OpenThread Border Router (OTBR) requires a Thread RCP node in order to join a Thread network. OTBR Docker provides support for both a physical RCP (OpenThread dongle) or a simulated RCP.
If you want to connect OTBR Docker to other physical Thread devices, use a physical RCP. If you want to test border routing with a simulated Thread network, use a simulated RCP.
Physical RCP
Use any supported OpenThread platform for the physical RCP. See the Build and flash RCP step from the OpenThread Border Router Build and Configuration guide for more information.
Attach the RCP
- After building and flashing, attach the RCP device to the machine running OTBR Docker via USB.
- Determine the serial port name for the RCP device by checking
/dev:ls /dev/tty*/dev/ttyACMO
Start the OTBR Docker container
In a new terminal window, start OTBR Docker, referencing the RCP's serial port.
For example, if the RCP is mounted at /dev/ttyACM0:
docker run --sysctl "net.ipv6.conf.all.disable_ipv6=0 net.ipv4.conf.all.forwarding=1 net.ipv6.conf.all.forwarding=1" -p 8080:80 --dns=127.0.0.1 -it --volume /dev/ttyACM0:/dev/ttyACM0 --privileged openthread/otbr --radio-url spinel+hdlc+uart:///dev/ttyACM0
Upon success, you should have output similar to this:
WARNING: Localhost DNS setting (--dns=127.0.0.1) may fail in containers. RADIO_URL: spinel+hdlc+uart:///dev/ttyACM0 TUN_INTERFACE_NAME: wpan0 NAT64_PREFIX: 64:ff9b::/96 AUTO_PREFIX_ROUTE: true AUTO_PREFIX_SLAAC: true Current platform is ubuntu * Applying /etc/sysctl.d/10-console-messages.conf ... kernel.printk = 4 4 1 7 * Applying /etc/sysctl.d/10-ipv6-privacy.conf ... net.ipv6.conf.all.use_tempaddr = 2 net.ipv6.conf.default.use_tempaddr = 2 * Applying /etc/sysctl.d/10-kernel-hardening.conf ... kernel.kptr_restrict = 1 * Applying /etc/sysctl.d/10-link-restrictions.conf ... fs.protected_hardlinks = 1 fs.protected_symlinks = 1 * Applying /etc/sysctl.d/10-magic-sysrq.conf ... kernel.sysrq = 176 * Applying /etc/sysctl.d/10-network-security.conf ... net.ipv4.conf.default.rp_filter = 1 net.ipv4.conf.all.rp_filter = 1 net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies = 1 * Applying /etc/sysctl.d/10-ptrace.conf ... kernel.yama.ptrace_scope = 1 * Applying /etc/sysctl.d/10-zeropage.conf ... vm.mmap_min_addr = 65536 * Applying /etc/sysctl.d/60-otbr-ip-forward.conf ... net.ipv6.conf.all.forwarding = 1 net.ipv4.ip_forward = 1 * Applying /etc/sysctl.conf ... * Starting userspace NAT64 tayga [ OK ] /usr/sbin/service * Starting domain name service... bind9 [ OK ] /usr/sbin/service * dbus is not running * Starting system message bus dbus [ OK ] ...fail! otWeb[155]: border router web started on wpan0 otbr-agent[224]: Thread interface wpan0 otbr-agent[224]: Thread is down otbr-agent[224]: Check if Thread is up: OK otbr-agent[224]: Stop publishing service otbr-agent[224]: PSKc is not initialized otbr-agent[224]: Check if PSKc is initialized: OK otbr-agent[224]: Initialize OpenThread Border Router Agent: OK otbr-agent[224]: Border router agent started.
OTBR Docker is now running. Leave this terminal window open and running in the background. If you quit the process or close the window, OTBR Docker will go down.
Go to Test Connectivity to continue with the OTBR Docker setup.
Simulated RCP
Use a simulated OpenThread RCP build for the simulated RCP. This is useful if you want to test border routing with a simulated Thread network on a single machine.
Build the simulated RCP application
Clone the OpenThread repository:
cd ~git clone https://github.com/openthread/openthreadBootstrap and build the simulated application:
cd openthread./script/bootstrap./script/cmake-build simulation
Set up a bidirectional data stream
Use the socat command line utility to establish a bidirectional data stream
to transfer data between the simulated RCP and OTBR Docker.
