Cannot get any Manjaro 20.04 images to boot

[VikJES1959]

I managed to get the Archlinux image to boot both from the USB and microSD but no dice with any of the Manjaro images I tried so far.
I tried with an older 32GB microSD and a very recently purchased 64GB microSD (the same one that works with the Archlinux image) still nothing.
My goal is to do a fresh install (preferably the XFCE variant of Manjaro) on an NVMe SSD, I recently installed the NVMe adapter and an NVMe SSD, once booted in Archlinux I can see the nvme0n1 device.
I updated the SPI flash with the latest version provided by pcm720 that changes the boot order and allows to boot directly from an NVMe SSD.
I physically removed the eMMC from PBP as I don't intend to use it (assuming I can actually get it to boot directly from the NVMe SSD).

Is the reason why Manjaro won't boot from MicroSD because I removed the eMMC module?

Thanks.

[tophneal]

I managed to get the Archlinux image to boot both from the USB and microSD but no dice with any of the Manjaro images I tried so far.
I tried with an older 32GB microSD and a very recently purchased 64GB microSD (the same one that works with the Archlinux image) still nothing.
My goal is to do a fresh install (preferably the XFCE variant of Manjaro) on an NVMe SSD, I recently installed the NVMe adapter and an NVMe SSD, once booted in Archlinux I can see the nvme0n1 device.
I updated the SPI flash with the latest version provided by pcm720 that changes the boot order and allows to boot directly from an NVMe SSD.
I physically removed the eMMC from PBP as I don't intend to use it (assuming I can actually get it to boot directly from the NVMe SSD).

Is the reason why Manjaro won't boot from MicroSD because I removed the eMMC module?

Thanks.

The missing eMMC shouldn't be your issue. Are you trying to boot the Live or eMMC Install img?

[VikJES1959]

I'll attempt to find the Live version of Manjaro with XFCE for the PBP. I didn't even know Manjaro (or someone else) made a Live version and I most likely used the eMMC/SD boot version of it. Thanks.

[tophneal]

here's the latest live img(s) for XFCE: https://osdn.net/projects/manjaro-arm/st...fce/20.06/

[VikJES1959]

here's the latest live img(s) for XFCE: https://osdn.net/projects/manjaro-arm/st...fce/20.06/

Yeah... I tried that version 2 days, still won't boot. Thanks anyway for the suggestion.

[tophneal]

Yeah... I tried that version 2 days, still won't boot. Thanks anyway for the suggestion.

I recall a few other having issues with 20.06 imgs, too. Have you already tried the live 20.04 img? Have you tried the emmc installer versions from 20.04? That should boot from the SD and walk you through installing it to your NVMe.

[VikJES1959]

I was able to dd the archlinux image on the NVMe SSD and it actually booted, I can't fathom why I can't do the same with any of the Manjaro images I tried so far.

[belfastraven]

Just FYI,  when I installed the 20.04 Manjaro image to my NVME ( i do not have an emmc in the pinebook pro and have the EMMC switch off) I used the image that is made for writing to the emmc,  but  let the installer write to the NVME instead. I am using the KDE plasma image.  I know in the past that for the xfce image,  one had to hit escape a few seconds after the system started to boot to get the installation menu.     I just mention that in case you wanted to try it.

[VikJES1959]

Just FYI,  when I installed the 20.04 Manjaro image to my NVME ( i do not have an emmc in the pinebook pro and have the EMMC switch off) I used the image that is made for writing to the emmc,  but  let the installer write to the NVME instead. I am using the KDE plasma image.  I know in the past that for the xfce image,  one had to hit escape a few seconds after the system started to boot to get the installation menu.     I just mention that in case you wanted to try it.

Thanks for everyone's help, I finally got it working!
I dd'ed the manjaro installer on a MicroSD, booted from it and installed the Plasma version of Manjaro on the NVMe. It pretty much worked without a itch.
I would've preferred to install the XFCE variant of Manjaro instead but I guess I can just install XFCE and move to it now that I have a working PBP with Plasma.