Winbox for linux

frank333 · Fri May 21, 2021 3:35 pm

I found a simple and effective way to run Winbox on linux, here are the instructions https://snapcraft.io/winbox I tried it on ubuntu 18.04 LTS and it works great!

rextended · Fri May 21, 2021 3:48 pm

Simply is WinBox under "wine".
The autor use logo and name of real winbox, and probably steal username password and IP...

frank333 · Fri May 21, 2021 3:50 pm

waiting for a version of winbox compiled for linux...
works more than well I would say!

rextended · Fri May 21, 2021 3:52 pm

It's already winbox unde "wine" (linux)
but you do not know if the author steal all your data.

frank333 · Fri May 21, 2021 3:59 pm

but, I have checked for a while with wireshark it seems clean does not connect to strange ip

frank333 · Fri May 21, 2021 4:06 pm

@ rextended
I found a version of winbox compiled for mac, so sources should be available (the developer does not answer me), do you know where to find them?

rextended · Fri May 21, 2021 4:13 pm

@ rextended
I found a version of winbox compiled for mac, so sources should be available (the developer does not answer me), do you know where to find them?

boh... non lo so, ma se ce l'avevo.... :))

frank333 · Fri May 21, 2021 4:22 pm

however here https://github.com/panaceya/winbox there is the snap of winbox and I have not seen anything critical in terms of security if you notice something wrong write it in the post, basically download the latest version of winbox from the site mikrotik and makes the connections for snapcraft

mkx · Fri May 21, 2021 4:32 pm

I guess what @rextended wanted to say is: how hard is it to install wine from your favourite source (e.g. linux distro repositories) and then download winbox directly from mikrotik and simply run it? winbox is pretty simple application, doesn't need any installation procedure, simply execute "wine winbox.exe" from where downloaded file resides and you're in the game. Next time you donload newer version of winbox, you don't have to download/install different version of wine, the one already installed will quite likely do just fine.

No need for some super-duper "clever" package which does the two steps in one step. Or perhaps there is, but in that case such user might better go and get router intended for dummies, ROS-driven gadget might be just too advanced for them.

rextended · Fri May 21, 2021 4:36 pm

I guess what @rextended wanted to say is: how hard is it to install wine from your favourite source (e.g. linux distro repositories) and then download winbox directly from mikrotik and simply run it? winbox is pretty simple application, doesn't need any installation procedure, simply execute "wine winbox.exe" from where downloaded file resides and you're in the game. Next time you donload newer version of winbox, you don't have to download/install different version of wine, the one already installed will quite likely do just fine.

No need for some super-duper "clever" package which does the two steps in one step. Or perhaps there is, but in that case such user might better go and get router intended for dummies, ROS-driven gadget might be just too advanced for them.

+++

frank333 · Fri May 21, 2021 6:00 pm

I understand, is like saying but go take up knitting! ,you're a poor incompetent, but I would like to understand what is so scary according to you in running snapcraft that is an application (a sandbox) built by the same developers of ubuntu, which installs wine in a reduced and minimal form, and runs the commands of a small script to launch winbox.exe original

krafg · Fri May 21, 2021 8:13 pm

And if you don't like using wine, you can install a virtual machine with Windows on VirtualBox. Using the virtual adapter as bridge can solves the problem.

This is applicable for Linux and Mac users.

Regards.

frank333 · Fri May 21, 2021 8:41 pm

of course, you can use a virtualbox, but what I wanted to discuss is essentially this, since by now the linux distributions have already pre-installed I don't understand the distrust of a completely open and parsable script that installs original programs in a sandbox. the problem of wine that 'pollutes' the linux environment is completely contained.

mkx · Fri May 21, 2021 10:34 pm

You're free to run whatever you want on your boxes and if you find running winbox inside snap environment a simple and effective way, then great for you. Personally I try to avoid installing some 3rd party wrapper environment if running same stuff without that environment provides same (or even better) result. In addition I don't have to even think about whether I trust some 3rd party ....

joegoldman · Sat May 22, 2021 1:51 am

Looking at the repo its just running winbox.exe in wine anyways - just seems another step in the process (or you might find it easier for you).

Winbox runs pretty much perfect in WINE - there's little to no reason to port it to a cross-compatible library for *nix.
There's also WebFig if you struggle with WINE (but I personally hate webfig)

shafiqrahman · Sat May 22, 2021 8:00 pm

That mac version was popular though. But, I replaced the exe inside with the 64bit version winbox exe mac. For mac crossover can also be used, I have few games in a single bottle. Also, unofficial winewrapper (only mac) developer is also a great guy, still directly troubleshoot issues via discord,

mghx · Sun Jun 26, 2022 4:08 pm

On my Linux system I was required to add the following firewall configuration in order to get winbox working:

# rules to allow L2 neighbourhood discovery
sudo ufw allow from 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255
sudo ufw allow 5678/udp

hadesinua · Thu Aug 04, 2022 6:19 pm

That doesn't look reasonable to me to just run WinBox:

0 upgraded, 12 newly installed, 0 to remove and 3 not upgraded.
Need to get 88,3 MB of archives.
After this operation, 574 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] n
Abort.

