lrrr

Using customize-image.sh to create an image.  Add to or replace script:
#!/bin/bash # remove new user prompt rm /root/.not_logged_in_yet # change to weak password echo "root:qwerty" | chpasswd If you are trying to do this from official images.  After writing image to sdcard, mount, chroot, and run above.  Or mount, remove .not_logged_in_yet, and manually create new password by using mkpasswd and insert into /etc/shadow.  For more info, check man pages for shadow, mkpasswd.
 
Edit: For official images; mount sdcard, create /boot/armbian_first_run.txt and copy code into the file.  It should exec them on first run.

Which patches are you using to enable sf command for SPI?  The mainline Allwinner A10 SPI driver does not work with sun8i.  The only driver I've found to work is this older fork.
fork: https://github.com/StephanvanSchaik/u-boot/tree/sunxi-spi
info: https://linux-sunxi.org/Bootable_SPI_flash#SPI_driver
 
It's been awhile since I've used an official armbian image.  IIRC besides kernel related files, it's just overlays, bootscripts, and dtbs.  Also, a couple of armbian related files that need to be kept if you want the armbian OS scripts to work (armbian-config, etc).

Is there an "official" way to install openwrt to spiflash?  About the only thing I've found for installing to spiflash, is this: https://github.com/hyphop/miZy.

Does dpkg-divert not work for some reason?
dpkg-divert --add /etc/default/cpufrequtils

Does dpkg-divert not work for some reason?
dpkg-divert --add /etc/default/cpufrequtils