status of armbian-configng?

[jimg]

The "create access point" utility in `armbian-config` has several bugs that prevent it from working, due to changes in the default installation since it was written:

 

- hostapd does not install a default configuration file at `/etc/hostapd.conf`
- hostapd is installed masked by default
- dnsmasq fails to start because systemd-resolvd launches first as the default DNS resolver

 

I can write patches to fix this utility, but I'm wondering if it will ultimately be worth it.  I noticed this access point utility doesn't exist in the `armbian-configng` repository.  Is that because Armbian is dropping this utility, or no one has gotten around to it yet?  (There's not even a placeholder for it.)  What's the status of `armbian-configng` anyhow?  Will it eventually replace `armbian-config`?

[Igor]

On 6/3/2024 at 12:53 PM, jimg said:

or no one has gotten around to it yet?

 

This. I think the shell / concept is done and adding this should already be possible, but from scratch. We try to get rid of that old spaghetti code that is in old armbian-config.

 

On 6/3/2024 at 12:53 PM, jimg said:

What's the status of `armbian-configng` anyhow? 

 

I am not very up 2 date on what is going on there. @Tearran and @schwar3kat are trying hard to push it further and perhaps they can give you some hints how to add this section. 

 

On 6/3/2024 at 12:53 PM, jimg said:

Will it eventually replace `armbian-config`?

Yes. That the idea.

[Tearran]

sorry for the delay this stumped me.

Quote

 or no one has gotten around to it yet?  

Simply put, Hotspot does not show on all devices. Well mine at least   .Thanks for bringing this to light. 

 

Quote

This. I think the shell / concept is done and adding this should already be possible, but from scratch. We try to get rid of that old spaghetti code that is in old armbian-config.

Started something to act at the least a placeholder helper function. https://github.com/armbian/configng/blob/hotspot/lib/armbian-configng/config.ng.network.sh#L122 corasponding job https://github.com/armbian/configng/blob/hotspot/lib/armbian-configng/config.ng.jobs.json#L195 the default condition is hidden. As mentioned hotspot is not available to all devices. Runtime condition checks would be needed to show on compatible devices. 

 

Quote

I can write patches to fix this utility, but I'm wondering if it will ultimately be worth it.

 

can not say, I can only say @jimg any further insights you provided will be welcomed.  
 

[Igor]

On 6/3/2024 at 12:53 PM, jimg said:

The "create access point" utility in `armbian-config` has several bugs that prevent it from working

Have you got chance to try new variant? This part was completely rewritten (works for me), but bugs are possible. And room for improvements too.

[jimg]

No, I haven't yet. Thanks for letting me know. I'll try it out soon and report what I find.

[laibsch]

as a step in the right direction, there is some work being done to get dnsmasq to install and work properly.

[izzo]

HC4 kernel and headers version dont match. Does not install ZFS.

[Igor]

13 minutes ago, izzo said:

HC4 kernel and headers version dont match

Did you ran apt update + upgrade + reboot before ?

 

Edit: we might add warning if installed and running kernel version differs. I ran into this problem myself.

[Igor]

What's new in armbian-config desktops

Pick how much desktop you want — at install time and after
Three tiers (minimal / mid / full) instead of one monolithic install. Minimal = DE + display manager + a terminal (~500 MB). Mid adds a browser and everyday apps (~1 GB). Full adds office + creative tools (~2.5 GB). And you can move between tiers later — armbian-config knows the delta and only adds or removes what changed, no reinstall.

Clean uninstall, every time
Every install records a manifest of exactly which packages it added. Removal undoes only those — packages that were already on the system before you installed the desktop stay put. No more "I uninstalled XFCE and lost half my system."

One YAML per desktop, no per-distro hacks
Each DE is a single declarative file in tools/modules/desktops/yaml/. Adding or maintaining a desktop no longer means editing scripts; you describe what you want and the engine figures out releases, arches, browsers, and overrides. Adding a new desktop is a YAML edit and a parser smoke test, not a hunt through bash.

Same desktop, every supported distro and arch
Per-release and per-arch overrides handle the awkward edges: missing packages on armhf, the riscv64 ports that lag behind, the package that got renamed in Ubuntu noble. Same YAML works on Debian bookworm/trixie and Ubuntu noble across amd64 / arm64 / armhf / riscv64.

Smart browser selection
The literal token browser resolves to the right package per platform automatically — Chromium where it exists, Epiphany on platforms where Chromium is broken, Firefox-ESR on Debian riscv64. No more bug reports about "Chromium won't install on RISC-V."

Custom vendor archives, done right
Optional repo: block per DE with full support for: signed-by GPG keyring (no apt-key), per-release suite paths (e.g. SpacemiT's per-snapshot bianbu archive), multi-suite fan-out (one archive, six deb lines for security/updates/customization channels), wider component lists than main, and APT pin preferences in the same place. Removed cleanly on uninstall.

Auto-login that doesn't trash your config
Enable / disable autologin for gdm3, sddm, or lightdm via in-place sed edits — your WaylandEnable=false and other customizations stay intact. Branches on ID=ubuntu from /etc/os-release, so it writes to the right file (Debian's daemon.conf vs Ubuntu's custom.conf) without guessing from the codename.

A weekly AI driven self-audit catches drift
A scheduled workflow scans the YAML matrix against armbian/build's supported releases and the live Debian/Ubuntu archives — flags releases not yet covered, flags packages that no longer exist upstream — then opens a draft PR with proposed YAML fixes. Dead packages and missing releases stop accumulating silently.

 

armbian-config --api module_desktops

 

User documentation:

https://docs.armbian.com/User-Guide_Armbian-Config/System/#desktop