PinePhone - boot from microSD
#1
Hi all!

I have a PinePhone (UBports Edition), and I installed Ubuntu Touch 20.04 on eMMC successfully with JumpDrive after a few failed attempts to boot 20.04 (or even Manjaro ARM Beta33 Phosh) from microSD card.

So my issue now that I'm unable to boot any OS from microSD card. Maybe the problem is that I've installed Tow-Boot on the eMMC before, could it affect the boot process from microSD?

The microSD port is OK, because it can recognize my 2GB microSD with Tow-Boot (and the other one with JumpDrive), but when I put in the 16GB with UT 20.04 or Manjaro, and turn the phone on (with or without holding Volume down), it vibrates once with yellow LED up for a short time, but after that nothing happens.

Any idea?

Thanks in advance!
  Reply
#2
Tow boot should not have an issue. Did you try flashing from the computer directly to the emmc using jump drive? If not try doing that first.
  Reply
#3
(03-06-2024, 07:39 AM)aular Wrote: Tow boot should not have an issue. Did you try flashing from the computer directly to the emmc using jump drive? If not try doing that first.

20.04 was installed to eMMC from the computer using JumpDrive, so it's already done. Tow-Boot was installed before that (and I tried to install it after that, as well, but nothing's changed related to microSD boot issue).
  Reply
#4
Try reinstalling tow-boot to the card again then install to device. What im saying is is try putting a fresh file on the card, the old or current one might be corrupt.
  Reply
#5
(03-06-2024, 08:53 AM)aular Wrote: Try reinstalling tow-boot to the card again then install to device. What im saying is is try putting a fresh file on the card, the old or current one might be corrupt.

I used the one which was extracted from this file below on two different SD cards (installation was successful on both occasions):

https://github.com/Tow-Boot/Tow-Boot/releases/download/release-2021.10-005/pine64-pinephoneA64-2021.10-005.tar.xz

Do you have an other, well-tried version?
  Reply
#6
i would still try redownloading towboot again, i had the same issue and a fresh download is what solved it. Even though it would look sucessful, it could still be corrupt
  Reply
#7
(03-06-2024, 06:37 PM)aular Wrote: i would still try redownloading towboot again, i had the same issue and a fresh download is what solved it. Even though it would look sucessful, it could still be corrupt geometry dash world

Same issue. Any solution?
  Reply
#8
(04-22-2024, 02:22 AM)bongosunny Wrote:
(03-06-2024, 06:37 PM)aular Wrote: i would still try redownloading towboot again, i had the same issue and a fresh download is what solved it. Even though it would look sucessful, it could still be corrupt geometry dash world

Same issue. Any solution?

Another thing i thought about is checking the sd card itself to make sure that it is wiped fully clean meaning empty with no blocks like you just bought it from the store. Using the disk utility included in linux you should be able to see that on the computer. if using windows you can use disk part and mac idk. hope it helps
  Reply
#9
(04-25-2024, 05:56 AM)aular Wrote:
(04-22-2024, 02:22 AM)bongosunny Wrote:
(03-06-2024, 06:37 PM)aular Wrote: i would still try redownloading towboot again, i had the same issue and a fresh download is what solved it. Even though it would look sucessful, it could still be corrupt geometry dash world

Same issue. Any solution?

Another thing i thought about is checking the sd card itself to make sure that it is wiped fully clean meaning empty with no blocks like you just bought it from the store. Using the disk utility included in linux you should be able to see that on the computer. if using windows you can use disk part and mac idk. hope it helps

Hi! I wiped the microSD fully with diskpart and created primary partition via Windows 10, and then put the OS on it, so the issue is not here, I think.

Anyway, I'll try the boot process with another microSD, but this time with Ubuntu Touch 20.04 on it, because I've already put Manjaro ARM to the eMMC.
  Reply
#10
(04-30-2024, 10:34 AM)laserpyramid Wrote:
(04-25-2024, 05:56 AM)aular Wrote:
(04-22-2024, 02:22 AM)bongosunny Wrote:
(03-06-2024, 06:37 PM)aular Wrote: i would still try redownloading towboot again, i had the same issue and a fresh download is what solved it. Even though it would look sucessful, it could still be corrupt geometry dash world

Same issue. Any solution?

Another thing i thought about is checking the sd card itself to make sure that it is wiped fully clean meaning empty with no blocks like you just bought it from the store. Using the disk utility included in linux you should be able to see that on the computer. if using windows you can use disk part and mac idk. hope it helps

Hi! I wiped the microSD fully with diskpart and created primary partition via Windows 10, and then put the OS on it, so the issue is not here, I think.

Anyway, I'll try the boot process with another microSD, but this time with Ubuntu Touch 20.04 on it, because I've already put Manjaro ARM to the eMMC.
I put UT 20.04 onto another 16 GB microSD, but the issue is the same. The phone itself can recognize microSD cards (I can access files from other microSDs, or using JumpDrive etc.), but somehow it's unable to boot from it.

UPDATE:

I downloaded Tow-Boot for the third time, put it to the same 2 GB microSD and installed Tow-Boot to PinePhone again, and now it seems the phone has started the booting process (UT 20.04) from the 16 GB microSD Smile I did the same steps now as before, so it's quite interesting...
  Reply


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  eSIM on PinePhone just_a_q 8 4,412 11-05-2024, 11:10 AM
Last Post: zetabeta
  How boot Alpine Linux realroot 4 581 11-02-2024, 01:00 PM
Last Post: linmob
  Want to buy second hand PinePhone 3G version rudi.timmermans 0 95 11-01-2024, 09:58 AM
Last Post: rudi.timmermans
  Can use PlayStation on Pinephone? willharper 6 5,539 10-30-2024, 08:07 AM
Last Post: biketool
  Ordered PinePhone till today have no info or confirmation about order hennadiyt 1 300 10-05-2024, 02:20 PM
Last Post: KC9UDX
  Tow boot MTXP 5 1,528 08-22-2024, 03:11 AM
Last Post: Pavlos1
  US Mobile, via T-Mobile, won't support Pinephone Pro - SOLVED, SIMPLY jovval 11 5,605 07-28-2024, 03:42 PM
Last Post: dchang0
  How can I record video on a Pinephone? kk22 18 6,962 07-22-2024, 05:18 PM
Last Post: baptx
  Pinephone not booting, always vibrating alexander12 8 6,758 07-19-2024, 07:50 PM
Last Post: Blackheart
  PinePhone Pro P. Siera 2 762 07-17-2024, 12:41 AM
Last Post: P. Siera

Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)