If you’re using a router running OpenWRT and encountering errors while trying to update or install packages, you may have noticed a failure message from the package manager indicating that it couldn’t download the package list from packages.gz. When you attempt to open this link, it returns a 404 error, meaning the file is not found.
The Cause of the Issue
Interestingly, if you remove packages.gz (going one level up), the page loads fine. However, there is a noticeable change—packages no longer have the .pkg extension but now use the .apk extension. Additionally, the package list file is now named packages.adb instead of packages.gz.
This change happened because, throughout 2024, OpenWRT transitioned from the old opkg package manager to the new apk package manager. This shift began in late 2024, and most main builds, snapshots, and test builds of OpenWRT no longer support opkg. This means that no amount of tweaking opkg will fix the issue.
Outdated Tutorials and Incorrect Commands
Since OpenWRT has been around for at least two decades, there are many outdated tutorials online instructing users to use opkg. If the tutorial you’re following was written before 2024 and has not been updated, the commands it provides are likely incorrect.
The graphical interface package manager remains mostly unchanged, but if you’re using the command line, you’ll need to switch to the new apk package manager. The official repositories no longer contain .pkg format files—all of them have transitioned to .apk.
The Solution
There may still be some unofficial repositories that carry .pkg files, and opkg supports local installations of those files. However, the recommended solution is to install a fresh build of OpenWRT on your router.
Although you might attempt a sysupgrade command, a clean install is preferable. After reinstalling OpenWRT, reinstall all necessary modules. You may transfer your old configurations, but it’s generally better to reconfigure everything from scratch to ensure compatibility with the new system.
By following this approach, you can resolve the “packages not found” error and ensure your OpenWRT router is up to date and functioning correctly.