For those using the packages already, this is an update which brings the packaging back into line with current master (i.e. development deployments, ahead of current production deployments / release branch).

https://wiki.linaro.org/Platform/LAVA/LAVA_packaging

lava-server | 2014.03.25.12.25-1 | sid | armhf, arm64, amd64, i386, source

lava-dispatcher | 2014.03.25.10-1 | sid | armhf, arm64, amd64, i386, source

LAVA is migrating to packaged deployments instead of using lava-deployment-tool and the work is progressing as a pair of shared branches on git.linaro.org which then build Debian packages hosted on people.linaro.org.

LAVA has been operational on ARMv7 platforms like the arndale for a little while already, although SATA or eMMC is recommended rather than SD. A full LAVA install should be expected to need 20G for short term usage, rising according to the number of devices and the number of tests / log files. Tyler has been using this ARM support to regularly update www.armv7.com with the packages, so that users can view the changes without needing to install.

The packages are built for Debian unstable and include a migration to django1.6 from the django1.4 used in current deployments. Also, the frontend is being migrated to bootstrap.css for improved usage on mobile devices and a simpler design overall. Other deprecated code has been dropped as a result of the migration to django1.6.

The packages are not a direct upgrade for existing instances at this time, not least because the base distribution needs to be Debian unstable currently.

Dependencies like json-schema-validator, django-testproject and others are being added to Debian (and will migrate into Ubuntu Utopic Unicorn 14.10 when the Ubuntu merge process restarts after the Trusty Tahr release). Some testing has been done using the Debian packages on Ubuntu Trusty Tahr 14.04LTS but the final packages will need backports of a range of dependencies to Trusty if users want to remain on a Ubuntu LTS base. The next Debian stable release - Jessie - will have all the necessary support for LAVA and Debian Jessie is expected to be the new base distribution for production LAVA deployments, rolling on to the next Debian testing at some point after the Jessie release.

There are still issues to fix in the packaged branches, principally completion of the bootstrap.css port and javascript updates. Updates to lava-server and lava-dispatcher master branches are being cherry-picked into the packaging branch alongside these fixes.

The packages support configuring lava-server as a remote worker but note that this does, as with current lava-deployment-tool instances, involve having all of LAVA installed on remote workers. This is an upstream issue within LAVA and there are plans to fix this and let remote workers only need lava-dispatcher installed, without the rest of django or postgresql.

The packages have been operating properly and running limited LAVA tests on developer boxes within the LAVA team for some months but are only now getting wider testing. If you are interested in the new packaging approach, feel free to install a new instance using Debian unstable.

To install the packages, add the apt source and emdebian-archive-keyring package as specified in the wiki. It is recommended to always install postgresql before starting the install of lava-server. If you already have the Linaro Tools PPA in your apt sources, you may want to install the top level 'lava' package to get all of the environment. (Note: if you don't have the 'devscripts' package installed already, install just 'devscripts' with the --no-install-recommends option first.) The main package to install is lava-server which will also bring in lava-dispatcher and lava-tool. If using a virtual machine, remember to setup bridging or install openvswitch-switch (and modprobe the openvswitch module) outside the VM to be able to interact with LAVA from outside the VM.

If you are interested in running LAVA on other distributions, like Fedora, then please use the packaging branches of lava-dispatcher and lava-server and note the dependency requirements outlined on the wiki page:

https://wiki.linaro.org/Platform/LAVA/LAVA_packaging

The Debian packaging for LAVA is maintained at www.github.com/Linaro

The packaging branch is still in development and package dependencies are likely to change, as described on the wiki. An official download of the tarballs for packaging will be made available once the packages are ready for production deployments and the migration of existing instances has had more testing.

Packages are updated manually at the moment (due to the need for cherry picking updates) but tools are included to rebuild the packages from the packaging branch.