Adding inotify-tools to custom torizoncore-image

Technical Support
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1

Hello,

I was wondering if there was a way to include a package like inotify-tools during a custom image build with the torizoncore base image? I am using the 5.7.0 long term release of torizoncore as the base image on an apalis-imx8. I use the torizoncore-builder tool to create the custom image.

Thanks, Mike

2

Greetings @MikeHA,

Before I dive deeper into your request I have a question. What is your use-case/purpose for requesting inotify-tools?

Also do you intend to move to TorizonCore 6.X? You said you’re on the 5.7 LTS, which would be problematic in terms of adding inotify-tools. Since this is a LTS release then by our own definition we do not add any new features or anything to an LTS release, just bug fixes.

Best Regards,
Jeremias

3

Hi Jeremias,

We are going to be using this as a work-around to be able to shut-off the host board from one of our docker containers.

We will be writing a string to a file on the host board and when that is detected by a script using inotifywait it will shutdown the host board.

There might be a better way to do this but I had trouble finding alternatives to shutdown the board via a container without adding a lot of sensitive files as volumes on the container.

Best, Mike

4

I think I understand now. So your ultimate goal here is to be able to initiate a shutdown from your container. However, you don’t want to give the container access to the usual “sensitive” files required to do a shutdown. I assume you’re avoiding this for security reasons correct?

As an alternative, you then came up with this method here where instead you write to a sentinel file of sorts that is shared between the host and container. You then plan to use inotify-tools to trigger off this sentinel file to then initiate the shutdown. Did I understand everything right?

So if you had a way to shutdown the board from the container without adding sensitive files that would fulfill your goal as well too right? Not that I’m saying we’re against possibly adding inotify-tools to our image, I just want to keep the options open.

Also back to the possibility of adding inotify-tools. You didn’t answer my previous question on whether you’d be willing to go to TorizonCore 6.X or not.

Best Regards,
Jeremias

5

Hi Jeremias,

After looking into this a bit more. I have found an alternative option for shutting down the host not requiring inotify-tools. I am going to use systemd as a watchdog to detect changes on the file and then execute a script.

Thanks, Mike

6

Glad you were able to come up with an alternative solution.

Best Regards,
Jeremias