SD nonfunctional, how is support supposed to work?

[slomobile]

My pinephone 3G beta convergence edition cannot access its SD card slot.  I've opened support ticket 11995 "Cannot access SD card" which was immediately closed as a duplicate of a completely different issue 11978 "Pinephone CE fails pin unlock on battery".

My first question is on etiquette.  Are we supposed to open new tickets for new issues?

Are both of these issues in fact related to production QC?  This phone shipped with a very frustrating, known, old software bug with a solution on the forum.  Incorrect timing settings in a configuration file.  Was this a one off, or systemic?   Coupled with https://forum.pine64.org/announcements.php?aid=42 I must question how phones are escaping into the wild with these easily avoided defects.

My phone also does not have a functioning SD interface which makes me wonder how they load software at the factory and test SD function.  Can anyone suggest a procedure to load OS without SD card?  https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/NOOB#Flashi...es_Only.29 does not show a procedure for Pinephone.  The only suggestion from support has been

Please flash the Beta Edition factory test OS build to microSd card and check whether able to boot up properly.

Here is the link: https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_S..._OS_builds

Which I reported failed with the SD factory image 11 days ago.  They have not responded.

I had a shopping cart full of keyboard case, pogo pins, pogo cases, and a mainboard to fix it myself and move on.  I want pine64 to succeed.  But before clicking checkout, I had to wonder if they can succeed while failing basic QC and customer support.

Are there any other steps I am supposed to take here?  I would actually be satisfied if they would just give me the next troubleshooting step to follow.

Better would be some indication that they are looking into the root cause that allowed my phone to ship in that state.

[bcnaz]

Perhaps your method of flashing your sd card is faulty ?

Of my first Brave Heart phone, and the 4 Pinephones I have purchased since,
... they have all read the micro-sd cards that I flashed using Balena Etcher on my Dell Laptop running Linux Mint Debian Edition.

There are also other methods, they are listed here on the Forum, -- but I have had nearly perfect results using Balena Etcher,
I have flashed 100's of OS downloads in the past 2 &1/2 years using Etcher, I have only had 2 failures .... so far.

My only experiences with the Pinephone have been "Hands-on" and "following the Pine64 Forum",

Some (un) Common Sense, combined with the Forums help -- should be able to resolve your problem(s).
-- When approaching a new problem, try the simplest answers first.

Good Luck

[slomobile]

Perhaps your method of flashing your sd card is faulty ?

I've done everything I can to be sure that is not the case.  I'm familiar with the process from Rpi and Jetson platforms.  Blanked the cards prior to flashing, confirmed md5 of download.  Tried Etcher, Gnome disk, DD, even chromebook recovery.  Used multiple brands of card.  Verified the flashed SD card was readable by Ubuntu on a different machine.  Took SD card with known good data and tried to mount with pinephone and that failed also.

Do you have something else to suggest?

[bcnaz]

It is not a fix, but perhaps a 'next step', ... maybe try the "Factory Test OS"

The link is in the wiki, towards the bottom of the operating system release list.

[slomobile]

It is not a fix,  but perhaps a 'next step',  ... maybe try the "Factory Test OS"

The link is in the wiki,  towards the bottom of the operating system release list.

Yes, that is what I put on the SD card.  The Pinephone cannot read the SD card.  Is there a different way to put the Factory Test OS on the phone?

[bcnaz]

You are using the upper slot, correct ?  ( with the contacts down)
... the lower slot is for the sim card.

[slomobile]

You are using the upper slot, correct ?  ( with the contacts down)
... the lower slot is for the sim card.

Yes.  Using correct slot in correct orientation.  I did notice that inserting the card scraped a little bit off the left edge of the SD card as it was being inserted and the card does not want to sit perfectly straight.  It is always very slightly twisted to the right and can be inserted quite far twisted right if not carefully inserted.