fat-chr

Builder for a UEFI-enabled RouterOS CHR image using GitHub Action.

Tip

If these images are required on some virtualized platform/cloud, and Mikrotik's official downloads DO NOT WORK on same platform - please let me know either as issue here or on Mikrotik's forum – as I've been collecting data. The current summary is:

• Apple Virtualization Framework On Intel, all images should work - see chr-utm, which use Apple-based virtualization to run CHR. On ARM-based M1/M2/M3, No have been reported to work using Apple Virtualization, but do work without re-packaging with QEMU on ARM64.
• Vultr - Mikrotik images only work because the instructions suggest SystemRescueCD and dd, reported that the "@jaclaz method" (used in all post-7.15 releases work without Mikrotik's "dd approach", see this post
• Oracle Cloud using ARM64/Amprere Reported that experimental ARM64 7.17beta2 image worked (all other packages are Intel-only). See @BetaQuasi comment in #5 (comment)

NEW "ready-to-run" CHR virtual machines for macOS UTM

Please see tikoci/mikropkl for details. This project support both Apple and QEMU virtual machines for Mac. The QEMU images are which uses the images build here to support Apple Virtualization in it's UTM RouterOS CHR packages. But with UTM installed, adding CHR as a virtual machine is now one command. For example, for 7.19beta4 on ARM-based Mac, it's just:

open 'utm://downloadVM?url=https://github.com/tikoci/mikropkl/releases/download/chr-7.19beta4/rose.chr.aarch64.qemu.7.19beta4.utm.zip'

See Releases in the tikoci/mikropkl projects for more details and utm URLs for specific versions/configuration/architecture.

Another project tikoci/chr-utm built only Apple virtualization images, but this repo was combined into newer tikoci/mikropkl UTM packaging project.

Use Case

Mikrotik's virtual machine version of RouterOS ("CHR") is downloadable as a RAW image. However, this image is incompatible with UEFI-based bootloaders. Specifically, Apple's Virtualization Framework for Intel-based MacOS to run RouterOS CHR which has now evolved in the tikoci/mikropkl to build both Apple and QEMU CHR images.

Implementation Notes

Non-EUFI raw images for "stable" and "testing" for latest version are downloaded. CI will convert the partitioning scheme from EXT2 to FAT16 using gdisk & publish as a release. Various workflow scripts have been across versions, see .github/workflows in repo.

Most use "workflow_dispatch" on the "Build and Release" to manual trigger a specific build to fetch older/specific versions & select a script to run. All builds marked as "pre-release" in Releases and must be manually changed to remove the flag. No check is done if a version was already build, so duplicates can be deleted manually.

The newest build script auto.yaml essentially does a RouterOS "check-for-upgrade", and only builds an image if an RouterOS version is not in GitHub [Releases]. This allows it to be as a "cron" (currently daily) to check for new version and build if needed. Previous build script were all manually triggered by maintainer.

Variants and Credits

• @kriszos's posting on the Mikrotik forum "QG" bash script to convert the CHR raw image from EXT2 to FAT16 script, and do some modifications of the partition tables. All images prior to 7.15, are built using this script. CHR Version 7.15 introduced overlapping partitions, so @kriszos's script no longer worked.
• @jaclaz's hybrid diatribes create a newer version that processed the overlap in gdisk. This script is used in CHR 7.15 and above images.
• @Amm0 added the "no-gdisk variant script, which does not change the partition table, instead it only does a conversion from ext2 to fat of the EFI partition. One use case for the CHR images here is Apple Virtualization support, which just need EFI partition to be fat (i.e. MacOS has no support for mounting ext2, and per UEFI specs it should be fat).
• alecthw/mikrotik-routeros-chr-efi version use a GitHub Action based modification in 7.18.1, and perhaps future. The disk modification is similar to the "no-gdisk" bash script used in 7.18.0. But instead of invoking bash, GitHub workflow runs each command as a step. For a CI prospective, this a better approach. The script was enhanced to support "check-for-update" and only build if a release is not found.

Disclaimers

Not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with MikroTik, Apple, UTM from Turing Software, LLC, nor Ubuntu. While the code in this project is released to public domain (see LICENSE), CHR image contains software subject to MikroTik's Terms and Conditions, see MIKROTIKLS MIKROTIK SOFTWARE END-USER LICENCE AGREEMENT. Any trademarks and/or copyrights remain the property of their respective holders unless specifically noted otherwise. Use of a term in this document should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark. Naming of particular products or brands should not be seen as endorsements. MikroTik is a trademark of Mikrotikls SIA. Apple and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and regions. UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group. No liability can be accepted. No representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information is offered. Use the concepts, code, examples, and other content at your own risk. There may be errors and inaccuracies, that may of course be damaging to your system. Although this is highly unlikely, you should proceed with caution. The author(s) do not accept any responsibility for any damage incurred.