PinePhone Pro not detected by my PC

[Syndicator]

Hello I'm still very excited to be part of this community and for those of you only interested in helping with my problem I advise you skip the rest of this and the next paragraph. I am sorry that my first posts here and discord have been complaints. I've been away from computers for the most part from 2010 - 2017 and hope to expand my knowledge base with your help.
Once my android phone updated without my consent and installed the covaids app (not installing any other system updates that I shelved for a long period) I had already been on the path to realizing (phone comes preloaded with apps) I didn't own my own phone. So I got a phone I could flash Lineage OS to and my experience with it has been nothing but pleasant, some bugs here and there but nothing I couldn't figure out on my own.

It's relevant that I note I've only begun using Linux in 2019 (Lineage, Installed Mint late 2020 on the first PC I've had in almost a decade and now I'm on Parrot) and very much so want to become proficient in sudo but I'm not there.
The issue I am having is, even after installing mtp-tools I cannot find the PPP under "devices" and I also cannot find it using lsusb or lsblk it should show up as adb or mmc from what I can tell.... I can find my other phone though. I have installed Tow-Boot. And the OS it comes with is too unstable to use for any length of time and it cannot connect to WiFi. I cannot use Jumpdrive to flash a new updated OS to the device, when I put it on the SD and hold the RE button when I attempt to start it it does nothing (from my understanding TowBoot should make it so I can boot it holding vol+/- and that does not work here so don't yell at me about not holding RE it it'll just boot the shipped OS) the SD card works to boot Manjaro though do I know the SD isn't the issue.
I've tried downloading a new OS after booting from SD and installing it with the Disk app and it runs into issues there as well. Even if that would work I'll be stuck with a device that won't register via USB and that's just not going to work for me.

Any suggestions?

[fxc]

Hello I'm still very excited to be part of this community and for those of you only interested in helping with my problem I advise you skip the rest of this and the next paragraph. I am sorry that my first posts here and discord have been complaints. I've been away from computers for the most part from 2010 - 2017 and hope to expand my knowledge base with your help.
Once my android phone updated without my consent and installed the covaids app (not installing any other system updates that I shelved for a long period) I had already been on the path to realizing (phone comes preloaded with apps) I didn't own my own phone. So I got a phone I could flash Lineage OS to and my experience with it has been nothing but pleasant, some bugs here and there but nothing I couldn't figure out on my own.

It's relevant that I note I've only begun using Linux in 2019 (Lineage, Installed Mint late 2020 on the first PC I've had in almost a decade and now I'm on Parrot) and very much so want to become proficient in sudo but I'm not there.
The issue I am having is, even after installing mtp-tools I cannot find the PPP under "devices" and I also cannot find it using lsusb or lsblk it should show up as adb or mmc from what I can tell.... I can find my other phone though. I have installed Tow-Boot. And the OS it comes with is too unstable to use for any length of time and it cannot connect to WiFi. I cannot use Jumpdrive to flash a new updated OS to the device, when I put it on the SD and hold the RE button when I attempt to start it it does nothing (from my understanding TowBoot should make it so I can boot it holding vol+/- and that does not work here so don't yell at me about not holding RE it it'll just boot the shipped OS) the SD card works to boot Manjaro though do I know the SD isn't the issue.
I've tried downloading a new OS after booting from SD and installing it with the Disk app and it runs into issues there as well. Even if that would work I'll be stuck with a device that won't register via USB and that's just not going to work for me.

Any suggestions?

I think you're trying to boot an image for the regular PinePhone here. Trying to boot images for the regular PinePhone such as "JumpDrive" won't work on the Pro. Mind that you need to download your images via https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_P...e_Releases.

For reflashing the eMMC you don't use MTP. Instead you boot an OS via the microSD card (for example Manjaro) and then you write the image directly to the eMMC from within that booted OS, for example using "dd". I would recommend to follow the instructions here: https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_P...o_the_eMMC

[Syndicator]

Hello I'm still very excited to be part of this community and for those of you only interested in helping with my problem I advise you skip the rest of this and the next paragraph. I am sorry that my first posts here and discord have been complaints. I've been away from computers for the most part from 2010 - 2017 and hope to expand my knowledge base with your help.
Once my android phone updated without my consent and installed the covaids app (not installing any other system updates that I shelved for a long period) I had already been on the path to realizing (phone comes preloaded with apps) I didn't own my own phone. So I got a phone I could flash Lineage OS to and my experience with it has been nothing but pleasant, some bugs here and there but nothing I couldn't figure out on my own.

