Recommended way to test offline updates

Technical Support
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Hi,
I want to evaluate the offline update mechanism (USB) on an Apalis iMX8 module. Although i did find some information on the website i am somehow still confused where to start. Toradex Easy Installer offers me three types of images: “Torizon OS”, “TorizonCore” and “Toradex Embedded Linux Reference”. Maybe i should mention that i do want to use the open source approach. I don’t want to register devices and or buy licenses per device or something. What would be the best way to go? And if Torizion OS is the choice, is there a way to install packages on the device like “opkg”?
Thanks in advance for your help!

iMX8QuadPlus Wifi/BT
Ixora carrier board

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Hi, I’m the Toradex AI Assistant. I’m in early beta, and I would appreciate your feedback.
The Toradex Support team will follow up with you shortly!

Hello,

I understand you’re looking to evaluate offline updates using USB on an Apalis iMX8 module and are considering which image type to use, focusing on an open-source approach without device registration or licensing fees.

For your requirements, Torizon OS would be the most suitable choice. Torizon OS is an open-source, easy-to-use industrial Linux platform that is part of the Torizon operating system. It is designed specifically for use in embedded systems and provides a robust foundation for applications that require reliability, ease of updates, and a modular approach. Since you’re interested in an open-source path without the need for registering devices or buying licenses, Torizon OS aligns well with your needs.

Torizon OS supports containerized applications, which means you can install and manage packages inside containers using the package manager of your choice, depending on the base image of the container (e.g., apt for Debian-based containers, opkg for OpenEmbedded-based containers, etc.). This approach provides flexibility in managing dependencies and packages for your application.

To perform an offline update with Torizon OS using a USB drive, you would typically download the Torizon OS image from the Toradex website, flash it onto the USB drive, and then use the Toradex Easy Installer in recovery mode to install the image onto your Apalis iMX8 module. The process involves booting the module into recovery mode, connecting the USB drive with the Torizon OS image, and following the prompts of the Toradex Easy Installer to complete the installation.

Remember, while Torizon OS itself does not require device registration or licensing fees for basic usage, certain features or services provided by Toradex or third parties might have their own terms and conditions.

Best regards,
Toradex AI Assistant

Please, also check if these links can help you solve your problem:

Flash a New Image Using Toradex Easy Installer | Toradex Developer Center.

How did you like my response?

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Greetings @qojote,

Let me try and help clear things up.

Toradex Easy Installer offers me three types of images: “Torizon OS”, “TorizonCore” and “Toradex Embedded Linux Reference”.

If you want to play with offline updates or our updates in general you want a Torizon-based image. TorizonCore is an older image based on our 5.X BSP version. Torizon OS is a newer version based on our 6.X BSP version. Either is capable of offline updates, but of course I would recommend you look at the newer version.

Maybe i should mention that i do want to use the open source approach.

All of our Linux images that we provide are open source and have no associated license cost. Using our cloud services however may incur a cost depending on your use-case, we can discuss this if you are unsure.

I don’t want to register devices and or buy licenses per device or something. What would be the best way to go?

Perhaps we should organize a call so we can clearly understand your requirements and what we can offer you. Would you prefer if I try and organize a call to clear this point up?

And if Torizion OS is the choice, is there a way to install packages on the device like “opkg”?

Torizon OS uses container technology. While the base OS itself does not feature a package manager you can run a Debian container (or another Linux distro if you prefer), that does have a package manager. More details on this here: Debian Containers for Torizon | Toradex Developer Center

Let me know if this helped or if you would like to organize a call with us to discuss these things in more depth.

Best Regards,
Jeremias

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Hi @jeremias.tx,

Thanks for your response. I already checked out the BSP 6.x.x to start building an image by myself. However the image recipes are still named like “torizon-core-*”.
I am looking for an offline update mechanism which either takes the new image from an USB drive or via a scp transfer to the system itself. The device itself will not have an internet connection. We did implement our own mechanism in the past but we would like to benefit from existing solutions. It would be nice if you organize a call to discuss my requirements in detail.
The container apporach is new to me. Can we use the BT/Wifi card in a container without any limitations?

BR

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However the image recipes are still named like “torizon-core-*”.

It’s just a naming difference. TorizonCore is what it was called in the past and Torizon OS is what it is called today. Some places like Yocto still refernce the old name because updating the name in code is a bit more complicated than just changing the branding in marketing.

I am looking for an offline update mechanism which either takes the new image from an USB drive or via a scp transfer to the system itself. The device itself will not have an internet connection. We did implement our own mechanism in the past but we would like to benefit from existing solutions. It would be nice if you organize a call to discuss my requirements in detail.

Our Torizon Cloud Services does provide an offline update option that does exactly what you want here. It allows secure and reliable offline updates via USB drive (or other removable media).

I can request a call to be organized to go over this topic in more detail with our team. But, to be clear most features of our Torizon Cloud Services are paid services in some way. Again though we can discuss this in more detail over a call to go over your concerns and requirements you may have regarding this point.

The container apporach is new to me. Can we use the BT/Wifi card in a container without any limitations?

Should be able to. Containers can make use of the host system’s networking stack so this shouldn’t be an issue. You can see other customers on our community here using WiFi and Bluetooth with Torizon OS. Though of course your exact use-case may need some testing, but at a basic level I don’t expect major issues.

Best Regards,
Jeremias

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Thanks for your help. I can confirm that Wifi and BT does work inside the container. I will clarify the update question with directly with the Toradex support/sales. BR

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Glad to have helped!