PCduino3nano deprecated?

[udif]

After along time I downloaded a new armbian image, after doing apt update/upgrade for the last year or so.

I was quite surprised to see that the pcduino3nano is now deprecated, while other A20 boards are still supported.

What was the exact reason that the pcduino3nano was dropped from support?

 

If I keep using the deprecated OS, can I fully use apt update/upgrade for all user stuff?

What would happen to all kernel and u-boot update packages? Is the latest armbian for the pcduino3nano automatically disabling those updates, or do I need to do something manually?

*should* I block kernel & u-boot updates?

 

thanks,

Udi

 

Edited April 17, 2018 by udif

[tkaiser]

20 hours ago, udif said:

What was the exact reason that the pcduino3nano was dropped from support?

 

Armbian supporting way too many boards and download statistics telling that this is a device not that popular. End user support ended, we won't do any testing on the hardware but since u-boot and kernel packages are per board family and we most probably will never give up Allwinner A20 you're fully supported.

 

Just keep in mind that from time to time u-boot + kernel updates bricked some boards and that nothing is tested on the specific board so simply be careful with those updates (use armbian-config to block the updates and do an SD card backup first prior to updating from time to time).

[udif]

Thanks for the reply.

 

So you're saying this is not a specific technical in this particular A20 board, but simply rather an issue of popularity.

 

You're also mentioning that u-boot and kernel updates are delivered as an apt upgrade.

Given that, will simply installing the current deprecated version, and then accepting ALL upgrades, including u-boot and kernel, will effectively give me what a normal maintained board would have, at the cost of having to go through an apt upgrade process?

 

Ofcourse, your suggestion on sd-card backup and blocking automatic u-boot and kernel updates is important.
 

thanks,

Udi

 

[tkaiser]

3 hours ago, udif said:

Given that, will simply installing the current deprecated version, and then accepting ALL upgrades, including u-boot and kernel, will effectively give me what a normal maintained board would have

 

Exactly. And everyone has 'to go through an apt upgrade process' since this is the way u-boot and kernel are updated.

 

The current image is not deprecated but unmaintained (no testing, no further development) and unsupported (no support questions answered like yours now  )