It's relevant that I note I've only begun using Linux in 2019 (Lineage, Installed Mint late 2020 on the first PC I've had in almost a decade and now I'm on Parrot) and very much so want to become proficient in sudo but I'm not there.
The issue I am having is, even after installing mtp-tools I cannot find the PPP under "devices" and I also cannot find it using lsusb or lsblk it should show up as adb or mmc from what I can tell.... I can find my other phone though. I have installed Tow-Boot. And the OS it comes with is too unstable to use for any length of time and it cannot connect to WiFi. I cannot use Jumpdrive to flash a new updated OS to the device, when I put it on the SD and hold the RE button when I attempt to start it it does nothing (from my understanding TowBoot should make it so I can boot it holding vol+/- and that does not work here so don't yell at me about not holding RE it it'll just boot the shipped OS) the SD card works to boot Manjaro though do I know the SD isn't the issue.
I've tried downloading a new OS after booting from SD and installing it with the Disk app and it runs into issues there as well. Even if that would work I'll be stuck with a device that won't register via USB and that's just not going to work for me.

Any suggestions?

I think you're trying to boot an image for the regular PinePhone here. Trying to boot images for the regular PinePhone such as "JumpDrive" won't work on the Pro. Mind that you need to download your images via https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_P...e_Releases.

For reflashing the eMMC you don't use MTP. Instead you boot an OS via the microSD card (for example Manjaro) and then you write the image directly to the eMMC from within that booted OS, for example using "dd". I would recommend to follow the instructions here: https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_P...o_the_eMMC

I assure you I definitely read the instructions after I got the battery to boot I felt quite embarassed and read them. Now I feel even more embarassed that I didn't take into account that you are correct I was trying to do a PP method. I've tried installing via SD card that's what I've mostly been doing.

I will provide an update after trying DD the OS. I was afraid to do this bc nothing was working "normal" (couldn't start phone using jumpdrive etc) and I didn't want to break the phone more. Haha.

[Syndicator]

I think you're trying to boot an image for the regular PinePhone here. Trying to boot images for the regular PinePhone such as "JumpDrive" won't work on the Pro. Mind that you need to download your images via https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_P...e_Releases.

For reflashing the eMMC you don't use MTP. Instead you boot an OS via the microSD card (for example Manjaro) and then you write the image directly to the eMMC from within that booted OS, for example using "dd". I would recommend to follow the instructions here: https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_P...o_the_eMMC

Update I dd'd the Manjaro phosh to the eMMC and well now it doesnt load at all it wont even boot from SD card now. It stays stuck loading I'll post a picture later I'm too tired to keep dealing with this need to get up early for work.



Thanks for making me realize my error though fxc.

[fxc]

I think you're trying to boot an image for the regular PinePhone here. Trying to boot images for the regular PinePhone such as "JumpDrive" won't work on the Pro. Mind that you need to download your images via https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_P...e_Releases.

For reflashing the eMMC you don't use MTP. Instead you boot an OS via the microSD card (for example Manjaro) and then you write the image directly to the eMMC from within that booted OS, for example using "dd". I would recommend to follow the instructions here: https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_P...o_the_eMMC

Update I dd'd the Manjaro phosh to the eMMC and well now it doesnt load at all it wont even boot from SD card now. It stays stuck loading I'll post a picture later I'm too tired to keep dealing with this need to get up early for work.



Thanks for making me realize my error though fxc.

You can simply boot from microSD card again and "dd" again, just select the microSD card at boot using Tow-Boot. Make sure you're unpacking the archive and that you flash to the whole drive, instead of partition 1. Best if you write the exact command you use here.

[hockleyj]

Wasn't the way to do this using Towboot then the specific key press to get it into mass storage mode..... that way you can write to the EMMC drive ?

[Syndicator]

I think you're trying to boot an image for the regular PinePhone here. Trying to boot images for the regular PinePhone such as "JumpDrive" won't work on the Pro. Mind that you need to download your images via https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_P...e_Releases.

For reflashing the eMMC you don't use MTP. Instead you boot an OS via the microSD card (for example Manjaro) and then you write the image directly to the eMMC from within that booted OS, for example using "dd". I would recommend to follow the instructions here: https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_P...o_the_eMMC

Update I dd'd the Manjaro phosh to the eMMC and well now it doesnt load at all it wont even boot from SD card now. It stays stuck loading I'll post a picture later I'm too tired to keep dealing with this need to get up early for work.



