I don't think he meant compiling it manually, it was more Ubuntu auto-update vs download and install one big file.Kings said:I would rather update firmware from a SD card. There is nothing like losing a connection and having to re-flash again. If you mean acquire the firmware over wifi, than what is this thread really about?
Considering that the Pandora should have Firefox3 and the ability to download files anyways. Besides most updates will just be packages anyways, why recompile on each Pandora when its the same hardware.
Squidge said:How would you update the kernel using a package manager?
The same way I just updated mine from 2.6.24.17 to 2.6.24.18 An apt-get dist-upgrade will update the linux-image package as well.
Any additional setting up or managing config files is done with setup scripts, debs are really good with those. Nowadays, apt can do pretty much anything you might think of, from updating everything to encrypted partitions to offline updates to removable media.
By typing something like this:Squidge said:How would you update the kernel using a package manager?
mindlord said:Obviously, manually is a requirement. However, even if I were in a wifi hotspot and my Pandora suddenly said "Hey Firmware X.XX is available! Do you want it now?". I would still hit No and go read the changelog, and probably wait a few days to see if there were any glaring issues with it. But that's just me.
apt-get safe-upgrade normally updates only those packages that are guaranteed by the repository maintainer to not screw up the device. Apt also supports installing the previous version of packages or even locking certain versions.
A nice system could be made, where you get notified about an update, but you can also revert it if you find it inadequate.
So what you suggest is instead of global fireware upgrades that update the kernel and all support packages simultaneously, just going the standard Linux route of update individual packages as they appear. With the occasional "Distribution Upgrade". Like Ubuntu's 6 month upgrade cycle.sindbad said:apt-get safe-upgrade normally updates only those packages that are guaranteed by the repository maintainer to not screw up the device. Apt also supports installing the previous version of packages or even locking certain versions.
A nice system could be made, where you get notified about an update, but you can also revert it if you find it inadequate.
mindlord said:So what you suggest is instead of global fireware upgrades that update the kernel and all support packages simultaneously, just going the standard Linux route of update individual packages as they appear. With the occasional "Distribution Upgrade". Like Ubuntu's 6 month upgrade cycle.
This is great for people with Wifi connections, but for people who have to update from SD cards it could be very tedious. Unless the upgrade cycles are very short, which is tedious for the maintainers.
Users could just not upgrade until the next release or there could simply be no new packages in the default branch until the new release. Instead of 'firmware' you have 'distribution'.
As for those without wifi, an archive with all the new packages could be downloaded, put on the sd card and installed from there with apt-file.
I agree with you to a point. I just feel it's pretty harsh to make sd-card users wait for updates between distributions, or worse track down and download individual packages. Especially since changes in the distributions could prevent them from having access to some feature or program that's important to them.sindbad said:Users could just not upgrade until the next release or there could simply be no new packages in the default branch until the new release. Instead of 'firmware' you have 'distribution'.
As for those without wifi, an archive with all the new packages could be downloaded, put on the sd card and installed from there with apt-file.