[FFe] Build and release ubuntu desktop arm64 x13s image on cdimage.ubuntu.com

[Dimitri John Ledkov]

[FFe] Build and release ubuntu desktop arm64 x13s image on cdimage.ubuntu.com

PPA ~ubuntu-concept/x13s contains a kernel that supports all expected laptop/desktop features.

It boots, it has accelerated GPU, Wifi works, it has Bluetooth, Fingerprint scanner works, Touchscreen works, UEFI firmware variables work, one can open firefox and watch cat videos.

All firmware blobs are publically redistributable and have been contributed upstream by the hardware vendor.

Outstanding issues are cleaning up kernel patches and integrating them in generic kernel that hopefully can be completed next cycle.

There is no support yet for Secureboot or Camera. But work is in progress to get those things done as well.

Please enable building Ubuntu Concept image on the cdimage.ubuntu.com instance, and release it as part of the regular Ubuntu release cycle with .iso signed by the Ubuntu Cdimage key and downloadable from ubuntu.com

The following modifications will be required on livecd-rootfs:

* agree subarch name, proposed "x13s"
* enable ubuntu concept ppa
* install ubuntu-concept-x13s meta package
* use linux-laptop kernel flavour
* extract dtb from squashfs and tweak grub.cfg on the iso to load it by default

If there is agreement and guidance on the above, I can swiftly implement this, land, and test all builds.

There are over 4 people in the company with the required hardware, and a wider community of users that can also contribute to testing this image.

In 24.04 I hope that linux-laptop changes can all be upstreamed to the generic kernel, to release Ubuntu Desktop generic iso on arm64 targetting X13s & VM usage, plus any other generic arm64 server/desktop platforms.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

When discussing arm64 images I think I had mentioned before that I'm ok with daily images building from ppas, but not release images. To be a included as part of an Ubuntu release, we should be able to give users clear committments that it is "Ubuntu" with all that entails; and any blockers for building it out of the archive (whether support committments or otherwise) should also be blockers for it being a release image.

If the only blocker for this making it into the release pocket for 23.10 is Archive Admin capacity, I'm happy to help.

Anyway, with regards to feature freeze, there should be no problem here; granted.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

> * agree subarch name, proposed "x13s"

This is fine.

> * install ubuntu-concept-x13s meta package
[...]

> no signer
> * Auto build.

> -- Launchpad Package Builder <email address hidden> Thu, 21 Sep 2023 11:31:33 +0000

Interesting. So where does this come from? https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-concept/+archive/ubuntu/x13s points to https://code.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-concept/+recipe/ubuntu-concept-x13s which 404s.

> XB-Task: ubuntu-live, ubuntu-desktop, ubuntu-desktop-minimal

Oh please no. For one thing, we shouldn't need this anymore now that livecd-rootfs calls germinate directly. For another thing, 'ubuntu-live' is not a correct task name that appears anywhere in the archive. And thirdly, these packages shouldn't be injected into the platform-independent tasks.

> Package: ubuntu-concept-x13s

Immediately I notice this uses a completely different structure to what's used on raspberry pi. We should have a think about how to handle platform metapackages consistently in the archive.

Also I have no idea why 'concept' appears in the package name here, it appears to be a reference to the PPA name only and has nothing to do with the hardware platform branding.

[Juerg Haefliger (juergh)]

Links updated in the description.
The one you were looking for is:
https://code.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-concept/+recipe/ubuntu-concept-x13s-mantic

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package livecd-rootfs - 23.10.48

---------------
livecd-rootfs (23.10.48) mantic; urgency=medium

  [ Dimitri John Ledkov ]
  * Add support for x13s subarch. LP: #2037099.

 -- Steve Langasek <email address hidden> Wed, 27 Sep 2023 12:49:04 -0700