Hi. Finally have the time to get into this, and find the biggest problem i am having right now is conceptual.

 

• What is Softy?
• Why is it needed?
• Why is it better than installing from apt with a repository?
• How is its installed software managed, including updates?

 

Also, I understand that there is no uninstall feature. In which case, how do manage system recovery? Say I install docker and omv and I've set up other bits and pieces like wifi and ssh, then I mistakenly install desktop. I want to uninstall desktop... It looks like I need to bust back down to a clean image and start again. Do wiser heads have a good strategy to handle this?

 

This isn't criticism, its genuine puzzlement. (I cannot find documentation no matter how I search)

Hi,

 

I don't think there is much to it. Softy is a list of recommended applications for common use cases like media streaming, advertisement blocker etc. Softy includes installation routines for these applications. For some applications it is using apt and for others applications it has more custom installation routines. Some of the applications are in no apt repository (e.g. pi hole).

 

Just have a look what it does in detail:

https://github.com/armbian/config/blob/master/debian-software

 

Yes, I guess there is no uninstall feature. You can do some cleaning with apt if it is used I suppose.

 

6 hours ago, bad_img said:

Why is it better than installing from apt with a repository?

Not everything can be installed simple way and softy tries to fill that gap. 

 

6 hours ago, bad_img said:

How is its installed software managed, including updates?

Some yes, some not. This software install part is mainly my work, derived from my personal needs - various scripts to repeat certain complex installations. Today I would probably choose to base things on https://www.ansible.com/ and / or strictly to Docker deployments. But that would require at least one full time job ...

 

We receive very little help to our very limited resources which means we probably don't need this bad enough, while I hardly keep things maintained. If we want to move this to higher levels, serious help from community / industry is absolutely necessary. We are already doing the best we can.

10 hours ago, Helmut said:

Yes, I guess there is no uninstall feature.

Nope, there isn't in armbian-config. If anybody is up to the task to implement it you're welcome:https://github.com/armbian/config

Thankyou all, that's answered a lot of my questions.

 

A couple of simple, constructive suggestions:

• it would be really helpful to have notification of "no uninstall feature" right up front. It just helps to strategize how to use your images, SD cards and backups etc. (I think).
• the term "softy" doesn't come up in a search of the documentation, yet its right up top in Armbian configuration utility > Software. I confess I missed that completely. That's a problem if you pick up on softy by reading forum posts: "What the hell IS this thing everyone's talking about? Where IS it???" (italicized for a little bit of theatrics).

I guess the only thing left to do is apologise for not having the skills to contribute to any of this.

 

But also, thankyou. I'll be making a donation.

 

 

10 hours ago, bad_img said:

it would be really helpful to have notification of "no uninstall feature" right up front

Many things can be improved, but we are way too small to take and react on ideas. Realistically goes only this way:

• https://www.armbian.com/get-involved/
• https://docs.armbian.com/Process_Contribute/

 

10 hours ago, bad_img said:

the term "softy" doesn't come up in a search of the documentation

https://docs.armbian.com/User-Guide_Armbian-Config/

Not sure why it doesn't find it by the name. Probably because its named as softy. Bugs are also in the text