Change snapshot management

As mentioned in previous posts, one of the menu items in the initrd is to bootup a different snapshot than the default. It is item-6:

QV is unique in that each snapshot is the complete filesystem, everything under "/", not just a folder such as "/home" as other distros implement snapshots.

So, each snapshot is a complete and self-contained installation of QV. An older snapshot may work with a particular kernel version, and you might have to be careful with booting that snapshot with a later kernel. The kernel version that have been used with a particular snapshot are found in /boot, for example /boot/vmlinuz-6.6.68

If I have upgraded to kernel 6.12.32 in the default snapshot, then want to bootup the older one that is only tested with kernel 6.6.68, then we need to be able to manage this. For example, you might decide to test it with the 6.12.32, but if not happy then you will want to revert to 6.6.68.

If you choose to update the kernel, /usr/lib/modules will also need updating, as will /usr/lib/firmware

Or, you might choose to bootup the older snapshot, but switch back to the kernel that you know works.

If have booted with the default kernel, then choose a snapshot that has only used an older kernel, and you choose to switch to the older kernel, then 'kexec' is required.

If the kernel version in a snapshot is changed a lot, which may happen over time, proliferation of old versions and old folders in /usr/lib/modules, needs to be curtailed.

I had a coding marathon last night and today, and all of this has been implemented. Not yet tested. Here are the changes to the 'init' script in the initrd:

https://github.com/bkauler/woof-quantum-vis/commit/18b418fa1439c7e1362c753648d8f03eb9ca5295

Updated translations:

https://github.com/bkauler/woof-quantum-vis/commit/1f7f52149a02f29c1d9da903411e9abef1459cd7

This enhanced snapshot-change management not yet tested!   

Tags: quirky