the list in a text file. The example creates the list for the *extensions*. Of course the command can be adapted for *systemplugins* or GP3 Addons (*gemini*), etc..

The list with the name e2plugins can be found in the directory /home/root. This file can be used to show the installed packages, and reinstall the plugins after a new image was flashed. Of course you have to copy the list from the Dreambox on your computer (e.g. using FTP). Otherwise the file is deleted after flashing the Dreambox ;)

opkg list-installed *extensions* | awk '{ print $1 }' > /home/root/e2plugins

Install the content of the list is possible with following command. Make sure the text file is in the directory /home/root. And of course the packages should be available on the feeds.

opkg update && opkg install $(cat /home/root/e2plugins)

An other method to install multiple packages is described in the chapter other interesting commands. But you need to know the names of the packages.

opkg update && opkg install $paketname $paketname $paketname $paketname