Support multiple `ARCH` being lists

[mobileskyfi]

Untested. But 7.16beta1 add the option to netinstall-cli so if multiple package architecture are provided, the right one will be selected.

This is helpful here since it mean the container does not have to be restarted for an architecture change. And there was support in the Makefile for this at some point (since I thought it did work before...)

Trickier since it's only in the beta channel right now. So what to do if VER_NETINSTALL is older than 7.16beta1...

Tracking for now... Need to test the underlying netinstall-cli works.

[clorichel]

Hey @mobileskyfi 👋 Great work on that repo, thanks for sharing 😍

For the record, just tried netinstall-cli 7.16 from a linux machine. Too bad the new options aren't documented anywhere but in the changelogs:

$ ./netinstall-cli 
Version: 7.16(2024-09-20 14:05:37)
No packages supplied
./netinstall-cli [-r] [-e] [-b] [-k <keyfile>] [-s <userscript>] {-i <interface> | -a <client-ip>} [PACKAGE]+
	-r  apply default configuration
	-e  apply empty configuration
	    -r and -e are mutually exclusive
	    by default existing configuration will be kept
	-b  remove branding
	-v  verbose mode

Trying to netinstall an arm (32 bits) MikroTik with the arm64 package didn't work, as expected:

$ sudo ./netinstall-cli -e -b -i enp1s0 -a 192.168.88.3 routeros-7.16-arm64.npk 
Version: 7.16(2024-09-20 14:05:37)
Will apply empty config
Will remove branding
Waiting for Link-UP on enp1s0
Waiting for RouterBOARD...
Can't Netinstall 18:FD:74:5A:0D:2E, please supply the arm system package
^C

But supplying multiple arch packages did work smoothly, the appropriate one was picked up automatically:

$ sudo ./netinstall-cli -e -b -i enp1s0 -a 192.168.88.3 routeros-7.16-arm64.npk  routeros-7.16-arm.npk
Version: 7.16(2024-09-20 14:05:37)
Will apply empty config
Will remove branding
Waiting for Link-UP on enp1s0
Waiting for RouterBOARD...
Assigned 192.168.88.3 to 18:FD:74:5A:0D:2E
Booting device 18:FD:74:5A:0D:2E into setup mode
Formatting device 18:FD:74:5A:0D:2E
Sending packages to device 18:FD:74:5A:0D:2E
Packages sent to device 18:FD:74:5A:0D:2E
Rebooting device 18:FD:74:5A:0D:2E
Successfully finished installing the device with MAC address 18:FD:74:5A:0D:2E
^C

For the sake of completeness, I reran it with -v:

$ sudo ./netinstall-cli -v -e -b -i enp1s0 -a 192.168.88.3 routeros-7.16-arm64.npk  routeros-7.16-arm.npk
Version: 7.16(2024-09-20 14:05:37)
Will apply empty config
Will remove branding
Waiting for Link-UP on enp1s0
Waiting for RouterBOARD...
Received a BOOTP request from 18:FD:74:5A:0D:2E (arm)
Assigned 192.168.88.3 to 18:FD:74:5A:0D:2E
Booting device 18:FD:74:5A:0D:2E into setup mode
Formatting device 18:FD:74:5A:0D:2E
Sending packages to device 18:FD:74:5A:0D:2E
Packages sent to device 18:FD:74:5A:0D:2E
Rebooting device 18:FD:74:5A:0D:2E
Successfully finished installing the device with MAC address 18:FD:74:5A:0D:2E
^C

So I'm guessing, starting with netinstall 7.16, we can simply make ARCH an ARCHLIST in the Makefile, for-loop the download and unzip, and just pass them all to the netinstall command for it to select the appropriate ones, can't we?

---

Also, be aware I left the ^C on purpose above, as I'm not sure it was netinstall behavior before, but I HAD TO hit CTRL+C to exit the process, which just wouldn't exit automatically after netinstalling a router (I'm guessing that's what *) netinstall-cli - added support for multiple device install; means in the changelog 🤷 ).

