try installing custom packages without listing them in PACKAGES

.gitlab-ci.yml

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ variables:
   OPENWRT_VERSION: 23.05.3
   FILES: ${CI_PROJECT_DIR}/files
   DEFAULT_PACKAGES: luci
-  EXTRA_PACKAGES: openwisp-config openwisp-monitoring netjson-monitoring
+  EXTRA_PACKAGES: ""
   DISABLED_SERVICES: dnsmasq firewall odhcpd
   EXTRA_IMAGE_NAME: fakedOrg
 

files/etc/uci-defaults/99_custom

@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 uci set system.@system[0].hostname='openwrt'
 uci commit system
 
+uci del dhcp.dnsmasq1
+uci commit dhcp
+
 uci batch <<-EOF >/dev/null
   set network.lan.proto=dhcp
   delete network.lan.ipaddr