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I have a very old AirPort Extreme, the A1408. Is it possible to install Linux on it, using the AirPort functionally as a hard disk, and then boot from that? I have also heard that AirPorts run NetBSD. Can you boot into that and run commands?

kognise
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You're right that your A1408 (2010 3 spatial stream 802.11n) AirPort Extreme runs NetBSD, but Apple has never exposed a way to SSH or telnet in, nor have they exposed a serial console to do the same thing locally. Apple's firmware update process is pretty secure, with encrypted connections and firmware image signature verification, which adds layers of complexity that make it a much less interesting target for hobbyists. Jailbreaking AirPort Extremes just isn't as enticing as jailbreaking iPhones.

Spiff
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No, you cannot install Linux on an AirPort Extreme. They do not have the hardware needed to run an OS, just some firmware to run networking functionality.

Keltari
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  • Then can I do the second thing I mentioned, booting into netbsd into a command line interface? – kognise Nov 03 '17 at 04:08
  • No, does not run NetBSD or any OS. It is simply custom firmware. – Keltari Nov 03 '17 at 04:30
  • You’re right that Linux on AirPort base stations isn’t a thing, but that second sentence is some kind of myth or misunderstanding. OP is right, AirPort base stations run NetBSD. There’s nothing about the hardware that would preclude them from running Linux. – Spiff Nov 03 '17 at 04:39
  • What about this video: https://youtu.be/YdN7ImkURaM ? – kognise Nov 04 '17 at 01:17
  • @Spiff do you know how he/she did that? – kognise Nov 04 '17 at 12:17
  • @UnknownUser It looks like s/he soldered leads onto pads on the circuit board to get access to the serial console. Notice s/he’s running minicom, not ssh. – Spiff Nov 05 '17 at 04:23
  • I've been looking, and I can't find where to tap into the serial console. For such a popular device, there's an astonishing lack of any information on the hardware and software for it. An eerie silence, to be sure. – Nate Jan 30 '19 at 04:06
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Wrong answers for Apple Airport Extreme. At least version 4 and 5. I'm SSHed into a version 4 at this very moment. Most of the security on the firmware and configuration is already broken or worked around. These routers certainly have the hardware capable of running Linux.

Grumpy7365
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  • This does not provide an answer to the question. Once you have sufficient [reputation](https://superuser.com/help/whats-reputation) you will be able to [comment on any post](https://superuser.com/help/privileges/comment); instead, [provide answers that don't require clarification from the asker](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/214173/why-do-i-need-50-reputation-to-comment-what-can-i-do-instead). - [From Review](/review/late-answers/1186936) – Blind Spots May 02 '23 at 18:34