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diff --git a/doc/android/ab.rst b/doc/android/ab.rst new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..961895c32e --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/android/ab.rst @@ -0,0 +1,72 @@ +.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0+ + +Android A/B updates +=================== + +Overview +-------- + +A/B system updates ensures modern approach for system update. This feature +allows one to use two sets (or more) of partitions referred to as slots +(normally slot A and slot B). The system runs from the current slot while the +partitions in the unused slot can be updated [1]_. + +A/B enablement +-------------- + +The A/B updates support can be activated by specifying next options in +your board configuration file:: + + CONFIG_ANDROID_AB=y + CONFIG_CMD_AB_SELECT=y + +The disk space on target device must be partitioned in a way so that each +partition which needs to be updated has two or more instances. The name of +each instance must be formed by adding suffixes: ``_a``, ``_b``, ``_c``, etc. +For example: ``boot_a``, ``boot_b``, ``system_a``, ``system_b``, ``vendor_a``, +``vendor_b``. + +As a result you can use ``ab_select`` command to ensure A/B boot process in your +boot script. This command analyzes and processes A/B metadata stored on a +special partition (e.g. ``misc``) and determines which slot should be used for +booting up. + +Command usage +------------- + +.. code-block:: none + + ab_select <slot_var_name> <interface> <dev[:part_number|#part_name]> + +for example:: + + => ab_select slot_name mmc 1:4 + +or:: + + => ab_select slot_name mmc 1#misc + +Result:: + + => printenv slot_name + slot_name=a + +Based on this slot information, the current boot partition should be defined, +and next kernel command line parameters should be generated: + +* ``androidboot.slot_suffix=`` +* ``root=`` + +For example:: + + androidboot.slot_suffix=_a root=/dev/mmcblk1p12 + +A/B metadata is organized according to AOSP reference [2]_. On the first system +start with A/B enabled, when ``misc`` partition doesn't contain required data, +the default A/B metadata will be created and written to ``misc`` partition. + +References +---------- + +.. [1] https://source.android.com/devices/tech/ota/ab +.. [2] https://android.googlesource.com/platform/bootable/recovery/+/refs/tags/android-10.0.0_r25/bootloader_message/include/bootloader_message/bootloader_message.h |