The stock firmware for WNDR3800 is great. I'm missing a few things though: personal web server, ssh server, maybe irssi, etc. I know of a couple of ways to achieve this:

1. The easy way... Flash it with the latest OpenWrt firmware, Backfire, and add whatever I need using the amazing open source platform it provides. However, I don't want to give up good functionality currently provided by the stock firmware, like Clear Channel, and video network optimization for instance. Is there a way to configure it and keep this functionality with the new firmware?

2. The not so easy way... I understand the existing stock firmware is already based on OpenWrt, Kamikaze, customized by NetGear. And that's awesome. That gives me Clear Channel and video network optimization. But what's a good way to tinker with this firmware, without removing it? Somehow adding opkg to it and installing additional packages on usb device? Configuring existing uhttpd to serve an additional root directory on a different port? I've enabled telnetd and explored it a bit, but I was wondering if anyone has had some experience with this.

Any advice? Thanks a lot!