Subject: Re: Etherwake does not wake up a remote machine

From: Wolfgang Klein <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2025 07:56:51 +0200

Hello,

I got a message from Michael who told me:

> there is a programm called "ether-wake" it does the same. Because
> Alpine linux is using busybox for the most it has some miner
> differences sometimes.

But apk can't find that package:

root@alpine:~# apk add ether-wake
fetch http://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/v3.22/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
ERROR: unable to select packages:
   ether-wake (no such package):
     required by: world[ether-wake]

root@alpine:~# apk add etherwake
ERROR: unable to select packages:
   etherwake (no such package):
     required by: world[etherwake]

Where can I find that package?

Greetings,
Wolfgang

---

From: Ralf Mardorf <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2025 10:30:22 +0200

> root@alpine:~# apk add ether-wake

"ether-wake

    ether-wake [-b] [-i iface] [-p aa:bb:cc:dd[:ee:ff]] MAC

    Send a magic packet to wake up sleeping machines. MAC must be a station address (00:11:22:33:44:55) or a hostname with a known 'ethers' entry.

    Options:

            -b              Send wake-up packet to the broadcast address
            -i iface        Interface to use (default eth0)
            -p pass         Append four or six byte password PW to the packet" - https://busybox.net/BusyBox.html

---

From: Ralf Mardorf <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2025 11:06:36 +0200

On Sun, 2025-08-31 at 10:30 +0200, Ralf Mardorf wrote:
> [...] - https://busybox.net/BusyBox.html

PS:

A twice underlined hint from the same link.

"NAME

BusyBox - The Swiss Army Knife of Embedded Linux"
^^^^^^^       ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^^^^^^^       ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Using a distribution like Alpine, which is based on BusyBox for embedded
Linux systems, for a non-embedded everyday Linux is about as cool as
eating soup with chopsticks instead of a spoon while wearing sunglasses
at a candlelit dinner.

---

From: Wolfgang Klein <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2025 11:27:18 +0200

Well, that may be the case, but as much as I accept that an "embedded" 
Linux lacks some options and features, I also think that it should be 
possible to replace the included busybox version of basic commands with 
the full grown variant if needed.

Beside of this minor problem, Alpine is doing a hell of a job on the 
server! I really, really like it! And I also like it on my Tablet, where 
it replaced Chrome and where it offers me a complete KDE desktop!

As a response to the cited hint you gave, one could also say: if the 
chopsticks are thick enough and the candle is bright enough, you will be 
able to finish your dish before it is cold without spilling any drop of 
soup! ;)

---

From: Paul Zillmann <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2025 11:47:55 +0200

In that case use 
https://pkgs.alpinelinux.org/package/edge/testing/x86_64/wakeonlan - if 
that is the same as the Ubuntu package and it works.

- Paul

Am 31.08.25 um 11:27 schrieb Wolfgang Klein:
> possible to replace the included busybox version of basic commands 
> with the full grown variant if needed.
>
> server! I really, really like it! And I also like it on my Tablet, 
> where it replaced Chrome and where it offers me a complete KDE desktop!
>
>
> chopsticks are thick enough and the candle is bright enough, you will 
> be able to finish your dish before it is cold without spilling any 
> drop of soup! ;)
>
>
>

---

From: Wolfgang Klein <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2025 11:13:49 +0200

Ralf: I think there's some misunderstanding happening here.

In my first message, I pointed that Alpine's included command 
"ether-wake" does not wake up a certain remote NAS, while similar 
commands on other Linux machines do wake the machine up very much so. 
When Michael named a program called "ether-wake", I assumed that he 
meant there is another package besides the busybox variant. But looking 
at your answer, I guess that is not the case.

I can still use the quick&dirty solution, but that needs to be changed 
as soon as possible. I need another solution for waking up a NAS, that 
reacts to "wakeonlan" (or "wol") on Ubuntu, but does not react to 
"ether-wake" on Alpine.

Cheers,
Wolfgang

---

From: Wolfgang Klein <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2025 18:11:11 +0200

Paul: that was exactly what I was looking for! You saved me a lot of 
driving. You're my hero! :)

Wolfgang