Kernel switching module: complete refactoring and hardening

[igorpecovnik]

Description

• current kernel switching management had several design flaws and we could end up without a kernel.
• switching between stable and beta was pulled into this common modules.

Implementation Details

BASH module.

Documentation Summary

Available commands:

select    	- TUI to select Armbian FW.              	 switches: [ stable | rolling ]
install   	- Install Armbian FW.                    	 switches: [ $branch | $version ]
show      	- Show Armbian FW packages.              	 switches: [ $branch | $version | hide ]
hold      	- Mark Armbian FW packages as held back. 	 switches: [status] returns true or false
unhold    	- Unset Armbian FW packages set as held back.
repository	- Selects repository and performs update. 	 switches: [ stable | rolling ]
headers 	- kernel headers management. 	  	  	 switches: [ install | remove | status ]

Testing Procedure

• Installing headers install matching version
• if headers are installed, switching to different kernel will also install matching headers
• put packages on hold works as expected - it only hold armbian packages
• switching kernels from frozen firmware, prompts for release and if confirmed installs selected firmware

Checklist

• My code follows the style guidelines of this project
• I have performed a self-review of my code
• I have ensured that my changes do not introduce new warnings or errors
• No new external dependencies are included
• Changes have been tested and verified
• I have included necessary metadata in the code, including associative arrays

[igorpecovnik]

@Tearran @dimitry-ishenko @EvilOlaf

Those changes above works well now, but there is a problem that menu got quite slow (Odroid M1 takes several seconds, my desktop is fast, so it gets <1s) due to many checks. Which are IMO needed to perform as designed. Or I am blind and I don't see how to do it better ;)

Alternatively adding sub menu here System -> Kernel management and put there:

• headers install
• hold upgrades
• rolling repository
• alternative kernels
• device tree overlays

Any thoughts?

[Tearran]

Alternatively adding sub menu here System -> Kernel management and put there:

for the front end and grouping. Adding header ["...,group"]="some_subgroup" could be easily used

PR #287 Shows how we can query and nest separate groups. The example I used naming conventions module_ and gererate_ for groups others then fall in helper group.

"./bin/armbian-config" --api interface_json_data

[EvilOlaf]

Nothing obvious. Though I am not a bash wizard. Maybe add a warning "can take several seconds" :D

[igorpecovnik]

Though I am not a bash wizard. Maybe add a warning "can take several seconds" :D

It takes too much of time already on arm64 board and this would go into 15 seconds or more in some old H3 board.

Here is a UX question first. If I push those kernel management stuff into submenu, main system will remain smooth as butter.

ow we can query and nest separate groups.

will look into this, thanks.

[Tearran]

                {
                    "id": "Kernel",
                    "description": "Manage Armbian kernel upgrades",
                    "command": [
                        "see_menu module_armbian_firmware"
                    ],
                    "status": "Stable",
                    "author": "@igorpecovnik",
                    "condition": ""
                }

[Tearran]

condition checking in the help message to produce a list available options. https://github.com/armbian/configng/blob/main/tools/modules/software/install_webmin.sh

[Tearran]

As shown with https://github.com/armbian/configng/blob/hardening-kernel-switch/tools/modules/software/install_webmin.sh some condition checking done when a module is needed instead of checking conditions all at once.

"armbian-config" -> System -> Kernel
armbian-config --cmd Kernel
armbian-config --api see_menu module_armbian_firmware

All produce

armbian-config --api module_armbian_firmware

The second tabs break the array.

[igorpecovnik]

The second tabs break the array.

I wasn't sure how to document those switches. Also here direct translation to the menu might not work well, at least how it is designed now - switch has more additional options. Kernel headers have remove, install, status (which is in this kind of arrangement not needed).

[Tearran]

if you remove the 2nd \t on each line. That will fix the strings.

You can nest the Kernel in a sub_group but suggest that a [...,group"]="Kernel" and [...,conditions]="", be added to the module_options along with [...,arch]="" and port even if not used.

[igorpecovnik]

I think I will get back to this in the future, but for now I would merge good working but slow functioning. As kernel management was moved into submenu, this gets less annoying. And probably UX wise, this is also better.