ConsolePi Versions Save

✨ Large update!!

The release of Raspberry Pi OS 12 (bookworm) included a change to use NetworkManager to manage the network. That broke all network based automations (PushBullet notifications of IP change, cloud sync after IP change, Automatic VPN, Auto fallback to hotspot, ZTP (fallback to static wired w/ DHCP))

Here is a summary of what's in this release:

✨ Restore all network based automations. ✨ Various improvements in network automation/dispatcher script. ✨ Dynamically determine interface names throughout. (primarily of benefit for non rpi systems) ✨ Various installer improvements. 🐛 Fix optional utilities part of installer / consolepi-extras . Specifically speed-test (already merged) and ansible/ansible collections. ✨ Change method of installing ansible, new method provides more recent version of ansible. ➖ Strip requirements.txt to only direct dependencies ✨ handle deletion of ser2net.conf file after consolepi daemons have started (typically in favor of ser2net.yaml) ✨ Add proc_ids to identify rpi 5 ✨ Improve logic that determines if speed-test should be hidden in utilities/consolepi-extras menu. speedtest is hidden for platforms it doesn't make sense on, i.e. everything prior to rpi4 when the eth NIC would be the limitting factor in any speedtest

✨ Improve consolepi-btconnect Now shows "not found error" when device isn't found and has --list and --help command line options. 🧑‍💻 Add --no-user option to consolepi-installer primarily to speed repeated testing during development. ✨ Add --branch option to installer (to install from a branch other than master) ✨ Various improvements to consolepi-image ✨ Deprecate/remove ConsolePi_cleanup sysv script, and deploy consolepi-cleanup systemd (consistency) ✨ Updated consolepi-autohotspt to work with NetworkManager (now works with both legacy or bookworm+ installed

:bookmark: v2024-2.1 Installer v71

• 🐛 Fix Speedtest install accommodate upstream changes.
• ✨ Update speedtest so it appears as an option for CM4 and Pi5 (and beyond)
• 🐛 Fix/Update aruba ansible collections install.
• ✨ Update method used to install ansible

Releases are just archived milestone releases the current master branch should be used for new installs

• :sparkles: Add full support for ser2netv4 add/change/rename via rename(rn) option in the menu, and the consolepi-addconsole.
• :sparkles: Add consolepi-convert command, which will parse an existing ser2netv3 config (/etc/ser2net.conf) and create/update a ser2netv4 config (/etc/ser2net.yaml)
• :zap: Convert remote ConsolePi updates to async (they were already using threading)
• :zap: Convert remote ConsolePi updates to async (they were already using threading)
• :loud_sound: Update Spinner with the name of the remote as reachability is being check for remote ConsolePis. Make failures persistent (spinner shows what failed and continues one line down.)
• The various consolepi-services that run as daemons (for remote discovery) now display a descriptive process name (i.e. when running top and the like) vs generically python3
• :construction: (Requires manual setup for now see issue #119) Add ability to ssh directly to an adapter specifying adapter by name
  • i.e. ssh -t <consolepi address> -p 2202 <device name>
  • real example ssh -t consolepi4 -p 2202 r1-8360-TOP will connect to the defined udev alias /dev/r1-8360-TOP connected to remote ConsolePi ConsolePi4 (you could use ip vs hostname)

  The examples uses a predictable device name (r1-8360-TOP) vs. the default /dev/ttyUSB# Use consolepi-addconsole or the rename(rn) option in consolepi-menu to discover and apply predictable names to connected serial adapters.

  • This feature retains power-control, so if r1-8360-TOP has an outlet linked to it, connecting to the device will automatically verify the outlet is on, and turn it on if not. See Power Control Setup for more details.
  • This is a work in progress. The sshd config still needs to be automated but can be manually created. Just place the following in a new file /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/consolepi.conf and restart ssh systemctl restart ssh

  Port 22
  Port 2202
  AddressFamily any
  ListenAddress 0.0.0.0
  
  Match LocalPort 2202
      ForceCommand /etc/ConsolePi/src/remote_launcher.py $SSH_ORIGINAL_COMMAND
  

  • In future release additional flags will be passed on to picocom i.e. ssh -t <consolepi address> -p 2202 <device name> [any flags picocom supports]
  • :bangbang: The -t option is crucial, otherwise there is no tty which causes strange behavior in the terminal (tab completion via the connected device among other things break). Will research if there is a way to attach it on the server side.

Releases are just archived milestone releases the current master branch should be used for new installs

Menu Paging Release

ConsolePi ZTP Installer & Image Creator Improvements

Most Significant Change is addition of support for espHome flashed outlets Added Support for local UARTs. The Pi4 actually has 6 UARTs (5 are useable), ConsolePi now supports those onboard UARTS (they will show in the menu). See the Local UART support (GPIO) section for details. Fixed minor issue with keyboard update to US when regulatory domain for hotspot for WLAN is set to US, issue was if user opted to not enable AutoHotSpot (a new option in last release), reg domain wasn't used but was defaulted to US. Fixed Show/Hide Linked devices toggle in Power Menu for dli and espHome. Now correctly displays just what is linked to that specific port (was showing all linked to any port on that dli/espHome device). Also fixed display of locally defined hosts (TELNET/SSH hosts defined in ConsolePi.yaml), so they appear if linked as well. Enhanced the Show/Hide Linked devices toggle to show any adapters defined, vs. previously only showing if the adapter was actually connected. If your terminal client is configured to honor ASCII coloring linked adapters that are disconnected will appear in red (Only applies to adapters, connevtivity is not verified for TELNET/SSH hosts configured in ConsolePi.yaml). Fixed issue with rename function for adapters that don't present a serial #

Lots of other minor fixes and tweaks

This is the final release with support for Rasbian stretch (Python versions prior to 3.6)

Releases beyond this will require Python 3.6 or greater.

Suggest Imaging a ConsolePi with Buster the newer release has numerous improvements.

The installer script will still reach out and pull the current Master. No reason to install a particular release, however it's possible by specifying the tag via git, (may have to tweak the install script, as well re it's interaction with git, not sure)