routeros-fundamentals

RouterOS Fundamentals

RouterOS Is NOT GNU/Linux

RouterOS runs a Linux kernel (5.6.3) but everything above the kernel is MikroTik's proprietary nova system. This is the single most important fact for agents to internalize.

What does NOT exist on RouterOS:

• No /bin, /usr, /etc, /var — no FHS layout
• No bash, sh, ash, zsh — no Unix shell at all
• No coreutils (ls, cat, grep, ps, mount, ip, iptables, etc.)
• No glibc, musl, busybox
• No apt, pkg, opkg — no package manager (packages are .npk files installed via upload + reboot)
• No systemctl, service, init system
• No /proc or /sys accessible from userland
• No docker, podman — RouterOS has its own /container subsystem (7.x+)

What DOES exist:

• RouterOS CLI — its own language, not shell. Accessed via SSH, serial, WinBox, or WebFig
• REST API at /rest/ (HTTP, port 80 by default) — the primary programmatic interface
• RouterOS scripting language (.rsc files) — its own syntax, not bash. See the routeros-scripting skill and Scripting reference
• WebFig (web UI) on port 80
• WinBox protocol on port 8291

Common agent mistakes to avoid:

• Do NOT try ssh admin@host 'ls /' — it opens RouterOS CLI, not a shell
• Do NOT suggest mount, fdisk, mkfs — use /disk commands instead
• Do NOT look for config files at /etc/ — configuration is in the RouterOS database
• Do NOT assume ping works the same — it's /tool/ping or /ping in CLI
• Do NOT suggest installing packages via apt or opkg — upload .npk via SCP then /system/package/apply-changes (7.18+) or /system/reboot (<7.18)
• See Extra packages reference for the full package list and installation pattern

RouterOS CLI Syntax

RouterOS CLI uses path-based navigation, not Unix command pipelines:

# Navigation
/ip/address/print
/interface/print
/system/resource/print

# Adding entries
/ip/address/add address=192.168.1.1/24 interface=ether1

# Modifying (by internal ID or find expression)
/ip/address/set [find interface=ether1] address=10.0.0.1/24

# Removing
/ip/address/remove [find address="192.168.1.1/24"]

# Running a command
/system/reboot
/tool/fetch url="http://example.com/file.npk" dst-path="/"