Hi, 

I would like to use Orange Pi Zero for home automation server.

I'm finding method to install os upgrades (and my own app upgrade too). I plan to have a lot of devices hundreds of kilometers from me, so I cannot break device over ssh or during update.

 

For example Ubuntu snappy core using two rootfs and user can rollback to previous version:

$ sudo snappy rollback ubuntu-core
Rolling back ubuntu-core: (edge 141 7f068cb4fa876c -> edge 140 184ad1e863e947)
Reboot to use the new ubuntu-core.
$ sudo reboot
$ ssh -p 8022 ubuntu@localhost
$ snappy versions -a
Part         Tag   Installed  Available  Fingerprint     Active
ubuntu-core  edge  140        141        184ad1e863e947  *
ubuntu-core  edge  141        -          7f068cb4fa876c  R
docker       edge  1.3.2.007  -          b1f2f85e77adab  *
owncloud     edge  7.0.3.008  -          81ebbbea41f48e  *
Reboot to use the new ubuntu-core.

Next question:

I'm using for long time Armbian on one of my Orange Pi Zero board. I upgrade (apt-get update; apt-get dist-upgrade) it about once per week.

After login I see:

Welcome to ARMBIAN 5.36 user-built Debian GNU/Linux 8 (jessie) 3.4.113-sun8i  

If I undestand it right, Armbian 5.36 is latest up to date. But kernel 3.4 is deprecated without security support.

I'm finding how to upgrade all system with kernel using apt (I need supported version of kernel). On many posts in forum people say something like: "better and easiest way is backup sd card, flash new armbian, install apps and restore data from backup". 
It is absolutelly unusable for me! I found bad, or there is no better upgrade process?

 

I downloaded stable image of Armbian for my Orange Pi Zero about year ago on https://www.armbian.com/orange-pi-zero/ it was debian-based image. Today on web is only ubuntu-based image. (But at https://dl.armbian.com/orangepizero/ is still possible to download both ubuntu and debian based distro - both versions are from the same day.)

How should I understand it? For new install now I could use ubuntu and no debian?
 

 

So my main three questions are:

1) How to upgrade system and kernel and all packages using apt?

2) Is possible to rollback system if system update fails (or I delete import files...) to last working state?

3) What I can use for new install? Debian, or Ubuntu based image? And my device with Debian image has problem? Do I need update to Ubuntu?

 

Thanks for help!

 

8 hours ago, tuxmartin said:

For example Ubuntu snappy core using two rootfs and user can rollback to previous version:

 

We are supporting Docker, on all our builds, which provides similar functionality and its not tied to Ubuntu ... you need a modern kernel for running it. Problems from our perspective are elsewhere - even u-boot and kernel upgrades are tested, they sometimes break in some weird ways.  Having two rootfs won't be of any help in such cases.

 

It is wise to freeze a system package upgrade when using boards in a production environment (from armbian-config) and conduct upgrades, after doing at least few tests with a similar setup.

 

8 hours ago, tuxmartin said:

How should I understand it? For new install now I could use ubuntu and no debian?

Before we had a stable Debian Stretch, Ubuntu Xenial base was a (much) better choice than Debian Jessie. It's a package base what matters and that has nothing much to do with Ubuntu / Canonical.

1. Kernel switching is possible to do with armbian-config or manual way. You need to remove old kernel packages and install new. Please refer to this page for proper naming: https://www.armbian.com/kernel/ If you are running some old build check if your /boot/boot.cmd looks similar to this.
2. Out of the box no.
3. Whatever. If there is not an image which you want to use, make your own: https://github.com/armbian/build

Remember that H3 mainline build is still somewhere in a testing stage. For most cases, it works fine, but some problems might be hidden. Do some testing before moving your production stuff to a new kernel.