Entware Packages

Entware gives the router access to a large package ecosystem. It is the embedded-device package repository Merlin documents for adding software that does not ship with the firmware, and it uses opkg as its package manager.¹²

Install Entware

Merlin's supported path is to install Entware from amtm over SSH, with the package tree mounted on a USB disk that uses a native Linux filesystem such as ext2/ext3/ext4.²

ssh admin@192.168.1.1
amtm
# Select: fd  (optional, format the USB disk if needed)
# Select: ep  (Install Entware)

Do not keep ASUS DownloadMaster installed alongside Entware. Merlin's Entware docs call that combination unsupported because DownloadMaster is Optware-based.²

Common Commands

opkg update
opkg list 'nginx*'
opkg info nginx
opkg install openssh-server
opkg list-installed
opkg remove openssh-server

Useful Packages

opkg install htop
opkg install nethogs
opkg install openssh-server openssh-sftp-server
opkg install tailscale
opkg install nginx
opkg install minidlna
opkg install rsync
opkg install nmap

Service Startup And Boot

Most daemon-style Entware packages expose init scripts under /opt/etc/init.d/. Start and stop a package through its own S* script, and let Entware's rc.unslung boot chain handle normal startup instead of hardcoding one package into Merlin's services-start unless you truly need custom ordering.¹³

ls /opt/etc/init.d
 
# Replace S50nginx with the init script your package actually ships
/opt/etc/init.d/S50nginx start
/opt/etc/init.d/S50nginx stop

Troubleshooting Package Installs

opkg update
opkg --version
df -h /opt
mount | grep ' /opt '
 
# If Entware is not installed or /opt is missing:
amtm

If /opt is not mounted from the USB disk, fix storage first. Entware expects a writable /opt and a boot-time rc.unslung launch path.¹²³