[SRU] Jammy RISC-V nezha and licheerv (allwinner kernel) images failing to build

[Łukasz Zemczak]

[ Impact ]

The new allwinner kernel in jammy (20.04) no longer has the "-allwinner" flavour suffix, but "-generic". This results in flash-kernel failing to match the kernel when running (and f-k failing to run causes apt upgrade to fail). The "Kernel-Flavor:" field for all boards which are currently limited to "allwinner riscv64" should be changed to "any"; this matches the state in noble.

[ Test Plan ]

There are three entries in the f-k database which are affected:

* Allwinner D1 Nezha
* Sipeed Lichee RV
* Sipeed Lichee RV Dock

Ideally, a jammy image should be tested on each of these three boards as follows:

* Install jammy image
* Enable proposed (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed)
* sudo apt install -t jammy-proposed flash-kernel
* sudo apt update; sudo apt full-upgrade
* Upgrade should run successfully without apt dying during flash-kernel
* Verify freshly installed kernel is from the 6.5 series and is "-generic" flavour
* sudo reboot
* Check system reboots and is operational afterward

[ Regression Potential ]

Database changes in flash-kernel should only affect the listed boards, and the move to "any" makes the entry less restrictive which is generally a "safer" change. However if, for any reason, one of these boards has an unsupported kernel flavour with a later version installed, that will cause a regression as flash-kernel will now select that kernel for installation. This shouldn't be the case in any supported configuration, but is a possibility to be aware of.

[ Original Description ]

Since the beginning of the year, all jammy -allwinner kernel based images are failing to build, aka. the nezha and licheerv subarch ones. It looks like the problem is with the new allwinner kernel, now needing some changes to flash-kernel to properly handle it during DTB preparation.

[Dave Jones (waveform)]

Note to self, just in case you need to refer back to these:

Working build-log: https://launchpadlibrarian.net/706743201/buildlog_ubuntu_jammy_riscv64_licheerv_cpc_BUILDING.txt.gz

Failing build-log: https://launchpadlibrarian.net/714417851/buildlog_ubuntu_jammy_riscv64_licheerv_cpc_BUILDING.txt.gz

[Łukasz Zemczak (sil2100)]

Hello Łukasz, or anyone else affected,

Accepted flash-kernel into jammy-proposed. The package will build now and be available at https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/flash-kernel/3.104ubuntu19 in a few hours, and then in the -proposed repository.

Please help us by testing this new package. See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation on how to enable and use -proposed. Your feedback will aid us getting this update out to other Ubuntu users.

If this package fixes the bug for you, please add a comment to this bug, mentioning the version of the package you tested, what testing has been performed on the package and change the tag from verification-needed-jammy to verification-done-jammy. If it does not fix the bug for you, please add a comment stating that, and change the tag to verification-failed-jammy. In either case, without details of your testing we will not be able to proceed.

Further information regarding the verification process can be found at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/QATeam/PerformingSRUVerification . Thank you in advance for helping!

N.B. The updated package will be released to -updates after the bug(s) fixed by this package have been verified and the package has been in -proposed for a minimum of 7 days.

[Heinrich Schuchardt (xypron)]

We don't provide images for "Sipeed Lichee RV". There are only two boards to tests:

* Nezha D1
* Sipeed Lichee RV Dock

[Heinrich Schuchardt (xypron)]

On the Lichee RV Dock flash-kernel_3.104ubuntu19_riscv64 works fine with Linux 5.19.0-1015-allwinner.

[Heinrich Schuchardt (xypron)]

On the HiFive SiFive Unmatched flash-kernel_3.104ubuntu19_riscv64 works fine with Linux 6.5.0-17-generic #17.1.1~22.04.1-Ubuntu.

[Heinrich Schuchardt (xypron)]

On the Allwinner Nezha D1 flash-kernel_3.104ubuntu19_riscv64 works fine with Linux 5.19.0-1015-allwinner.

[Łukasz Zemczak (sil2100)]

Thank you for all the testing! I'll be releasing this early as it's a critical issue for .4.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package flash-kernel - 3.104ubuntu19

---------------
flash-kernel (3.104ubuntu19) jammy; urgency=medium

  * Use "any" kernel flavor for allwinner-based RISC-V boards, as the new
    kernel is a "-generic" flavor (LP: #2054304)

 -- Dave Jones <email address hidden> Mon, 19 Feb 2024 11:02:55 +0000

[Łukasz Zemczak (sil2100)]

The verification of the Stable Release Update for flash-kernel has completed successfully and the package is now being released to -updates. Subsequently, the Ubuntu Stable Release Updates Team is being unsubscribed and will not receive messages about this bug report. In the event that you encounter a regression using the package from -updates please report a new bug using ubuntu-bug and tag the bug report regression-update so we can easily find any regressions.