CONFIG_OVERLAY_FS missing from arm64 kernel 5.4ff about dentos

[buczek]

Yes, this is definitely a vision I have: All switches start from the same read-only file system every time. All individual configuration is provided from a central repository. The configuration should, of course, be cached on the switch to avoid delay and (more important) network dependencies during reboots. OverlayFS might be useful to guarantee that I don't have some unwanted and untracked "customization" on the writable rootfs of individual switches, which bites me when I replace broken units.

[sonoble]

As an end user, are you looking to use the SWI based dentOS?

[buczek]

Sorry, I'm not sure I understand "SWI based dentOS" in this context. I'm evaluating DentOS as a basis for our future switch infrastructure. Yes, of course, I want to build software images and install them via ONIE on our switches. So we already did with our test switches. I'm not aware of alternatives.

Regarding this issue: Currently, the doc directory in this repository is still just the one from ONL, which includes PersistWorkflow.md 1. So either DentOS wants to drop that feature, in which case PersistWorkflow.md and maybe the rest of the doc directory is a red herring which should be updated or removed, or DentOS wants to keep it, in which case the OVERLAY_FS should no be disabled.

So this issue is an about an assumed contradiction between the docs and the code in this repository.

[sonoble]

When you run in swi mode, you load the rootfs each time you boot. In this mode you might use a controller or ztp to push a configuration to the system. In installation mode, the system is persistent.

We can put overlayfs in, it's needed for docker.