Noob here. Unclear how to flash different distros

[icantremember]

Hi there. I'm new.

I see what appear to be conflicting reports of what I need to do in order to boot an img from sdcard. 

Seems like it's some combination of:
a) erase emmc
b) hold the power button during boot
c) hold a reset button under the back cover
d) just write an img to an sdcard, pop it in and restart

Can someone please enlighten me? Thanks!

[pearingron]

Hi there. I'm new.

I see what appear to be conflicting reports of what I need to do in order to boot an img from sdcard. 

Seems like it's some combination of:
a) erase emmc
b) hold the power button during boot
c) hold a reset button under the back cover
d) just write an img to an sdcard, pop it in and restart

Can someone please enlighten me? Thanks!

If you have the factory image still on the EMMC, you can flash a Pro image onto an SD card and it'll boot from it without any further input. I tried it with Arch SXMO once I got mine and the only issue so far was some serious rumbling in the first 5 seconds of it booting.

[Danct12]

The serious rumbling (assuming the vibrator) is a intended feature with the Arch images.

[bcnaz]

Some are saying just insert the sd card and start the phone normally
with the 2 second push of the power button.

Myself : after scanning the forum :
I put in my sd card --> and used a 6 second power button press....

Bookworm then booted on my phone.

Bookworm does run good, but there are some problems of course.

Biggest for me is the latest released image does NOT show the boot LED !

This can be difficult ---> watching a black screen --->

When you expect a loading screen.

I can put up with it for now, However perhaps a previous weeks release
may work better for you to install ---> and update later.

(This was using Mobian/Bookworm on my sd card )