Thanks for making me realize my error though fxc.

You can simply boot from microSD card again and "dd" again, just select the microSD card at boot using Tow-Boot. Make sure you're unpacking the archive and that you flash to the whole drive, instead of partition 1. Best if you write the exact command you use here.

I cannot boot from SD card. I would post the images  here but they're too large evidently I'm not able to post anything above 500kb.

I used this

Code:

sudo dd if=IMAGE.img of=/dev/mmcblk2 bs=1M status=progress conv=fsync

https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_P...o_the_eMMC

followed the instructions to the T. When I boot normally and try to boot holding the power and vol+ I do get a sligthly diff error but I cannot boot all the same.

EDIT: upon rereading the instructions I realize what I did wrong.  I didn't wipe the bootloader from the eMMC using
sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/mmcblk2 seek=64 count=400 conv=fsync

Aigh that's what I get for not taking a step away after being frustrated and being given the simple answer.
I am guessing there is no solution to this.

[fxc]

I think you're trying to boot an image for the regular PinePhone here. Trying to boot images for the regular PinePhone such as "JumpDrive" won't work on the Pro. Mind that you need to download your images via https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_P...e_Releases.

For reflashing the eMMC you don't use MTP. Instead you boot an OS via the microSD card (for example Manjaro) and then you write the image directly to the eMMC from within that booted OS, for example using "dd". I would recommend to follow the instructions here: https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_P...o_the_eMMC

Update I dd'd the Manjaro phosh to the eMMC and well now it doesnt load at all it wont even boot from SD card now. It stays stuck loading I'll post a picture later I'm too tired to keep dealing with this need to get up early for work.



Thanks for making me realize my error though fxc.

You can simply boot from microSD card again and "dd" again, just select the microSD card at boot using Tow-Boot. Make sure you're unpacking the archive and that you flash to the whole drive, instead of partition 1. Best if you write the exact command you use here.

I cannot boot from SD card. I would post the images  here but they're too large evidently I'm not able to post anything above 500kb.

I used this

Code:

sudo dd if=IMAGE.img of=/dev/mmcblk2 bs=1M status=progress conv=fsync

https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_P...o_the_eMMC

followed the instructions to the T. When I boot normally and try to boot holding the power and vol+ I do get a sligthly diff error but I cannot boot all the same.

EDIT: upon rereading the instructions I realize what I did wrong.  I didn't wipe the bootloader from the eMMC using
sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/mmcblk2 seek=64 count=400 conv=fsync

Aigh that's what I get for not taking a step away after being frustrated and being given the simple answer.
I am guessing there is no solution to this.

Please upload the image to imgur or similar and then post the links here. You don't have to wipe the bootloader from the eMMC because the PinePhone Pro has an internal boot order as following:

SPI > eMMC > microSD card

You wrote above that you flashed Tow-Boot (to the SPI), so that is always first in the boot priority and the bootloader on the eMMC is never even started.

Of course there is a solution to all issues, you can't really brick the Pro. But the issue here specifically is that it is impossible to tell what your issue is based on the information you provided and I suspect that some of the information are even accidentally false. I think one of the wrong information pieces is that you wrote that you installed Tow-Boot -> I assume you installed something else and we're on the completely wrong track here due to that information.

[Syndicator]

I think you're trying to boot an image for the regular PinePhone here. Trying to boot images for the regular PinePhone such as "JumpDrive" won't work on the Pro. Mind that you need to download your images via https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_P...e_Releases.

For reflashing the eMMC you don't use MTP. Instead you boot an OS via the microSD card (for example Manjaro) and then you write the image directly to the eMMC from within that booted OS, for example using "dd". I would recommend to follow the instructions here: https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_P...o_the_eMMC

Update I dd'd the Manjaro phosh to the eMMC and well now it doesnt load at all it wont even boot from SD card now. It stays stuck loading I'll post a picture later I'm too tired to keep dealing with this need to get up early for work.



Thanks for making me realize my error though fxc.

You can simply boot from microSD card again and "dd" again, just select the microSD card at boot using Tow-Boot. Make sure you're unpacking the archive and that you flash to the whole drive, instead of partition 1. Best if you write the exact command you use here.

I cannot boot from SD card. I would post the images  here but they're too large evidently I'm not able to post anything above 500kb.

