M.2 SSD Upgrade

[quipacorn]

I'm in the same boat, with Arch at least you can't boot to the eMMC with any microSD in the slot even if it's just a "data" disk which is what I'm going with for now.

Sure? I had that issue after using the SD as booting device. Creating a new partition table with gparted solved it. After that no issue under Mobian to boot from eMMC with SD inserted.

Oh snap! That fixed it, thanks. This should've been a "never used as a boot device" microSD card, must've used it for something in the past and just formatted it after. I need to be better about starting with a new partition table/label  

I was too willing to write it off as a quirk of the current state of the PineTab u-boot haha. 

@quipacorn Yeah, my method taking it off was to start with the "plain side" (opposite the USB ports) and to work around taking it off from there, leaving the pogo pins till last. Then putting it back on it was pogo pins first, working my way towards the opposite side.

In general I think it's a good idea to avoid flexing the display at all costs. I think somebody should really do a "help video", especially when it comes to offering expansion boards.

In all honesty they should really just put in some M2 (or even M1s) to hold the back on that way it's pretty idiot proof. The whole "peeling" process seems like it will bite them later when people go to mod their devices.

Interesting, my disassembly I found worked better with the port-side (which funnily enough as I write that I realize it's also to the left haha) but after that same process. 

Have they done help videos like that before? I assume it's up to the community to provide those kinds of things. 

I agree, but I'm sure there's a mechanical reason for not doing so. It's a little nerve-wracking but as long as one is careful it seems to go fine. I'm still pretty sure my cracked screen was due to a screen protector causing some extra rigidity.

[wd5gnr]

No problem. I'm in the same boat, with Arch at least you can't boot to the eMMC with any microSD in the slot even if it's just a "data" disk which is what I'm going with for now. An SSD will solve that problem at least.

Not sure why my reply didn't take. But I have an SD card in all the time and boot arch on eMMC. No problem.s Do you maybe have the bootable flag set on the SDCARD? What format is the card?

Oh nvm, I was replying to an old cached copy and didn't see someone else already solved it.

[barray]

Interesting, my disassembly I found worked better with the port-side (which funnily enough as I write that I realize it's also to the left haha) but after that same process. 

I didn't want to risk port side first encase I ended up breaking the plastic where it gets thin in places. The "plain" side to me seems to have the most rigidity just by having fewer cut outs.

Have they done help videos like that before? I assume it's up to the community to provide those kinds of things.

No idea, but it seems like something they need. I imagine the second batch of PineTabs could bring with it a bunch of problems once people start opening up their devices more.

I agree, but I'm sure there's a mechanical reason for not doing so. It's a little nerve-wracking but as long as one is careful it seems to go fine. I'm still pretty sure my cracked screen was due to a screen protector causing some extra rigidity.

It would be hard to mount them in the same amount of space, but not impossible. I guess the "clip" method of securing the back cover is well tested from other devices like the PinePhone. I still wish they had investigated this some more.

[quipacorn]

I didn't want to risk port side first encase I ended up breaking the plastic where it gets thin in places. The "plain" side to me seems to have the most rigidity just by having fewer cut outs.

Fair enough! For my units it was far easier to initiate separation from the port side.

No idea, but it seems like something they need. I imagine the second batch of PineTabs could bring with it a bunch of problems once people start opening up their devices more.

Also true, but this discussion (and surely others) will be there to help people out  

It would be hard to mount them in the same amount of space, but not impossible. I guess the "clip" method of securing the back cover is well tested from other devices like the PinePhone. I still wish they had investigated this some more.

I had another thought there too. The clips likely cuts down on costs across the board (materials, time, etc.) which is likely what motivated the choice. Not to mention it's not technically intended to be opened repeatedly like the PinePhone (which has a slightly more accessible mechanism), all the main bits (uart switch, uSD, etc.) are accessible externally. There may be the possibility of 3D printed backs with improved mechanisms in the future.