start_devserver command does not work in chroot

[Armaan Singh]

When I build chromiumos, enter the chroot and run `start_devserver` I get "command not found". After searching around I was able to find the file and run it through "python devserver.py" while inside the chroot. Is this the correct way to run it? Also, the documentation that is on the devserver seems to be outdated as some options the documentation says there is, are not found. Is there any updated documentation?

[Mike Frysinger]

what is it you're trying to do?  devserver should basically not be run anymore by devs.

-mike

On Tue, May 6, 2025 at 12:29 AM Armaan Singh <armaan.s...@k12.friscoisd.org> wrote:

When I build chromiumos, enter the chroot and run `start_devserver` I get "command not found". After searching around I was able to find the file and run it through "python devserver.py" while inside the chroot. Is this the correct way to run it? Also, the documentation that is on the devserver seems to be outdated as some options the documentation says there is, are not found. Is there any updated documentation?

--
--
ChromiumOS Developers mailing list: chromiu...@chromium.org
View archives, change email options, or unsubscribe:
https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/group/chromium-os-dev

[Armaan Singh]

I am trying to set up over-the-air updates just to see if it works.

[Mike Frysinger]

for testing OTA's, i think devserver is the only option atm

we dropped devserver from the SDK a while ago because we switched the normal development from from "pull" (DUT requests files from your workstation) to "push" (your workstation copies files to the DUT), and at that point, usage has fallen off a cliff.  so it's been slowly rotting.

`start_devserver` was simply a symlink to `/mnt/host/source/src/platform/dev/devserver.py`, so you can run the latter command to get the same result.

-mike

[Armaan Singh]

ah ok, but I still want to try and get it working. Is there any resources to help with this? also, to start the update from chromeos I run the  update_engine_client. Is this the correct way to run it?

[Jae Hoon Kim]

Hey Armaan,

Can you provide more details on what you mean when you say:

>I am trying to set up over-the-air updates just to see if it works.

Do you want to intercept the server side components/responses?

Or testing out client side updater changes/checks?

Based on what you want to try out, we can provide more context.

Also, feel free to file a chromiumos buganizer tracker (which is for the update[r] component)

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to chromium-os-d...@chromium.org.

--

-Jae

[Armaan Singh]

I am testing out if I can update my Chromebook from one version to another using devserver. Is this the correct use of devserver?

[Jeremy Bettis]

These worked for me last time I tried them:

Run from docker

docker run -d --rm -P --cap-add=NET_RAW --name visible-cache-server --expose 8082 -p 8082:8082 --volume $HOME/.config/:/root/.config --volume /tmp/local-cft/cacheserver:/tmp/cacheserver us-docker.pkg.dev/cros-registry/test-services/cacheserver:prod cacheserver -location /tmp/cacheserver -port 8082

Or run from local code

sudo ufw allow 8082 # Open the port in the linux firewall.
~/chromiumos/src/platform/dev/fast_build.sh -b go.chromium.org/chromiumos/prototytpe/cache/cmd/cacheserver -o ~/go/bin/cacheserver && ~/go/bin/cacheserver -port 8082

But the python devserver is long dead.

Jeremy Bettis | ChromeOS FAFT lead | jbe...@google.com | 303-257-2486

[Jae Hoon Kim]

It "was" / could probably work with a few modifications.

Otherwise, for our AU tests, we have long been using local servers to serve the necessary target payloads.

If you need to select A->B testing, that is viable and the _simplest_ approach.

In this scenario, you would stage the necessary payloads locally on the DUT and target it for the update.

Alternatively, if you do not care about the target version,

you can simulate being any arbitrary signed board

and update to the actual live production matching rules served OTA today.

---

However, I still would like to understand what you are actually wanting to test for when you say:

"I am testing out if I can update my Chromebook from one version to another using devserver. Is this the correct use of devserver?"

Hopefully, devserver is not a hard requirement(?)

--

-Jae

[Armaan Singh]

devserver is not really a hard requirement I just want to see if I can update my Chromebook from one version to another over-the-air, using my own server, without having to do much configuration on my chromebook

[Armaan Singh]

running the local code command fails with this error

failed to instantiate http handlers:  could not create cache, could not instantiate GCS client, dialing: google: could not find default credentials. See https://developers.google.com/accounts/docs/application-default-credentials for more information.

should I just add credentials or do I need anything special?