pinephone pro don’t boot anymore :/ (I erased bootloader by mistake)

[elode]

Hello…
Following a postmarketOS upgrade (21.12 to 22.6) which went wrong, I wiped the bootloader on the emmc by mistake.
And now my pinephone pro no longer boots (black screen)

What can I do ?

[wibble]

If you've no bootloader on the SPI or eMMC it ought to use the uSD. If the bootloader is present but failing then you'll need to use the RE button as detailed in the tow-boot installation instructions. PmOS is one of the ones that have moved to preferring tow-boot, so it's probably something you needed to do anyway.

https://postmarketos.org/edge/2022/03/28/ppp-tow-boot/
https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/PINE6...ephonepro)
https://tow-boot.org/devices/pine64-pinephonePro.html

[elode]

If you've no bootloader on the SPI or eMMC it ought to use the uSD. If the bootloader is present but failing then you'll need to use the RE button as detailed in the tow-boot installation instructions. PmOS is one of the ones that have moved to preferring tow-boot, so it's probably something you needed to do anyway.

https://postmarketos.org/edge/2022/03/28/ppp-tow-boot/
https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/PINE6...ephonepro)
https://tow-boot.org/devices/pine64-pinephonePro.html

First, thank you for your reply and for the links.

Before I made the mistake of erasing the bootloader, I had already tried to reinstall postmarketOS with tow-boot. Alas, oddly, the RE button doesn't seem to work on my device:
- unplug the device
- I remove the battery
- insert the SD card with tow-boot in it
- replace the battery
- press the RE button
- press the Start button…
And there, whether I waited a few seconds or two minutes, nothing happened. I did several times, but nothing :/ And as soon as I stopped pressing the RE button, the system started on the SPI (when it should start on the SD card).

So I guess now - having erased the bootloader - it's more complicated.
In your answer you say: "it ought to use the uSD". I don't know what this "usD" is. Could this help me?
Sorry for all the questions and thanks for the help

[fxc]

If you've no bootloader on the SPI or eMMC it ought to use the uSD. If the bootloader is present but failing then you'll need to use the RE button as detailed in the tow-boot installation instructions. PmOS is one of the ones that have moved to preferring tow-boot, so it's probably something you needed to do anyway.

https://postmarketos.org/edge/2022/03/28/ppp-tow-boot/
https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/PINE6...ephonepro)
https://tow-boot.org/devices/pine64-pinephonePro.html

First, thank you for your reply and for the links.

Before I made the mistake of erasing the bootloader, I had already tried to reinstall postmarketOS with tow-boot. Alas, oddly, the RE button doesn't seem to work on my device:
- unplug the device
- I remove the battery
- insert the SD card with tow-boot in it
- replace the battery
- press the RE button
- press the Start button…
And there, whether I waited a few seconds or two minutes, nothing happened. I did several times, but nothing :/ And as soon as I stopped pressing the RE button, the system started on the SPI (when it should start on the SD card).

So I guess now - having erased the bootloader - it's more complicated.
In your answer you say: "it ought to use the uSD". I don't know what this "usD" is. Could this help me?
Sorry for all the questions and thanks for the help

Does the button label actually say "RE" or does it say "RESET"?

[elode]

If you've no bootloader on the SPI or eMMC it ought to use the uSD. If the bootloader is present but failing then you'll need to use the RE button as detailed in the tow-boot installation instructions. PmOS is one of the ones that have moved to preferring tow-boot, so it's probably something you needed to do anyway.

https://postmarketos.org/edge/2022/03/28/ppp-tow-boot/
https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/PINE6...ephonepro)
https://tow-boot.org/devices/pine64-pinephonePro.html

First, thank you for your reply and for the links.