Netinstall (CLI Linux) exist why WinBox cannot?

sudoasim · Sat Jun 22, 2024 2:24 pm

now you can use the LINUX VERSION FROM SNAP :

sudo snap install winbox

jollyrogr · Mon Jun 24, 2024 8:10 pm

I run Winbox using wine and it works great. I just find it kind of ironic that ROS is built on Linux but MT does not have a native Linux version of their management tool available...

Perhaps it's the name that is the issue and they would want to rename the tool before releasing for Linux?

ksx4system · Tue Jun 25, 2024 2:41 pm

Perhaps it's the name that is the issue and they would want to rename the tool before releasing for Linux?

If the name itself created any legal issues it would've been rebranded long time ago for Windows systems too. It apparently isn't

now you can use the LINUX VERSION FROM SNAP :

No, thank you. I'd rather keep Wine (or even just Wine64 because there's 64-bit winbox.exe available) than Snap on my GNU/Linux systems.

Tue Jun 25, 2024 2:57 pm

If your main computer does not have 800MB extra to install Wine, you will just have to use SSH.

jollyrogr · Thu Jun 27, 2024 4:47 pm

If the name itself created any legal issues it would've been rebranded long time ago for Windows systems too. It apparently isn't

Not a legal issue, just a "we don't want to create a tool for Linux with 'win' in the name because it's weird" issue.

Thu Jun 27, 2024 5:26 pm

Who said Win is from Windows? Win is from Winning

We don't plan to change the name for every platform.

infabo · Thu Jun 27, 2024 6:54 pm

WinBox, MacBox, LinBox, Andbox, iOSBox. Same box - different label.

gabacho4 · Thu Jun 27, 2024 7:05 pm

WinBox, MacBox, LinBox, Andbox, iOSBox. Same box - different label.

You forgot TikBox...maybe CheckBox

infabo · Thu Jun 27, 2024 7:12 pm

MailBox

InBox

Amm0 · Thu Jun 27, 2024 8:41 pm

At least we know the long delay isn't a naming debate.

This would require a beta, but you can always rename it...

sudo mv /usr/bin/winbox-linux /usr/bin/`shuf -n 1 /usr/share/dict/words`box

phascogale · Fri Jun 28, 2024 2:42 am

RoBox, universally

from ROSBox

pe1chl · Fri Jun 28, 2024 10:36 am

Rewrite winbox in javascript so it can run in a modern browser, independent from the OS that is running the browser.
Supply a separate portable app that provides low-level protocols for MAC-level access, netinstall, flashfig etc.
(netinstall already mostly does that, it only needs a mode where it translates http(s) to a local port into MAC-level access)

Larger routers could provide the required javascript code from their flash memory, for others it could be a local file or an internet URL.

Fri Jun 28, 2024 10:38 am

Original winbox was a universal Java app. Nobody loved that.

pe1chl · Fri Jun 28, 2024 10:39 am

Javascript has nothing to do with Java.

Fri Jun 28, 2024 10:41 am

I know. I'm saying a multiplatform tool existed before.

Fri Jun 28, 2024 10:41 am

Rewrite winbox in javascript so it can run in a modern browser, independent from the OS that is running the browser.

ever heard of Webfig??

pe1chl · Fri Jun 28, 2024 10:53 am

Yes, I would really like it when webfig was improved so it would work the same way as winbox!
Multiple sub-windows, configurable column layout, etc.
I have mentioned that several times on the forum.
Of course it would require the use of a javascript UI toolkit and it probably would not fit in 16MB flash devices.
But it could be made an optional package.

infabo · Fri Jun 28, 2024 12:35 pm

Webfig is for standalone management of a single device. Winbox is an application to manage multiple devices from "one place". ROS features an REST API, so it would be already doable to create a modern web-app that we all can install/host anywhere we want, manage multiple installations and have all the UI sugar.

rextended · Fri Jun 28, 2024 12:58 pm

OT, Sorry...

Normunds... what nice cat...

Fri Jun 28, 2024 1:26 pm

Original winbox was a universal Java app. Nobody loved that.

I'm so old that I used JavaBox

You are right, I didn't love it.

infabo · Fri Jun 28, 2024 1:45 pm

Original winbox was a universal Java app. Nobody loved that.

Screenshot - or it did not exist.

Fri Jun 28, 2024 2:09 pm

here ya go

jollyrogr · Fri Jun 28, 2024 10:28 pm

Who said Win is from Windows? Win is from Winning We don't plan to change the name for every platform.

"Win" is usually a reference to Windows. Does this mean versions for other platforms are forthcoming?

pe1chl · Fri Jun 28, 2024 10:53 pm

Webfig is for standalone management of a single device. Winbox is an application to manage multiple devices from "one place". ROS features an REST API, so it would be already doable to create a modern web-app that we all can install/host anywhere we want, manage multiple installations and have all the UI sugar.

MikroTik is planning to develop and build a controller app for MikroTik Devices: viewtopic.php?p=1081108
I.e. they were planning that 2 years ago.
A topic was started to gather info from the users, and now we wait

That controller could be an intermediate between multiple devices and a modern user interface running in a browser.
It could run in a container on one of the more powerful routers, it could be installed on a Raspberry Pi or similar, or it could be running on a cloud VPS that has VPN connections to the managed routers.
For now, it remains a dream.