Open a new terminal window to run this process, as it must be left running while OTBR Docker is running.
Install
socat:sudo apt-get install socatStart
socat:socat -d -d pty,raw,echo=0 pty,raw,echo=02018/09/06 09:58:29 socat[242994] N PTY is /dev/pts/2 2018/09/06 09:58:29 socat[242994] N PTY is /dev/pts/7 2018/09/06 09:58:29 socat[242994] N starting data transfer loop with FDs [5,5] and [7,7]
Make a note of the two serial ports bolded in the output. Use the first one for the simulated RCP and the second one for OTBR Docker. In the example output above:
/dev/pts/2= Simulated RCP port/dev/pts/7= OTBR Docker
Leave this terminal window open and running in the background.
Start the simulated RCP
Open a new terminal window to run the simulated RCP, as it must be left running while OTBR Docker is running.
Using the first serial port in the
socatoutput, start the simulated RCP application. For example, if using/dev/pts/2from thesocatoutput:~/openthread/build/simulation/examples/apps/ncp/ot-rcp 1 > /dev/pts/2 < /dev/pts/2
There is no output from this command. Leave this terminal window open and running in the background.
Start the OTBR Docker container
In a new terminal window, start OTBR Docker, using the second serial port in the
socat output. For example, if using /dev/pts/7 from the socat output:
docker run --sysctl "net.ipv6.conf.all.disable_ipv6=0 net.ipv4.conf.all.forwarding=1 net.ipv6.conf.all.forwarding=1" -p 8080:80 --dns=127.0.0.1 -it --volume /dev/pts/7:/dev/ttyUSB0 --privileged openthread/otbr
Note that the command is also using the /dev/ttyUSB0 port. This is the default
mount point within the Docker container.
Upon success, you should have output similar to this:
WARNING: Localhost DNS setting (--dns=127.0.0.1) may fail in containers. RADIO_URL: spinel+hdlc+uart:///dev/ttyUSB0 TUN_INTERFACE_NAME: wpan0 NAT64_PREFIX: 64:ff9b::/96 AUTO_PREFIX_ROUTE: true AUTO_PREFIX_SLAAC: true Current platform is ubuntu * Applying /etc/sysctl.d/10-console-messages.conf ... kernel.printk = 4 4 1 7 * Applying /etc/sysctl.d/10-ipv6-privacy.conf ... net.ipv6.conf.all.use_tempaddr = 2 net.ipv6.conf.default.use_tempaddr = 2 * Applying /etc/sysctl.d/10-kernel-hardening.conf ... kernel.kptr_restrict = 1 * Applying /etc/sysctl.d/10-link-restrictions.conf ... fs.protected_hardlinks = 1 fs.protected_symlinks = 1 * Applying /etc/sysctl.d/10-magic-sysrq.conf ... kernel.sysrq = 176 * Applying /etc/sysctl.d/10-network-security.conf ... net.ipv4.conf.default.rp_filter = 1 net.ipv4.conf.all.rp_filter = 1 net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies = 1 * Applying /etc/sysctl.d/10-ptrace.conf ... kernel.yama.ptrace_scope = 1 * Applying /etc/sysctl.d/10-zeropage.conf ... vm.mmap_min_addr = 65536 * Applying /etc/sysctl.d/60-otbr-ip-forward.conf ... net.ipv6.conf.all.forwarding = 1 net.ipv4.ip_forward = 1 * Applying /etc/sysctl.conf ... * Starting userspace NAT64 tayga [ OK ] /usr/sbin/service * Starting domain name service... bind9 [ OK ] /usr/sbin/service * dbus is not running * Starting system message bus dbus [ OK ] ...fail! otWeb[155]: border router web started on wpan0 otbr-agent[224]: Thread interface wpan0 otbr-agent[224]: Thread is down otbr-agent[224]: Check if Thread is up: OK otbr-agent[224]: Stop publishing service otbr-agent[224]: PSKc is not initialized otbr-agent[224]: Check if PSKc is initialized: OK otbr-agent[224]: Initialize OpenThread Border Router Agent: OK otbr-agent[224]: Border router agent started.
OTBR Docker is now running. Leave this terminal window open and running in the background. If you quit the process or close the window, OTBR Docker will go down.