Add option to reboot device

[Teko012]

From time to time, I experience an issue, where the device looses connection to the hardware, and can't find it anymore. This adds an option to be able to automatically reboot the device if it can't find any hardware.

[Teko012]

@ketilmo If you have some time to check this as well if I haven't broken anything, that would be great :)

[ketilmo]

Hi @Teko012,

Thanks for another excellent suggestion. I've experienced the same problem a few times, with the USB dongle needing a complete reboot after a crash/exit to be operational again. Implementing a way to handle this automatically when it happens is a good idea. Your code looks good, but I have a few comments/points for discussion:

• Making the variable naming generic: For instance, a common variable across the services with the name REBOOT_DEVICE_ON_SERVICE_EXIT or similar would be passed to the respective service as a service variable. This would make it easier to scale in the future and maintain, with less hardcoding per service.
• Rebooting the device using the balena API: Inspired by your PR Stop disabled services #123, using the API would ensure a graceful shutdown across the full range of balena's supported hardware devices. See the balena API docs here: https://docs.balena.io/reference/supervisor/supervisor-api/#post-v1reboot (using the --force option might be necessary?)
• Writing a line to the console when functionality is active: To remind the user that the option is turned on, write something like "Device reboot on service exit is enabled" as part of the variable validation at the start.sh.
• Add a short description to the docs: Under Advanced Configuration, with the heading "Automatic Device Reboot" or similar: https://github.com/ketilmo/balena-ads-b?tab=readme-ov-file#part-13--advanced-configuration

What do you think?

[Teko012]

Hi @Teko012,

Thanks for another excellent suggestion. I've experienced the same problem a few times, with the USB dongle needing a complete reboot after a crash/exit to be operational again. Implementing a way to handle this automatically when it happens is a good idea. Your code looks good, but I have a few comments/points for discussion:

• Making the variable naming generic: For instance, a common variable across the services with the name REBOOT_DEVICE_ON_SERVICE_EXIT or similar would be passed to the respective service as a service variable. This would make it easier to scale in the future and maintain, with less hardcoding per service.
• Rebooting the device using the balena API: Inspired by your PR Stop disabled services #123, using the API would ensure a graceful shutdown across the full range of balena's supported hardware devices. See the balena API docs here: https://docs.balena.io/reference/supervisor/supervisor-api/#post-v1reboot (using the --force option might be necessary?)
• Writing a line to the console when functionality is active: To remind the user that the option is turned on, write something like "Device reboot on service exit is enabled" as part of the variable validation at the start.sh.
• Add a short description to the docs: Under Advanced Configuration, with the heading "Automatic Device Reboot" or similar: https://github.com/ketilmo/balena-ads-b?tab=readme-ov-file#part-13--advanced-configuration

What do you think?

Hey @ketilmo good feedback, I have updated the PR :)

[ketilmo]

@Teko012 I just tested this functionality, and it works like a charm. One again: Great work, and thanks! I'm merging the PR now.