Taken from [announce] optware/dns323 to build 1000+ ipk's by bzhou.

This guide installs ipkg, a method to install packages built to run on the dns-323. There are quite a few now, check them out here
First you will need to enable telnet access to your DNS323:

• Option 1 (preferred): Install fonz fun_plug 0.5.
• Option 2: Create your own minimal fun_plug script that enables telnet access.
• Option 3: Use any other fun_plug script that gives you command line access to the DNS323.

Note: For the dns321 the firmware uses a different libc so the optware image for dns323 does not work. Success was had using the image cs05q3armel instead of dns323. So follow the instructions below changing dns323 to cs05q3armel for the wget command and the echo.

Then connect to your DNS323 and run the following commands:

cd /mnt/HD_a2/
mkdir ipkg
cd ipkg
wget http://ipkg.nslu2-linux.org/feeds/optware/dns323/cross/unstable/ipkg-opt_0.99.163-10_arm.ipk
tar -xzf ipkg-opt_0.99.163-10_arm.ipk ./data.tar.gz
tar -xzf data.tar.gz
mkdir -p /opt
mount --bind /mnt/HD_a2/ipkg/opt /opt
export PATH=/opt/bin:/opt/sbin:$PATH

You now have ipkg installed and in the path so that you can install other packages. To add the above link as a source, type the following:

echo src dns323 http://ipkg.nslu2-linux.org/feeds/optware/dns323/cross/unstable >> /opt/etc/ipkg.conf

Then launch “ipkg update”

For a complete list of available packages type: “ipkg list”
The first string displayed is an alias that can be used to install packages ie. “ipkg install wget” , this will install wget_1.11-1_arm.ipk and all the required dependencies.

See http://www.nslu2-linux.org/wiki/Optware/Dns323 for more information or the forum link above.

The drive mount will not survive a reboot and a symbolic link will not work correctly. Options to fix this are

• Option 1 (preferred for fonz fun_plug 0.4 users): See the Optware startup script thread.
• Option 2 (always works): add these 2 lines to the end of the fun_plug executable script:

mkdir -p /opt
mount --bind /mnt/HD_a2/ipkg/opt /opt

(Only for fonz fun_plug 0.5): To make the PATH variable permanent, edit the PATH in your /ffp/etc/profile script.

WARNING: The new official firefly plugin (add-on) from Dlink for the DNS-323 which is available with firmware 1.08 also uses /opt as the shortcut folder from root directory. This causes a conflict as both have a /opt/lib and the firefly plugin will overwrite the optware lib files breaking optware on reboot. It seems dependencies are hardcoded in both of these (I was unable to use a different folder by just changing script files) so the solution if both of these are required is to use the fun_plug firefly install instead.