[Bug 2061990] Re: Please RM armhf binaries

[Dave Jones]

Additional context:

flash-kernel has several methods of "flashing" boot artifacts
(bootloaders, kernel, initrd, etc.) on various boards. Flashing may
actually mean flashing EEPROM (typically done via some other utility, in
many cases mtd-utils -- mtd incidentally is "Memory Technology Device",
often EEPROM), or may simply mean file-system copies (as in the raspi
where most boot artifacts just sit on a FAT partition).

Hence, if mtd-utils fails the scenarios range from "everything still
works fine" all the way down to "bricked board". Given the potential
range of outcomes, that the tests (but only the tests) indicate
something is wrong, and that we have no other means of determining the
outcome, I would prefer an abundance of caution and to simply prevent
flashing in the first place.

Additional mitigation:

This only affects images that have deb-based boot artifacts like a
bootloader and kernel. Container images are not affected, nor are snap-
based images. After contacting hardware enablement, and certification we
can't find anyone actually producing an armhf image this cycle (for
noble) that contains such artifacts.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2061990

Title:
  Please RM armhf binaries

Status in mtd-utils package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  LP: #2060214 (FTBFS) was eventually resolved by disabling failing
  tests on armhf to enable migration. Unfortunately, mtd-utils is the
  facility used by flash-kernel (on several boards, as it's used in the
  "generic" method) to flash boot artifacts to their destination.

  Given that failure to flash these a successfully risks subsequent boot
  failure (of a nature that is particularly difficult to resolve on
  certain armhf boards), and given that we're now not certain that the
  mechanism will operate correctly on armhf, please remove mtd-utils
  (and its dependency, flash-kernel) from armhf in noble.

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