Before I made the mistake of erasing the bootloader, I had already tried to reinstall postmarketOS with tow-boot. Alas, oddly, the RE button doesn't seem to work on my device:
- unplug the device
- I remove the battery
- insert the SD card with tow-boot in it
- replace the battery
- press the RE button
- press the Start button…
And there, whether I waited a few seconds or two minutes, nothing happened. I did several times, but nothing :/ And as soon as I stopped pressing the RE button, the system started on the SPI (when it should start on the SD card).

So I guess now - having erased the bootloader - it's more complicated.
In your answer you say: "it ought to use the uSD". I don't know what this "usD" is. Could this help me?
Sorry for all the questions and thanks for the help

Hello...can someone help me? I'm really lost :/

[wibble]

uSD is microSD.

@fxc asked about the button label - I think this because of different button behaviour on different hardware versions which may change the advice on what to try next.

[wibble]

It's labelled RESET on the original PinePhone (not Pro). It's RE on the Pro Explorer Edition. I don't know what the label on the Developer Edition was, but that requires shorting test points rather than pressing the button to change the boot order - hence the hardware change for the Explorer Edition.
https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_Pro#Boot_order

People have sometimes confused an original PinePhone for a Pro, or aren't clear on which hardware version they have of either phone type, so when something isn't behaving as it should it's worth checking.

[elode]

It's labelled RESET on the original PinePhone (not Pro). It's RE on the Pro Explorer Edition. I don't know what the label on the Developer Edition was, but that requires shorting test points rather than pressing the button to change the boot order - hence the hardware change for the Explorer Edition.
https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_Pro#Boot_order

People have sometimes confused an original PinePhone for a Pro, or aren't clear on which hardware version they have of either phone type, so when something isn't behaving as it should it's worth checking.

I bought a pinephone pro
The button is labeled "Reset".
On the box of the device, it is written: "Beta Edition".
Does that help?

Thank you...

[fxc]

It's labelled RESET on the original PinePhone (not Pro). It's RE on the Pro Explorer Edition. I don't know what the label on the Developer Edition was, but that requires shorting test points rather than pressing the button to change the boot order - hence the hardware change for the Explorer Edition.
https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_Pro#Boot_order

People have sometimes confused an original PinePhone for a Pro, or aren't clear on which hardware version they have of either phone type, so when something isn't behaving as it should it's worth checking.

I bought a pinephone pro
The button is labeled "Reset".
On the box of the device, it is written: "Beta Edition".
Does that help?

Thank you...

It does indeed help, you bought a regular PinePhone and not a PinePhone Pro. The PinePhone Pro is 399 USD, please double-check the invoice and order confirmation.

So you're basically following the wrong documentation, please look at https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_I...o_the_eMMC instead and use compatible images for the regular PinePhone instead of the Pro and it should work fine. Using JumpDrive you can reflash the eMMC again. Installations on microSD card will boot with a higher boot priority on the regular PinePhone just fine too.

[elode]

It's labelled RESET on the original PinePhone (not Pro). It's RE on the Pro Explorer Edition. I don't know what the label on the Developer Edition was, but that requires shorting test points rather than pressing the button to change the boot order - hence the hardware change for the Explorer Edition.
https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_Pro#Boot_order

People have sometimes confused an original PinePhone for a Pro, or aren't clear on which hardware version they have of either phone type, so when something isn't behaving as it should it's worth checking.

I bought a pinephone pro
The button is labeled "Reset".
On the box of the device, it is written: "Beta Edition".
Does that help?

Thank you...

It does indeed help, you bought a regular PinePhone and not a PinePhone Pro. The PinePhone Pro is 399 USD, please double-check the invoice and order confirmation.

So you're basically following the wrong documentation, please look at https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_I...o_the_eMMC instead and use compatible images for the regular PinePhone instead of the Pro and it should work fine. Using JumpDrive you can reflash the eMMC again. Installations on microSD card will boot with a higher boot priority on the regular PinePhone just fine too.

Damn it ! I just checked and it looks like you're right! How did I not realize this sooner!
In any case, thank you... I'm going to try the adventure again.