# Performance Firmware Minimum App base **URL:** \ **Category:** Feedback\ **Created:** [May 28, 2026, 11:36am UTC](https://forum.gl-inet.com/t/performance-firmware-minimum-app-base/69022 "2026-05-28T11:36:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dondi](https://forum-assets.gl-inet.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@Dondi](https://forum.gl-inet.com/u/Dondi)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2026, 11:36am UTC](https://forum.gl-inet.com/t/performance-firmware-minimum-app-base/69022/1 "2026-05-28T11:36:08Z")
It would be great if GL.iNet had a performance/privacy release without a number of the apps (Bark, DPI, Astrowarp, GoodCloud). Yes there are ways of removing / disabling apps, but it is not possible currently to make your own [GL.Net](http://GL.Net) builds and routers like Flint 3 probably never will run vanilla OpenWRT due to the QSDK. So some suggestions are: - Create a performance release for enthusiasts who want a lean build - Allow us to have a “firmware builder” to have builds with only the apps we want on our builds ---
**Author:** ![will.qiu](https://forum-assets.gl-inet.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/b38774/32.png) [@will.qiu](https://forum.gl-inet.com/u/will.qiu)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2026, 6:40am UTC](https://forum.gl-inet.com/t/performance-firmware-minimum-app-base/69022/2 "2026-05-30T06:40:00Z")
Hi We previously had a GL Image Builder available, but due to abuse and misuse, it is no longer publicly accessible. > [@Formal statement on Gl.iNet software going closed source?](https://forum.gl-inet.com/t/formal-statement-on-gl-inet-software-going-closed-source/33288/6): > > The open source thing does change. The source code is still in github. Previously we have a builder to build the exactly firmware as the stock firmware but with user’s customizations. That is supposed to be used only by users for peronal use. But someone use that to build firmware, bypassing our restrictions e.g. country code, vpn etc for commerical use. That brings huge risk for our business and users. We removed that builder from github. The source code, sdk, imagebuilders are still in gith… ---
**Author:** ![Dondi](https://forum-assets.gl-inet.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@Dondi](https://forum.gl-inet.com/u/Dondi)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2026, 10:35am UTC](https://forum.gl-inet.com/t/performance-firmware-minimum-app-base/69022/4 "2026-05-30T10:35:37Z")
Thanks for responding. My suggestion is that GL.iNet allow some form of firmware builder but include some kind of guardrail to reduce abuse. OpenWRT, as you know, has an online firmware builder for hundreds of different router models including some from GL.iNet. I personally use the OpenWRT firmware builder (and attended sysupgrade) to regularly to create & maintain my own builds. It is a huge benefit. You could use for example some connection to our GL.iNet forum accounts. What do you think, could the GL.iNet firmware builder be supported once again? ---
**Author:** ![xize11](https://forum-assets.gl-inet.com/user_avatar/forum.gl-inet.com/xize11/32/5340_2.png) [@xize11](https://forum.gl-inet.com/u/xize11)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2026, 9:55pm UTC](https://forum.gl-inet.com/t/performance-firmware-minimum-app-base/69022/5 "2026-05-30T21:55:08Z")
I guess it will be very hard for them to do so. Because of the association with different regimes and trying to bypass firmwares as a company. There could be some linking.... But this takes away other resources. What I think what could work although I'm not a lawyer. Is to create a very stripped down version of what once the infra builder was, but based on OpenWrt builder which it partly already is, hence they could litterly do that with the openwrt builder. And then do everything with patching. Patching often circumvent a little with laws here including with owners and copyright, so let the user patch it and the code cannot be associated to a company, but the responsibility is layed down on the builder. The difficult part is how to lock it down only for gl routers and protect the propertairy source. But that is how I look at it... I don't know how laws work in china so maybe I think to easy, but I have it seen circumvent other open source projects like that. ---
**Author:** ![ThereseLove76](https://forum-assets.gl-inet.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/919ad9/32.png) [@ThereseLove76](https://forum.gl-inet.com/u/ThereseLove76)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2026, 6:03pm UTC](https://forum.gl-inet.com/t/performance-firmware-minimum-app-base/69022/7 "2026-07-26T18:03:58Z")
The 'probably never' on vanilla OpenWRT might be worth revisiting — there's an active mainline port for the Flint 3 that already has LAN/WAN and both the 5 and 6 GHz radios going, which is further along than most threads let on. Covered the full picture of what's working (and the app-stripping situation on non-QSDK hardware) here: [GitHub - perceival/openwrt-flint3: Mainline OpenWrt port for GL.iNet Flint 3 (GL-BE9300, IPQ5332) — qualcommbe/ipq53xx. LAN/WAN/DSA/VLAN working; Wi-Fi/ath12k WIP. · GitHub](https://github.com/perceival/openwrt-flint3)