Locked Database-->Bricked Device

[_radv_]

I've been using "Linux version 5.11.3-1-MANJARO-ARM" that came preinstalled on the Pine Phone I got a few weeks ago.
Almost every time I tried to install new software using the "Discover" ap I was getting an error about the package manager failing to update because there was a locked database.  I tried updating using pcman and got the same message about a locked database.  Searching the internet suggested I delete this file:  /var/lib/pacman/db.lck which I did. 
I ran pacman -Syu.  It started working.  There were many notes about keys, but it eventually started updating things.  As that was finishing the terminal disappeared and I got a gigantic message that filled up the entire screen.  Unfortunately, because the phone was stuck in portrait mode (hadn't an option to change it to landscape except for the first few days I used the device) I could only read some words in the middle.  It said something about lock and unlock and a virtual machine.  I got rid of the message by powering down the phone. 
Now, when I turn on the phone, it's stuck at the loading screen (the K with the gear) and nothing else happens.  I'll be glad to hear anyone's thoughts.  I wonder what happened.
I imagine the primary solution is booting some os from the SD card.  It was something I was going to do today or tomorrow anyway.  I hope that works.  I am having some separate problems with the SD card reader.

[_radv_]

I was afraid this might happen...
The Pine Phone isn't recognizing the MicroSD card.
I am stuck.

[Samurai_Crow]

I was afraid this might happen...
The Pine Phone isn't recognizing the MicroSD card.
I am stuck.

Have you tried hooking the PinePhone up to an HDMI screen using a docking bay and a USB mouse/keyboard combo?

[_radv_]

I was afraid this might happen...
The Pine Phone isn't recognizing the MicroSD card.
I am stuck.

Have you tried hooking the PinePhone up to an HDMI screen using a docking bay and a USB mouse/keyboard combo?

I read somewhere else that the mouse/keyboard combo can get through.  Unfortunately, I do not have that hardware; neither HDMI screen nor docking bay nor mouse.  I bought the keyboard that Pine is selling for the phone, but the key presses weren't being recognized last I checked.

[_radv_]

It used to be said that a device was "bricked" in a situation like this (i.e. when it's not usable). These things used to be brick size like in the late 90s. This Pine Phone is not at all brick size. I guess it still is comparable to a paper weight... not that I have much paper.

[wibble]

Not recognising uSD is usually an error writing the image to the uSD like using an image for the wrong phone or writing it to a partition rather than the raw device. I'd double and triple check that first. Beyond that there are other options - it's quite hard to actually brick a PinePhone. Bricked used to refer to being properly unrecoverable, not just needing a little effort.

[fxc]

I was afraid this might happen...
The Pine Phone isn't recognizing the MicroSD card.
I am stuck.

Please write the exact command and filename you used to flash the microSD card here. Also make sure the microSD card was inserted in the top slot. As wibble mentioned this is typically an user issue.

[_radv_]

I was afraid this might happen...
The Pine Phone isn't recognizing the MicroSD card.
I am stuck.

Please write the exact command and filename you used to flash the microSD card here. Also make sure the microSD card was inserted in the top slot. As wibble mentioned this is typically an user issue.

It's certainly in the top slot (does it even fit into the bottom one?)

I used 7-Zip to unpack the image and Etcher to write it; done it half a dozen times.  Yesterday I tried BOOTICE to see if there was some extra partition on it, or bits out of order in the front or something...it's a new card...or was a couple weeks ago.   ... the thing never tells me the exact size the card is supposed to be, which I've noticed is common. BOOTICE shows there are a few blocks in use at the cards' beginning.

The MicroSD card wasn't being recognized when I'executed lsblk and fdisk -l the card wasn't showing up, at all.  The results list only mmcblk2 and zram partitions.  (this was when Manjaro still worked; can't check now.)

---

I just rewrote the image to the card an tried pushing it in not all the way. That, also, did not work.

---

...Even if there's a problem with the card, if there's some extra bits in the card's beginning that were preventing the boot loader from reading the image file, wouldn't lsblk and fdisk -l still show a card in the reader at mmcblk0?

[fxc]

I was afraid this might happen...
The Pine Phone isn't recognizing the MicroSD card.
I am stuck.

Please write the exact command and filename you used to flash the microSD card here. Also make sure the microSD card was inserted in the top slot. As wibble mentioned this is typically an user issue.

It's certainly in the top slot (does it even fit into the bottom one?)

I used 7-Zip to unpack the image and Etcher to write it; done it half a dozen times.  Yesterday I tried BOOTICE to see if there was some extra partition on it, or bits out of order in the front or something...it's a new card...or was a couple weeks ago.   ... the thing never tells me the exact size the card is supposed to be, which I've noticed is common.  BOOTICE shows there are a few blocks in use at the cards' beginning.

The MicroSD card wasn't being recognized when I'executed lsblk and fdisk -l the card wasn't showing up, at all.  The results list only mmcblk2 and zram partitions.  (this was when Manjaro still worked; can't check now.)

---

I just rewrote the image to the card an tried pushing it in not all the way.  That, also, did not work.

---

...Even if there's a problem with the card, if there's some extra bits in the card's beginning that were preventing the boot loader from reading the image file, wouldn't lsblk and fdisk -l still show a card in the reader at mmcblk0?

lsblk would show the card even if its contents including the partition table would be non-sense, yes. Assuming the card itself is fine and it is inserted correctly and the microSD card slot reader isn't defective. In front of the first partition there should be U-Boot, which is probably what you meant with the blocks in the card beginning.