alt Hacker NewsA basic Google search leads me to this article [0].
> On March 27, 2026, Start9 CEO Matt Hill hosted a private unveiling of StartOS 0.4.0, the next major version of the operating system that powers the Start9 Server One. During that same session, Hill also gave viewers a first look at StartWrt, the router’s dedicated operating system. StartWrt is Start9’s fork of OpenWrt with a modern GUI that reimagines the router experience from first principles. The interface is sleek, modern, and a clear departure from the technical admin panels that define most open source router software today.
> Where OpenWrt’s default LuCI interface is functional but technical, StartWrt presented a clean, modern interface designed for users who have never configured a VLAN or written a firewall rule.
When you consider the circumstances a fork is the only thing here that makes sense. You can't just open a pull request to OpenWRT where you are like "Here is our purpose built simplified GUI we designed for our router, please merge."
[0] https://www.solosatoshi.com/start9-announces-fully-open-sour...
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This is pretty much what GL.iNet does. A nice slick interface for normal people, full OpenWRT nerd power a couple of clicks away for HN readers.
> designed for users who have never configured a VLAN or written a firewall rule.
I always get the impression that when things are designed this way, you can't configure a VLAN or write a firewall rule, and so far I've never been proven wrong. :/
Honestly, I'm not buying this. This is an ultra niche market and they are trying to target customers outside the product niche with this fork.
If I'm looking for a consumer friendly router, I'll go with an option that is cheap and capable, I don't care about the OS being open source and if I cared about it being open source, I'd prefer it if they don't fork the software in a way that splits the community and where the fork is dependent on their commercial success to the point where I might be stuck with the hardware and no upstream support.
> When you consider the circumstances a fork is the only thing here that makes sense.
No, because a fork and an overlay are not the same thing. Getting your custom frontend has nothing to do with sharing the maintenance burden on all the grit behind it.