Image Booting Progress (From SD)

GoogleGroups
1

I went through the process of booting Ubuntu [Precise] onto the BBB via an image found at armhf’s download page. After dd’ing the image onto the microSD card, it’s now taken upwards of an hour and I still haven’t gotten all four lights to be full ON. I did see the LEDs all ON while booting up through the User Boot button.

Is there a way to check for progress? Is there a file I can tail? And if I squashed it early, would there be any effects other than having to reboot from an image again?

2

It sounds like the SD card may have not been formatted properly or it was interrupted at some point… I suggest you go here and follow the procedure listed. You may have to reformat the card as indicated on this page.

http://circuitco.com/support/index.php?title=BeagleBoneBlack

Gerald

3

Those images on that page are not eMMC flashers. Those images only give you Ubuntu terminal while booting FROM the microSD card. The lights will never go solid with those images; if they do while you are using those images you have a problem.

Tommy

4

So you just want an image that will automatically 'flash' ubuntu to
the eMMC from a microSD card?

Something like what i posted last week?
http://elinux.org/BeagleBoardUbuntu#eMMC:_BeagleBone_Black

It'll even light up all 4 LED's when done.. Takes about 6minutes.. :wink:

Regards,

5

Thanks for the quick replies. You guys are fantastic.

@Gerald, what kind of size should the resulting files on the sd card be?

@Thomas, that’s good to know, explains everything.

@Robert, I’ll try your tool as soon as I get home. Very optimistic now. Is there any reason to think that this wouldn’t work for any other OS?

6

It should, it's just an *.img that you can dd to the drive.. Windows
users have reported it working..

Regards,

7

If you reformat it, it should be fairly close to the actual size of the SD card. +/- based on bad locations in the HAND.

Gerald

8

Do you have the Ethernet cable plugged in?

Gerald

9

I have seen issues when connecting Ethernet while trying to flash the board. It sounds to me like th eSD card di dnot get created right, You may need to format it again as the instructions indicate.

Gerald

10

Finally got it working! No USB, no keyboard (although I’d tried that before) - just a 5v adapter. Looks like the 5th try did it!

11

Sometimes, it takes a few attempts.

Gerald

12

Looks like it might have been a power issue - I borked my install so I’m restoring the image from SD - failed several times on just USB power - working like a champ on a 5v wall wart.

13

That is why I suggest using the DC power on the Wiki.

Gerald