Request: USB Ethernet support for CloudHub on Raspberry Pi Zero W

Hello All

We have an application for the VirtualHere server that using the Raspberry Pi Zero W that requires ethernet, but also requires easy setup such as CloudHub provides.

Re already have done some testing using DietPI and the regular VirtualHere server, but the "ssh-in and do X, Y, then Z" instructions for setting an IP are alas not quite easy enough for the techs who are intended to install these things. The CloudHub firmware is great for that, but by default it does not have support for USB Ethernet.

I found that it is possible to add that support by grabbing the OpenWRT/LEDE sources and compiling a new kernel that includes the modules as shown here, then copying the kernel, /sys/lib/modules .ko files, and /etc/modules* files into the CloudHub SD card. At that point the standard CloudHub admin interface would allow selecting the LAN port and work fine.

It appears to me that for the normal CloudHub images to support USB ethernet the only thing that needs to change is having those modules selected when the image is built.

Would it be possible to have USB ethernet enabled in future CloudHub builds?

Some background for the

Some background for the curious:

Yes we know we could go for a Raspberry Pi 3b or one of the other CloudHub supported devices that already have ethernet built in, but in this case we are connecting a building-automation serial bus via a USB adapter that *really* wants to be in an enclosure that prevents it being unplugged, accidentally or otherwise. So for form factor reasons we ended up with the Pi Zero W, one of these combo USB-Hub and Ethernet adaptors ( https://www.adafruit.com/product/2992 ), and the usb interface all crammed into a small enclosure.

For that ethernet-usb-hub the driver used in the example link, asix-ax88179, is the correct driver, so the example just works. I tried also including the rt18152 driver and that also worked great with generic TP-Link USB-to-ethernet adaptor.