Package: flash-kernel
Version: 3.109+reform1
Severity: serious
Hi Vagrant,
sorry for another RC bug but had I not seen this message it would've rendered
my system unbootable. The summary is, that I installed a newer kernel, then
rebooted, then removed the old kernel. Had I not paid attention, my system
would've become unbootable because flash-kernel decided not to update my
/boot/boot.scr for the new kernel version. Here are some hopefully relevant
bits from my upgrade/reboot/removal process:
$ apt-cache policy linux-image-arm64
linux-image-arm64:
Installed: 6.12.19-1+reform20250322T135019Z
Candidate: 6.12.22-1+reform20250411T222458Z
Version table:
6.12.22-1+reform20250411T222458Z 990
990
https://source.mnt.re/reform/reform-debian-packages/-/jobs/8626/artifacts/raw/repo
reform/main arm64 Packages
6.12.22-1+reform20250411T055815Z 990
990 https://mntre.com/reform-debian-repo reform/main arm64 Packages
6.12.22-1 500
500 http://deb.debian.org/debian unstable/main arm64 Packages
6.12.21-1 500
500 http://deb.debian.org/debian testing/main arm64 Packages
*** 6.12.19-1+reform20250322T135019Z 100
100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
$ sudo apt full-upgrade
[...]
Removing linux-headers-6.12.16-mnt-reform-arm64
(6.12.16-1+reform20250219T175041Z) ...
Removing linux-image-6.12.16-mnt-reform-arm64
(6.12.16-1+reform20250219T175041Z) ...
/etc/kernel/prerm.d/dkms:
dkms: removing module reform2_lpc/1.68 for kernel 6.12.16-mnt-reform-arm64
(aarch64)
Module reform2_lpc/1.68 for kernel 6.12.16-mnt-reform-arm64 (aarch64):
Before uninstall, this module version was ACTIVE on this kernel.
Deleting /lib/modules/6.12.16-mnt-reform-arm64/updates/dkms/reform2_lpc.ko.xz
Running depmod... done.
/etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools:
update-initramfs: Deleting /boot/initrd.img-6.12.16-mnt-reform-arm64
/etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-flash-kernel:
Using DTB: amlogic/meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb
flash-kernel: Kernel 6.12.16-mnt-reform-arm64 has been removed.
flash-kernel: A higher version (6.12.19-mnt-reform-arm64) is still installed,
no reflashing required.
[...]
Setting up linux-image-6.12.22-mnt-reform-arm64
(6.12.22-1+reform20250411T222458Z) ...
I: /vmlinuz.old is now a symlink to boot/vmlinuz-6.12.19-mnt-reform-arm64
I: /initrd.img.old is now a symlink to boot/initrd.img-6.12.19-mnt-reform-arm64
I: /vmlinuz is now a symlink to boot/vmlinuz-6.12.22-mnt-reform-arm64
I: /initrd.img is now a symlink to boot/initrd.img-6.12.22-mnt-reform-arm64
/etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools:
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-6.12.22-mnt-reform-arm64
Using DTB: amlogic/meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb
Installing
/usr/lib/linux-image-6.12.22-mnt-reform-arm64/amlogic/meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb
into
/boot/dtbs/6.12.22-mnt-reform-arm64/amlogic/meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb
Installing new meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb.
Installing
/usr/lib/linux-image-6.12.22-mnt-reform-arm64/amlogic/meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb
into
/boot/dtbs/6.12.22-mnt-reform-arm64/amlogic/meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb
Taking backup of meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb.
Installing new meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb.
flash-kernel: deferring update (trigger activated)
/etc/kernel/postinst.d/zz-flash-kernel:
Using DTB: amlogic/meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb
Installing
/usr/lib/linux-image-6.12.22-mnt-reform-arm64/amlogic/meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb
into
/boot/dtbs/6.12.22-mnt-reform-arm64/amlogic/meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb
Taking backup of meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb.
Installing new meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb.
