[BPI-R4] frank-w build - update kernel

Paul_Libert · February 5, 2025, 12:00pm

First I would like to thank @frank-w for the amazing work they are doing in providing a easy to use build solution for BPI-R4 platform.

Now the question. I’ve a BPI-R4 running Frank’s image with the 6.12.7-bpi-r4-main kernel. That image is missing some kernel modules I would need.

I also built a new kernel image using Frank’s build system with all the module I need, bpi-r4_6.12.11-main.tar.gz

Is there an ‘easy’ way of upgrading the kernel on my existing system. Is it as easy as untaring the new kernel tar.gz in the root of the existing system and rebooting ? What can possibly go wrong …

I can try but the board is in a inconvenient location to access so I’d rather prefer to not have to dig it out if it can be avoided.

frank-w · February 5, 2025, 1:31pm

Easiest way is when you use sdcard and use the install function from kernel repos build.sh after crosscompiling and sdcard inserted in build pc

Somewhere in my branches i tried to create a script to install kernel in running system,but not rember if it was working correctly.

Basicly you can do the steps which are done while image creation,but itb is named like board without versions so you overwrite existing default kernel if you do not make backup of it

github.com

frank-w/BPI-Router-Images/blob/main/buildimg.sh#L129


      
          sudo mkdir -p mnt/BPI-BOOT/${ubootconfigdir}
          sudo touch mnt/BPI-BOOT/${ubootconfigdir}/${ubootconfig}
          sudo mount ${LDEV}p${mmcrootpart} mnt/BPI-ROOT
          if [[ $? -ne 0 ]];then echo "mounting BPI-ROOT failed"; exit 1; fi
          echo "unpack rootfs to bpi-root loopdev..."
          sudo tar -xzf ${distro}_${arch}.tar.gz -C mnt/BPI-ROOT
          
          if [[ -n "${kernelfile}" ]];then
          	ls -lh ${kernelfile}
          	if [[ $? -ne 0 ]];then echo "kernel file missing"; exit 1; fi
          	echo "unpack kernel to bpi-boot loopdev..."
          	sudo tar -xzf $kernelfile --strip-components=1 -C mnt/BPI-BOOT BPI-BOOT
          	ls -lR mnt/BPI-BOOT
          	echo "unpack kernel-modules to bpi-root loopdev..."
          	sudo tar -xzf $kernelfile --strip-components=2 -C mnt/BPI-ROOT/lib/. BPI-ROOT/lib/
          else
          	echo "kernelfile is empty so it will be missing in resulting image..."
          fi
          
          if [[ "$board" == "bpi-r2pro" ]];then
          	conffile=mnt/BPI-BOOT/extlinux/extlinux.conf