FOG kernels and inits moving to github

[Sebastian Roth]

Some time ago when the fogproject.org website was down for a few days we decided to move important things like kernels and inits to a pretty solid destination - github. We already started to move the official kernel releases to github some time ago posting those links in the forums here and there.

It’s getting time to get this done and I will post updates on this here in this topic.

As a first step I added redirects to the webserver config to redirect requests for development kernels and inits directly to github, e.g. https://fogproject.org/kernels/bzImage -> https://github.com/FOGProject/fos/releases/latest/download/bzImage

As the very latest development kernels on github are from the 5.15.x series already everyone running the dev-branch or working-1.6 installer (fresh install or update) will pull those new kernels.

The next step is to move kernel updating through the web UI to github as well. There is more work involved in this and it will take a bit more time. Stay tuned.

Comments, suggestions and help are welcome.

[Sebastian Roth]

Also added redirects for the inits and tested everything. So every install/update should now pull the files from github.

Put up a note on the FOG web UI kernel update page for everyone to spread the word:

[george1421]

@sebastian-roth I think this is a good move to change to a stabler download environment for FOG. The only trouble I see is that the github repo is not searchable if we need to get an older kernel for some reason. 99% of the time we are only looking for “the latest” but we have with certain problems had fog admins roll back to a previous kernel to see when the problem first started. We’ll just need to be mindful of the way things works moving forward.

[Sebastian Roth]

@george1421 said in FOG kernels and inits moving to github:

The only trouble I see is that the github repo is not searchable if we need to get an older kernel for some reason. 99% of the time we are only looking for “the latest” but we have with certain problems had fog admins roll back to a previous kernel to see when the problem first started. We’ll just need to be mindful of the way things works moving forward.

That is a good point. Thought about this as well. We’ll definitely make the FOG web UI to show all the kernel releases that are available on github - similar to what we currently have in the web UI. Currently there are two 4.19.x kernels, four 5.10.x kernels and one 5.15.x kernel. In the old location we had a bunch more. Either we’ll just leave those old ones there for at least a year or so (no trouble at all) or I can upload those binaries to github as well. While the later is more convenient for users it’s just some extra work (find and tag the correct commits) and we don’t know if it’s worth it. Maybe it’s easier to just keep those in the old location and add that information to the docs?

[Sebastian Roth]

I just pushed out a new dev-branch version that has the kernel update page fixed to pull the kernel list and files from github now.

[Wayne Workman]

I know this is an old thread, but we now have metrics on what kernels are being used out in the wild. It’s the external reporting page. Link in my signature. This should let us know if it’s worth it (or not) to find all those old commits and tag them.

[Sebastian Roth]

@Wayne-Workman I think I did that back then already but forgot to mention it in the forums. See https://github.com/FOGProject/fos/releases

The releases named like “Latest from xx.yy.zzzz” are developer versions, the latest always used by the dev-branch and working-1.6 installer. If you install a version like 1.5.10 or 1.5.9 it uses the specific tagged release version named “FOG 1.x.y kernels and inits”.

Within the FOG web UI you see all those kernels and can manually switch to whichever you like.

Good you are bringing this up again because it’s still only the kernels you can change through the FOG web UI kernel updater. Would it be good to add the same feature for the FOS inits I am wondering??

[Tom Elliott]

@Sebastian-Roth I disagree that the init’s would need a GUI Downloadable thing.

The FOS Inits should be relatively static and only swapped for feature/bug testing when necessary.

Kernels are constantly changing to add new hardware.

Majority of the time the Inits are built one off for some specific need. No where near the frequency of the kernels needing to be updated.

[Sebastian Roth]

@Tom-Elliott said in FOG kernels and inits moving to github:

Majority of the time the Inits are built one off for some specific need. No where near the frequency of the kernels needing to be updated.

I don’t think that’s true. We do bug fixes and add features to the inits way more often than once a year (when at least the buildroot update is to be done). Take a look at the last dozen or so fos repo commits.