encrypted Root disk - be careful with upgrading kernel

[bushw]

!!! Warning !!!: Think twice before you upgrade kernel on your PineBook Pro.

After years unfortunately I decided to unlock upgrades Armbian Kernels and upgraded kernel to the newest one (current) - 5.15.93.

After reboot Armbian couldn't find my encrypted root disk and booting ended every time in (initramfs).

I installed again kernel 5.10.60 #21.08.1 and Armbian finds my encrypted disk again. Of course still there is no information that I have to enter the password to unlock disk but only black screen. Happily I know that I have to enter the password when the screen is black.

Every upgrade of Armbian is connected with a dose of stress that I'll have to fix my computer. I thought that every following kernel should fix errors not create them.

[Igor]

On 1/10/2024 at 11:26 AM, bushw said:

Every upgrade of Armbian

 

Also on 1st class hardware it does not go without issues:
https://www.google.com/search?q=why+kernel+upgrades+breaks+features

On trash ultra cheap and forgotten hardware, where Armbian is trying to make a difference, breakage % is significantly bigger.

 

On 1/10/2024 at 11:26 AM, bushw said:

I thought that every following kernel should fix errors not create them.

 

Every kernel, that is work of thousands of people (some forget to test changes), breaks features even we invest tens of thousands of hours into stabilizing it. There is virtually no support from industry and no support from end users, but we still managed to build automated monitor for upgrades on many boards in automated way: https://github.com/armbian/os?tab=readme-ov-file#latest-smoke-tests-results Sadly, we don't test Pinebook, not complex functions as this and not all possible upgrades. Expanding testing to that and patching would cost additional few millions which is simply not possible to secure from this. In past year, nobody applied to serve as test engineer to develop this further. Other Linux distributions are far far away even from this.

 

On 1/10/2024 at 11:26 AM, bushw said:

Every upgrade of Armbian is connected with a dose of stress

 

Install Armbian on a desktop PC.