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Bug/Errors on Pi-Star-Image

Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2022 2:50 pm
by DG0LFL
Hello PiStar/Andy,

I have noticed a few minor "Bug's", which I have encountered when updating:

1. please make the /boot directory larger ... 60MB are clearly too tight, because with the current 5.15.x kernel updates is no more space! (but 200MB should be enough)
2. the wlan-stick "RTL8188FU/FTV" is no longer pre-installed in the kernel 5.15.x - a subsequent integration via dkms is rather something for dev's.!
(and does not work here so easily!)
3. in this context there is also a rights problem with the kernel backup:

ln: failed to create hard link '/boot/initrd.img-5.10.60-sunxi.dpkg-bak' => '/boot/initrd.img-5.10.60-sunxi': Operation not permitted
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-5.10.60-sunxi
pigz: abort: write error on <stdout> (No space left on device)
E: mkinitramfs failure cpio 141 pigz 28
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-5.10.60-sunxi with 1.
dpkg: error processing package initramfs-tools (--configure):
installed initramfs-tools package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1.
Errors were encountered while processing:
initramfs-tools
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

my workaround: linux-dtb/image/nanopineo set to hold - so the kernel stays on 5.10.60 for now, and does not complain in /boot because of "no space".

Thanks in advance!

Friendly greetings

Andreas - DG0LFL

Re: Bug/Errors on Pi-Star-Image

Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2022 4:37 pm
by AF6VN
<blink><blink>

To my knowledge, there are no initrd files in /boot on a normal pi-star system. /boot just contains the Raspberry-Pi chip specific device trees, and the bootloader

Code: Select all

pi-star@pi-star-3b(ro):~$ sudo find / -name "initrd.*"
/lib/systemd/system/initrd.target
/usr/share/man/man4/initrd.4.gz
pi-star@pi-star-3b(ro):~$

Code: Select all

pi-star@pi-star-3b(ro):~$ ls -a /boot
 .                          bcm2711-rpi-4-b.dtb   kernel7.img
 ..                         bcm2711-rpi-cm4.dtb   kernel7l.img
 bcm2708-rpi-b.dtb          bootcode.bin          kernel8.img
 bcm2708-rpi-b-plus.dtb     cmdline.txt           kernel.img
 bcm2708-rpi-b-rev1.dtb     config.txt            LICENCE.broadcom
 bcm2708-rpi-cm.dtb         COPYING.linux         LICENSE.oracle
 bcm2708-rpi-zero.dtb       .expanded             overlays
 bcm2708-rpi-zero-w.dtb     fixup4cd.dat          start4cd.elf
 bcm2709-rpi-2-b.dtb        fixup4.dat            start4db.elf
 bcm2710-rpi-2-b.dtb        fixup4db.dat          start4.elf
 bcm2710-rpi-3-b.dtb        fixup4x.dat           start4x.elf
 bcm2710-rpi-3-b-plus.dtb   fixup_cd.dat          start_cd.elf
 bcm2710-rpi-cm3.dtb        fixup.dat             start_db.elf
 bcm2710-rpi-zero-2.dtb     fixup_db.dat          start.elf
 bcm2710-rpi-zero-2-w.dtb   fixup_x.dat           start_x.elf
 bcm2711-rpi-400.dtb        issue.txt            'System Volume Information'
pi-star@pi-star-3b(ro):~$
/lib and /usr are part of the main ext# file system partition, which is the rest of the SD card (/boot, I believe, is FAT)

Re: Bug/Errors on Pi-Star-Image

Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2022 7:21 pm
by DG0LFL
Hi Dennis,

on my nanopi-neo (raspberrypi-clone) is /boot required!

pi-star@pi-star(ro):~$ ls -la /boot
total 39662
drwxr-xr-x 6 root root 16384 Jan 1 1970 .
drwxr-xr-x 21 root root 4096 Aug 7 13:17 ..
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 165 Mar 23 10:16 armbianEnv.txt
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 1536 Jan 25 2021 armbian_first_run.txt.template
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 230454 Jan 25 2021 boot.bmp
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 3895 Jan 25 2021 boot.cmd
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 3967 Jan 25 2021 boot.scr
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 192403 Sep 14 2021 config-5.10.60-sunxi
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 20480 Jul 2 2021 dtb
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 May 11 10:17 .expanded
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 2048 Aug 7 15:12 .fseventsd
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 10020939 Nov 3 2021 initrd.img-5.10.60-sunxi
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 0 Nov 3 2021 .next
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 2048 Jan 25 2021 overlay-user
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 4182558 Sep 14 2021 System.map-5.10.60-sunxi
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 2048 Jul 2 2021 'System Volume Information'
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 9932697 Jan 25 2021 uInitrd
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 7995288 Sep 14 2021 vmlinuz-5.10.60-sunxi
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 7995288 Nov 3 2021 zImage

Best Regards,
Andreas

Re: Bug/Errors on Pi-Star-Image

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 1:14 am
by AF6VN
I can't say... This board doesn't seem to use the same chip set(s) as common R-Pi's. True R-Pi's actually use the /graphics/ subsystem for the first stage boot loader. It loads from the FAT partition, then configures the ARM processor and loads the initial image (?u-Boot) into the ARM RAM, before turning control over to the ARM.

If I read the FriendlyARM site correctly, the NanoPi NEO native OS is via u-Boot and Ubuntu(Core). If you look at the Pi-Star download page, NanoPI, Odroid, and OrangePi versions have not been updated since JAN 2019 -- three and a half years ago, and are probably running very old OS versions (if they are Debian, probably still on Jessie). R-Pi downloads are October 2021.

Re: Bug/Errors on Pi-Star-Image

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 11:32 am
by DG0LFL
Hello Dennis,

Due to lack of availability of the Raspi's, the NanoPi's and their derivatives are affordable alternatives.
(... in Europe the "Euronode" from DVMega is equipped with them).
The download links at pi-star.uk are "almost" up to date - but there are already v4.1.5-(beta-)images with Buster - which are then automatically updated to v4.1.6 with the current dashboard!
(see /boot-listing)
And there is the script to lift the kernels from beta status to the respective latest LTS version.
But the whole update mechanism runs in /boot - and with 60MB it is too small for that - and creating the .bak via "ln" also fails because of missing permissions.
The 2nd problem is then also the now missing RTL8188xx support in the kernel 5.15.xx!
(which was/is still in the 5.10.xx)

All in all these are for Dev.s smaller solvable problems - but I am there with my limited Linux knowledge "overtaxed".
But maybe Andy and/or Andrew take these hints as a reason to adapt these 2-3 things in a coming v4.x (and/or in a v4.1.7 bugfix)!
(the available SD cards are now big enough - there should not be a lack of space).

Greetings

Andreas