I used this

Code:

sudo dd if=IMAGE.img of=/dev/mmcblk2 bs=1M status=progress conv=fsync

https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_P...o_the_eMMC

followed the instructions to the T. When I boot normally and try to boot holding the power and vol+ I do get a sligthly diff error but I cannot boot all the same.

EDIT: upon rereading the instructions I realize what I did wrong.  I didn't wipe the bootloader from the eMMC using
sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/mmcblk2 seek=64 count=400 conv=fsync

Aigh that's what I get for not taking a step away after being frustrated and being given the simple answer.
I am guessing there is no solution to this.

Please upload the image to imgur or similar and then post the links here. You don't have to wipe the bootloader from the eMMC because the PinePhone Pro has an internal boot order as following:

SPI > eMMC > microSD card

You wrote above that you flashed Tow-Boot (to the SPI), so that is always first in the boot priority and the bootloader on the eMMC is never even started.

Of course there is a solution to all issues, you can't really brick the Pro. But the issue here specifically is that it is impossible to tell what your issue is based on the information you provided and I suspect that some of the information are even accidentally false. I think one of the wrong information pieces is that you wrote that you installed Tow-Boot -> I assume you installed something else and we're on the completely wrong track here due to that information.

It was definitely Tow Boot but perhaps it didn't install properly considering (not sure how considering the screen turns entirely green and says it's finished after install) that when I press vol+ or down and the on simultaneously it doesn't load from SD Card, never did since I installed and it should do that.

I really do appreciate your help even with the slightly condescending remark I'll make yet another account to upload images probably next weekend...'m not in a good mood outside this pinephone difficulty and would really like to enjoy myself before gettin back to my wagey loser life.

[fxc]

Update I dd'd the Manjaro phosh to the eMMC and well now it doesnt load at all it wont even boot from SD card now. It stays stuck loading I'll post a picture later I'm too tired to keep dealing with this need to get up early for work.



Thanks for making me realize my error though fxc.

You can simply boot from microSD card again and "dd" again, just select the microSD card at boot using Tow-Boot. Make sure you're unpacking the archive and that you flash to the whole drive, instead of partition 1. Best if you write the exact command you use here.

I cannot boot from SD card. I would post the images  here but they're too large evidently I'm not able to post anything above 500kb.

I used this

Code:

sudo dd if=IMAGE.img of=/dev/mmcblk2 bs=1M status=progress conv=fsync

https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_P...o_the_eMMC

followed the instructions to the T. When I boot normally and try to boot holding the power and vol+ I do get a sligthly diff error but I cannot boot all the same.

EDIT: upon rereading the instructions I realize what I did wrong.  I didn't wipe the bootloader from the eMMC using
sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/mmcblk2 seek=64 count=400 conv=fsync

Aigh that's what I get for not taking a step away after being frustrated and being given the simple answer.
I am guessing there is no solution to this.

Please upload the image to imgur or similar and then post the links here. You don't have to wipe the bootloader from the eMMC because the PinePhone Pro has an internal boot order as following:

SPI > eMMC > microSD card

You wrote above that you flashed Tow-Boot (to the SPI), so that is always first in the boot priority and the bootloader on the eMMC is never even started.

Of course there is a solution to all issues, you can't really brick the Pro. But the issue here specifically is that it is impossible to tell what your issue is based on the information you provided and I suspect that some of the information are even accidentally false. I think one of the wrong information pieces is that you wrote that you installed Tow-Boot -> I assume you installed something else and we're on the completely wrong track here due to that information.

It was definitely Tow Boot but perhaps it didn't install properly considering (not sure how considering the screen turns entirely green and says it's finished after install) that when I press vol+ or down and the on simultaneously it doesn't load from SD Card, never did since I installed and it should do that.

I really do appreciate your help even with the slightly condescending remark I'll make yet another account to upload images probably next weekend...'m not in a good mood outside this pinephone difficulty and would really like to enjoy myself before gettin back to my wagey loser life.

Please don't understand it as condescending remarks, it is really not meant like that. It is just important to understand there there is likely a misunderstanding about how the boot process works here and we will turn in circles unless we find the exact misunderstanding. For example you write that you press "volume up" to try to boot from the microSD card, however in Tow-Boot volume up is the USB mass storage mode and volume down is selecting microSD card so I have trouble understanding the exact steps you take and symptoms you're experiencing. I would recommend to recheck all steps and the relevant Tow-Boot and wiki documentation.

You could also join the bridged community channel (see https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/Main_Page#Chat_Platforms), as it is probably easier to quickly solve the exact cause there.