OpenWrt

OpenWrt
OpenWrt 18.06.1 login screen
DeveloperOpenWrt Project
OS familyLinux (Unix-like)
Working stateCurrent
Source modelOpen source
Initial releaseJanuary 2004 (2004-01)
Latest release24.10.1  / 15 April 2025 (15 April 2025)
Latest preview24.10.0-rc7 / 29 January 2025 (2025-01-29)
Repository
Available inEnglish, Chinese, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Spanish, Welsh + 25 partially translated languages
Update methodopkg (up to 24.10 release) apk (snapshot builds)
Package managerAlpine Package Manager (APK) opkg (up to 24.10 release)
Platforms50 different platforms using the following Instruction sets: ARC, ARM, m68k, MIPS, PowerPC, SPARC, SuperH, x86, x86-64
Kernel typeMonolithic (Linux)
UserlandBusyBox
Default
user interface
CLI, WebUIs (LuCI)
LicenseFree software (GPL and other licenses)
Official websiteopenwrt.org

OpenWrt (from open wireless router) is an open-source project for embedded operating systems based on Linux, primarily used on embedded devices to route network traffic. The main components are Linux, util-linux, musl, and BusyBox. All components have been optimized to be small enough to fit into the limited storage and memory available in home routers.

OpenWrt is configured using a command-line interface (ash shell) or a web interface (LuCI). There are about 8000 optional software packages available for installation via the opkg package management system.

OpenWrt can run on various types of devices, including CPE routers, residential gateways, smartphones, pocket computers (e.g., Ben NanoNote). It is also possible to run OpenWrt on personal computers and laptops.