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Debian dist-upgrade on B2 & B3

Got problems with your B2 or B3? Share and get helped!
shadowbox
Posts: 35
Joined: 07 Oct 2008, 20:17

Re: Debian dist-upgrade on B2 & B3

Post by shadowbox »

Are there step-by-step semi-newbie friendly instructions on how to perform an upgrade to Jessie on B2 hardware?

(I don't use anything Bubba-specific other than the hardware)
MouettE
Site admin
Posts: 341
Joined: 06 Oct 2011, 19:45

Re: Debian dist-upgrade on B2 & B3

Post by MouettE »

You can try these steps but there is no warranty that it will work on your configuration. Without a serial connection you will probably need to troubleshoot your configuration from a rescue stick in case you b2 doesn't boot anymore.

That being steps here are the steps you should take:
  • First update the file /etc/apt/sources.list to enable official debian jessie repositories (both master and security).
  • Remove any supplementary apt repositories (including those under /etc/apt/sources.list.d)
  • Download and install the excito release package to enable the excito jessie repository:

    Code: Select all

    wget http://repo.excito.org/excito-release-jessie.deb
    dpkg -i excito-release-jessie.deb
    
  • Review and remove previous excito utility packages to avoid conflicts:

    Code: Select all

    dpkg -l | awk '{print $2}' | grep ^bubba-
    dpkg -l | awk '{print $2}' | grep ^bubba- | xargs apt-get -y purge
    
  • Do the upgrade (light some candles and grab a cup of coffee ; if you have errors during the ugprade, post the result here and do not restart your b2):

    Code: Select all

    apt-get update
    apt-get dist-ugprade
    
  • Check that the installed kernel is one of the 3.18 series (3.18.24-1 as of this post):

    Code: Select all

    # dpkg -l bubba3-kernel
    Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
    | Status=Not/Inst/Conf-files/Unpacked/halF-conf/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
    |/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
    ||/ Name           Version      Architecture Description
    +++-==============-============-============-=================================
    ii  bubba3-kernel  1:3.18.24-1  armel        The linux kernel for the Excito p
    
  • If not install it manually (apt-get install bubba3-kernel)
  • Install the b3-utils package for hardware userland support tools:

    Code: Select all

    apt-get install b3-utils
    
  • If everything went smoothly, you can try to restart your b2 and hope for the best !
shadowbox
Posts: 35
Joined: 07 Oct 2008, 20:17

Re: Debian dist-upgrade on B2 & B3

Post by shadowbox »

Thanks for the step-by-step. I might work up the courage over Thanksgiving (next weekend). Or maybe Christmas when I have some serious time to recovery.

[and hopefully someone else reports success by then :D )
beaufils
Posts: 16
Joined: 22 Feb 2012, 04:24

Re: Debian dist-upgrade on B2 & B3

Post by beaufils »

I would like to move my b3 (wheezy) to jessie.

I just found your github repositories (https://github.com/Excito/).

What is the "good" way to upgrade (or reinstall to get plain jessie box) ?

Do I need to upgrade U-Boot first anyway ?
MouettE
Site admin
Posts: 341
Joined: 06 Oct 2011, 19:45

Re: Debian dist-upgrade on B2 & B3

Post by MouettE »

beaufils wrote:I would like to move my b3 (wheezy) to jessie.

I just found your github repositories (https://github.com/Excito/).

What is the "good" way to upgrade (or reinstall to get plain jessie box) ?
I will release the jessie image and installer in a few days. The best way would be to reinstall your b3 using it. You will be able to keep your existing data if it's on a different partition on the drive.
beaufils wrote:Do I need to upgrade U-Boot first anyway ?
No, the image will be compatible with the old U-Boot.
beaufils
Posts: 16
Joined: 22 Feb 2012, 04:24

Re: Debian dist-upgrade on B2 & B3

Post by beaufils »

MouettE wrote: I will release the jessie image and installer in a few days. The best way would be to reinstall your b3 using it.
I will thus wait and test it as soon as you release it.

Where we will you announce the release so that I do not miss it?

Is the reinstalling process documented somewhere? Will it be the same as the one documented on the wiki (http://wiki.excito.com/w/index.php?titl ... a2_/_B3#B3)?

What kernel version are you using (I did not check all your git repos yet)?
MouettE wrote: You will be able to keep your existing data if it's on a different partition on the drive.
Since I did almost not change the box configuration, most of data are on the /home (mounted from /dev/mapper/bubba-storage volume), is it what you mean?
MouettE wrote:No, the image will be compatible with the old U-Boot.
I am curious to know how you are doing this, I thought there was some incompatibilities between recent kernel and that version of U-Boot.

Anyway, thank you for your support and your work (I really like the b3 box and did not found anything with equivalent hardware features: since b3 still being on squeeze is not serious for a box connected to the Internet, I am on the way to duplicate its services on a simple Raspberry Pi 2 with external hard drive, but this is not as good as the b3 and really would like to keep it).

Just for the sake of curiosity: how are you related with the "new" excito owner?
MouettE
Site admin
Posts: 341
Joined: 06 Oct 2011, 19:45

Re: Debian dist-upgrade on B2 & B3

Post by MouettE »

beaufils wrote:Where we will you announce the release so that I do not miss it?
Right here in a few minutes :wink:
beaufils wrote:Is the reinstalling process documented somewhere? Will it be the same as the one documented on the wiki (http://wiki.excito.com/w/index.php?titl ... a2_/_B3#B3)?
It will be documented here for now
beaufils wrote:What kernel version are you using (I did not check all your git repos yet)?
LTS 3.18
beaufils wrote:Since I did almost not change the box configuration, most of data are on the /home (mounted from /dev/mapper/bubba-storage volume), is it what you mean?
Yes
beaufils wrote:I am curious to know how you are doing this, I thought there was some incompatibilities between recent kernel and that version of U-Boot.
There are numerous posts here on this subject but basically there is indeed a bug but there is a workaround described here and it's implemented in both kernel package and install/rescue system.
beaufils wrote:Just for the sake of curiosity: how are you related with the "new" excito owner?
The founder is a very good friend of mine and I happen to help them on projects from time to time. It's me who convinced them to buy the remaining stock and excito brand.
stompertje
Posts: 16
Joined: 16 Jul 2008, 16:23

Re: Debian dist-upgrade on B2 & B3

Post by stompertje »

I'm very interested in using Jessie, but I didn't see any announcement of an available image appear. Is your image available somewhere? Would love to use it for my second B3!

Thanks in advance!
beaufils
Posts: 16
Joined: 22 Feb 2012, 04:24

Re: Debian dist-upgrade on B2 & B3

Post by beaufils »

Everything about Jessie and B3 is avalaible here thanks to MouettE great work : viewtopic.php?f=7&t=5871
stompertje
Posts: 16
Joined: 16 Jul 2008, 16:23

Re: Debian dist-upgrade on B2 & B3

Post by stompertje »

Great, I somehow missed that one. Thanks!
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