[mobileskyfi]

Great work on that repo, thanks for sharing 😍

For the record, just tried netinstall-cli 7.16 from a linux machine. Too bad the new options aren't documented anywhere but in the changelogs:

🤲 — thanks for testing of the new netinstall-cli options. That was going to be "step 1" here - confirming the 7.16 release note actually works

I'll take a look later this week at this.

Starting backwards on your comment... You report at Linux CLI with native netinstall-cli...

supplying multiple arch packages did work smoothly, the appropriate one was picked up automatically:

$ sudo ./netinstall-cli -e -b -i enp1s0 -a 192.168.88.3 routeros-7.16-arm64.npk  routeros-7.16-arm.npk
Successfully finished installing the device with MAC address 18:FD:74:5A:0D:2E

This was good to see — what I thought... but never really know until you, or someone else, tries.

So I'm guessing, starting with netinstall 7.16, we can simply make ARCH an ARCHLIST in the Makefile,

I think same ARCH just take a space-separated list. There is NETINSTALL_VER that can force 7.16, and newer netinstall can install older version. Default is to use current "stable" netinstall - so unless NETINSTALL_VER was set, it would not come up.

For those [rare] cases where NETINSTALL_VER < 7.16, goal be that with one ARCH, it work same even if Makefile supported multiple. Otherwise if multiple ARCH ... I think... netinstall-cli will produce an error and fail - which be okay IMO. i.e. Want to use an older netinstall version? Set only one ARCH

for-loop the download and unzip, and just pass them all to the netinstall command for it to select the appropriate ones, can't we?

On the nitty-gritty, it's the not the "for loop", in run: all (that likely works as is):

$(eval PKGS_FILES := $(shell for file in $(PKGS_FILES); do if [ -e "./$$file" ]; then echo "$$file"; fi; done))
rather it's the all: line in the Makefile:

all: routeros-$(VER)-$(ARCH).npk netinstall-cli-$(VER_NETINSTALL) all_packages-$(ARCH)-$(VER).zip
	@echo finished download ARCH=$(ARCH) VER=$(VER) PKGS=$(PKGS) PLATFORM=$(PLATFORM)

see... that one is the magic... and triggers all the "targets" (in make terms) — here the "targets" do file downloads/extract/etc instead of cc/etc. And it is the stuff after the all: like routeros-$(VER)-$(ARCH).npk that actually needs change. Each of those files in all with ARCH to become multiple targets if ARCH is list... currently it work since ARCH is a list of one. make can do this, but I need to lookup the syntax. Since it used to do this in early test version — before I found out netinstall-cli did not actually support multiple targets like the Window's netinstall does.

On this one,

Trying to netinstall an arm (32 bits) MikroTik with the arm64 package didn't work, as expected:

$ sudo ./netinstall-cli -e -b -i enp1s0 -a 192.168.88.3 routeros-7.16-arm64.npk 
  [...]
Can't Netinstall 18:FD:74:5A:0D:2E, please supply the arm system package

That's actually expected. The package does need to be routeros-7.16-arm.npk and CLI above shows -arm64

^C...

Also, be aware I left the ^C on purpose above, as I'm not sure it was netinstall behavior before, but I HAD TO hit CTRL+C to exit the process, which just wouldn't exit automatically after netinstalling a router.
I want to say this has changed between versions, serveral times. Some versions exit, some keep running – so I'm not sure what's right.

And the Makefile has the service target, that runs netinstall in a loop – so regardless if it exits, or not... it should get restarted if service target was used. In Dockerfile the default is "make service" to keep it running as /container.

[clorichel]

Cool! Thanks for your feedback 👌

Totally agree, ARCH could be single/multiple without anything breaking. An enhanced user experience would be an error message if ARCH is a list, but netinstall-cli version is < 7.16.

That should work: #5

Disclaimer: I'm on the move with no access to testing hardware for a few days, please do NOT merge until actually tested with netinstall > and < 7.16! 🤓

[clorichel]

Just tested that new #5 Makefile file on an arm64 RB5009UPr+S+ to provision and arm (32 bits) RBcAPGi-5acD2nD-XL, and it just worked fine 👌