Re: [gentoo-dev] Gentoo LTS or: proper backward compatibility?

[Raphaël Barrois]

On 05/01/2023 12:09, m1027 wrote:
> frederik.pfautsch:  > >>> So, ideally, there is c): In a hypothetic case we would prepare
a >>> entire OS incl. our app (maybe via catalyst?) which would require 
 >>> a bootloader-like mini-OS on the customer's side, to receive >>> 
updates over the internet, switch the OS at boot time, and >>> fallback. 
I was recently playing with systemd-boot and it's >>> interesting 
try-boot feature. >> >> So essentially it sounds like you want something 
similar to Yocto / >> Poky / Petalinux for the non-embedded world (and 
based on Gentoo of >> course; it sounds like catalyst is something like 
that)? > > I've had a look on that: Wow, another interesting approach to 
build > customized OSes. Thanks! > >> Just throwing crazy ideas around, 
what about using net-boot for >> your customer? This way they just need 
to store an image somewhere >> and can update it whenever necessary. Or 
(ab-)using an initramfs. >> Or u-boot bootloader, just like in the 
embedded world. Depending on >> the size of the actual OS/rootfs, taking 
ideas from e.g. Android >> with their A/B bootslots (i.e. two 
root-partitions or something, >> where one is active and the other can 
be updated with clever >> scripts, after a reboot they are swapped). > > 
... exactly what is on my wishlist currently! I am missing such an > 
alternative when in need for updating a remote (customer's) OS, where > 
ssh + emerge @world is just no option. If we had that, I'd see Gentoo > 
(e.g. with catalyst or via Yocto) shining bright here as it is > perfect 
in stipping down things to the required minimum. > > Thanks.
Interesting projects in that space could be mender.io, or swupdate.

Both are based on the idea of having at least two system partitions (+ 
maybe a couple of data partitions), and downloading the update on an 
inactive partion. On next boot, the bootloader tries to boot from the 
new partition; if that fails, it will fall back to the previous (known 
working) partition after a few tries.


-- 
Xelnor