Upgrade Debian kernel on a SD/SATA drive boot combo.

[linuxha]

I currently have:
Linux taz 4.4.132-1075-rockchip-ayufan-ga83beded8524 #1 SMP Thu Jul 26 08:22:22 UTC 2018 aarch64 GNU/Linux

Debian 9
Root is on sda2
Boot is on the sd card (/dev/mmcblk0p*)

I am trying to upgrade it to a later release so I can get fan control (I have no pwm device). I've used aptitude to jump to 5.4.0-rc1-1120 but I don't seem to get it to reboot to it. I see a number of files on /boot (on the SD card) and I'm not sure if I need to change any of them (the efi is not something I've figured out yet).

[xalius]

So you have a new kernel installed but it doesn't boot? Do you have any logs via serial console or on screen?

[linuxha]

So you have a new kernel installed but it doesn't boot? Do you have any logs via serial console or on screen?

Not yet, I need to hook up the USB dongle to it again. The syslog and the dmesg don't say anything.

[linuxha]

So you have a new kernel installed but it doesn't boot? Do you have any logs via serial console or on screen?

Not yet, I need to hook up the USB dongle to it again. The syslog and the dmesg don't say anything.

Finally got the console setup (and boy does that prompt go by fast, need to fix that later). Here's what I'm seeing:

Code:

Scanning mmc 1:7...
Found /boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf
Retrieving file: /boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf
2059 bytes read in 23 ms (86.9 KiB/s)
select kernel
1:      kernel-4.4.132-1075-rockchip-ayufan-ga83beded8524
2:      org-kernel-4.4.132-1075-rockchip-ayufan-ga83beded8524
3:      org-kernel-4.4.132-1075-rockchip-ayufan-ga83beded8524
4:      kernel-4.4.132-1075-rockchip-ayufan-ga83beded8524-memtest
Enter choice:

Okay I see a problem, there's no 5.5 in the list. I've update an extlinux.conf. But there are 2, one under /boot/efi/extlinux and the other under /boot/extlinux. So my guess if neither is correct and that the new funky efi stuff needs to have more done before it can see the 5.5 Kernel.

Any pointer?
Thanks

[dukla2000]

You need to get the new kernel back on the SDcard to boot it. Something like

Code:

sudo mount /dev/mmcblk0p7 /mnt/
sudo rsync -ax --delete /boot/ /mnt/boot/

ps - good luck with 5.4 - be ready to manually edit your SDcard to revert to 4.4 if your luck is anything like mine, see this thread.

[linuxha]

You need to get the new kernel back on the SDcard to boot it. Something like

Code:

sudo mount /dev/mmcblk0p7 /mnt/
sudo rsync -ax --delete /boot/ /mnt/boot/

ps - good luck with 5.4 - be ready to manually edit your SDcard to revert to 4.4 if your luck is anything like mine, see this thread.

What could possibly go wrong ... ;-)

I'll set up a second SD and try that out.

[dukla2000]

I'll set up a second SD and try that out.

You don't need a second SDcard: if it fails then you just need another PC you can edit the /boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf file on. Either add a efaultt line or make sure the 4.4 section is the first one.

e.g. with the file below I boot 4.4.197

Code:

$ cat /boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf
timeout 10
menu title select kernel

default kernel-4.4.197

label kernel-4.4.202
   kernel /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.202-1237-rockchip-ayufan-gfd4492386213
   initrd /boot/initrd.img-4.4.202-1237-rockchip-ayufan-gfd4492386213
   devicetreedir /boot/dtbs/4.4.202-1237-rockchip-ayufan-gfd4492386213
   append rw panic=10 init=/sbin/init coherent_pool=1M ethaddr=${ethaddr} eth1addr=${eth1addr} serial=${serial#} cgroup_enable=cpuset cgroup_memory=1 cgroup_enable=memory swapaccount=1 root=LABEL=linux-root rootwait rootfstype=ext4

label kernel-4.4.197
   kernel /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.197-1236-rockchip-ayufan-g30faab37e339
   initrd /boot/initrd.img-4.4.197-1236-rockchip-ayufan-g30faab37e339
   devicetreedir /boot/dtbs/4.4.197-1236-rockchip-ayufan-g30faab37e339
   append rw panic=10 init=/sbin/init coherent_pool=1M ethaddr=${ethaddr} eth1addr=${eth1addr} serial=${serial#} cgroup_enable=cpuset cgroup_memory=1 cgroup_enable=memory swapaccount=1 root=LABEL=linux-root rootwait rootfstype=ext4