How to Clone Kali Linux to PinePhone Pro with Terabyte IFW

[TOF]

This is from my own experimentation.  I am certain other similar software will work just as well.  Pretty much every tutorial explains how to install Kali to a SD card for the PinePhone Pro.  I am assuming that his method works because the same drivers are used while setting up the OS on the SD card.  I have done this twice succesfully.  And with Terabyte imaging software you can create an image first on your computer just in case.  Don't forget to create the EFI partition first in step 4 before disconnecting unless you want extra steps to recover from an unbootable phone.

Preparation:
1. Download the Kali Linux Image:
        Obtain the Kali Linux image file specifically designed for ARM devices (like the PinePhone Pro). Make sure you download the correct version.

2. Prepare a Spare SD Card:
        Get a spare SD card with enough storage to hold the Kali Linux image.
        Use Etcher (or a similar tool) to flash the Kali Linux image onto the spare SD card. This will create a bootable Kali Linux environment on the SD card.

Preparing the PinePhone Pro:
3. Enter USB Mode (Tow-Boot):
        Power off your PinePhone Pro.
        Boot the PinePhone Pro into USB mode (Tow-Boot). The instructions usually involve pressing and holding specific volume buttons while powering on the device. Consult your PinePhone Pro documentation if needed.
        Connect your PinePhone Pro to your computer using a USB-C cable.

4. Prepare the PinePhone Pro's Internal Storage:
        On your Windows computer, use Partwork for Windows (or a similar partition management tool).
        Identify the PinePhone Pro's internal storage as a drive.
        Delete all existing partitions on the PinePhone Pro's internal storage.
        Create a new EFI partition. This is very important for the phone to be able to boot.
        Once the new EFI partition is created, safely disconnect the PinePhone Pro from your computer.

Booting Kali from the SD Card:
5. Insert the Prepared SD Card:
        Insert the SD card with the flashed Kali Linux image into the PinePhone Pro.

6. Boot from the SD Card:
        Power on the PinePhone Pro.
        If needed, press and hold the specified volume buttons during boot to force it to boot from the SD card.

7. Initial Kali Setup:
        Allow Kali Linux to boot and complete its initial setup. This might take some time.
        Once the initial setup is complete, reboot the PinePhone Pro. This will allow Kali to finalize its setup on the SD card.

8. Power Off and Remove SD Card:
        Power off the PinePhone Pro.
        Remove the SD card.

Cloning Kali to the PinePhone Pro's Internal Storage:
9. Reconnect in USB Mode:
        Boot the PinePhone Pro back into USB mode (Tow-Boot) and connect it to your computer using a USB-C cable.
     
10. Insert the Kali SD Card into Your Computer:
        Insert the SD card that contains the working Kali Linux system into your computers SD card reader.
     
11. Clone with Terabyte IFW:
        Open Terabyte Image for Windows (IFW).
        Select the SD card as the source drive.
        Select the PinePhone Pro's internal storage as the destination drive.
        Use the "Copy Drive" (or similar) function to clone the entire contents of the SD card to the PinePhone Pro's internal storage.
        Ensure that you are copying the entire disk, and not just a partition.
     
12. Complete and Reboot:
        Once the cloning process is finished, safely disconnect the PinePhone Pro from your computer.
        Reboot the PinePhone Pro.

13. Update Kali:
        Once Kali has booted from the internal storage, open a terminal and run the following commands to update the system:
        sudo apt update
        sudo apt full-upgrade

That's it.  The main system on the PinePhone Pro is now Kali.  You can now use your SD card for storage or whatever you want.

[tllim]

Thanks on the write-up :-)

[TOF]

I suppose this will also work with any other distribution that was created on a SD card in the PinePhone Pro. In theory it should be cloned over without deleting the partitions first as Terabyte IFW will just write over the unwanted system partition after asking if you are sure you want to do so. Just be sure to resize the partition afterward if you want to reclaim any free space it may create.