In the present, the extension and applicability of the software system of live working robot in distribution network are limited. In order to solve these problems, the general design is carried out. The development experience and hardware characteristics of the live working robot in distribution network are both studied with considering the functional requirements of software and data flow between functional modules. The main functional modules of the general software platform are developed based on ROS(Robot Operating System). The test results show that the software platform is suitable for various types of hardware platforms and tasks, and paves the way for the production of distribution network live working robots.