I can´t upgrade WAP (mipsbe) from preinstalled and default “main package” to “extra packages”.
What I did (with brand new WAP AC):
-enable DHCP client
-update to 6.42.7
-update firmware to 6.42.7
-in WinBox 3.17 open “files”
-download and unpack extra packages mipsbe 6.42.7
-drag and drop system-6.42.7-mipsbe.npk (and other packages in 1st attemp, than only system package)
-reboot
Packages are deleted from Files, but in Package List are still all packages (from main package) under “routeros-mipsbe”.
Extra packages contain identical files as main, except there additional ones. So what you’re trying to do is both
un-necessary as both bundles contain exactly the same packages when they have same name
impossible as it is not possbile to overwrite packages from “main” with package from separate file (e.g. from extra)
So: just select and install packages from extra if they are not present in main.
After you have packages installed and updated ROS is available, it’s best to use update feature of ROS itself (winbox it’s system->packages->update) and it’ll update all installed packages, regardless where they come from (main or extra).
It should work, I do it all the time, because I never found the combined package to be good idea. First under combined package, I disable those packages I don’t want (I don’t know if it’s required, but I think I’ve had some trouble with it in the past and it takes only half a minute for extra reboot, so I didn’t yet bother to do proper testing). Then I upload individual packages I want, either same or newer version, reboot router and that’s it, I end up with only individual packages installed.
@Sob, did you do it with recent versions of ROS? It seems that newest versions of ROS don’t allow to re-install individual package over the one from basic bundle (e.g. you can not install package wireless from npk over wireless installed through basic bundle even if you disable the bundled version first). E.g. those packages simply don’t get installed. There have been some reports where users who installed extra packages over bundled, had major trouble upgrading ROS to recent version.
Also it’s not really smart to install extra package (from npk) which’ version does not match version of ROS installed. This is quite understandable as ABI can change every time basic package (read: kernel) gets changed. AFAIK this “feature” is not supported as well.
You’re right, something changed. I did quick test with CHR 6.42.7 and it doesn’t work as it did before. This is what I get now:
system,warning omitting package system-6.42.7: it is already installed
It’s this:
What’s new in 6.42.7 (2018-Aug-17 09:48):
…
*) package - do not allow to install out of bundle package if it already exists within bundle;
Not really an improvement, if you ask me. I still don’t understand what’s the point of combined package in the first place, I see zero added value. Oh well, there’s always Netinstall.
I’ve seen once or twice that combined package together with other individual ones didn’t go well, I don’t remember exact details, but it got somehow locked up, with duplicate packages and the only solution was Netinstall. So if this can’t happen anymore, it’s of course great. But it’s also true that this problem would not occur at all, if there was no combined package. It was nice and simple before, several individual packages and everyone could install exactly what they wanted.
You should not have updated first!
Now, wait for the next release (6.42.8 or 6.43.x) and instead of doing “check for updates / download and install” you find which
packages you want (the ones that are enabled), upload them, then reboot. The router will replace the current version bundle
package with the separate packages.
Do not upload the entire set, only the packages you want to install.
I was referring to combined package when saying 99% of RB admins don’t screw up.
I believe that base package contains what vast majority of users need. Indeed for quite a few users there are some packages included that are not needed and one would argue that those should be uninstalled to save some memory. And often there are packages that quite a few users need to add (my favourite are ipv6 and ntp) … I still think that some base bundle is in place and it’s good that user can not uninstall just any package to avoid even more bricked routerboards. Surely there are a few users that would be better off if they can uninstall whatever they want …
I believe that when upgrading packages, basic bundle gets upgraded to new version as a bundle. You can not uninstall bundled packages even after upgrade has successfully finished.
Good, @pe1chl is right, upgrade from combined to individual packages still works fine (tested with 6.42.7 to 6.43rc). You just can’t use built-in upgrade function from within RouterOS (for once) and instead upload npks yourself.
This post would be really helpful, if I just could see a command to actually install an extra package.
As of now, extra packages are available only for download as a zip package.
That is useless for me, as MT has no “install package” command that I can see.
Either I’m missing a download link for an npk “extra package” witch installs all extra packages so I can disable the ones I don’t want, or the documentation needs a real lookover.
You’re seeing correctly. There’s zip with all individual npk packages and that’s it. You take the ones you need, upload them to router and they will be installed after reboot.
Of course it would be better, if you could simply choose those you want from within RouterOS. I’m almost sure that it will happen eventually and MikroTik will add it. But they sometimes need a little longer before good idea grows on them and they decide to implement it.
Indeed. What you can do now is: unzip the extra packages file (on your PC), upload all the npk files and do a reboot. Then you have everything.
But it would probably not useful, it is better to upload only what you need. Again, then reboot. There is no explicit install command, RouterOS installs all npk files it finds (with correct version number) when it reboots via the “system->reboot” command.
(NOT when you simply powercycle the router, not even when it still has the large flash so uploads are actually surviving powercycle)
I agree with Sob that it would be nicest when the package menu could show some list of available but not yet installed packages and could download them from the upgrade server with a simple command/mouseclick.
Please realize that this device is only a toy.
I know some people think they can use it as the core router of their WISP or as the main WiFi access point of their office, but that is not what it is intended for.
It is a very low cost device that can do amazing things, but you should not consider it to be “the future of networking”.
Well my use case was that for some reason I was unable to upgrade with error “not enough space”. With empty Files there is not really much you can do - just uninstall some packages. Which you cannot do because they are part of combined package.
Luckily following method worked for me:
disable all unused packages including the combined package (routeros-smips)
upload upgraded packages that were not disabled to Files
reboot
Then the combined package was removed and I was left with only upgraded individual packages.
