OpenWRT repositories difference

I’ve been wondering, what is the difference between official OpenWRT repository (https://git.openwrt.org/openwrt/openwrt.git) and the BPI one from Github (https://github.com/BPI-SINOVOIP/BPI-R2-OPENWRT-18.06), apart from newly-introduced script which allows for creating image with BPI preloader and uboot that can be flashed to the SD card or EMMC?

The official one does contain the target profile for Banana Pi R2, after setting appropriate target system (MediaTek Ralink ARM) and subtarget (MT7623). Does BPI repo contain something the official one doesn’t have, like additional specific hardware support or so?

Hello,actually our repository is also from official openwrt repository,apart from config the target profile for BPI-R2,add preloader,uboot……,the mtk team fixed some bugs (include driver and dts ^ - ^) in the BPI’s openwrt github.

thanks for your question.

Upstream “official” OpenWRT and what is being offered as a “Vendor” version of OpenWRT 18.06 are hugely different.

Upstream image lacks most of the kernel hacks that had been introduced in vendor version which makes upstream images next to useless.

Vendor version on the other hand is an outdated one and it is more apropriate to call it ~LEDE 17.01.3 as it is based on the upstream commit cdb494fdc which dates back to Aug 25 2017. If you don’t have a desire to experiment/work on getting vendor changes rebased/ported to the current upstream master your best bet would be to compile and use vendor version optionally with feeds updated to the 18.06.2 branches. It will provide you with mostly working environment and would allow to use R2 as a more-or-less normal SOHO router with OpenWRT-based OS.