Can I install linux-generic-hwe-20.04 kernel for Armbian Focal?

[Junkman]

Hi, all. My Armbian is the Armbian 21.11.0-trunk Focal. and the CPU is Rockchip RK3399. The board is nanopi-r4s.

 

```

Welcome to Armbian 21.11.0-trunk Focal with Linux 5.10.73-rockchip64

No end-user support: built from trunk

System load:   2%               Up time:       22 days 19:38    
Memory usage:  8% of 3.77G      Zram usage:    3% of 1.89G      IP:           192.168.100.1 192.168.1.3
CPU temp:      41°C               Usage of /:    11% of 115G       

[ General system configuration (beta): armbian-config ]

0 updates can be applied immediately.

Last login: Tue Dec  7 17:09:13 2021 from 127.0.0.1

```

 

I wonder since I built Armbian Focal by my own(from trunk), the kernel were freezed at version Linux 5.10.73-rockchip64.

So my question is that can I install linux-generic-hwe-20.04 in Ubuntu apt repository?

 

Another question is that after I switched to HWE kernel, can I use armbian-add-overlay to add my own overlays?

I currently only used one user overlay, i.e. the overclocking dts.

 

Thanks you guys all!

[Junkman]

> I wonder since I built Armbian Focal by my own(from trunk)

 

FYI, I didn't do any hack when I built from trunk. I originally want to replace the default overclocking dts. but later turn out that I can use armbian-add-overlay to add manually.

[Junkman]

```

$ sudo apt search rockchip64 | grep -E "dtb|image" -A1

linux-dtb-current-rockchip64/now 21.11.0-trunk arm64 [installed,local]
  Linux DTB, version 5.10.73-rockchip64
--
linux-dtb-edge-rockchip64/focal 21.11.0-trunk.70 arm64
  Armbian Linux DTB, version 5.15.5-rockchip64 edge
--
linux-dtb-legacy-rockchip64/focal 21.08.1 arm64
  Linux DTB, version 4.4.213-rockchip64
--
linux-image-current-rockchip64/now 21.11.0-trunk arm64 [installed,local]
  Linux kernel, version 5.10.73-rockchip64
--
linux-image-edge-rockchip64/focal 21.11.0-trunk.70 arm64
  Linux kernel, armbian version 5.15.5-rockchip64 edge
--
linux-image-legacy-rockchip64/focal 21.08.1 arm64
  Linux kernel, version 4.4.213-rockchip64

```

 

The legacy and edge kernel seems too aggressive for production environment. :-(

[Igor]

2 hours ago, Junkman said:

So my question is that can I install linux-generic-hwe-20.04 in Ubuntu apt repository?

Why would you want to downgrade to the generic Ubuntu kernel? (where its highly possible you will not even boot)

 

1 hour ago, Junkman said:

The legacy and edge kernel seems too aggressive for production environment.

Agree. You are already at best possible variant ... which could ofc be polished.

 

2 hours ago, Junkman said:

after I switched to HWE kernel,

 

Do you know why Armbian builds kernels almost for all platforms? Because in ARM diverse world it is not possible to trust to Ubuntu, Debian, or kernel.org.

 

According to your questions I would assume you are not very familiar with the situation in ARM hardware world and it would be good to check FAQ:
https://docs.armbian.com/#what-is-armbian

"Armbian fancy some kernel development and a lot of its maintaining. Debian relies on upstream sources for ARM hardware which can be years behind and/or lack of many functions". For Ubuntu this is just a little bit better then Debian.

 

Armbian kernels are (ARM HW) HWE by default, all of them: https://github.com/armbian/build/tree/master/patch/kernel/archive

 

Armbian is hardware enabler for the device you plan to use. Not Ubuntu, which actually don't support those devices. https://docs.armbian.com/User-Guide_FAQ/

 

Also, when you will run into troubles ... We are already unable to assist Armbian (kernel) users, so other (Ubuntu kernel) users comes last. In reality - never.

[Junkman]

@Igor, thx for your patient reply!

 

Another question is that, when I use official Armbian Focal, does the kernel upgradable by default(i.e. not freeze by default)?

I remember when I first came to Armbian Focal, and I do `sudo apt update -y && sudo apt upgrade -y`, I see my kernel was upgraded.

But when I build from trunk, the kernel version freezed.

[Igor]

17 minutes ago, Junkman said:

does the kernel upgradable by default

 

Yes. We provide simple "Freeze / Unfreeze kernel updates" in armbian-config so one don't need to deal with marking packages by hand.

 

17 minutes ago, Junkman said:

But when I build from trunk, the kernel version freezed.

 

Not exactly.

Build system versions are always moved to the next release (it should already be move to 22.02, but since we have skipped 21.10, this is now not that urgent). It doesn't update, since repository contains lower versions. If you use self build, next major update will provide update due to higher version numbers. Anyway - when you build on your own, you have to take care of freezing your kernel, especially if you are using some customisations which you didn't sent upstream.

 

Beta / nightly repository contains TRUNK with incrementing build number each time some kernel is changed.

[Junkman]

> It doesn't update, since repository contains lower versions. If you use self build, next major update will provide update due to higher version numbers.

 

Thx anyway!

 

> Anyway - when you build on your own, you have to take care of freezing your kernel, especially if you are using some customisations which you didn't sent upstream.

 

The only customization is overclocking DTS, and done by `armbian-add-overlay`.