Installing
/usr/lib/linux-image-6.12.22-mnt-reform-arm64/amlogic/meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb
into
/boot/dtbs/6.12.22-mnt-reform-arm64/amlogic/meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb
Taking backup of meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb.
Installing new meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb.
flash-kernel: deferring update (trigger activated)
[...]
Setting up flash-kernel (3.109+reform1) ...
[...]
===========================================
REBOOT
===========================================
$ uname -a
Linux kodi 6.12.19-mnt-reform-arm64 #1 SMP Debian
6.12.19-1+reform20250322T135019Z (2025-03-22) aarch64 GNU/Linux
$ apt-cache policy linux-image-arm64
linux-image-arm64:
Installed: 6.12.22-1+reform20250411T222458Z
Candidate: 6.12.22-1+reform20250411T222458Z
Version table:
*** 6.12.22-1+reform20250411T222458Z 990
990
https://source.mnt.re/reform/reform-debian-packages/-/jobs/8626/artifacts/raw/repo
reform/main arm64 Packages
100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
6.12.22-1+reform20250411T055815Z 990
990 https://mntre.com/reform-debian-repo reform/main arm64 Packages
6.12.22-1 500
500 http://deb.debian.org/debian unstable/main arm64 Packages
6.12.21-1 500
500 http://deb.debian.org/debian testing/main arm64 Packages
$ dpkg -l | grep linux-image
ii linux-image-6.12.17-mnt-reform-arm64 6.12.17-1+reform20250303T085515Z
arm64 Linux 6.12 for 64-bit ARMv8 machines (MNT Reform)
ii linux-image-6.12.19-mnt-reform-arm64 6.12.19-1+reform20250322T135019Z
arm64 Linux 6.12 for 64-bit ARMv8 machines (MNT Reform)
ii linux-image-6.12.22-mnt-reform-arm64 6.12.22-1+reform20250411T222458Z
arm64 Linux 6.12 for 64-bit ARMv8 machines (MNT Reform)
ii linux-image-arm64 6.12.22-1+reform20250411T222458Z
arm64 Linux for 64-bit ARMv8 machines (MNT Reform) (meta-meta-package)
ii linux-image-mnt-reform-arm64 6.12.22-1+reform20250411T222458Z
arm64 Linux for 64-bit ARMv8 machines (MNT Reform) (meta-package)
$ sudo apt remove linux-image-6.12.19-mnt-reform-arm64
linux-headers-6.12.19-mnt-reform-arm64
[...]
/etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-flash-kernel:
Using DTB: amlogic/meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb
flash-kernel: Kernel 6.12.19-mnt-reform-arm64 has been removed.
flash-kernel: A higher version (6.12.22-mnt-reform-arm64) is still installed,
no reflashing required.
$ grep -a 6.12.19 /boot/boot.scr
setenv fk_kvers '6.12.19-mnt-reform-arm64'
$ sudo flash-kernel
Using DTB: amlogic/meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb
Installing
/usr/lib/linux-image-6.12.22-mnt-reform-arm64/amlogic/meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb
into
/boot/dtbs/6.12.22-mnt-reform-arm64/amlogic/meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb
Taking backup of meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb.
Installing new meson-g12b-bananapi-cm4-mnt-reform2.dtb.
flash-kernel: installing version 6.12.22-mnt-reform-arm64
Generating boot script u-boot image... done.
Taking backup of boot.scr.
Installing new boot.scr.
$ grep -a 6.12.22 /boot/boot.scr
setenv fk_kvers '6.12.22-mnt-reform-arm64'
Luckily, running flash-kernel manually fixed the issue. But had I not noticed
that /boot/boot.scr still contained a version of a kernel that I had just
removed, my system would've become unbootable.
This problem occurred with a patched flash-kernel but you know that we only
patch the machines file with more entries and do not patch the scripts:
https://source.mnt.re/reform/reform-debian-packages/-/blob/main/patches/flash-kernel
Thanks!
cheers, josch
