Trouble with opkg package manager in Angstrom embedded linux on Colibri module ARM v7 processor

Question

I am working on a Colibri module having Angstrom linux installed in it! The processor is ARM v7. I am having trouble updating the softwares installed in the system.

Whenever I tried the command opkg update, I'd get a bunch of errors. Probably, it seems that the support from Angstrom project has been withdrawn as it gives 404 content not found error.

The error message is:

$ opkg update
Downloading http://feeds.angstrom-distribution.org/feeds/v2014.06/ipk/eglibc/armv7ahf-vfp-neon/base/Packages.gz.
wget: server returned error: HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found
Downloading http://feeds.angstrom-distribution.org/feeds/v2014.06/ipk/eglibc/armv7ahf-vfp-neon/debug/Packages.gz.
wget: server returned error: HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found
Downloading http://feeds.angstrom-distribution.org/feeds/v2014.06/ipk/eglibc/armv7ahf-vfp-neon/gstreamer/Packages.gz.
wget: server returned error: HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found
Downloading http://feeds.angstrom-distribution.org/feeds/v2014.06/ipk/eglibc/all/Packages.gz.
Inflating http://feeds.angstrom-distribution.org/feeds/v2014.06/ipk/eglibc/all/Packages.gz.
Updated list of available packages in /var/lib/opkg/lists/no-arch.
Downloading http://feeds.angstrom-distribution.org/feeds/v2014.06/ipk/eglibc/armv7ahf-vfp-neon/perl/Packages.gz.
wget: server returned error: HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found
Downloading http://feeds.angstrom-distribution.org/feeds/v2014.06/ipk/eglibc/armv7ahf-vfp-neon/python/Packages.gz.
wget: server returned error: HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found
Collected errors:
* opkg_download: Failed to download http://feeds.angstrom-distribution.org/feeds/v2014.06/ipk/eglibc/armv7ahf-vfp-neon/base/Packages.gz, wget returned 1.
* opkg_download: Failed to download http://feeds.angstrom-distribution.org/feeds/v2014.06/ipk/eglibc/armv7ahf-vfp-neon/debug/Packages.gz, wget returned 1.
* opkg_download: Failed to download http://feeds.angstrom-distribution.org/feeds/v2014.06/ipk/eglibc/armv7ahf-vfp-neon/gstreamer/Packages.gz, wget returned 1.
* opkg_download: Failed to download http://feeds.angstrom-distribution.org/feeds/v2014.06/ipk/eglibc/armv7ahf-vfp-neon/perl/Packages.gz, wget returned 1.
* opkg_download: Failed to download http://feeds.angstrom-distribution.org/feeds/v2014.06/ipk/eglibc/armv7ahf-vfp-neon/python/Packages.gz, wget returned 1.
404 Not Found
feeds.angstrom-distribution.org

Also, I tried installing package gcc by using the command opkg install gcc, but the same result. Again, surprisingly, the error message is unbelievable...

$ opkg install gcc
Unknown package 'gcc'.
Collected errors:
* opkg_install_cmd: Cannot install package gcc.

I have no idea as to how to resolve this error as it is completely surprising. Also, it is of immense importance as I have to complete it within 2 days of installing gcc and running C programs...

Answer 1

Sorry I just saw your question now, and I had to deal with the same issue on Apalis T30. Toradex is quite helpful if you ask them questions, but I found the solution myself in their release notes.

Newer images of Toradex builds for Apalis and Colibri have an issue with the Angstrom package feeds. (V2.3 Beta1+ is my understanding). You will need to manually change some files in the /etc/opkg/*.conf to make it work. Search for armv7ahf-vfp-neon and replace them with armv7at2hf-vfp-neon. From Toradex's release notes file Colibri_T30_LinuxReleaseNotesV2.x.txt:

• The Angstrom-Distribution since switched to using ARM Thumb2 instruction set. To use their binary feeds e.g. using the opkg package manager please change in /etc/opkg/base-feed.conf et. al. armv7ahf-vfp-neon to armv7at2hf-vfp-neon. We consider switching in our next release.

On Apalis T30 I had to change 5-6 .conf files to make it work.