Booting Arch from USB

[lorebett]

Hi

I've just installed Linux Arch (for PineBook Pro) on a USB stick following the official guide https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/Installing_...nebook_Pro

everything went well. However, when I tried to reboot the new installation from USB, it just went to the default Manjaro installation. That happens if I plug the USB stick on the left. I tried to plug it on the right port, and it works: I can boot it! So is it true that I cannot boot from the left port (the port works since I installed Linux Arch on the USB stick using that port)? I seem to understand that the left port is USB 3, while the right port is USB 2? Or am I wrong?

[steeb]

I went ahead and tested, following the instructions you linked, and I'm successfully booting from the USB 3 port on the left-hand side into Arch. Did you flash Tow-Boot to the SPI or just to the SD card? That's the only reason I can think that yours wouldn't work short of a defective USB port.

[lorebett]

I went ahead and tested, following the instructions you linked, and I'm successfully booting from the USB 3 port on the left-hand side into Arch. Did you flash Tow-Boot to the SPI or just to the SD card? That's the only reason I can think that yours wouldn't work short of a defective USB port.

Hi

I followed https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/Installing_...nebook_Pro using /dev/sda instead of /dev/sdb because my USB stick was /dev/sda. I did the procedure with the USB stick inserted on the left-hand side, so that port works. The tutorial instructs you to flash tow-boot directly to the USB stick and that's what I've done.  If I try to boot with the USB stick on the left-hand port it boots to the standard Manjaro, so it does not consider it. If I plug the USB stick on the right-hand side, the U-boot on my PineBook Pro detects the installation on the USB stick and correctly boots it.

I received a notification via email of a previous answer of yours, which, however, I cannot see in the forum. In the email I can only read this part

The default U-Boot doesn't support booting from USB, if you haven't yet flashed the SPI, you should ... (visit the thread to read more...)

[steeb]

I deleted my original comment since I hadn't fully read your initial post (my bad!) But yeah, the only difference between your setup and mine is that I flashed Tow-Boot to the SPI instead of the flash drive and it boots fine from both USB ports.

[lorebett]

I deleted my original comment since I hadn't fully read your initial post (my bad!) But yeah, the only difference between your setup and mine is that I flashed Tow-Boot to the SPI instead of the flash drive and it boots fine from both USB ports.

Ok, thanks for the update.
But what happens if I flash tow-boot to the SPI? Will I still be able to boot the original Manjaro installation? Moreover, where do I find the commands for flashing tow-boot to the SPI?
Many thanks in advance.

[lorebett]

Apparently, something has changed: I can now boot also from the left port... I don't know why... maybe it was just a matter I had to remove the USB stick after the installation before trying to boot?

[lorebett]

Apparently, something has changed: I can now boot also from the left port... I don't know why... maybe it was just a matter I had to remove the USB stick after the installation before trying to boot?

Looks like I can boot from the left port the first time, after some time the computer was off. But if I reboot, it doesn't work anymore... only on the right-side