Re: NetBSD on embedded devices

[Brett Lymn <blymn%internode.on.net@localhost>]

On Sun, Jun 04, 2017 at 01:25:14PM -0400, Thor Lancelot Simon wrote:
> On Mon, May 15, 2017 at 02:37:17PM +0300, Jukka Marin wrote:
> > 
> > I'm wondering what would be the best way of system updates.  I would
> > like to have two separate system images, one that is active and running
> > and another which can be updated.  At boot time, the system would have
> > to check which image to boot from.  (Or maybe I could use chroot or
> > some such to select the image to use.. or just mount one or the other..
> > or use a virtual machine or.. ;-)
> 
> You're describing a fairly basic dual-image embedded setup.  Several
> of us have done this with NetBSD over the years but, sad to say, I
> think the results belong to each of our former employers.
> 

It wasn't specifically targeted at embedded machines but there was a
Google Summer of Code project that did allow you to update an non-active
image and, I think, boot from it.  I can dig out the details if anyone
is interested.  Also, this feature is in Solaris, it used to be called
"live upgrade" but I think they changed it to be Alternate Boot
environment - searching for live upgrade can be confusing as a lot of
hits will talk about upgrading solaris but live upgrade can also  be
used for patching the operating system.

-- 
Brett Lymn
Let go, or be dragged - Zen proverb.