(Title is a joke based on a popular young student assignment at the beginning of the school year: Teacher asks the students to write an essay entitled "How I Spent My Summer" -- guess you had to be there.)

So I've got an RB5009 chugging along (i.e., doing just fine) and running 7.16.1

Not satisfied to leave working things alone, I set about to upgrade to 7.17.2 (being conservative and not going near 18 or 19beta).

Darn thing wouldn't upgrade.

Upgraded the routerboard. Still no success.

Read a bunch of posts, then some more posts with angry-sounding replies telling people to look at the older posts, etc.

Tried to upgrade to 7.16.2 -- no luck.

Then I realized that at some time in the past I uploaded/installed a whole bunch of the additional packages -- most never used.

So, after trying to upgrade by uploading routeros alone, routeros together with some of the packages (i.e., the one in use), I discovered the solution:

Device will only upgrade when ALL of the previously installed packages are uploaded at the same time.

So, while I am certain many reading this will already know, and I would not be surprised at all if there are previous posts that disclose this trick, I am posting this here so that the next guy finds it and it saves him some frustration and/or time.

Imagine having a single button called “Check for updates” that would do all that for you. Crazy, huh?

I am not 100% sure, but log/print should tell you the reason why it did not upgrade successfully because of missing packages.

Imagine having a single button called “Check for updates” that would do all that for you. Crazy, huh?

yes, indeed!

A single button that checks for updates and lets you choose which version you wish you upgrade to would be super fab!

I am not 100% sure, but log/print should tell you the reason why it did not upgrade successfully because of missing packages.

Hmm...

After the required reboot, and failure to upgrade? I did not see anything.

Imagine having a single button called “Check for updates” that would do all that for you. Crazy, huh?

yes, indeed!

A single button that checks for updates and lets you choose which version you wish you upgrade to would be super fab!

Imagine that it already exists! With a gotcha: it doesn't read your mind about wanted ROS version, it goes ahead and installs newest version in selected channel (e.g. stable ... currently that would be 7.18.2).

I am not 100% sure, but log/print should tell you the reason why it did not upgrade successfully because of missing packages.

Hmm...

After the required reboot, and failure to upgrade? I did not see anything.

Well, it did show on my devices ... one of first log entries. But it only shows after first reboot (which is actually part of ROS upgrade procedure). Subsequent reboots will wipe logs (if device doesn't have configured logging action to disk).

yes, indeed!

A single button that checks for updates and lets you choose which version you wish you upgrade to would be super fab!

Imagine that it already exists! With a gotcha: it doesn't read your mind about wanted ROS version, it goes ahead and installs newest version in selected channel (e.g. stable ... currently that would be 7.18.2).

Exactly: It would not have to read my mind, just ask and I am happy to share my desire.

Seriously, with all the screaming here about 7.18.2, and whichever version is current at any specific time, adding a option to select which version would be nice. Otherwise, upgrading to a non-current version is a PITA if you don't know the little tricks (such as uploading all previously loaded packages).

Hmm...

After the required reboot, and failure to upgrade? I did not see anything.

Well, it did show on my devices ... one of first log entries. But it only shows after first reboot (which is actually part of ROS upgrade procedure). Subsequent reboots will wipe logs (if device doesn't have configured logging action to disk).

Certainly could be that I missed it. I doubt I'm the first.

You chose manual upgrade: https://help.mikrotik.com/docs/spaces/R ... ualupgrade

The easy way is the standard upgrade. For everything else it is always advisable to read the documentation. ROS is infamous for the non-obvious. As I just learned from the docs:

"Menu: /system/package/update install ignore-missing command allows upgrading only the RouterOS main package, while omitting packages that are either missing or not uploaded during a manual upgrade process."
https://help.mikrotik.com/docs/spaces/R ... %20process.

You chose manual upgrade: https://help.mikrotik.com/docs/spaces/R ... ualupgrade

The easy way is the standard upgrade. For everything else it is always advisable to read the documentation. ROS is infamous for the non-obvious. As I just learned from the docs:

"Menu: /system/package/update install ignore-missing command allows upgrading only the RouterOS main package, while omitting packages that are either missing or not uploaded during a manual upgrade process."
https://help.mikrotik.com/docs/spaces/R ... %20process.

Good reference.

Thanks.