How to install Linux headers and source of Armbian 23.05.1 Bookworm with Linux 6.1.30-rockchip64

[chan]

I tried https://imola.armbian.com/beta/pool/main/l/ and apt search, but there was no suitable packages for my devices.

[Igor]

2 hours ago, chan said:

but there was no suitable packages for my devices.

 

There are few problems associated with a small problem you have. Lets just name a few:

- we are afraid to push out kernel updates and potentially break thousands of deployments. We can't test those upgrades well enough and because we can only do partial upgrade at this moment. Yes, I know you will offer help to test, actually a lot of people does, but when we ask "now we really need your help to test" just a few does and we are again down to our too small in-house testing and automated testing, which nobody wants to help us maintain. If its not maintained and developed, automated testing does not help. We need constant help from you and also deal with this problem on the level I am mentioning. Many many areas are only covered by one person and if that doesn't have time, whole system has to wait.

- few months ago we changed to completely reworked build framework. All support script and automation become deprecated over the night and we are still making new ones.

- repository management become deprecated, but we managed to setup a new one. But this new one is not matured, was not tested well enough and we keep finding problems. Before this is not fixed, we can't push out update.

- kernel headers are handling with armbian-config since we are providing headers per kernel family, not just per version. This adds another level of complexity and the tool itself, armbian-config is not maintained anymore as we are building new one, from scratch. We are re-starting refactoring of this critical tool now for the 3rd time. Just to remind you, there is no budget whatsoever, while hundreds of hours were already lost getting absolutely nowhere. Which is sadly completely normal part of software development - most project fails.

- kernel headers compiled for Ubuntu user-space might have troubles in Debian user space and vice versa. This problem is addressed, but only extensive testing will tell us if we manage to overcome this problem.

 

All this is possible only because we supports this project heavily. You are welcome to join and help us fight those problems.

 

Workaround to resolve a problem just for you - build an image with enabled headers or use previous major build, which headers and source install will work via armbian-config, as per design.

[chan]

Hello Igor. My distribution is debian bookworm.

So there is no way to build the kernel headers package separately? I searched a lot but found nothing about "6.1.30-rockchip64"

Is it possible to copy the files directly then compile?

The reason for everything is that I bought a new MT7921au wireless card, and I've confirmed compatibility before this. But when I plugged in my USB wireless card, I found that it doesn't work. I checked carefully and found that the system is missing the mt7921u module, but there are kernel modules (mt7921s and mt7921e) for the PCIe and SDIO interfaces of the MT7921 card. So I cloned the relevant source code with the intention of compiling one myself, but now I'm stuck with the kernel header files. Do you have any idea what caused the lack of the relevant kernel module? I've tested it on my 6.1.21-v8+ kernel version Raspberry Pi and everything works fine. (plugged in and ready to go)

Edited July 18, 2023 by chan

[Igor]

1 hour ago, chan said:

My distribution is debian bookworm.

 

... Armbian bookworm. Everything that is important is coming from Armbian. We keep relation to upstram release name because standard user land packages are coming unchanged from Debian. But they are assembled different as on stock Debian. Networking is ours, first install, installation, ... A lot more is changed then on most of Debian based distros.

 

1 hour ago, chan said:

So there is no way to build the kernel headers package separately?

There is a way. Build kernel, dtb and headers package with https://github.com/armbian/build and install to your image, reboot and then proceed as what was your original intention.

 

1 hour ago, chan said:

Do you have any idea what caused the lack of the relevant kernel module?

 

It looks like its just not enabled. When you will be compiling kernel, enable this
https://github.com/armbian/build/blob/main/config/kernel/linux-rockchip64-current.config#L3362

and perhaps that will be enough? You are welcome to send a PR to changes.

 

For externals - DKMS is nice as - we provide mechanism, you deal with the rest - bugs in the driver code that prevents compilation. We cover many https://github.com/armbian/build/blob/main/lib/functions/compilation/patch/drivers_network.sh but adding and maintaining represent serious commitment.

[Igor]

1 hour ago, chan said:

Do you have any idea what caused the lack of the relevant kernel module?

 

Another explanation. Every distro is maintaining their own kernel config. We (try to/have to) maintain 65 kernel configs ... and what you are asking is impossible to pay attention to. I have open a task https://armbian.atlassian.net/browse/AR-1803 but our capacity is pretty small and it takes 4 years on average that task is closed. To give you another perspective. And most of other Linux distros are just worse in this. They simply say - its upstream problem. 

[chan]

Thank you a lot !😃 I have turned on the kernel option switch and finished compiling.

20 hours ago, Igor said:

Build kernel, dtb and headers package with https://github.com/armbian/build and install to your image

Could you please tell me which package to install ?

Kernel and dtb only or newly built u-boot, bsp, tools and base-files is also required to install ? 

And what is the differences between 

armbian-bsp-cli-nanopi-r4s_23.08.0-trunk--1-PCc73b-Vcd00-H162a-B785e_arm64.deb

 

and

armbian-bsp-cli-nanopi-r4s-current_23.08.0-trunk--1-PCc73b-Vcd00-H162a-B785e_arm64.deb

I have already checked it, the second one requires newly built base-files (>= 23.08.0-trunk).